British Association of Dermatologists National Clinical Audit on the Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the UK.

BACKGROUND: The first UK guidelines for the management of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) were published by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) in 2018. The guidelines contained a set of audit criteria. AIM: To evaluate current HS management against the audit standards in the BAD guidelines. METHODS: BAD members were invited to complete audit questionnaires between January and May 2020 for five consecutive patients with HS per department. RESULTS: In total, 88 centres participated, providing data for 406 patients. Disease staging using the Hurley system and disease severity using a validated tool during follow-ups was documented in 75% and 56% of cases, respectively, while quality of life and pain were documented in 49% and 50% of cases, respectively. Screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors was as follows: smoking 75%, body mass index 27% and others such as lipids and diabetes 57%. Screening for depression and anxiety was performed in 40% and 25% of cases, respectively. Support for smokers or obese patients was documented in 35% and 23% of cases. In total, 182 patients were on adalimumab, of whom 68% had documentation of baseline disease severity, and 76% were reported as having inadequate response or contraindications to systemic treatments; 44% of patients continued on adalimumab despite having < 25% improvement in lesion count. CONCLUSION: UK dermatologists performed well against several audit standards, including documenting disease staging at baseline and smoking status. However, improvements are needed, particularly with regard to screening and management of comorbidities that could reduce the long-term complications associated with HS. A re-audit is required to evaluate changes in practice in the future.

An economic evaluation of the randomized controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home-based narrowband ultraviolet B for active and limited vitiligo (the HI-Light Vitiligo Trial).

BACKGROUND: Economic evidence for vitiligo treatments is absent. OBJECTIVES: To determine the cost-effectiveness of (i) handheld narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) and (ii) a combination of topical corticosteroid (TCS) and NB-UVB compared with TCS alone for localized vitiligo. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic, three-arm, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial with 9 months' treatment. In total 517 adults and children (aged ≥ 5 years) with active vitiligo affecting < 10% of skin were recruited from secondary care and the community and were randomized 1: 1: 1 to receive TCS, NB-UVB or both. Cost per successful treatment (measured on the Vitiligo Noticeability Scale) was estimated. Secondary cost-utility analyses measured quality-adjusted life-years using the EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels for those aged ≥ 11 years and the Child Health Utility 9D for those aged 5 to < 18 years. The trial was registered with number ISRCTN17160087 on 8 January 2015. RESULTS: The mean ± SD cost per participant was £775 ± 83·7 for NB-UVB, £813 ± 111.4 for combination treatment and £600 ± 96·2 for TCS. In analyses adjusted for age and target patch location, the incremental difference in cost for combination treatment compared with TCS was £211 (95% confidence interval 188-235), corresponding to a risk difference of 10·9% (number needed to treat = 9). The incremental cost was £1932 per successful treatment. The incremental difference in cost for NB-UVB compared with TCS was £173 (95% confidence interval 151-196), with a risk difference of 5·2% (number needed to treat = 19). The incremental cost was £3336 per successful treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment, compared with TCS alone, has a lower incremental cost per additional successful treatment than NB-UVB only. Combination treatment would be considered cost-effective if decision makers are willing to pay £1932 per additional treatment success.

