Safety and feasibility of liver resection including major hepatectomy for geriatric patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether hepatectomy, which ranges in invasiveness from partial to major hepatectomy, is safe and feasible for older adult patients. Therefore, we compared its postoperative complications and long-term outcomes between younger and older adult patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent hepatectomies for hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 883) were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: aged < 75 years (N = 593) and ≥ 75 years (N = 290). Short-term outcomes and prognoses were compared between the groups in the entire cohort. The same analyses were performed for the major hepatectomy cohort. RESULTS: In the entire cohort, no significant differences were found in complications between patients aged < 75 and ≥ 75 years, and the multivariate analysis did not reveal age as a prognostic factor for postoperative complications. However, overall survival was significantly worse in older patients, although no significant differences were noted in time to recurrence or cancer-specific survival. In the multivariate analyses of time to recurrence, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival, although older age was an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival, it was not a prognostic factor for time to recurrence and cancer-specific survival. In the major hepatectomy subgroup, short- and long-term outcomes, including time to recurrence, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival, did not differ significantly between the age groups. In the multivariate analysis, age was not a significant prognostic factor for complications, time to recurrence, overall survival, or cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION: Hepatectomy, including minor and major hepatectomy, may be safe and oncologically feasible options for selected older adult patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Spontaneous clearance of serum HCV-RNA after splenectomy in a patient with HCV-related liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous clearance of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rare in adults. A T-lymphocyte response is thought to be involved in HCV-RNA clearance. Splenectomy reportedly has a beneficial effect on T cell immune function in patients with cirrhosis. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the first to describe spontaneous clearance of serum HCV-RNA within 1 year after splenectomy in a patient with cirrhosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man with HCV cirrhosis was transferred to our institution with advanced pancytopenia, splenomegaly, and gastric varices. He had a 1-year history of ascites, edema, and general fatigue. The patient had a Child-Pugh score of 8 and serological type 1 HCV; the HCV-RNA level was 4.7 log IU/mL. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed gastric varices and marked splenomegaly (estimated spleen volume of 2175 mL). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed enlarged gastric varices with no red color sign, and the varices were larger than those 1 year prior. He was diagnosed with decompensated HCV-related liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. We considered direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy; however, DAA therapy was not approved in Japan for patients with decompensated cirrhosis at that time. Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy was performed to improve the worsening portal hypertension. Further, we planned the initiation of DAA therapy after surgery, when such therapy would become available. DAA therapy was approved 1 year after splenectomy. At that time, we measured the HCV-RNA level before the initiation of DAA therapy; unexpectedly, however, serum HCV-RNA was not detectable, and the virus continued to disappear during the following 4 years. His liver function (total bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin time) and pancytopenia improved during the 5 years postoperatively. The serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase levels normalized between 1 and 5 years postoperatively. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed no change in the gastric varices during the 5 years after surgery. The patient remained asymptomatic and continued to do well. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented a case of spontaneous clearance of HCV-RNA after splenectomy in a patient with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Splenectomy may be associated with disappearance of HCV-RNA based on previous reports. More cases should be accumulated and evaluated.

The five-item modified frailty index predicts long-term outcomes in elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has been globally recognized as a predictor of adverse postoperative outcomes. Frailty assessment using the five-factor modified frailty index (5-mFI) has recently gained traction; however, long-term outcomes are unknown in colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. This study aimed to investigate whether the 5-mFI predicted long-term survival and cause of death on the basis of frailty severity in elderly patients who underwent CRC surgery and to determine the risk factors for mortality. METHODS: A total of 299 patients underwent CRC surgery with curative intent between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients were divided into three groups by the 5-mFI score: group 1 (5-mFI: 0 or 1; n = 164): no frailty; group 2 (5-mFI: 2; n = 91): moderate frailty; and group 3 (5-mFI: ≥ 3; n = 44): severe frailty. Clinicopathological variables, namely comorbidities, 5-mFI, prognostic nutrition index, operative/postoperative data, and outcome, including cause of death, were compared between the three groups. To identify factors associated with death from CRC- and non-CRC-related causes, univariate and multivariate analyses using a Cox regression model were performed. RESULTS: The immediate postoperative morbidity of patients with Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III complications (9.1%) in group 3 was not significantly different from that in group 1 (9.1%) or group 2 (14.3%); however, the 30-day mortality rate (4.5%) in group 3 was significantly higher. Long-term disease-free survival was similar between frailty groups, suggesting that CRC surgery provides oncological benefit to patients irrespective of frailty. The 5-year survival rates in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 83.5%, 71.2%, and 47.9%, respectively, showing a significantly lower survival rate as frailty advanced. Sixty percent of the deaths in frail patients were due to respiratory failure and cardiovascular diseases. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that advanced age, higher 5-mFI score, and longer postoperative hospital stay were risk factors for mortality unrelated to CRC. Multivariate analysis also revealed that advanced tumor stage, carcinoembryonic antigen ≥ 5 ng/ml, undifferentiated tumor, and R1 resection were risk factors for CRC-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-mFI score can predict postoperative short- and long-term outcomes and risk factors for mortality unrelated to CRC. Additionally, long-term survival was negatively associated with the 5-mFI score.

