Beneficial effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on liver regeneration in cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: Underlying hepatic injury and cirrhosis are leading factors that interfere with the post-operative liver regeneration and function. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) has been reported to ameliorate the ischemia-reperfusion injury of the liver, to induce compensatory hypertrophy of the predicted remnant liver in rats after portal vein ligation and to augment liver regeneration after hepatectomy in non-cirrhotic rats. Our aim was to determine the effect of HBO treatment on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in normal and cirrhotic mice in this experimental study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of HBO on liver regeneration was studied in a mice model combining carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis and partial hepatectomy. Mice were divided into four groups: Control, cirrhotic, non-cirrhotic HBO-treated, and cirrhotic HBO-treated. All animals underwent 40% hepatectomy. Liver regeneration was evaluated by the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were measured to evaluate liver injury. RESULTS: Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly decreased in HBO-treated cirrhotic group compared to cirrhosis group after hepatectomy (P = 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively). The proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index was significantly higher in HBO treated cirrhotic group than in cirrhotic group after hepatectomy (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that HBO treatment improves liver functions and augments hepatocyte regeneration in cirrhotic mice after hepatectomy. Post-operative HBO treatment may have a beneficial effect on post-operative liver function and regeneration in cirrhotic patients.     

Endoscopic variceal ligation is a sufficient procedure for the treatment of oesophageal varices in patients with hepatitis C liver cirrhosis: comparison with injection sclerotherapy

AIMS: Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is a recently developed alternative to endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) for the treatment of oesophageal varices. Endoscopic variceal ligation and EIS were compared in an attempt to clarify the efficacy and safety of EVL for patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis C. METHODS: Endoscopic variceal ligation was performed in 60 patients and EIS in 30. Varices were eradicated in all patients by EVL and 87% (26 out of 30) by EIS. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between EVL and EIS in relation to the incidence of bleeding and the 5 year survival rate after treatment. There were no severe complications except mild substernal pain after EVL, while pulmonary embolism occurred in one patient receiving EIS. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic variceal ligation is a safe and effective technique for eradicating oesophageal varices in patients with hepatitis C cirrhosis.     

Interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C with cirrhosis

Summary. Among patients with hepatitis C who have cirrhosis the rate of sustained response following interferon therapy is only half that of patients without cirrhosis. Although it has been suggested that a higher dose regime in patients with cirrhosis may improve response, this remains largely untested. The results of a recent Australian study of cirrhotic patients who were given an intense interferon programme of 4.5 MIU daily for 24 weeks were compared with previous studies of patients with hepatitis C. Of 11 studies of interferon response in chronic hepatitis C comparison of pretreatment variables showed considerable differences. Identification of predictors of response by univariate and multivariate analysis regularly indicated the importance of age and fibrosis. Analysis of six studies with either a poor (5% or less) or a reasonable (14–19%) sustained response rate to interferon in patients with cirrhosis suggested that a higher dose or longer duration of therapy was associated with better results. The experience of the Australian study, where 14% of patients had a sustained biochemical response to interferon and side-effects were reasonably tolerated with careful monitoring, suggests that future studies in cirrhosis should be carried out exploring higher doses and longer durations of therapy.     

Assessment and treatment of liver disease in Japanese haemophilia patients

Summary. We studied the prevalence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and GB virus C or hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV), and characteristics of infections in Japanese haemophilia patients. Haemophilia patients were highly infected with HCV (88.2%) because of frequent use of unheated blood concentrates. Analysis for HCV genotypes revealed characteristics of HCV infection in haemophilia patients. Japanese haemophilia patients were highly infected with rare genotypes in Japan: genotype 1a (26.5%), genotype 3 (14.5%) and genotype 4 (2.4%). HIV infection was observed in 32.3% of haemophilia patients. HCV quasispecies (clones) and direct sequencing were investigated in patients with a single HCV genotype in the hypervariable region 1 of HCV, which resulted in a high degree of diversity. This indicates that even a single genotype of HCV might have multiple origins. GBV-C/HGV infection was noted in 20.9% of Japanese haemophilia patients. Over 40 haemophilia patients with chronic hepatitis C have been treated with interferon alpha for 6 months at total doses of 480–720 million units. About 38% showed clearance of HCV RNA from serum. Six patients with HIV infection were included in the study and they did not show eradication of HCV from the serum. This might derive from that they had high serum HCV RNA titers and genotype 1a or 1b. Histologic assessment was performed in 36 haemophilia patients with HCV. No case showed a histologically normal liver. Hepatic fibrosis in the biopsy specimens was classified into five stages of fibrosis and compared with serum hepatic fibrosis markers. Serum hyaluronic acid mostly correlated with hepatic fibrosis (γ= 0.78, P < 0.0001) followed by type IV collagen (γ= 0.38, P < 0.05). This suggests that estimation of serum fibrosis markers might be substituted for liver biopsy in haemophilia patients.     

