Sumio Kawata

Relation of Interferon Therapy and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatocellular carcinoma, a major cause of death in patients with cirrhosis, is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, and its incidence is increasing [1-5]. After isolation of hepatitis C virus (HCV), most patients with chronic hepatitis and those with cirrhosis of unknown origin were found to be positive for anti-HCV [6-8]. Evidence suggests that HCV-related chronic liver disease plays a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma [9-13]. A high proportion of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have anti-HCV, although the prevalence varies geographically. The highest rate of anti-HCV is in southern Europe and Japan, where about 70% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are positive for anti-HCV [5]. Interferon has been widely used to treat chronic HCV infection. A series of clinical trials showed that some patients who received interferon had sustained normalization of serum aminotransferase levels and elimination of serum HCV RNA [14-17]. Histologic improvement was also seen in patients who received interferon [14, 18-20]. It is important to determine whether interferon treatment also lowers the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C, but the recognized benefits of interferon make a randomized, controlled trial to address this question unethical. We did a retrospective study to compare the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in interferon-treated patients with HCV infection and histologically proven chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis with that in historical controls who did not receive interferon. We also examined the relation between response to interferon therapy and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods Patients The interferon group comprised 419 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C who had undergone liver biopsy 1 to 2 weeks before interferon therapy and had started treatment between January 1992 and December 1993. The control group consisted of 144 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis who had undergone liver biopsy between January 1986 and December 1989. All patients had histologically proven chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class A) and were positive for anti-HCV. Interferon Treatment In the interferon group, 176 patients received human lymphoblastoid interferon, 149 received recombinant interferon- 2a, and 94 received recombinant interferon- 2b for 6 months. The median total interferon dose was 480 mU (range, 282 to 800 mU). No patient had received interferon therapy before study entry. Contraindications to interferon treatment included pregnancy, presence of hepatitis B surface antigen, other types of liver disease, autoimmune disease, and any other serious illness. Efficacy of interferon therapy was categorized as follows. Patients with persistent normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels during interferon therapy and follow-up were considered to have sustained response. Patients whose serum ALT level was normal at the end of the treatment but increased to an abnormal level after cessation of treatment were considered to have relapse. All other patients were classified as nonresponders. Follow-up Abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography was performed every 4 to 8 months, and serum -fetoprotein was measured every 2 to 6 months. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was confirmed by needle biopsy, by surgically resected tumor specimens, or by typical radiologic findings on hepatic angiography. The starting date of follow-up for patients in the interferon and control groups was defined as the date of liver biopsy. For both groups, the end of follow-up was the development of hepatocellular carcinoma or December 1991 in the control group and the time of the latest abdominal imaging in the interferon group. To detect hepatocellular carcinoma, follow-up examinations were done in 85.4% of controls and 90.7% of patients in the interferon group. The Osaka Cancer Registry was used [21, 22] to determine whether hepatocellular carcinoma had occurred in patients lost to follow-up. This population-based cancer registry has been operating since December 1962 with the cooperation of the Osaka Medical Association, the Department of Health of Osaka Prefecture, and Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases. It covers all of Osaka Prefecture, which had a population of 8.6 million in 1995, and registers cases of cancer by using reports from hospitals and clinics and death certificates collected from health centers. One patient in each group who had been lost to follow-up was listed as having hepatocellular carcinoma in the Osaka Cancer Registry. Determination of the Presence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibody and Hepatitis C Virus RNA Hepatitis C virus antibody was measured by first-, second-, or