Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; virology ; Genome, Viral ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; virology ; Mutation

B-Lymphocytes ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),one of the most common malignant tumors,is the main cause of cancer death in China.Early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance.Serum tumor markers have been effective for detecting HCC for a long time.Among those markers,alpha fetoprotein(AFP)is the most widely used one in detecting patients with HCC,but it has limited utility for detecting HCC due to its limited sensitivity and specificity.Searching better markers for HCC has been a re- search focus in recent years.This review introduces many useful markers to supplement AFP for detecting HCC.

MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs,about 20 nucleotides in length.They play a pivotal role in the regulation of genes involved in diverse biology processes such as cell development,proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis by the translation repression or mRNA degradation.Recent evidence has suggested that miRNA alterations are involved in the initiation and progression of various human cancer including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and miRNA-expression profiling of HCC has identified signatures associated with diagnosis,staging,progression and prognosis.As a novel molecular target,miRNAs holds great promise in diagnosis and biotherapy of HCC.

Circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) are extracellular nucleic acids found in cell-free serum,plasma and other body fluids from healthy subjects as well as in patients. The ability to detect and quantitate specific DNA and RNA sequences has opened up the possibility of diagnosis and monitoring of diseases,especially in the field of cancer. Furthermore,in some recent studies it has been suggested a kind of non-coding RNA-microRNA (miRNA),also exist in cell-free serum and plasma,highlighting the field of using CNAs to diagnose cancer. As a novel tumor marker,tumor-specific circulating miRNAs holds great promise in early diagnosis of cancer.

The surveillance of schistosomiasis in three sites of Mianzhu City after earthquake showed that there were no infected Oncomelania snails and cases,but the emerging area with snails were 7 895 m~2.Therefore,the control measures should be strengthened.

With the completion of human genome,we are entering the functional genomic age.To further reveal the nature of life,glycomics comes into being and becomes a research focus.This review gives a deep insight on the current research progress of glycomics,including the research target,the structural classification and metabolism of sugar chain,the biological significance,research approaches,and the correlation between glycomics and liver diseases.

Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is still a great challenge in clinical practice.Tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),liver enzymes,cytokines,and some special glycoproteins,though helpful,are not sensitive and specific enough for early diagnosis of HCC.The establishment of several interesting predictive diagnostic models on liver fi- brosis/cirrhosis suggests that mathematic predictive model,which is developed based on large sample size and follow-up study, might be of higher sensitivity,specificity and feasibility in clinical application.Here we suggest that more attention should be paid to this kind of multi-parameter predictive diagnostic models clinically,so as to improve the early diagnosis of HCC in a more economical and feasible way.

Musashi1 (Msi1) is an evolutionary conservative RNA-binding protein (RBP),and it is a stem marker in a variety of organizations,including intestinal,neural system.Msi1 maintains the balance between self-renewal and differentiation.Recently,many researchers report that Msi1 is overexpressed in many types of tumors,especially in colorectal neoplasms,participating in the regulation of cell cycle,proliferation,apoptosis and so on.Msi1 becomes a key regulator of many cancers,which is expected to turn into a new target for cancer therapy.

Objective To analyze the correlation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)level with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)level and to re-evaluate the diagnostic value of GGT for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods Four hundred and seventy-two patients with HCC or liver cirrhosis,who were hospitalized in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from January 2003 to June 2009,were included in the study.The correlation between GGT and AFP was analyzed by Spearman nonparametric test.The cut-off values for the two parameters were determined based on their receiver operating characteristics (ROC)curves,areas under the ROC curve (AUCs),sensitivity,and specifici-ty,and the diagnostic values were presented using their sensitivity,specificity,and correct index.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 17.0.Normally distributed continuous data were analyzed by independent-samples t test,while non-normally distributed continuous data were analyzed by Mann -Whitney U test.Categorical data were analyzed by Pearson chi -square test,continuity-corrected chi -square test,or Fisher’s exact test.Results Among 472 patients,224 were diagnosed with HCC,and 248 with liver cirrhosis.Compared with cirrhotic patients,HCC patients had a significantly higher GGT level (113 (58-254)U/L vs 38 (22-72)U/L,Z=-11.037,P<0.001)and a significantly higher AFP level (429.5 (15.7-1210.0)ng/ml vs 5.7 (3.4-18.2)ng/ml,Z=-10.157,P<0.001).A significant correlation was found between GGT and AFP (r=0.449,P<0.001).The AUC was 0.784 for GGT and 0.788 for AFP.The cut-off value was 60 U/L for GGT and 20 ng/ml for AFP.The sensitivity was 74.1%for GGT,71.8%for AFP,and 90.7%for a combina-tion of the two parameters,the specificity was 70.2%,77.6%,and 58.7%,respectively,and the correct index was 0.443,0.494,and 0.494,respectively.Conclusion GGT may be regarded as one biomarker for HCC,and its level is significantly correlated with AFP level. The diagnostic value of AFP may not be improved when used in combination with GGT.