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Beyoglu Eye Journal 2024This study aimed to evaluate serum biomarker values measured during second-trimester aneuploidy screening in terms of their predictive ability for the development of...
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate serum biomarker values measured during second-trimester aneuploidy screening in terms of their predictive ability for the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study evaluated the data of 1985 idiopathic premature infants who underwent ROP screening from 2016 to 2022. The infants were divided into two groups according to the presence of ROP, and those with ROP were further evaluated in two subgroups based on the presence of proliferation. Comparisons were made concerning the serum multiple of the median values of unconjugated estriol (uE3), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) among aneuploidy screening biomarkers.
RESULTS
While 1628 premature infants were in the non-ROP group, 357 were in the ROP group. Of the infants with ROP, 72 were in the proliferative ROP group and 285 in the non-proliferative ROP group. There was no significant difference in the multiple of the median values of the evaluated serum biomarkers (uE3, hCG, and AFP) between the ROP and non-ROP groups or between the proliferative ROP, non-proliferative ROP, and non-ROP groups.
CONCLUSION
The multiple of the median values of second-trimester aneuploidy screening serum biomarkers were not able to predict the development of ROP in premature infants. This result may have been caused by the fact that the blood tests were taken only once and in the same weeks.
PubMed: 38854900
DOI: 10.14744/bej.2024.81598 -
Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi = the... 2024An 86-year-old male patient with sustained virological response of chronic hepatitis type C was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatic segment 3. He...
An 86-year-old male patient with sustained virological response of chronic hepatitis type C was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatic segment 3. He was treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiation therapy because the tumor was located at the edge of the liver and umbilical portion of the portal vein. The value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) which is a serological tumor marker decreased, and the tumor size did not increase;however, another tumor was recognized at S3 of the liver 15 months post-TACE. The patient underwent a second TACE, and computed tomography revealed HCC recurrence at S3, S8/4, and S1 of the liver 6 months later. The patient refused to undergo another treatment, but the AFP and Des-γ-carboxy prothrombin values and the tumor size decreased 3 months postrecurrence. Two months after multiple recurrences of HCC, he received the third dose of messenger RNA-based vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Tumor regression may occur after an immune-inflammatory response induced by messenger RNA-based vaccine.
Topics: Humans; Male; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Aged, 80 and over; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Vaccination
PubMed: 38853019
DOI: 10.11405/nisshoshi.121.497 -
Talanta Jun 2024In this study, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) aptasensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a well-known biomarker for various cancer types, was reported,...
In this study, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) aptasensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a well-known biomarker for various cancer types, was reported, utilizing two different aptamers. To achieve this, a nanofilm of 4-mercaptophenyl was electrochemically attached to gold-coated QCM crystal surfaces via the reduction of 4-mercaptobenzenediazonium salt (4 MB-DAT) using cyclic voltammetry. Subsequently, gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were affixed to this structure, and then aptamers (antiCEA1 and antiCEA2) modified with SH-functional ends bound to AuNPs completed the modification. The analytical performance of the CEA sensor was evaluated through simultaneous QCM measurements employing CEA solutions ranging from 0.1 ng/mL to 25 ng/mL. The detection limit (LOD) for CEA was determined to be 102 pg/mL for antiCEA1 and 108 pg/mL for antiCEA2 aptamers. Interday and intraday precision and accuracy tests yielded maximum results of 4.3 and + 3.8, respectively, for both aptasensors, as measured by relative standard deviation (RSD%) and relative error (RE%). The kinetic data of the aptasensors resulted in affinity values (K) of 0.43 ± 0.14 nM for antiCEA1 and 0.75 ± 0.42 nM for antiCEA2. These values were lower than the reported values of 3.9 nM and 37.8 nM for both aptamers, respectively. The selectivity of the aptasensor was evaluated by measuring the signal changes caused by alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cancer antigen (CA-125), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-165) individually and together at a concentration of 500 ng/mL, resulting in a maximum 4.1 % change, which was comparable to precision and accuracy values reported in the literature. After confirming the selectivity of the aptamers, recovery experiments were conducted using spiked commercial serum samples to simulate real samples, and the lowest recovery value obtained was 95.4 %. It was determined that two different aptasensors could be successfully used for the QCM-based detection of CEA in this study.