third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (Ortho Diagnostics, Tokyo, Japan). Serum HCV RNA was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or complementary DNA assay, as reported elsewhere [23, 24]. Assessment of Liver Histologic Findings The histologic findings in liver biopsy specimens were scored by three of the authors in a blinded manner by using two scoring methods. For assessment of histologic staging, fibrosis score (F1 to F3 for chronic hepatitis and F4 for cirrhosis) was used; F1 indicated portal fibrous expansion, F2 indicated portal-portal septa without architectural distortion, F3 indicated portocentral septa with architectural distortion, and F4 indicated cirrhosis [25]. For assessment of histologic grading, a total score of histologic activity (components 1 to 3) of the Knodell histologic activity index was used [26]. Statistical Analysis Patients who did not complete the treatment protocol were included for analysis on an intention-to-treat basis. The chi-square test was used to compare the baseline characteristics of both groups. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to assess a significant difference between tumor sizes in the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, and the log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma between the groups. To estimate independent risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used. For analysis, interferon therapy, age, sex, serum ALT level, serum -fetoprotein level, platelet count, histologic staging, and activity scores were used as variables. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data are expressed as medians and ranges and as risk ratios and 95% CIs. Results Table 1 shows the baseline characteristics of the interferon and control groups. The groups did not differ for age, sex, serum ALT level, or platelet count. In the interferon group, 387 patients (92%) had chronic hepatitis (128 had F1 disease, 138 had F2 disease, and 121 had F3 disease) and 32 (8%) had cirrhosis. In the control group, 124 patients (86%) had chronic hepatitis (30 had F1 disease, 38 had F2 disease, and 56 had F3 disease) and 20 (14%) had cirrhosis (P = 0.005). The proportion of patients with serum -fetoprotein levels greater than 20 ng/mL was higher in the control group (24%) than in the interferon group (15%) (P = 0.011). Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Interferon-Treated Patients and Historical Controls with Chronic Hepatitis C In the interferon group, 151 patients (36%) had sustained response, 120 (29%) had relapse, and 148 (35%) were nonresponders. In the 143 patients with sustained response, serum HCV RNA was measured during follow-up. Sustained absence of serum HCV RNA was noted in 120 (84%) of these patients. Twenty-one patients could not complete the 6-month treatment protocol because of depression (5 patients), severe general fatigue (4 patients), skin eruptions (2 patients), severe reduction of serum platelet count (1 patient), pulmonary tuberculosis (1 patient), interstitial pneumonia (1 patient), severe nausea (1 patient), ischemic colitis (1 patient), cardiomyopathy (1 patient), hyperthyroidism (1 patient), and hypermenorrhea (1 patient). One patient stopped treatment because of his business, and one patient discontinued treatment after 3 months because hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. Only 1 of the 21 patients who did not complete treatment showed sustained response; all others were nonresponders. Median follow-up was 47.6 months (range, 3.3 to 65.2 months) in the interferon group and 46.8 months (range, 6.9 to 71.6 months) in the control group. During follow-up, hepatocellular carcinoma was found in 19 controls (4 with F2 disease, 8 with F3 disease, and 7 with F4 disease). In the interferon group, 28 patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma during follow-up (2 patients with F1 disease, 5 with F2 disease, 13 with F3 disease, and 8 with F4 disease). A final diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made histologically in 17 patients in the interferon group (61%) and 11 controls (58%). In 11 patients (39%) in the interferon group and 8 controls (42%), a final diagnosis was made on the basis of typical angiographic findings. The maximum tumor sizes of hepatocellular carcinoma in the interferon and control groups at the time of discovery on ultrasonography or computed tomography were 20 mm (range, 10 to 52 mm) and 24 mm (range, 10 to 50 mm), respectively (P > 0.2). Figure 1 shows the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the interferon and control groups, estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method. The 4-year rate of hepatocellular carcinoma incidence was 6.6% in the interferon group and 12.2% in the control group (log-rank test, P = 0.040). Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in interferon-treated patients (dotted line) and historical controls (solid line) with chronic hepatitis C. P Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was performed to identify factors co