Simplified and Optimized Immune Score for Colorectal Cancer Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immunoscore (IS) is an important evaluation method for the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME); however, formal IS analysis requires designated reagents and a specific digital pathology software and image data analysis. This study aimed to investigate whether simplified IS (s-IS) can substitute formal IS upon modifying the location of the assessment of the numbers of immune cells and verify that the addition of T cell subset markers to s-IS can enhance the prognostic impact in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 82 CRC cases were included in this study. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using CD3/CD8/CD45RO/FOXP3 on tissue specimens; the expression levels were calculated in the center and perimeter of the tumors using digital pathology. The clinical prognostic significance of the expression of these markers was investigated by concordance index comparison according to their location of assessment and combinations. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, the CD3, CD8, and FOXP3 levels were significant prognostic factors. Moreover, for each T cell subset marker, the assessment of each T cell subset marker at the tumor perimeter had a stronger prognostic power than that in the tumor center. The modified s-IS (s-IS plus FOXP3 evaluation) was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival and overall survival through multivariate analysis and demonstrated the best prognostic power compared to other T subset marker combinations. CONCLUSION: In CRC, TIME evaluation could be simplified by assessing CD3- and CD8-positive T cells in the perimeter of the tumor, and additional FOXP3 evaluation would empower the ability of s-IS evaluation in prognostic assessment.

Predictive and Prognostic Value of SUOX Expression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sulphite oxidase (SUOX) is a metalloenzyme that catalyses ATP synthesis via oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Although SUOX has been reported to affect the invasiveness and differentiation of cancer cells, its clinicopathological significance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the utility of SUOX expression as a prognostic factor in PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 56 patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatic resection at the Kurume University Hospital between 2014 and 2018. SUOX immunohistochemistry was evaluated using tissue microarray specimens from patients. Patients were classified into a high SUOX expression group (≥10% of cells stained) or a low SUOX expression group (<10% of cells stained), and the associations of SUOX with clinicopathological characteristics and survival were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using Cox regression analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test. RESULTS: SUOX was expressed in the cytoplasm of normal pancreatic ductal epithelium, pancreatic acinar cells, and islets of Langerhans. Although we did not find any significant correlation between SUOX expression and clinicopathological factors, SUOX was identified as an independent prognostic factor based on univariate and multivariate analyses. Pathological stage was also an independent prognostic factor. The high SUOX expression group showed a significantly poorer prognosis than the low SUOX expression group (p=0.018). CONCLUSION: SUOX-mediated mitochondrial metabolism in PDAC may be a factor influencing prognosis and SUOX may be a potential novel prognostic biomarker.

Colorectal cancer surgery in elderly patients 80 years and older: a comparison with younger age groups.