血清透明质酸、Ⅲ型前胶原、Ⅳ型胶原水平与肝纤维化的关系

目的　研究血清纤维化指标透明质酸（ＨＡ） 、Ⅲ型前胶原（ＰＣ Ⅲ） 及Ⅳ型胶原（ ⅣＣ） 水平与肝纤维化程度的关系。方法　用放射免疫法测定１１４ 例慢性乙型肝炎（ＣＨＢ） 患者血清ＨＡ、ⅣＣ及ＰＣ Ⅲ水平,同时行肝组织活检,对肝组织进行炎症分级和纤维化分期。分析上述血清指标水平与肝组织分级和分期之间的关系。结果　上述指标水平均与慢性肝炎发展的阶段一致,在慢性重度与肝硬化阶段均处于最高水平,与肝组织炎症坏死及纤维化程度亦一致,在炎症分级Ｇ４ 、纤维化分期Ｓ４ 水平最高。血清ＨＡ、ＰＣⅢ及ⅣＣ水平与肝组织炎症坏死和纤维化程度均呈正相关,但与纤维化的相关性均高于与炎症坏死相关性。结论　血清ＨＡ、ⅣＣ 及ＰＣⅢ可以做为反映肝纤维化程度的指标之一。     

小剂量心得安加川芎嗪预防食管静脉曲张破裂出血的实验与临床研究

目的探讨小剂量心得安与川芎嗪联用预防肝硬变食管静脉曲张破裂出血(EVB)复发的疗效、副反应及其作用机制.方法在用药前后采用血管插管法对8只肝硬变犬血流动力学指标进行检测.在临床上对治疗组(n=38,po心得安10 mg+川芎嗪50 mg,3次/d)和安慰剂组(n=36,服维生素B110 mg+维生素PP 50 mg,3次/d)进行前瞻性对照研究,随访2 a,并用彩色多普勒超声仪监测其门脉系统血流动力学变化.结果小剂量心得安与川芎嗪联用可使肝硬变犬WHVP,HVPG,Rpv及Ppv明显降低,对HR,MAP无明显影响.用药4 wk后治疗组患者Qpv,Qsv,Dpv,Dsv及Qaz均显著下降(分别为1439±494 vs1152±387,948±436 vs 529±362,1.43±0.25vs1.36±0.28,1.20±0.24vs0.85±0.16,0.94±1.18vs0.71±1.04,P＜0.05/0.01);随访2 a,安慰剂组再出血率和死亡率均显著高于治疗组(P＜0.05);临床上未见明显副作用.结论小剂量心得安与川芎嗪联用预防EVB复发是安全有效的.     

Increased gene and protein expression of the novel eNOS regulatory protein NOSTRIN and a variant in alcoholic hepatitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Increased intrahepatic resistance in cirrhosis is associated with reduced endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) activity and exacerbated by superimposed inflammation. NOSTRIN induces intracellular translocation of eNOS and reduces NO generation. Our aims were to quantify and compare hepatic expression of eNOS, NOSTRIN, NOSIP, and caveolin-1 in alcoholic cirrhosis with or without superimposed alcoholic hepatitis and in normal livers. METHODS: Biopsy specimens from 20 decompensated alcoholic cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension (10 with alcoholic hepatitis) and 6 normal livers were analyzed: real-time polymerase chain reaction for quantification of messenger RNA; Western blotting; and enzyme assays of eNOS in normal and diseased liver were performed. Localization and interaction of eNOS and NOSTRIN in liver was assessed by immunohistochemistry and co-immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: eNOS mRNA was significantly increased and eNOS activity decreased in alcoholic hepatitis patients, despite no differences in eNOS protein expression among the patients. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis had significantly higher hepatic levels of NOSTRIN and caveolin-1 mRNA compared with cirrhosis alone or normal biopsy specimens. A NOSTRIN splice variant, not present in normal tissue, was detected on mRNA and protein levels in all alcoholic patients. Coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated association among NOSTRIN, eNOS, and caveolin-1. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in mRNA and protein of NOSTRIN and its shortened variant in alcoholic hepatitis may partly account for the paradox of increased mRNA levels and normal protein expression but decreased enzymatic activity of eNOS in diseased liver. Such intracellular regulators of NO production may be important in the development of increased intrahepatic resistance in alcoholic hepatitis patients.     

乙型肝炎肝硬化患者108例预后分析

目的比较MELD评分系统、CTP评分分级标准及并发症在判断乙型肝炎肝硬化患者短期(6个月)预后中的作用。方法分析108例乙型肝炎肝硬化患者的病历资料,随访6个月时转归,将患者分为存活组和死亡组。分析两组患者MELD分值、CTP评分分级,并运用ROC曲线评价两者预测能力。分析并发症数量与预后的关系。结果108例患者随访6个月时共有22例死亡。平均MELD分值存活组为11.6±6.3,死亡组17.6±7.5(P<0.01)。存活组和死亡组MELD≤9、10~19、20~29、≥30分患者分别为34例、41例、8例、1例和4例、9例、7例、2例(P<0.01);MELD<18、≥18分组分别为68例、16例和8例、14例(P<0.01)。平均CTP分值存活组为10.9±2.3,死亡组9.1±2.2(P<0.01)。存活组和死亡组CTP分级A级、B级、C级患者分别为13例、36例、37例和0例、4例、18例(P<0.01)。存活组并发症数量为0、1、2、3的患者为20例、52例、14例、0例,死亡组为4例、9例、7例、2例(P=0.01)。MELD分值和CTP评分分级判断6个月病死率的ROC曲线下面积分别为0.735和0.720,两者之间的差异无统计学意义。结论MELD≥18分为预测乙型肝炎肝硬化患者6个月病死率的独立因素;MELD与CTP相比,二者判断预后能力无显著差异。并发症数量与患者预后有关。     

Predictive role of anti-gp210 and anticentromere antibodies in long-term outcome of primary biliary cirrhosis

Because some of the autoreactive T-cell clones specific for human PDC-E2 cross-react to mimicry peptides having an EIExDK motif derived from nuclear antigens such as human gp210 and sp100, we studied the clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients registered to the National Hospital Organization Study Group for Liver Disease in Japan (NHOSLJ). We found that there are two different types of progression in PBC; one is a hepatic failure-type progression which is represented by positive anti-gp210 antibodies and the other is a portalhypertension-type progression which is represented by positive anticentromere antibodies. We discuss the predictive role of these ANA in the long-term outcome of PBC and the mechanisms by which two different PBC progression types occur based on molecular mimicry and aberrant expression of nuclear antigens.     

扯根菜对肝星状细胞分泌转化生长因子-β1及I型胶原的影响

目的 观察扯根菜浸膏对活化型肝星状细胞(HSC)增殖分泌转化生长因子-β1(TGF-131)及I型胶原的影响.方法 雄性SD大鼠20只分为2组,分别以0.9%氯化钠溶液、扯根菜浸膏灌胃,3 d后采血并分离血清.HSC-T6细胞常规培养后分为对照组和扯根菜浸膏组,分别以空白大鼠血清、体积分数为0.1扯根菜浸膏药物大鼠血清的改良Eagle培养基(DMEM)培养.AlamarBlue法检测细胞活力.噻唑蓝(MTT)法检测药物细胞毒性,实时PCR检测TGF-β1及I型胶原mRNA表达,Western印迹法观察细胞TGF-β1蛋白及I型胶原表达.应用单因素方差分析,两两比较用q检验.结果 不同浓度扯根菜浸膏血清均能抑制细胞增殖.尤以体积分数为0.1扯根菜浸膏血清在24 h时对细胞的增殖抑制率最为明显(P＜0.01).与相应浓度正常血清比较,不同浓度扯根菜浸膏血清无明显细胞毒性(P＞0.05).体积分数为0.1扯根菜浸膏血清作用于HSC-T6 24 h后,其TGF-β1及I型胶原mRNA为2.790±0.174和1.213±0.099,正常血清组分别为9.827±1.429和4.053±1.005,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);10%扯根菜浸青血清作用于HSC-T6 24 h,TGF-β1及I型胶原蛋白(210×103,90× 103)表达分别为0.432±0.066、0.567±0.012和0.450±0.085,正常血清组分别为1.595±0.061、1.483±0.020和1.636±0.147,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 扯根菜浸膏能明显抑制肝星状细胞增殖及TGF-β1、I型胶原分泌.为临床治疗肝纤维化提供了实验依据.