Effect of pravastatin on survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. A randomized controlled trial

Chemotherapy is not effective for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HMG-CoA redutase inhibitors have cytostatic activity for cancer cells, but their clinical usefulness is unknown. To investigate whether pravastatin, a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, prolongs survival in patients with advanced HCC, this randomized controlled trial was conducted between February 1990 and February 1998 at Osaka University Hospital. 91 consecutive patients <71 years old (mean age 62) with unresectable HCC were enroled in this study. 8 patients were withdrawn because of progressive liver dysfunction; 83 patients were randomized to standard treatment with or without pravastatin. All patients underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) followed by oral 5-FU 200 mg–1d for 2 months. Patients were then randomly assigned to control (n = 42) and pravastatin (n = 41) groups. Pravastatin was administered at a daily dose of 40 mg. The effect of pravastatin on tumour growth was assessed by ultrasonography. Primary endpoint was death due to progression of HCC. The duration of pravastatin administration was 16.5 ± 9.8 months (mean ± SD). No patients in either group were lost to follow-up. Median survival was 18 months in the pravastatin group versus 9 months in controls (P = 0.006). The Cox proportional hazards model showed that pravastatin was a significant factor contributing to survival. Pravastatin prolonged the survival of patients with advanced HCC, suggesting its value for adjuvant treatment.

Association of visceral fat accumulation and plasma adiponectin with colorectal adenoma: evidence for participation of insulin resistance.

Purpose: Colorectal carcinogenesis is thought to be related to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. To investigate whether visceral fat accumulation contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis, we examined its accumulation and the levels of the adipose tissue–derived hormone adiponectin in Japanese patients with colorectal adenoma. Experimental Design: Fifty-one consecutive Japanese patients ages ≥40 years and with colorectal adenoma were subjected to measurement of visceral fat area by computed tomography scanning and plasma adiponectin concentration. The patients also underwent the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin resistance was calculated by the homeostasis metabolic assessment (HOMA-IR) method. The controls were 52 Japanese subjects ages ≥40 years and without colorectal polyp. Cigarette smokers and subjects who consumed alcohol (≥30 g ethanol/d) were excluded. Results: The patients with colorectal adenoma showed significantly more visceral fat area and significantly less plasma adiponectin concentration in comparison with the controls [odds ratio (OR), 2.19; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.47-3.28; P < 0.001 and OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.14-0.41; P < 0.001, respectively] by logistic regression analysis. HOMA-IR index was also associated with colorectal adenoma (OR 2.60; 95% CI, 1.20-5.64; P = 0.040). Visceral fat area and adiponectin were associated with adenoma number (1, 2, ≥ 3), the size of the largest adenoma (<10 and ≥10 mm), and adenoma histology (tubular and tubulovillous/villous). Conclusions: These results suggest an association of visceral fat accumulation and decreased plasma adiponectin concentration with colorectal adenoma in Japanese patients. This study may offer a new insight to understanding the relationship of colorectal carcinogenesis with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.

Characteristics of Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Who Develop Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to characterize the clinical features of NASH patients with HCC. METHODS In a cross-sectional multicenter study in Japan, we examined 87 patients (median age, 72 years; 62% male) with histologically proven NASH who developed HCC. The clinical data were collected at the time HCC was diagnosed. RESULTS Obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)), diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were present in 54 (62%), 51 (59%), 24 (28%), and 47 (55%) patients, respectively. In nontumor liver tissues, the degree of fibrosis was stage 1 in 10 patients (11%), stage 2 in 15 (17%), stage 3 in 18 (21%), and stage 4 (ie, liver cirrhosis) in 44 (51%). The prevalence of cirrhosis was significantly lower among male patients (21 of 54, 39%) compared with female patients (23 of 33, 70%) (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS Most patients with NASH who develop HCC are men; the patients have high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Male patients appear to develop HCC at a less advanced stage of liver fibrosis than female patients.

Localization of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in the smooth muscle cells and macrophages of human atherosclerotic plaques.

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a potent chemoattractant and mitogen for smooth muscle cells (SMC) in culture. To elucidate whether HB-EGF is implicated in the pathogenesis of human atherosclerosis, we examined immunohistochemical localization of HB-EGF in human aortic walls and atherosclerotic plaques. The medial SMC of the aorta in babies and children synthesized HB-EGF protein, while the number of SMC producing HB-EGF was dramatically decreased in young and middle-aged adults. In atherosclerotic plaques, however, marked production of HB-EGF protein was detected in SMC and macrophages of the plaques. Furthermore, EGF receptors, to which HB-EGF is known to bind, were detected in plaque SMC. These data suggest that HB-EGF may be implicated in the migration and proliferation of SMC that occurs in the normal development of arterial walls, and in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

NAD(P)H oxidase plays a crucial role in PDGF-induced proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.

The proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a critical step in hepatic fibrogenesis. Platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) is the most potent mitogen for HSCs. We investigated the role of nonphagocytic NAD(P)H oxidase–derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PDGF‐induced HSC proliferation. The human HSC line, LI‐90 cells, murine primary‐cultured HSCs, and PDGF‐BB were used in this study. We examined the mechanism of PDGF‐BB‐induced HSC proliferation in relation to the role of a ROS scavenger and diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of NAD(P)H oxidase. We also measured ROS production with the aid of chemiluminescence. We showed that PDGF‐BB induced proliferation of HSCs through the intracellular production of ROS. We also demonstrated that HSCs expressed key components of nonphagocytic NAD(P)H oxidase (p22phox, gp91phox, p47phox, and p67phox) at both the messenger RNA and protein levels. Diphenylene iodonium suppressed PDGF‐BB–induced ROS production and HSC proliferation. Coincubation of H2O2 and PDGF‐BB restored the proliferation of HSCs that was inhibited by diphenylene iodonium pretreatment. Phosphorylation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) family constitutes a signal transduction pathway of cell proliferation. Our data demonstrate that NAD(P)H oxidase–derived ROS induce HSC proliferation mainly through the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Moreover, an in vivo hepatic fibrosis model also supported the critical role of NAD(P)H oxidase in the activation and proliferation of HSCs. In conclusion, NAD(P)H oxidase is expressed in HSCs and produces ROS via activation of NAD(P)H oxidase in response to PDGF‐BB. ROS further induce HSC proliferation through the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;41:1272–1281.)

Genetic Polymorphisms of the Human PNPLA3 Gene Are Strongly Associated with Severity of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Japanese

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a broad range of liver pathologies from simple steatosis to cirrhosis and fibrosis, in which a subtype accompanying hepatocyte degeneration and fibrosis is classified as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH accounts for approximately 10–30% of NAFLD and causes a higher frequency of liver-related death, and its progression of NASH has been considered to be complex involving multiple genetic factors interacting with the environment and lifestyle. Principal Findings To identify genetic factors related to NAFLD in the Japanese, we performed a genome-wide association study recruiting 529 histologically diagnosed NAFLD patients and 932 population controls. A significant association was observed for a cluster of SNPs in PNPLA3 on chromosome 22q13 with the strongest p-value of 1.4×10−10 (OR = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.43–1.94) for rs738409. Rs738409 also showed the strongest association (p = 3.6×10−6) with the histological classifications proposed by Matteoni and colleagues based on the degree of inflammation, ballooning degeneration, fibrosis and Mallory-Denk body. In addition, there were marked differences in rs738409 genotype distributions between type4 subgroup corresponding to NASH and the other three subgroups (p = 4.8×10−6, OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.47–2.62). Moreover, a subgroup analysis of NAFLD patients against controls showed a significant association of rs738409 with type4 (p = 1.7×10−16, OR = 2.18, 95%CI: 1.81–2.63) whereas no association was obtained for type1 to type3 (p = 0.41). Rs738409 also showed strong associations with three clinical traits related to the prognosis of NAFLD, namely, levels of hyaluronic acid (p = 4.6×10−4), HbA1c (p = 0.0011) and iron deposition in the liver (p = 5.6×10−4). Conclusions With these results we clearly demonstrated that Matteoni type4 NAFLD is both a genetically and clinically different subset from the other spectrums of the disease and that the PNPLA3 gene is strongly associated with the progression of NASH in Japanese population.