PubMed: 38852341
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126376 -
BMC Cancer Jun 2024Although radical surgical resection is the most effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the high rate of postoperative recurrence remains a major...
BACKGROUND
Although radical surgical resection is the most effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the high rate of postoperative recurrence remains a major challenge, especially in patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative HCC who lack effective biomarkers for postoperative recurrence surveillance. Emerging radiomics can reveal subtle structural changes in tumors by analyzing preoperative contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CECT) imaging data and may provide new ways to predict early recurrence (recurrence within 2 years) in AFP-negative HCC. In this study, we propose to develop a radiomics model based on preoperative CECT to predict the risk of early recurrence after surgery in AFP-negative HCC.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with AFP-negative HCC who underwent radical resection were included in this study. A computerized tool was used to extract radiomic features from the tumor region of interest (ROI), select the best radiographic features associated with patient's postoperative recurrence, and use them to construct the radiomics score (RadScore), which was then combined with clinical and follow-up information to comprehensively evaluate the reliability of the model.
RESULTS
A total of 148 patients with AFP-negative HCC were enrolled in this study, and 1,977 radiographic features were extracted from CECT, 2 of which were the features most associated with recurrence in AFP-negative HCC. They had good predictive ability in both the training and validation cohorts, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.709 and 0.764, respectively. Tumor number, microvascular invasion (MVI), AGPR and radiomic features were independent risk factors for early postoperative recurrence in patients with AFP-negative HCC. The AUCs of the integrated model in the training and validation cohorts were 0.793 and 0.791, respectively. The integrated model possessed the clinical value of predicting early postoperative recurrence in patients with AFP-negative HCC according to decision curve analysis, which allowed the classification of patients into subgroups of high-risk and low-risk for early recurrence.
CONCLUSION
The nomogram constructed by combining clinical and imaging features has favorable performance in predicting the probability of early postoperative recurrence in AFP-negative HCC patients, which can help optimize the therapeutic decision-making and prognostic assessment of AFP-negative HCC patients.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Female; alpha-Fetoproteins; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Middle Aged; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Contrast Media; Aged; Retrospective Studies; Adult; Hepatectomy; Prognosis; Radiomics
PubMed: 38849749
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12436-x -
ESMO Open Jun 2024Anaemia is frequent in patients with cancer and/or liver cirrhosis and is associated with impaired quality of life. Here, we investigated the impact of anaemia on...
BACKGROUND
Anaemia is frequent in patients with cancer and/or liver cirrhosis and is associated with impaired quality of life. Here, we investigated the impact of anaemia on overall survival (OS) and clinical characteristics in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
HCC patients treated between 1992 and 2018 at the Medical University of Vienna were retrospectively analysed. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin level <13 g/dl in men and <12 g/dl in women.
RESULTS
Of 1262 assessable patients, 555 (44.0%) had anaemia. The main aetiologies of HCC were alcohol-related liver disease (n = 502; 39.8%) and chronic hepatitis C (n = 375; 29.7%). Anaemia was significantly associated with impaired liver function, portal hypertension, more advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). In univariable analysis, anaemia was significantly associated with shorter median OS [9.5 months, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 7.3-11.6 months] versus patients without anaemia (21.5 months, 95% CI 18.3-24.7 months) (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis adjusted for age, Model for End-stage Liver Disease, number of tumour nodules, size of the largest nodule, macrovascular invasion, extrahepatic spread, first treatment line, alpha-fetoprotein and CRP, anaemia remained an independent predictor of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.23, 95% CI 1.06-1.43, P = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Anaemia was significantly associated with mortality in HCC patients, independent of established liver- and tumour-related prognostic factors. Whether adequate management of anaemia can improve outcome of HCC patients needs further evaluation.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Female; Male; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Anemia; Aged; Prognosis
PubMed: 38848660
DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103593 -
International Journal of Surgery... Jun 2024The practice of intraoperative blood salvage and autotransfusion (IBSA) during deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The practice of intraoperative blood salvage and autotransfusion (IBSA) during deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can potentially reduce the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. However, implementing IBSA remains debatable due to concerns about its possible detrimental effects on oncologic recurrence.
