Increased erythrocytes n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is significantly associated with a lower prevalence of steatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes

Summary Background & aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Although dietary fat contributes substantially to the accumulation of liver fat, the role of individual fatty acids in this accumulation is unclear. Objective In this study, we set out to determine whether liver fat content (LFC), was associated with red blood cell fatty acid (RBC-FA) composition in people with type 2 diabetes. Design, settings, and participants One hundred and sixty-two type 2 diabetic patients were included in this study. LFC was measured using 1H-MR Spectroscopy. RBC-FA composition was measured by gas chromatography. Results One…

Clinical and economic impact of drug eluting beads in transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Summary What is known and objective Drug eluting beads (DEBs) theoretically improve the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, their economic profile has not been assessed. Our retrospective before/after study aimed to compare efficacy, safety and economic profile of two strategies of TACE without (Period 1) or with the possibility of using DEBs (Period 2). Methods All HCC patients treated by TACE in our hospital between March 2006 and May 2013 were included. Economic analyses were performed from the French Public Health Insurance point of view according to the French Diagnosis-Related Group prospective payment system an…

Idarubicin-loaded beads for chemoembolisation of hepatocellular carcinoma: results of the IDASPHERE phase I trial

SummaryBackground A phase I dose-escalation trial of transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) with idarubicin-loaded beads was performed in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aim To estimate the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and to assess safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and quality of life. Methods Patients received a single TACE session with injection of 2 mL drug-eluting beads (DEBs; DC Bead 300–500 μm) loaded with idarubicin. The idarubicin dose was escalated according to a modified continuous reassessment method. MTD was defined as the dose level closest to that causing dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in 20% of patients. Results Twenty-one patients were enrolled, inclu…

MRI as the new reference standard in quantifying liver steatosis: the need for international guidelines.

We read with great interest the paper by Raptis et al 1 regarding the quantification of liver steatosis by chemical-shift MRI. Chemical-shift imaging takes advantage of the difference in resonance frequency between water and fat (more precisely methylene, the most abundant group in triglycerides) to differentiate them. The dual-echo (in-phase/out-of-phase) MR technique used by the authors and derived from one of their previously published papers2 neglects T2* decay and assumes that the signal difference is due to fat–water interference alone.3 Yet, liver iron …

PNPLA3 polymorphism influences liver fibrosis in unselected patients with type 2 diabetes

Context: Recently, it has been shown that an allele in the adiponutrin (PNPLA3) gene was strongly associated with increased liver fat content (LFC) and liver fibrosis independent of visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Objective: In this study, we set out to determine whether the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism was associated with liver fibrosis in unselected patients with type 2 diabetes. Design, setting and participants: Two hundred and thirty-four patients with type 2 diabetes were included in this study. Main outcome measures: LFC was evaluated using 1H-MR spectroscopy; fibrosis was measured using the non-invasive FibroTest®. Results: Advanced liver fibrosis (stage F2 or above) was o…

A 30-Year, Population-Based Study Shows Improved Management and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background & Aims Little is known about the impact of changes in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over time. We assessed trends in the pattern of care and in prognosis at a population level. Methods Data on diagnostic conditions, treatment, and prognosis from 1976–2005 were collected by the population-based digestive cancer registry of Burgundy (France). A nonconditional logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with treatment for cure. A multivariate relative survival analysis was also performed. Results The context of HCC diagnosis has changed; the proportion of asymptomatic patients increased from 5.6% (1976–1985) to 37.2% (1996–2005). The proportion of …

Type 1 diabetes is not associated with an increased prevalence of hepatic steatosis

Aim Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with Type 2 diabetes. Recently, it has been suggested that NAFLD is also frequently associated with Type 1 diabetes and diabetic complications. In this study, we set out to determine whether Type 1 diabetes was associated with liver fat content measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Methods One hundred and twenty-eight patients with Type 1 diabetes, 264 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 67 participants without diabetes were included in this study. Hepatic steatosis was defined as a liver fat content > 5.5%. Results People with Type 1 diabetes and controls were similar for age and BMI. Liver fat content was significantl…

Suspicious liver nodule in chronic liver disease: Usefulness of a second biopsy

International audience; Purpose: To assess the usefulness of a second biopsy when the first one was inconclusive in patients with a liver nodule found during the follow-up for chronic liver disease.Materials and methods: Among 381 patients (544 nodules) included in a prospective study designed to evaluate the accuracy of imaging for the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic liver disease, 254 nodules were biopsied. The following histological results were considered as conclusive: HCC, dysplastic or regenerative nodule, and other identified tumors (benign or malignant). For nodules with inconclusive results (e.g. fibrosis or no definite focal lesion), a second biopsy w…

Résultat et coût de la chimioembolisation hépatique avec des billes chargées chez 21 patients

Resume Objectif L’objectif de notre travail est d’evaluer le resultat et le cout global d’une strategie de traitement des patients atteints d’un carcinome hepatocellulaire (CHC) non resecable non metastatique par chimioembolisation (CHE) avec billes chargees. Patients et methodes L’ensemble des patients traites par CHE avec billes chargees pour un CHC entre janvier 2009 et decembre 2010 dans notre etablissement a ete inclus dans l’etude. Tous les patients etaient traites selon une strategie « a la demande » avec evaluation apres chaque cure de CHE. Resultats Vingt et un patients ont recu en moyenne 1,3 cures. La mediane de temps jusqu’a arret du traitement et la mediane de survie sans progr…

Result and cost of hepatic chemoembolisation with drug eluting beads in 21 patients.

Abstract Purpose The aim of our study was to assess the results and cost of a treatment strategy involving transarterial chemoembolisation with drug eluting beads (DEB-TACE) in patients with unresectable non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and methods This study included all patients treated with DEB-TACE in our hospital between January 2009 and December 2010. All patients received DEB-TACE on demand and were evaluated after each session. Results Twenty-one patients received an average of 1.3 sessions. The median time to treatment discontinuation and median progression-free survival was 181 days and 295 days, respectively. Toxicity caused treatment discontinuation in thr…

Editorial: IDASPHERE phase I trial for chemoembolisation for HCC - authors' reply: a necessary step for treatment optimisation and standardisation

Improvement in survival of metastatic colorectal cancer: Are the benefits of clinical trials reproduced in population-based studies?

To describe trends in survival of non-resectable metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) over a 34-year period in a French population-based registry taking into account major advances in medical therapy.3804 patients with non-resectable metastatic colorectal cancer diagnosed between 1976 and 2009 were included. Three periods (1976-96, 1997-2004 and 2005-09) were considered.The proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy dramatically increased from 19% to 57% between the first two periods, then increased steadily thereafter reaching 59% during the last period (p0.001). Median relative survival increased from 5.9 months during the 1976-96 period to 10.2 months during the 1997-2004 period but, d…

Obesity, type 2 diabetes and risk of digestive cancer.

The frequency of obesity has been increasing worldwide for 20 years. Many epidemiological studies support a correlation between obesity and increased risk of cancer, particularly digestive cancers in both genders, and gynaecological cancer in women. Currently, about 5% of cancers could be directly related to overweight. Carcinogenesis mechanisms induced by obesity involve insulin resistance, adipokine and angiogenic factor secretions, and inflammation. Experimental and clinical evidence suggest that insulin resistance plays a major role in carcinogenesis. Insulin and non-protein banded IGF-1, whose levels are increased in type 2 diabetes, stimulate cellular growth and inhibit apoptosis. Abn…