Serum metabolomics reveals γ-glutamyl dipeptides as biomarkers for discrimination among different forms of liver disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS We applied a metabolome profiling approach to serum samples obtained from patients with different liver diseases, to discover noninvasive and reliable biomarkers for rapid-screening diagnosis of liver diseases. METHODS Using capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we analyzed low molecular weight metabolites in a total of 248 serum samples obtained from patients with nine types of liver disease and healthy controls. RESULTS We found that γ-glutamyl dipeptides, which were biosynthesized through a reaction with γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase, were indicative of the production of reduced glutathione, and that measurement of their levels could distinguish among different liver diseases. Multiple logistic regression models facilitated the discrimination between specific and other liver diseases and yielded high areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves. The area under the curve values in training and independent validation data were 0.952 and 0.967 in healthy controls, 0.817 and 0.849 in drug-induced liver injury, 0.754 and 0.763 in asymptomatic hepatitis B virus infection, 0.820 and 0.762 in chronic hepatitis B, 0.972 and 0.895 in hepatitis C with persistently normal alanine transaminase, 0.917 and 0.707 in chronic hepatitis C, 0.803 and 0.993 in cirrhosis type C, and 0.762 and 0.803 in hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Several γ-glutamyl dipeptides also manifested potential for differentiating between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and simple steatosis. CONCLUSIONS γ-Glutamyl dipeptides are novel biomarkers for liver diseases, and varying levels of individual or groups of these peptides have the power to discriminate among different forms of hepatic disease.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Age-Related Macular Degeneration in an Adult Japanese Population : The Funagata Study

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Japanese population and to compare these with data from a white population. DESIGN Population-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study. PARTICIPANTS A population-based sample of Japanese persons 35 years or older from Funagata, Japan. METHODS The Funagata study is a population-based study of 1758 (43% of eligible) Japanese persons 35 years or older from Funagata, Japan. In 2000 to 2002, 1625 (92.4%) participants had a nonmydriatic fundus photograph of one eye with sufficient quality for grading of AMD lesions, using the Wisconsin protocol. Age-standardized prevalence rates compared with the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) population, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Risk factors were assessed by logistic regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Early and late AMD. RESULTS Of 1625 participants, early AMD and late AMD were present in 3.5% and 0.5%, respectively. Age-standardized early AMD prevalence in right eyes was 4.1%, similar to the corresponding prevalence of 4.4% in the BMES. For men, age-standardized prevalences of late AMD in right eyes were 1.1% and 1.2% in the BMES; for women, the corresponding prevalences were 0.3% and 2.1%, respectively. Increasing age (per 10 years; gender-adjusted OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.10-4.67) and current cigarette smoking (age- and gender-adjusted OR, 5.03; 95% CI, 1.00-25.47) were associated with late AMD. CONCLUSIONS In this Japanese population, prevalence of early AMD was similar to that for whites in the BMES. Although the late AMD prevalence was lower in Japanese women, in Japanese men it was similar to that in whites. This could have resulted from the substantially high proportion of Japanese men who are smokers. Cigarette smoking and increasing age were the 2 principal factors found associated with late AMD.

Expression of HDAC1 and CBP/p300 in human colorectal carcinomas

Background: The histone-modifying enzymes histone deacetylase (HDAC) and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) control gene transcriptional activation and repression in human malignancies. Aims: To analyse the expression of HDAC/HAT-associated molecules such as HDAC1, CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300 in human colorectal carcinomas, and investigate the relationship between their expression levels and clinicopathological parameters. Methods: Expression levels of HDAC1, CBP, and p300 in human colorectal cancer were investigated by immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridisation (ISH) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analyses were also carried out to confirm mRNA expression levels of these genes. Immunoreactivity was evaluated semi-quantitatively using a staining index (SI). The relationships between the SIs and clinicopathological findings were analysed and survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank tests. Results: The mean SIs for HDAC1, CBP, and p300 in this series of tumours were much higher than those in normal colonic mucosa. The presence of HDAC1 and CBP mRNAs on colorectal carcinoma cells as well as normal epithelial cells was confirmed by ISH analysis. A marked increase in p300 mRNA levels was detected in a majority of cases by RT-PCR. Among the patients with colorectal cancer, overexpression of p300 (SI>11.9) correlated with a poor prognosis, whereas high CBP expression levels (SI>16.6) indicated long-term survival. Conclusion: Results showed the up-regulation of these three histone-modifying molecules in this series of colorectal cancers and suggested that monitoring of CBP and p300 may assist prediction of the prognosis in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma.