0000000000758267
AUTHOR
Soresi M
PREVALENCE OF LIVER STEATOSIS AND FIBROSIS AND RELIABILITY OF ULTRASOUND IN DETECTING NAFLD IN OBESE PATIENTS
Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most frequent chronic liver disease in Western countries, and in particular in obese patients the prevalence is higher than in general population. It has a large clinical spectrum, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Aim of the study: To evaluate in obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery in the last 3 years: 1) the histological prevalence and severity of liver steatosis (LS) and fibrosis; 2) the reliability of ultrasound (US) in diagnosing steatosis. Patients and methods: We reviewed preoperative liver US and intraoperative liver biopsy results in 57 bariatric surgery patients (age 42 ± 1…
PIVKAII Utility in Diagnosis and Post-therapeutic Monitoring of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Background: Protein induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA-II), also known as des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin, has been described in relation to HCC being released in association with vitamin K deficiency in the presence of HCC. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the traditional biomarker for HCC detection and follow up but it doesn’t have high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, there is great interest in identifying new more powerful biomarkers. Materials and methods: One hundred and fourteen subjects were divided into four groups: Group 1 included 58 patients (38M, 20 F) with HCC, mean age 73.5; Group 2 included 38 patients (28M, 10F) with liver cirrhosis (LC), mean age 63.7; Group 3 include…
VEGFR-2, HSP90 and GRP78/BiP expression and HCC recurrence after Liver Transplantation
Introduction Liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a satisfactory therapeutic choice in patients with “early HCC” selected according to Milan criteria. However, the risk of HCC recurrence after LT is about 7-20% at five years and molecular markers which can predict recurrence are still lacking. We investigated in HCC samples and LC surrounding tissues the significance of VEGFR-2, HSP90, and GRP78/BiP expression in patients with HCC who underwent LT in a western transplantation center and their possible role as molecular markers of recurrence. Methods 42 patients (35 M, 7 F) with early HCC who underwent LT between 2012 and 2013 were enrolled. The tumor recurrence r…
Circulating E-selectin levels in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal or elevated transaminase before and after alpha-interferon treatment
E-selectin, an adhesion molecule of the selectin family, is involved in leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium and in the cellular immunological reactions. Expression of this molecule, in fact, is physiologically absent, but it becomes evident on sinusoidal lining cells during inflammatory liver disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of E-selectin in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients with persistently normal transaminase in comparison to patients with CH-C and elevated transaminase, and its changes during alpha-interferon therapy. Immunohistochemical localization of E-selectin was also performed on liver tissue specimens of both groups. Fifty-eight subjects were divide…
PRESENTAZIONE ECOGRAFICA DELL’EPATOCARCINOMA: ESPERIENZA DI UN SINGOLO CENTRO NELL’ARCO DI TRE DECENNI
Valutare i cambiamenti della presentazione ecografica (US) degli epatocarcinomi (HCC) diagnosticati presso la nostra UO di Medicina Interna in tre periodi:1993-98, 2003-2008,2013-18. Il Gruppo 1 (G1) (1993-1998) comprendeva 174 HCC, il Gruppo 2 (G2) (2003-08) 96, il Gruppo 3 (G3) (2013-2018) 102. Sono stati registrati età, sesso, markers HBV, HCV, uso di alcol, alfafetoproteina (AFP), test di funzionalità epatica, autoanticorpi, ferritinemia. La diagnosi di HCC in G2 e G3 è stata posta secondo le linee guida EASL, in G1 con istologia o citologia nel 40%, nel resto con multiple tecniche di imaging concordanti (ecografia, TC, TC con lipiodol, angiografia), livelli sierici di AFP>200 ng/ml.…