Randomized controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home-based narrowband ultraviolet B for active and limited vitiligo: results of the HI-Light Vitiligo Trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for the effectiveness of vitiligo treatments is limited. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of (i) handheld narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) and (ii) a combination of potent topical corticosteroid (TCS) and NB-UVB, compared with TCS alone, for localized vitiligo. METHODS: A pragmatic, three-arm, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial (9-month treatment, 12-month follow-up). Adults and children, recruited from secondary care and the community, aged ≥ 5 years and with active vitiligo affecting < 10% of skin, were randomized 1 : 1 : 1 to receive TCS (mometasone furoate 0·1% ointment + dummy NB-UVB), NB-UVB (NB-UVB + placebo TCS) or a combination (TCS + NB-UVB). TCS was applied once daily on alternating weeks; NB-UVB was administered on alternate days in escalating doses, adjusted for erythema. The primary outcome was treatment success at 9 months at a target patch assessed using the participant-reported Vitiligo Noticeability Scale, with multiple imputation for missing data. The trial was registered with number ISRCTN17160087 on 8 January 2015. RESULTS: In total 517 participants were randomized to TCS (n = 173), NB-UVB (n = 169) and combination (n = 175). Primary outcome data were available for 370 (72%) participants. The proportions with target patch treatment success were 17% (TCS), 22% (NB-UVB) and 27% (combination). Combination treatment was superior to TCS: adjusted between-group difference 10·9% (95% confidence interval 1·0%-20·9%; P = 0·032; number needed to treat = 10). NB-UVB alone was not superior to TCS: adjusted between-group difference 5·2% (95% CI - 4·4% to 14·9%; P = 0·29; number needed to treat = 19). Participants using interventions with ≥ 75% expected adherence were more likely to achieve treatment success, but the effects were lost once treatment stopped. Localized grade 3 or 4 erythema was reported in 62 (12%) participants (including three with dummy light). Skin thinning was reported in 13 (2·5%) participants (including one with placebo ointment). CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment with home-based handheld NB-UVB plus TCS is likely to be superior to TCS alone for treatment of localized vitiligo. Combination treatment was relatively safe and well tolerated but was successful in only around one-quarter of participants.

National audit on the management of bullous pemphigoid.

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune, subepidermal, blistering condition that typically affects elderly people. AIM: To undertake a national clinical audit based on standards derived from the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) clinical guidelines on the management of BP. METHODS: In 2018, BAD members were invited to submit data for five consecutive adults with BP per centre, who had been under hospital supervision for at least 12 months, in a national audit over an 11-week period. RESULTS: In total, 123 responders from 120 hospitals provided data for 524 cases. Diagnosis was made either clinically (10.7%; 56 of 524) or through histology with direct immunofluorescence (41.6%; 218 of 524), indirect immunofluorescence (10.3%; 54 of 524) or both (37.4%; 196 of 524). Most patients had very mild baseline disease (63.9%; 225 of 352) with 21.9% (77 of 352) considered mild, 9.8% (31 of 352) moderate and 5.4% (19 of 352) severe. Documentation of diabetes, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure and hypertension was available for 54.1% (283 of 523), 51% (267 of 524), 44.2% (231 of 522) and 61.5% (321 of 522) of cases, respectively. Oral corticosteroids were commenced in 85.5% (448 of 524) of patients, with 38.4% (172 of 448) of these having documented risk of osteoporosis; data regarding prescription of bone-protection therapies were available for 99.7% (447 of 448) of cases, with 75.6% (338 of 447) of these having a bone-protection prescription. Patient satisfaction was documented in 59.3% (310 of 523) of cases. Systemic treatment was commenced in 95.9% (502 of 524) of cases during the 12-month assessment period, with baseline blood test and follow-up data available for 96.6% (485 of 502) and 95.6% (480 of 502), respectively. Documentation of baseline blood tests was available for 87.4% (424 of 485) of cases, with follow-up tests recorded in 69.8% (335 of 480). CONCLUSION: Overall, compliance with elements of documentation was moderate or low, whereas standards pertaining to direct care were high.

Compliance with national guidelines on isotretinoin: where are we 2 years since the last audit? Results of the National Isotretinoin Re-Audit 2014.

BACKGROUND: In 2010, the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) published clinical guidelines for the safe introduction and continued use of isotretinoin in patients with acne in the UK. The BAD provides UK dermatologists with a facility for national audit, and it undertook an audit on compliance with these guidelines in 2012. AIM: To determine current clinical practices relating to use of isotretinoin among dermatologists in the UK (including geographical variations) as measured against BAD standards, and to ascertain any improvement since the 2012 audit. METHODS: The 2012 isotretinoin audit proforma was used, with additional questions on clinical setting, complaints and litigation. A web-based survey tool was used for data entry and submission, with email invitation to working, UK-based BAD members (n = 1226) in December 2013 and weekly reminders during the 8.5-week data collection period. Responders were requested to enter data for the three most recent consecutive patients (including one male and one female patient) who had completed treatment within the previous 6 months. RESULTS: In total, 338 (27.6%) respondents provided data on 1013 patients. Serum lipids were checked in 93.4% of patients and documentation of mental health and/or mood state was recorded in 82.1%. Regarding the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP), 91.6% of female patients of childbearing potential had signed the PPP information form, while 93.3% who had followed the PPP had taken pregnancy tests both before and during treatment, and 54.7% had taken a pregnancy test 5 weeks post-treatment. CONCLUSION: Overall, there is currently good compliance with standards. Certain aspects of care that are less frequently preformed, such as pregnancy testing post-treatment, are highlighted.