Background: A reduction in complications and mortality can be observed over the last few decades among elderly patients in the early postoperative period for colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, but long-term outcomes are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of elderly patients 80 years and older after CRC surgery in comparison with younger age groups. The influence of clinical, oncological, and physical parameters on outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Methods: A total of 346 patients underwent CRC surgery with curative intent between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients were divided into three age groups: younger than 60 (n=47), between 60 and 79 (n=218), and 80 and older (n=81). Clinicopathological variables including comorbidity, modified frailty index, prognostic nutrition index (PNI), operative/postoperative data, and outcome including cause of death were compared among age groups. To identify factors associated with death from CRC and other causes, univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were performed. Results: Immediate postoperative morbidity of patients with Clavien-Dindo grades of III or greater (16.0%) and the 30-day mortality rate (2.5%) of patients 80 years and older were not statistically different from those of younger age groups. Long-term disease-free survival was also similar among age groups, suggesting CRC surgery provides oncological benefit to patients irrespective of age. Multivariate analysis revealed that R1 resection, advanced tumor stage, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of >5 ng/mL, undifferentiated tumor, and longer postoperative hospital stay were risk factors for CRC death. Long-term overall survival was significantly reduced in comparison to younger age groups. Seventy percent of deaths in elderly patients during follow-up were primarily from respiratory failure and cardiovascular disease. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that advanced age, frailty, low PNI, and open procedure were risk factors for other causes of mortality. Conclusions: Elderly patients undergoing CRC surgery appeared to enjoy similar oncological benefits as younger age groups. Since both modified frailty index and PNI were correlated with mortality unrelated to CRC, preoperative assessment of these factors can be important for predicting outcome and selecting patients for prehabilitation.

Asymptomatic Fungemia Due to Rhodotorula spp. Caused by a Subcutaneously Implanted Central Venous Port Catheter.

A 66-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for gastrointestinal perforation. He had a history of surgery and chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and had a subcutaneously implanted central venous port catheter. After surgery for gastrointestinal tract perforation, he developed an intra-abdominal abscess, which was treated with broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents and improved. Following this improvement, Rhodotorula spp. was detected in a blood culture and at the catheter tip. He was asymptomatic despite having fungemia. His condition improved after the removal of the catheter and the administration of antifungal drugs. Fungemia due to Rhodotorula spp. is rare, and asymptomatic fungemia is even rarer.

Current Status and Problems of Breast Cancer Treatment with Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disease that affects approximately 1% of the world's population. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the world that causes death in women. It is often unclear whether patients with schizophrenia receive recommended cancer treatment that met the guideline. This study characterized breast cancer treatment disruptions in schizophrenia patients and sought to identify and resolve correctable predictors of those disruptions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 55 primary breast cancer patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and treated for breast cancer. We evaluated the characteristics of the breast cancer patients with schizophrenia compared to those of 610 breast cancer patients without schizophrenia. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the schizophrenia group had significantly advanced T and N factors and disease stage. Significantly fewer patients in the schizophrenia group than in the control group received chemotherapy (P < .0001) or recommended cancer treatment (P = .0004). Within the schizophrenia group, the patients in need of ADL support were significantly less likely to receive recommended cancer treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia are often diagnosed with breast cancer in advanced stages. In addition, patients with schizophrenia with reduced ADL are less likely to receive chemotherapy or recommended cancer treatment. It is highly recommended that patients with schizophrenia undergo breast cancer screening so that they can be diagnosed early and treated adequately.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-producing malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast: a rare case.

BACKGROUND: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)-producing tumors can cause leukocytosis despite an absence of infection. G-CSF-producing tumors have been reported in various organs such as the lung, esophagus, and stomach but rarely in the breast. We report a case of G-CSF-producing malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. CASE PRESENTATION: An 84-year-old woman visited our hospital complaining of a lump in her left breast without fever and pain. Laboratory tests revealed elevated white blood cell (WBC) count and G-CSF levels. A malignant tumor of the breast was diagnosed by core needle biopsy. We performed a total mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. The tumor was identified as a G-CSF-producing malignant phyllodes tumor. Within 7 days after surgery, the patient's WBC count and G-CSF level had decreased to normal levels. She is alive without recurrence 13 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We encountered a rare case of G-CSF-producing malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. PET-CT revealed diffuse accumulation of FDG in the bone. Phyllodes tumors need to be differentiated from bone metastasis, lymphoma, and leukemia. We must be careful to not mistake this type of tumor for bone marrow metastasis.

Regional education on endoscopic surgery using a teleconference system with high-quality video via the internet: Saga surgical videoconferences.

