Concanavalin A induces autophagy in hepatoma cells and has a therapeutic effect in a murine in situ hepatoma model

Chih‐Peng Chang, Ming‐Cheng Yang, Hsiao‐Sheng Liu, Yee‐Shin Lin, Huan‐Yao Lei – 26 January 2007 – Concanavalin A (ConA), a lectin with mannose specificity that can induce acute hepatic inflammation, was tested for its therapeutic effect against hepatoma. ConA is cytotoxic or inhibitory to hepatoma cells, which is mediated by the autophagic pathway through mitochondria. Once it was bound to cell membrane glycoproteins, the ConA was internalized and preferentially localized onto the mitochondria.

Adding‐on versus switching‐to adefovir therapy in lamivudine‐resistant HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B

Irene Rapti, Evangelini Dimou, Panayota Mitsoula, Stephanos J. Hadziyannis – 26 January 2007 – We studied the long‐term efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) treatment in 42 HBeAg‐negative patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who had developed genotypical lamivudine (LAM) resistance with virological and clinical breakthroughs under long‐term LAM treatment. Patients were allocated in 2 treatment groups. In the first (n = 14), LAM was switched to ADV monotherapy whereas in the second (n = 28) ADV was added to LAM.

Fibroindex, a practical index for predicting significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Masahiko Koda, Yoshiko Matunaga, Manri Kawakami, Yukihiro Kishimoto, Takeaki Suou, Yoshikazu Murawaki – 26 January 2007 – Diagnosis of the stage of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C is essential for making a prognosis and deciding on antiviral therapy. In the present study a simple model consisting of routine laboratory tests was constructed and then validated in cross‐sectional and longitudinal investigations.

Response to preoperative chemoembolization correlates with outcome after liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Gunda Millonig, Ivo W. Graziadei, Martin C. Freund, Werner Jaschke, Sylvia Stadlmann, Ruth Ladurner, Raimund Margreiter, Wolfgang Vogel – 26 January 2007 – Patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be cured by liver transplantation (LT). However, many patients drop out during the waiting time as a result of tumor progression. We prospectively investigated the effect of transarterial chemoembolization on long‐term survival of 116 patients with HCC listed for LT.

Liver‐specific loss of β‐catenin results in delayed hepatocyte proliferation after partial hepatectomy

Shigeki Sekine, Pedro J. A. Gutiérrez, Billy Yu‐Ang Lan, Sandy Feng, Matthias Hebrok – 26 January 2007 – Recent studies have suggested that β‐catenin is involved in the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation in multiple contexts, including organ development and tumorigenesis. We explored the role of β‐catenin during liver regeneration using T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF)‐reporter mice (TOPGal mice) and liver‐specific β‐catenin knockout mice.

Opposing roles of gp130‐mediated STAT‐3 and ERK‐1/2 signaling in liver progenitor cell migration and proliferation

George C. T. Yeoh, Matthias Ernst, Stefan Rose‐John, Barbara Akhurst, Christine Payne, Sarah Long, Warren Alexander, Ben Croker, Dianne Grail, Vance B. Matthews – 26 January 2007 – Gp130‐mediated IL‐6 signaling may play a role in oval cell proliferation in vivo. Levels of IL‐6 are elevated in livers of mice treated with a choline‐deficient ethionine‐supplemented (CDE) diet that induces oval cells, and there is a reduction of oval cells in IL‐6 knockout mice. The CDE diet recapitulates characteristics of chronic liver injury in humans.

Subscribe to