British Association of Dermatologists' national audit on nonmelanoma skin cancer excision, 2014.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis and management of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) represents a large part of the dermatology workload, and complete excision is a required surgical standard for treatment. AIM: To conduct an audit of the surgical practice for the treatment of NMSC by dermatologists in the UK. METHODS: Data on 10 consecutive nonmicrographic excisions of nonmelanoma skin cancer by UK dermatologists. Data collected included site, preoperative diagnosis, histological diagnosis, proximity to previous scars, and histological deep and peripheral margins. RESULTS: A total of 227 responses from 135 centres reported 2739 excisions. Excisions on the head and neck accounted for 58.3% of cases. Tumour diameter (mean ± SD) was 10.61 ± 6.9 mm (maximum 130 mm), and 96.7% of cases were primary excisions, with 3.3% being re-excisions. Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) accounted for 79.1% (n = 2167) of the total cases and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) for 17.9% n = 491). Of the suspected BCCs and SCCS, 94.4% (n = 2045) and 66.8% (328), respectively, were confirmed histologically to be the respective carcinomas. Similar proportions of BCC and SCC cases were within 10 mm of a previous excision. Lateral and deep margins were clear in 98.3% and 99.2% of BCC cases, respectively, and in 98.4% and 97.1% of SCC cases, respectively. Reported surgical complication rate in the audit was 3.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of excisions for NMSC are for BCC and SCC. Our figures for diagnostic accuracy are at the upper range of previously published figures. Most patients were not followed up in secondary care, hence complication rates may be under-reported.

Telomerase activity and its association with psychological stress, mental disorders, lifestyle factors and interventions: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To summarise and discuss the association between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. METHOD: A systematic review was carried out to identify prospective or retrospective studies and interventions published up to June 2015 that reported associations between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. Electronic data bases of PubMed, ProQuest, CINAHL and Google Scholar were searched. RESULTS: Twenty six studies on humans measured telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or leukocytes and examined its association with psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. Of those studies, three reported significantly decreased telomerase activity in individuals under chronic psychological stress. Interestingly, one of the three studies found that acute laboratory psychological stress significantly increased telomerase activity. Nine studies reported mixed results on association between mental disorders and telomerase activity. Of the nine studies, five reported that major depressive disorder (MDD) was associated with significantly increased telomerase activity. In thirteen out of fourteen studies on lifestyle factors, it was reported that physical exercise, diet micronutrient supplementation, mindfulness meditation, Qigong practice or yoga mediation resulted in increase in telomerase activity. In addition, two studies on animal models showed that depression-like behaviour was associated with decreased hippocampus telomerase activity. Five animal studies showed that physical exercise increased telomerase activity by cell-type-specific and genotype-specific manners. CONCLUSION: Although multi-facet results were reported on the association between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors, there were some consistent findings in humans such as (1) decreased telomerase activity in individuals under chronic stress, (2) increased telomerase activity in individuals with MDD, and (3) increased telomerase activity in individuals under lifestyle interventions. Animal studies showed that physical exercise increased telomerase activity in specific cell-types. However, the exact mechanisms for the changes in telomerase activity have not been elucidated. We propose conglomerate models connecting chronic psychological stress, depression, mediation and physical exercise to telomerase activation. Several areas for future research are suggested.

Implementing a bar-code assisted medication administration system: effects on the dispensing process and user perceptions.

