Yoshimasa Yamashita

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis; relevance to pathogenesis ☆

The levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory and carcinogenic cytokine, were significantly higher in the sera from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 25.6+/-15.3 ng/ml, n=55) and liver cirrhosis (LC; 18.9+/-10.7 ng/ml, n=26) compared with sera from patients with gastrointestinal cancer (6.8+/-7.5 ng/ml, n=29) and normal controls (5.6+/-1.2 ng/ml, n=45; P<0.01). Hepatocytes from patients with LC and HCC, but not from chronic hepatitis, expressed very high levels of MIF. A possible association between overexpression of MIF and hepatocarcinogenesis is suggested.

Radiofrequency ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients

Background and Aim:  With the aging of society, the number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing in Japan. The Government of Japan defines elderly as being over 65 and has divided the elderly into two stages: the first elderly stage (< 75 years old) and the second elderly stage (≥ 75). We investigated the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) in patients in the second elderly stage in comparison with other HCC patients, retrospectively.

GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection in autoimmune liver diseases.

Offprint requests to: N. Horiike (Received July 22, 1997; accepted Oct. 30, 1997) All the patients with AIH were female (mean age, 57.6 6 14.1 years). Tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibody were negative in all PBC and AIH patients. Sera were stored at 280°C until tested. GBV-C/HGV was detected in one patient, a 59year-old woman, who had asymptomatic PBC and no history of blood transfusion. Pertinent laboratory values were: total bilirubin, 0.4 mg/dl; alanine aminotransferase (ALT), 14 IU/l; alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 287 IU/l; AMA, positive. In the five patients with autoimmune cholangiopathy, no GBV-C/HGVRNA was detected. The etiological difference between autoimmune cholangiopathy and PBC is now under discussion. We know at least that GBV-C/HGV is not related to these diseases. In addition, no GBVC/HGV-RNA was detected in patients with AIH, consistent with Ichijo’s report.9 From these data, it is suspected that GBV-C/HGV infection is not very frequent in PBC and AIH. GBV-C/HGV does not seem to be an etiological agent in autoimmune liver diseases.

Rapid Increasing Trend of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Elderly in Japan

Purpose: Surgical resection is the gold standard in the treatment for liver metastases of colorectal cancer. In several centers, resection is being replaced by radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of RFA. Methods: We performed RFA in 888 patients from April 2006 to December 2009 at Kanto Medical Center NTT EC. It contained 171(the total number) of liver metastases of colorectal cancer. Median survival time (MST) was determined using Kaplan-Meier curve. The number of lesions and maximum lesion size were assessed. The survival was evaluated, compared with those of systemic S-596 AGA Abstracts chemotherapy in literature. Results: We performed percutaneous RFA in 89 patients (the actual number). All patients underwent resection of primary colorectal cancer. The Median age was 63.5 years-old (38-87) and 71% were male. The Median tumor numbers were 3 (1-34) and median tumor size was 28mm (7-156). 74 patients were performed chemotherapy before ablation. MST of all patients was 25.1 months. One year survival rate from the initial ablation was 82.2% and 2-year was 50.4%. 46 patients had progressive disease (PD) at the chemotherapy before ablation. 13 patients of 46 were performed ablation for partial cure, and these MST was 27.0 months. 8 patients of the 46 were performed ablation for mass reduction therapy, and these MST was 19.6 months. Conclusion: In literature, the MST of the systemic chemotherapy (FOLFOX/XEROX + Bevacizumab) was 21.3 months. Compared with this, MST of this study was longer. So we think performing RFA to liver metastasis might improve the prognosis.

A case of peripheral facial nerve palsy induced by interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis type C.

C型慢性肝炎のインターフェロン (IFN) α-2b治療中に末梢性顔面神経麻痺をきたした1例を報告した. 症例は35歳男性. 検診にて肝機能異常を指摘され受診. HCV抗体陽性, 平成9年9月腹腔鏡下肝生検を施行しC型慢性肝炎 (F1/A1) と診断した. IFNα-2b1000万単位を2週間連日投与後週3回22週の計24週の治療を開始した. 投与開始後10週に右末梢性顔面神経麻痺が出現した. 直ちにIFNを中止し加療したところ症状は改善した. 末梢性顔面神経麻痺はIFN投与における留意すべき副作用と考え報告した.