METHODS
This study retrospectively enrolled nationwide recipients of DDLT for HCC between 2015 and 2020. The focus was on comparing the cumulative recurrence rate and the recurrence-free survival rate. Propensity score matching was conducted repeatedly for further subgroup comparison. Recipients were categorized based on the Milan criteria, macrovascular invasion, and pre-transplant α-Fetoprotein (AFP) level to identify subgroups at risk of HCC recurrence.
RESULTS
A total of 6196 and 329 patients were enrolled in the non-IBSA and IBSA groups in this study. Multivariable competing risk regression analysis identified IBSA as independent risk factors for HCC recurrence (P<0.05). Post-matching, the cumulative recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival rate revealed no significant difference in the IBSA group and non-IBSA group (22.4% vs. 16.5%, P=0.12; 60.3% vs. 60.9%, P=0.74). Recipients beyond Milan criteria had higher, albeit not significant, risk of HCC recurrence if receiving IBSA (33.4% vs. 22.5%, P=0.14). For recipients with macrovascular invasion, the risk of HCC recurrence has no significant difference between the two groups (32.2% vs. 21.3%, P=0.231). For recipients with an AFP level<20 ng/mL, the risk of HCC recurrence was comparable in the IBSA group and the non-IBSA group (12.8% vs. 18.7%, P=0.99). Recipients with an AFP level ≥20 ng/mL, the risk of HCC recurrence was significantly higher in the IBSA group. For those with an AFP level≥400 ng/mL, the impact of IBSA on the cumulative recurrence rate was even more pronounced (49.8% vs. 21.9%, P=0.011).
CONCLUSIONS
IBSA does not appear to be associated with worse outcomes for recipients with HCC exceeding the Milan criteria or with macrovascular invasion. IBSA could be confidently applied for recipients with a pre-transplant AFP level<20 ng/mL. For recipients with AFP levels≥20 ng/mL, undertaking IBSA would increase the risk of HCC recurrence.
PubMed: 38847771
DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000001683 -
Juntendo Iji Zasshi = Juntendo Medical... 2023A 27-year-old man experienced discomfort in his right testis in early September, 2021, and visited the hospital five days later. Physical examination did not detect any...
A 27-year-old man experienced discomfort in his right testis in early September, 2021, and visited the hospital five days later. Physical examination did not detect any abnormalities in the scrotum. However, an ultrasound revealed a tumor in the central part of the right testis, and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed a tumor 2.7cm in diameter with clear boundaries and a marginally smooth surface. The level of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, human chorionic gonadotropin-β subunit, and lactate dehydrogenase were within normal limits. A Computed Tomography (CT) scan showed no abnormalities. We can't rule out the possibility of malignancy, right radical orchiectomy was performed with a diagnosis of right testicular tumor in mid-September 2021. The macroscopic lesion was 1.5×1.3 cm in size, and no viable tumorous cells were found pathologically. Atypical cells were observed in the seminiferous tubules from the spermatic cord, which were positively stained with immune-histochemical staining CD117 (c-kit), D2-40, and MIB-1 but negatively with alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and human chorionic gonadotropin-β subunit. The pathological diagnosis was germ cell neoplasia in situ, and no continuity was observed between these cells and bleeding necrosis. The patient has been followed up for 1 year and 4 months after surgery, with no recurrence or metastasis observed.
PubMed: 38845730
DOI: 10.14789/jmj.JMJ23-0016-CR -
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology Jun 2024Our objective was to demonstrate primarily the safety and secondarily the efficacy of Y glass microspheres in selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for...