PURPOSE: We assessed the effects of a bar-code assisted medication administration system used without the support of computerised prescribing (stand-alone BCMA), on the dispensing process and its users. METHODS: The stand-alone BCMA system was implemented in one ward of a teaching hospital. The number of dispensing steps, dispensing time and potential dispensing errors (PDEs) were directly observed one month before and eight months after the intervention. Attitudes of pharmacy and nursing staff were assessed using a questionnaire (Likert scale) and interviews. RESULTS: Among 1291 and 471 drug items observed before and after the introduction of the technology respectively, the number of dispensing steps increased from five to eight and time (standard deviation) to dispense one drug item by one staff personnel increased from 0.8 (0.09) to 1.5 (0.12) min. Among 2828 and 471 drug items observed before and after the intervention respectively, the number of PDEs increased significantly (P<0.001). 'Procedural errors' and 'missing drug items' were the frequently observed PDEs in the after study. 'Perceived usefulness' and 'job relevance' of the technology decreased significantly (P=0.003 and P=0.004 respectively) among users who participated in the before (N=16) and after (N=16) questionnaires surveys. Among the interviewees, pharmacy staff felt that the system offered less benefit to the dispensing process (9/16). Nursing staff perceived the system as useful in improving the accuracy of drug administration (7/10). CONCLUSION: Implementing a stand-alone BCMA system may slow down and complicate the dispensing process. Nursing staff believe the stand-alone BCMA system could improve the drug administration process but pharmacy staff believes the technology would be more helpful if supported by computerised prescribing. However, periodical assessments are needed to identify weaknesses in the process after implementation, and all users should be educated on the benefits of using this technology.

The pattern of the discovery of medication errors in a tertiary hospital in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of reducing medication errors is to eliminate those that reach the patient. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the pattern of interceptions to tackle medication errors along the medication use processes. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital in Hong Kong. METHOD: The 'Swiss Cheese Model' was used to explain the interceptions targeting medication error reporting over 5 years (2006-2010). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of prescribing, dispensing and drug administration errors intercepted by pharmacists and nurses; proportions of prescribing, dispensing and drug administration errors that reached the patient. RESULTS: Our analysis included 1,268 in-patient medication errors, of which 53.4% were related to prescribing, 29.0% to administration and 17.6% to dispensing. 34.1% of all medication errors (4.9% prescribing, 26.8% drug administration and 2.4% dispensing) were not intercepted. Pharmacy staff intercepted 85.4% of the prescribing errors. Nurses detected 83.0% of dispensing and 5.0% of prescribing errors. However, 92.4% of all drug administration errors reached the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Having a preventive measure at each stage of the medication use process helps to prevent most errors. Most drug administration errors reach the patient as there is no defense against these. Therefore, more interventions to prevent drug administration errors are warranted.

Technology-related medication errors in a tertiary hospital: a 5-year analysis of reported medication incidents.

PURPOSE: Healthcare technology is meant to reduce medication errors. The objective of this study was to assess unintended errors related to technologies in the medication use process. METHODS: Medication incidents reported from 2006 to 2010 in a main tertiary care hospital were analysed by a pharmacist and technology-related errors were identified. Technology-related errors were further classified as socio-technical errors and device errors. This analysis was conducted using data from medication incident reports which may represent only a small proportion of medication errors that actually takes place in a hospital. Hence, interpretation of results must be tentative. RESULTS: 1538 medication incidents were reported. 17.1% of all incidents were technology-related, of which only 1.9% were device errors, whereas most were socio-technical errors (98.1%). Of these, 61.2% were linked to computerised prescription order entry, 23.2% to bar-coded patient identification labels, 7.2% to infusion pumps, 6.8% to computer-aided dispensing label generation and 1.5% to other technologies. The immediate causes for technology-related errors included, poor interface between user and computer (68.1%), improper procedures or rule violations (22.1%), poor interface between user and infusion pump (4.9%), technical defects (1.9%) and others (3.0%). In 11.4% of the technology-related incidents, the error was detected after the drug had been administered. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of all incidents were technology-related. Most errors were due to socio-technical issues. Unintended and unanticipated errors may happen when using technologies. Therefore, when using technologies, system improvement, awareness, training and monitoring are needed to minimise medication errors.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a newborn: a diagnostic dilemma.

Infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis typically present at 2 to 4 weeks of age with nonbilious projectile vomiting. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is exceedingly rare in newborn infants and is scarcely reported in literature. Also, the diagnostic criteria for ultrasonographic measurements in newborn infants have yet to be determined. This report is of a newborn infant with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. The patient presented with high-volume non-bile-stained output from a nasogastric tube and a dilated gastric bubble on abdominal radiograph. Contrast study ruled out intestinal malrotation. Two ultrasound tests showed that the pyloric muscle thickness and pyloric canal length were within normal limits. Subsequent laparotomy showed a thickened pylorus and pyloromyotomy was performed. The patient showed marked improvement in feeding postoperatively. A high index of suspicion is required for newborn infants presenting with gastric outlet obstruction. Ultrasound and contrast studies provide additional information, but definitive diagnosis may only be available intra-operatively.

Laparoscopic excision of choledochal cysts in children: an intermediate-term report.

PURPOSE: To assess the intermediate-term result of the use of the minimally invasive technique in the treatment of choledochal cysts in children. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of all cases of choledochal cyst treated in the tertiary referral centre. The surgical technique is described and all the medical records were reviewed to assess the intraoperative and postoperative complications and follow-up problems. RESULTS: From October 2000 to April 2008, laparoscopic excision and reconstruction were attempted in 37 patients. Laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in 34. Conversion was required in three patients due to oozing on cyst dissection (two) and bleeding from small bowel mesentry (one) during the early part of the series. Postoperative complications were observed in 15 patients including subhepatic collection (6), bile leakage (3), minor wound infection (4) and prolonged ileus (2). At a mean follow-up of 4.2 years, four patients developed surgical complications including intrahepatic ductal strictures in a type IV cyst (one), stump pancreatitis (one), terminal ileal obstruction from internal herniation (one) and cholangitis (one). The cosmetic result was good in all patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that laparoscopic excision and reconstruction can be safely performed in children with a choledochal cyst with satisfactory intermediate-term results.

A rare case of primary omental neuroblastoma and resection of the recurrent tumor by laparoscopy.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Primary omental neuroblastoma has never been reported in the English literature. A 4-year-old girl presented with a mobile abdominal mass; primary omental neuroblastoma was diagnosed. There was tumor recurrence after complete tumor resection. She received chemotherapy and underwent laparoscopic resection of the recurrent tumor. There was no tumor recurrence after 1 year of follow-up.

The use of laparoscopy in the management of Littre's hernia in children.

Littre's hernia is a rare complication of Meckel's diverticulum. It was originally defined as 'the presence of a Meckel's diverticulum in any hernia sac' by Rieke in 1841. It is difficult to diagnose before surgery. With the advances in the development of laparoscopic surgery in children, diagnosis of this rare condition, together with subsequent repair of Littre's hernia and Meckel's diverticulectomy can be performed by laparoscopy. We herein report the use of laparoscopy in the management of two boys with Littre's hernia, including one with incarcerated hernia.

Laparoscopic management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum in children: a 10-year review.

BACKGROUND: Meckel's diverticulum, the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, is prone to develop complications in the pediatric population. The authors report their 10-year experience with the management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum in children using laparoscopy. METHODS: A retrospective review of all complicated Meckel's diverticulum cases involving children from 1998 to 2007 was performed. The efficacy and safety of laparoscopy used to manage complicated Meckel's diverticulum were assessed. RESULTS: Over a 10-year period, 20 children (17 boys and 3 girls) with a mean age of 5 years (range, 7 months to 13 years) were included in the study. Of the 20 children, 12 presented with gastrointestinal bleeding, 2 had intestinal obstruction, 3 had abdominal pain mimicking acute appendicitis, 2 had inguinal hernia, and 1 had intussusception. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed for all the patients. Laparoscopically assisted transumbilical Meckel's diverticulectomy was performed successfully for 18 of the children. The operative time ranged from 50 to 190 min (mean, 115 min). All the children had an uneventful recovery except one, who experienced a postoperative wound infection. Ectopic gastric mucosa was found in 14 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse pediatric surgical conditions result from Meckel's diverticulum. Laparoscopy is a safe and effective method for the management of complicated Meckel's diverticulum.