BACKGROUND: Effective education about endoscopic surgery (ES) is greatly needed for unskilled surgeons, especially at low-volume institutions, to maintain the safety of patients. We have tried to establish the remote educational system using videoconference system through the internet for education about ES to surgeons belonging to affiliate institutions. The aim of this manuscript was to report the potential to establish a comfortable remote educational system and to debate its advantages. METHODS: We established a local remote educational conference system by combining the use of a general web conferencing system and a synchronized remote video playback system with annotation function through a high-speed internet. RESULTS: During 2014-2019, we conducted 14 videoconferences to review and improve surgeons' skills in performing ES at affiliated institutions. At these conferences, while an uncut video of ES that had been performed at one of the affiliated institutions was shown, the surgical procedure was discussed frankly, and expert surgeons advised improvements. The annotation system is useful for easy, prompt recognition among the audience regarding anatomical structures and procedures that are difficult to explain verbally. CONCLUSIONS: This system is of low initial cost and offers easy participation and high-quality videos. It would therefore be a useful tool for regional ES education.

A rare case of symptomatic grossly-visible biliary intraepithelial neoplasia mimicking cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN) is often distinguished by what it is not: the precancerous lesions are not mass-forming, are not the cause of bile duct obstruction, and are small enough (less than 5 mm long) to evade detection by the naked eye. Here, we describe an atypical case of BilIN resembling cholangiocarcinoma (CC) that was large enough to be identified by diagnostic imaging and presented with obstructive jaundice caused by a hematoma in the common bile duct (CBD). CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man presented to our hospital with upper abdominal pain and anorexia. Initial laboratory examinations revealed increased total bilirubin and a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a dilated CBD. Gastroenterologists performed an endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST), which revealed that the cause of obstructive jaundice was a hematoma in the CBD. Enhanced CT scan and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) performed after the hematoma was drained showed improved dilation of the CBD and an enhanced wall thickness of bile duct measuring 25 × 10 mm at the union of the cystic and common hepatic ducts. A cholangioscope detected an elevated tumor covered by sludge in the CBD, and we performed an extrahepatic bile duct resection and cholecystectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful and the pathological examination of the resected tumor revealed that although the ulcerated lesion had inflammatory granulation tissue, it did not contain the components of invasive carcinoma. Many consecutive intraepithelial micropapillary lesions spread around the ulcerated lesion, and the epithelial cells showed an increased nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio, nuclear hyperchromasia, and architectural atypia. The pathological diagnosis was BilIN-1 to -2. Immunohistochemical staining showed that S100P was slightly expressed and MUC5AC was positive, while MUC1 was negative and p53 was not overexpressed. CONCLUSION: We experienced an atypical case of BilIN mimicking CC that presented with obstructive jaundice caused by a hematoma in the CBD. Our case suggested that the occurrence of BilIN can be triggered by factors other than inflammation, and can grow to a size large enough to be detected by image analyses.

Immunological consequences following splenectomy in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The immune status in patients with liver cirrhosis is generally impaired due to concomitant hypersplenism. As the spleen is the largest lymphoid organ, deleterious events resulting from splenectomy are of concern in these patients. However, the immunological consequences after splenectomy have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, the immune status after splenectomy was comprehensively examined. Splenectomy was performed in 11 patients with liver cirrhosis and hypersplenism, and the immune status in peripheral blood was examined and compared before and at 1, 3 and 6 months after splenectomy. Splenectomy significantly lowered the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, due to a surge in lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation at 3 and 6 months after splenectomy. The frequency of cluster of differentiation (CD)4+ T cells decreased after splenectomy, whereas the frequency of CD8+ T cells increased. Notably, the frequencies of the naïve and central memory subsets of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells decreased, whereas those of the effector memory subset trended upward. In addition, the frequencies of other immune cells such as γδ T cells, natural killer T cells and natural killer cells transiently increased, while inhibitory cells such as regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells significantly decreased. T-cell responses to viral- and tumor-associated antigens increased after splenectomy in five of eight and two of five patients, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to precisely examine the drastic changes of immunological phenotypes in peripheral blood after splenectomy in patients with cirrhosis. Our findings suggested that splenectomy in patients with cirrhosis may ameliorate the impaired immune status, possibly by reducing suppressive cells and enhancing the effector cell population and function, which could, at least in part, explain the mechanisms responsible for the clinical benefits of splenectomy.

Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with huge cystic degeneration: A case report.

Prominent cyst formation is an unusual feature of liposarcoma. We report here a case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma with huge cystic change without preoperative chemo- or radiation therapy. The lesion arose in the retroperitoneum juxtaposed to the right kidney of a 67-year-old woman. She underwent a surgical removal of the retroperitoneal cyst. The cystic tumor contained 1600 mL of old bloody fluid, and its wall was composed of edematous, inflamed or sclerosing fibrous tissue with fatty tissue containing abundant atypical stromal cells, which were immunohistochemically positive for MDM2 and CDK4, and demonstrated MDM2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The wall was contiguous to an atypical lipomatous nodule located in the mesentery. The following surgical specimens of the right hemicolectomy and right nephrectomy revealed atypical cells infiltrating into the subserosa of the colon and the perirenal fat tissue or that in the renal sinus. This case indicates that well differentiated or dedifferentiated liposarcoma should be also considered as a differential diagnosis of perirenal cystic mass.

Therapeutic efficacy of splenectomy is attenuated by necroinflammation of the liver in patients with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Splenectomy is a therapy for thrombocytopenia caused by hypersplenism with liver cirrhosis. However, the determinant of therapeutic outcomes for this complication has not yet been fully clarified. METHODS: We studied the laboratory findings of 55 patients who underwent splenectomy for hypersplenism with liver cirrhosis. In addition, we examined the histopathological findings of hepatosplenic tissues of nine patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and splenectomy for hypersplenism with liver cirrhosis on one stage surgery. The locations of platelets in hepatosplenic tissues were identified by immunohistochemistry. We used monoclonal antibody against CD41. RESULTS: Among 55 patients, 40 patients had high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (≧38 IU/l). Blood platelet count after splenectomy of patients with high serum ALT level were significantly lower than those of patients with low serum ALT level (P = 0.02). Histopathologically, platelet area of the liver tissues was positively correlated with hepatic inflammation (P = 0.02). Platelet area of the liver tissues was negatively correlated with blood platelet count after splenectomy (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic inflammation contributes to the accumulation of platelets in liver; therefore, in patients with high serum ALT level, improvement of thrombocytopenia by the elimination of hypersplenism was limited.

Infantile hemangioma of the liver in an adult: a case report and review of the literature.

Infantile hemangioma (IH), a representative vascular liver tumor, usually occurs in infancy or early childhood but rarely in adults. In this study, we describe a case of IH in a 47-year-old female and we also review the literature. A plain computed tomography (CT) image revealed five hypoattenuating masses in the liver. A dynamic study revealed the masses appeared to be well-enhanced in the arterial phase, and were considered to be high-flow hemangiomas. The tumors appeared as hypointense tumors on the T1-weighted images and as hyperintensities on fat-suppression T2-weighted images. Following the administration of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA), tumors appeared to be well-enhanced in the arterial phase. In the portal phase, tumors demonstrated isointensity compared with the surrounding liver parenchyma, and hypointensity in the equilibrium and hepatobiliary phases. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values ranged from 2.0 to 2.4x10(-3) mm2/sec. Microscopically, the tumors were composed of numerous capillary-like small vessels lined with plump endothelial cells, arranged in a single layer without mitoses, and small bile ducts were trapped and scattered within the tumor. These findings were considered to be characteristic of IH. To the best of our knowledge, this case is the third report on IH in adults.

Perioperative challenges and surgical treatment of large simple, and infectious liver cyst - a 12-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Cystic lesions of the liver consist of a heterogeneous group of disorders that can present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. METHODS: A retrospective review of all medical records of adult patients diagnosed with large (>7 cm) cystic lesions of the liver between January 2000 and December 2011, at Kurume University Hospital. Cases with polycystic disease were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty three patients were identified. The mean size was 13.9 cm (range, 7-22cm). The majority of simple cysts were found in women (females: males, 2: 21). In 19 patients, the cyst was removed surgically by wide deroofing (laparoscopically in 16 cases, combined with ethanol sclerotherapy in 13 cases). Infection of the liver cyst occurred in one patient, who later underwent central bi-segmentectomy. CONCLUSION: Simple large cysts of the liver can be successfully treated by laparoscopic deroofing and alcohol sclerotherapy. Large hepatic cyst considered to need drainage should be removed surgically to avoid possible infection.

Long-term outcome of splenectomy in advanced cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and thrombocytopenia.