Safety and Efficacy of Y Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Using Glass Microspheres in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Southeast Asian Single-Institution Initial Experience.
Our objective was to demonstrate primarily the safety and secondarily the efficacy of Y glass microspheres in selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a local Southeast Asian hospital. Eleven consecutive patients with small, unresectable, nonmetastatic HCC and referred for locoregional therapy with SIRT with a curative intention were followed up for 6 mo after the procedure by way of interviews, blood tests, and anatomic scans. Although 5 patients had deranged liver function tests after the procedure, in only 1 patient did this constitute a grade 1 toxicity (in alkaline phosphatase) by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Half the patients showed a reduction in serum α-fetoprotein measurements, and 6 of 11 patients demonstrated an objective response (complete or partial) on imaging. SIRT with Y glass microspheres is a safe and efficacious locoregional therapy for unresectable HCC. There are similar articles published in the West; however, the patient population there comprises far fewer Asians and the underlying cause for HCC is different from that in the Asian population. Despite these differences, SIRT is an equally effective and safe option for such patients.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Microspheres; Yttrium Radioisotopes; Male; Glass; Middle Aged; Female; Aged; Treatment Outcome; Safety; Asia, Southeastern; Southeast Asian People
PubMed: 38839117
DOI: 10.2967/jnmt.123.265967 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024For the lack of effective serum markers for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) diagnosis, it is difficult to detect liver cancer and identify its recurrence early.
BACKGROUND
For the lack of effective serum markers for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) diagnosis, it is difficult to detect liver cancer and identify its recurrence early.
METHODS
Databases were used to analyze the genes potentially associated with alpha-fetoprotein(AFP). ELISA assay was used to detect the serum IL-41 in HCC, liver metastases, hepatitis, and healthy people. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the relative quantification of IL-41 in HCC and paracancer tissues. Various survival curves were plotted according to clinical pathological data and helped us draw the ROC curve of IL-41 diagnosis of HCC.
RESULTS
The serum expression of IL-41 was highest in AFP negative HCC patients and significantly higher than that in AFP positive HCC and metastatic cancer patients. There was a significant negative correlation between elevated serum IL-41 and AFP(<1500ng/ml). The clinicopathological features suggested that the serum IL-41 level was significantly correlated with capsule invasion, low differentiation and AFP. High serum expression of IL-41 suggests poorer survival and earlier recurrence after resection, and IL-41 upregulated in patients with early recurrence and death. The expression of IL-41 was higher in HCC tissues of patients with multiple tumors or microvascular invasion. The ROC curve showed that serum IL-41 had a sensitivity of 90.17 for HCC and a sensitivity of 96.63 for AFP-negative HCC, while the specificity was higher than 61%.
CONCLUSION
IL-41 in serum and tissue suggests poor prognosis and postoperative recurrence in HCC patients and could be a new serum diagnostic marker for AFP negative patients.
PubMed: 38835390
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1408584 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024Mixed germ cell tumors (mGCTs) involving both the ovaries and sellar region have been rarely reported; thus, they pose significant challenges in clinical management. Our...
Mixed germ cell tumors (mGCTs) involving both the ovaries and sellar region have been rarely reported; thus, they pose significant challenges in clinical management. Our report of a case of a 26-year-old female with left ovarian mGCTs (dysgerminoma + yolk sac tumor) who presented with postoperative headaches and blurred vision contributes new information to the literature on treating mGCTs, which can lead to standardized regimens and sequencing guidelines. A physical examination revealed right temporal hemianopia, and elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein were detected in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sellar region revealed a space-occupying lesion. Pathological examination of the tumor after endoscopic transnasal resection confirmed the diagnosis of mGCTs (germinomas + yolk sac tumor). The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy at reduced dosages. During follow-up, tumor markers remained within normal limits, and there was no evidence of tumor recurrence on sellar region MRI. This case highlights the rarity of the simultaneous occurrence of ovarian and sellar region mGCTs and emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis and multidisciplinary management.
PubMed: 38835384
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1360158