Urinary bladder pheochromocytoma, an extremely rare tumor in children: case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of pheochromocytoma in the urinary bladder of a 14-year-old girl who presented with headache and palpitation after voiding. This is an extremely rare condition in pediatric age group and thus can be missed easily. This case is the seventh case reported in the reviewed literature.

Evaluation of the treatment of venous lakes with the 595-nm pulsed-dye laser: a case series.

Venous lakes (VLs) are common benign venous ectasias in the upper dermis. They are treated to improve cosmesis and occasionally to prevent bleeding. Numerous methods have been used, such as cryotherapy, infrared coagulation and various types of lasers. They are variable in their success and all can be complicated by scarring. We report our experiences of using the 595 nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL), which has not been previously described. Eight patients were treated but sufficient resolution was achieved in only three patients. The limited success with this laser could be attributed to insufficient thermal energy being generated to close all the blood vessels permanently. A large prospective study would provide further data regarding the efficacy of the PDL. The use of compression and longer pulse durations may improve the efficacy of the 595 nm PDL to treat VLs.

Genomic and proteomic biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most deadly liver malignancies found worldwide, with hepatitis virus infection being the prominent risk factor for this lesion. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are usually first diagnosed when in the advanced stage; thus, long-term clinical outcomes are poor and patients have limited treatment options. Currently, surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma relies upon serological testing of alpha-fetoprotein levels and hepatic ultrasonography, which have low sensitivity and specificity, and are sometimes operator-dependent, respectively. Therefore, discovery of new biomarkers for early and accurate detection of hepatocellular carcinoma would be of great clinical value. Genomic and proteomic approaches are two major laboratory platforms for the identification of candidate hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers based on profiling and validating with tumor and nontumor clinical samples. Frequently, these diagnostic markers have been found in association with genetic aberrations, protein-level alterations, post-translational modifications and immune functions. With the discovery of these biomarkers, earlier detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk subjects (e.g., cirrhosis and hepatitis carriers) becomes possible, which will enable clinicians to offer patients better clinical management and more effective treatment modalities.

SPARC and Hevin expression correlate with tumour angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Both Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) and Hevin are multifunctional matricellular glycoproteins. Recent experimental studies suggested that Hevin and SPARC together diminish angiogenesis, but their significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to correlate SPARC and Hevin expression with angiogenesis and clinicopathological features in HCC. SPARC and Hevin protein and mRNA expression in HCC specimens were assessed by immunostaining, immunoblotting, and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Tumour microvessel density (MVD) was assessed by CD34 immunostaining. The role of SPARC and Hevin in HCC was further assessed in an in vivo nude mice xenograft model. Both SPARC and Hevin mRNA levels were significantly higher in tumours than in non-tumourous livers. A significant correlation between tumour SPARC and Hevin mRNA levels was found. Moreover, SPARC protein localized in the tumour sinusoidal area correlated significantly with Hevin protein localized in HCC cells. Truncated forms of SPARC and Hevin proteins were detected in clinical samples. Truncated SPARC protein localized in the tumour sinusoidal area correlated significantly with tumour MVD. On the other hand, overexpression of full-length SPARC in tumour xenografts in athymic nude mice significantly delayed tumour growth, and this delay was related to a decrease in tumour angiogenesis. Expression of Hevin protein within HCC cells was related to the presence of tumour encapsulation and the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen in clinical samples. Overexpression of Hevin in tumour xenografts also significantly delayed tumour growth. In conclusion, this study has shown that SPARC and Hevin are upregulated in HCC compared with non-tumourous liver, and that they are inter-related at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, both SPARC and Hevin were related to HCC angiogenesis and tumour progression.