Splenectomy may be a treatment option in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis when there is no potential donor for liver transplantation. We retrospectively investigated the long-term outcome of splenectomy on survival in advanced cirrhotic patients with HCC and thrombocytopenia. Between 1999 and 2009, 46 cirrhotic patients with thrombocytopenia (Child-Pugh class B or C) who underwent splenectomy for the simultaneous or secondary treatment of HCC at our institute were evaluated. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 93.5, 76.0, and 37.9%, respectively. Splenectomy resulted in a significant reduction in mean portal venous pressure from 21.2 to 16.8 mmHg and improvements in liver function tests such as total bilirubin, prothrombin time, platelet count, Child-Pugh score for 3 years, and albumin for 2 years. The mean frequency of treatment for HCC recurrence after surgery was 3.0 times (range 1-11). Seven patients out of 16 scheduled for Interferon (IFN) therapy after surgery achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). Multivariate analysis identified SVR after IFN therapy as an independent significant prognostic factor (Hazard ratio 0.18, 95%CI 0.03-0.65, P=0.006). Postoperative complications including liver failure (n=1), portal thrombosis (n=7), ascites (n=5), and bacterial infections (n=4) were observed in 14 patients (30%). Splenectomy can be a feasible supportive therapy for the continuation of anticancer therapy and completion of IFN therapy based on improvements in liver function and thrombocytopenia with minimum complications in patients with HCC and advanced cirrhosis with no potential donor.

Human primary cultured hepatic stellate cells can be cryopreserved.

We compared the morphological and functional characteristics of cultured unfrozen hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and cryopreserved HSCs obtained from human livers. We used liver tissues obtained by surgical resection from patients with metastatic liver cancer or with hepatocellular carcinoma. HSCs were isolated and allowed to spread in culture. Comparison of morphological and functional features between the unfrozen HSCs and cryopreserved HSCs was performed at each passage using the following techniques: light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, cell growth curve, metallothionein (MTT) assay, and PI staining, Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gene expression analysis using microarrays. The purity of HSCs was more than 90% in all passages. alpha-Smooth muscle actin (SMA-)positive HSCs gradually increased in successive passages, and the positive cell rate and rate of increase in cell number were similar in both groups. Expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta receptor, and alpha-SMA mRNAs and protein was similar during each passage in the two groups. Gene expression was nearly identical at each passage in unfrozen and frozen/thawed samples obtained from the same patient. In conclusion, an adequate protocol for the cryopreservation of human primary cultured HSCs could be established.

Comparison of liver regeneration after a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation in a dimethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhotic rat model.

AIM: A splenectomy and splenic artery ligation accelerate liver regeneration and improve liver function after a hepatectomy. However, there are no studies that directly compared the effects of a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation. In the present study, we compared the effects of a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: Dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) was administered intraperitoneally for 4 weeks to induce cirrhosis. The rats were divided into three groups: sham operation (CT group), splenic artery ligation (SAL group) and splenectomy (SP group). Liver functions [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (T. Bil)], plasma TGF-beta1, histopathological changes, extent of liver fibrosis (fibrotic rate) and regeneration [Ki-67 labelling index(LI)] were investigated in each group. RESULTS: ALT and T. Bil levels were significantly lower in the SP group than the CT and SAL groups. TGF-beta1 levels were significantly lower in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups. The fibrotic rate was significantly lower in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups. The Ki-67 labelling index was significantly higher in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups. DISCUSSION: A splenectomy significantly improved liver regeneration with reduction of plasma TGF-beta1 levels compared with splenic artery ligation in DMN-treated cirrhotic rats.

[Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma].

We examined the case of laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (L-RFA) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and then the method of this treatment was considered in terms of selection and adjustment. Between January 2008 and May 2010, L-RFC was performed on 18 cases (27 tumors). A total operation time was 203 minutes (± 85.5). The median survival time was 562 days (± 197 day). The amount of blood was 21.0 g (± 68.4), and 3 postoperative complications (pleural effusion) were observed. The average length of hospital stay after the operation was 8 days. There was no vestigial remnant in all cases after the operation. The prognosis of death due to a liver failure was one case on the 516th day after the operation. All other 17 cases were survived. If the tumors were identified by the naked eye and ultrasonography, and considering the position in relation to the main vas, the ablation would be possible for the troublesome part in case of the percutaneous approach. Therefore, we thought the application of RFA to HCC would be more expandable.