Search results for "Liver neoplasm"

Hepatocellular expression of a dominant-negative mutant TGF-β type II receptor accelerates chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis

2001

The potent growth-inhibitory activity of cytokines of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily and their widespread expression in epithelia suggest that they may play an important role in the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis. To analyse TGF-beta mediated tumor suppressor activity in the liver, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing a dominant negative type II TGF-beta receptor in hepatocytes under control of the regulatory elements of the human C-reactive protein gene promoter. Transgenic animals exhibited constitutive and liver-specific transgene expression. The functional inactivation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in transgenic hepatocytes was shown by redu…

Histamine and spontaneously released mast cell granules affect the cell growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

2007

The role of mast cells in tumor growth is still controversial. In this study we analyzed the effects of both histamine and pre-formed mediators spontaneously released by mast cells on the growth of two human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HA22T/VGH and HuH-6, with different characteristics of differentiation, biological behavior and genetic defects. We showed that total mast cell releasate, exocytosed granules (granule remnants) and histamine reduced cell viability and proliferation in HuH-6 cells. In contrast, in HA22T/VGH cells granule remnants and histamine induced a weak but significant increase in cell growth. We showed that both cell lines expressed histamine receptors H(1) and …

Benign focal liver lesions: spectrum of findings on SonoVue-enhanced pulse-inversion ultrasonography.

2005

The prevalence of benign focal liver lesions (BFLL) is high both in the general population and in patients with known malignancies. The gray-scale ultrasound (US) technique is usually the first-line imaging modality used in the radiological workup of such lesions, but unfortunately it lacks specificity. Furthermore, Doppler examination may often be unsatisfactory owing to motion artefacts, or when small or deeply located lesions are evaluated. Recently, microbubble-based contrast agents used in combination with gray-scale US techniques, which are very sensitive to nonlinear behavior of microbubbles, have led to a better depiction of both microvasculature and macrovasculature of focal hepati…

Computed tomographic imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma

2004

The ability of x-ray computed tomography (CT) to detect and characterize liver lesions has been one of the most studied issues in radiology during the past 20 years. Technological advances, combined with increased knowledge about the pathophysiological characteristics of these tumors, have dramatically increased the ability to detect and characterize large hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Nonetheless, detection and characterization of early and small HCC lesions remains a difficult task. We review the imaging appearances of HCC on CT and discuss the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomographic imaging in screening patients with cirrhosis for HCC.

Bile Duct Warmer in Hepatic Cryosurgery—A Pig Liver Model

1998

Freezing of the common bile duct resulted in injury, stenosis, or perforation of the bile duct in a dog model. Biliary cutaneous fistulas and bile leaks are reported as complications of hepatic cryosurgery in man. In an ex vivo pig liver model we compared freezing close to the bile duct with and without warming the bile duct with warmed saline solution via an inserted catheter ("bile duct warmer"). The recorded temperatures at the outer wall of the bile duct were -50 degrees C after 10 min of freezing without and 5. 8 degrees C with the use of the warmer (P0.001, two-way ANOVA). The bile duct warmer system may be a simple and inexpensive device in reducing perioperative morbidity after hepa…

Comparison of the chemopreventive efficacies of garlic powders with different alliin contents against aflatoxin B1 carcinogenicity in rats

2004

Garlic (Allium sativum) is well known for its beneficial effects on health and particularly for its chemopreventive potential against cancer. The present study was designed to compare the chemopreventive efficacies of several garlic powders with various levels of alliin, a precursor of active sulfur compounds. For this purpose we used the medium-term hepatocarcinogenesis protocol (resistant hepatocyte model), which allows the detection of preneoplasic foci expressing the placental form of glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) as an end-point. Rats were fed diets containing three garlic powders (5% of the diet) with various alliin contents for 3 weeks. Garlic powders were obtained from bulbs gro…

Mosaic architecture of hepatocellular carcinoma

2017

Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: From a Clinical to a Molecular Association

2009

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary neoplasm of the liver, and is the fourth most common malignancy worldwide. It is also the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Most cases of HCC develop on a pre-existing chronic liver disease, usually due to hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or alcohol. However, between 15% and 50% of HCC develops in the absence of a known etiology of liver disease, and different lines of evidence identify in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) a possible relevant risk factor for occurrence of HCC. Insulin resistance (IR), steatosis, oxidative stress and imbalances in adipokine/cytokine interplay, the most important …

Molecular mechanisms of sorafenib action in liver cancer cells.

2012

Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, recently received FDA approval for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, as the clinical application of sorafenib evolves, there is increasing interest in defining the mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor activity. Considering that this specific inhibitor could target unexpected molecules depending on the biologic context, a precise understanding of its mechanism of action could be critical to maximize its treatment efficacy, while minimizing adverse effects. Two human HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7), carrying different biological and genetic characteristics, were used in this study to examine the intracellular events leading …

Healthcare resource utilization and costs of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients with advanced liver disease in Italy

2020

Abstract Background and aims Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may progress to advanced liver disease (AdvLD). This study characterized comorbidities, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs among hospitalized patients with AdvLD due to NASH in Italy. Methods and results Adult nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/NASH patients from 2011 to 2017 were identified from administrative databases of Italian local health units using ICD-9-CM codes. Development of compensated cirrhosis (CC), decompensated cirrhosis (DCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver transplant (LT) was identified using first diagnosis date for each severity cohort (index-date). Patients progres…