OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in red blood cell count in patients with different liver diseases and the correlation between red blood cell count and degree of liver damage.

METHODSThe clinical data of 1427 patients with primary liver cancer, 172 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 185 patients with hepatitis were collected, and the Child-Pugh class was determined for all patients. The differences in red blood cell count between patients with different liver diseases were retrospectively analyzed, and the correlation between red blood cell count and liver function status was investigated. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, rank sum test, Spearman rank sum correlation test, and chi-square test were performed for different types of data.

RESULTSRed blood cell count showed significant differences between patients with chronic hepatitis, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis and was highest in patients with chronic hepatitis and lowest in patients with liver cirrhosis (P < 0.05). In the patients with liver cirrhosis, red blood cell count tended to decrease in patients with a higher Child-Pugh class (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFor patients with liver cirrhosis, red blood cell count can reflect the degree of liver damage, which may contribute to an improved liver function prediction model for these patients.

Erythrocyte Count ; Hepatitis ; blood ; Humans ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; Retrospective Studies

Adult ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Female ; Humans ; Liver Failure, Acute ; blood ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Thrombelastography ; Whole Blood Coagulation Time

OBJECTIVETo observe the dynamic levels of serum Golgi protein 73(GP73) in patients prior to and after the onset of liver cancer, and to explore the related factors.

METHODSFrom 2007 to 2012, a periodical screening program was carried out in a group of high risk population with positive Hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) , twice a year. Their serum specimens from every screening time point were kept in Qidong Biobank until liver cancer was diagnosed. Thirty-nine patients with liver cancer were recruited for the study, each of them at least had three times of specimens collected as well as B ultrasound scan (BUS) exam results at onset of disease and within 30 months before diagnosed, amongst 6 time points. In total, there were 162 specimens collected to test GP73 by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analyses of time series and differences among groups were performed by stata software 10.

RESULTSThe average value of 39 patient's GP73 at the time point of liver cancer onset was (126.77 ± 73.73) µg/L, while the values at the other five time points prior to the onset were (128.32 ± 81.18) , (129.97 ± 83.62) , (127.38 ± 80.10) , (135.52 ± 97.88) and (138.24 ± 93.58) µg/L, respectively, with no significant difference (F = 0.07, P = 0.997). No obvious changing trends of GP73 were observed among the 39 liver cancer cases at the 6 time points. All 162 samples were divided into two groups: without hepatic cirrhosis (63 samples) and with cirrhosis (99 samples) according to findings of B-ultrasonic wave; whose average GP73 values were separately (97.16 ± 51.39) and (151.20 ± 91.68) µg/L. The difference showed statistical significance (F = 18.22, P < 0.01). Furthermore, if we grouped the samples by the average value of GP73 at 130.19 µg/L, then there were only 1/14 of the subjects without hepatic cirrhosis having higher GP73 values, but 12 of the 25 subjects with hepatic cirrhosis having higher GP73 values. The difference showed statistical significance (P = 0.013). The results of Linear regression model also showed that there was no correlation between GP73 and time series (t = 0.75, P = 0.455), but significant correlation between GP73 and hepatic cirrhosis (t = 4.30, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONNo significant changes of the dynamic levels of GP73 could be found among the liver cancer patients within 30 months prior to the onset of disease. GP73 values of the patients with liver cancer may depend on their background of hepatic diseases; and hepatic cirrhosis might be one of the main influencing factors or confounding factors.

Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; Membrane Proteins ; blood ; Retrospective Studies

Contrast Media ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply

OBJECTIVETo identify specific serum glycoprotein profiles that correspond to the carcinogenic process of primary liver cancer (PLC) by analyzing a population with high-incidence of PLC using lectin affinity microarray.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from individuals classified as high risk for PLC (including patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis B) and development of PLC was recorded. Healthy individuals served as normal controls. The serum samples were subjected to glycoprotein profling by using lectin microarrays and the results were confirmed by lectin blot. Between-group differences were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSPLC carcinogenesis was found to be correlated with enhanced affinity for AAL, ACL, ConA, LCA, MPL, NML, PHA-E, PHA-L, PSA, RCA-I, STL, VAL,WGA, and SNA (P less than 0.05). These data implied that changes in specific glycan structures, such as aFuc, GlcNAc, GalNAc, mannose, bisecting GlcNAc and terminal beta1-4 Gal, may be involved in PLC carcinogenesis . The PLC group showed significantly different results for all detected lectins, except SNA (P less than 0.05). However, among the PLC group, the SNA affinity was not significantly different for the hepatitis B group (P =0.443, P more than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGlycans may be associated with the carcinogenic process of PLC and may be developed as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of PLC in the future.

Carcinogenesis ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Cohort Studies ; Glycoproteins ; blood ; Humans ; Lectins ; blood ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology

The authors conducted an investigation focusing mainly on the activities of the inhibitory factors of the coagulation and fibrinolysis processes in 35 normal adults and 72 liver cirrhosis and/or hepatoma patients. The activities of antithrombin III, protein C, and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor were reduced to less than 50% in patients with decreased hepatic synthetic function while lupus anticoagulant was detected in more than 50% of patients with decreased hepatic synthetic function. Hemostatic abnormalities in advanced lived diseases may be caused partly by a decrease of coagulation and fibrinolysis inhibitors and the presence of lupus anticoagulant.
Adult ; Antifibrinolytic Agents/blood ; Blood Coagulation Factors/antagonists & inhibitors/immunology/metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*blood ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*blood ; Liver Neoplasms/*blood ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor

With the aim of establishing bio-indices for the development of multistep hepatotumorigenesis, rats were fed water containing 0.01% diethylnitrosamine (DEN) ad libitum for 13 weeks. This treatment with DEN only made it possible to induce hepatic tumors in 100%. After the DEN administration, several clinical symptoms were observed including minor behavioral changes, brittleness of hair and a decrease in water and food intake. The concentration of total serum protein and albumin in all treated groups was significantly lower than in non-treated controls (p<0.05). Increase of specific enzyme (AST, ALT and GGT) activity (p<0.05), variable tumor size and hepatomegaly of the liver was observed in all rats treated with DEN for 10 weeks. Both hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma were found in the same livers at the same time, and were prominently developed after 12 weeks. In case of carcinoma, some of the livers showed more or less advanced states over the 12-15 weeks period. In the present study, hepatocellular carcinoma was developed by treating DEN in only the drinking water, without any other carcinogens or without partial hepatectomy. These results indicate that DEN is a new carcinogen that acts directly on it the liver, moreover, it might be very useful for investigating hepatotumorigenesis.
Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Biological Markers/blood ; Carcinogens ; *Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Diethylnitrosamine/toxicity ; Liver/drug effects/*pathology ; Liver Neoplasms/blood/chemically induced/*pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/blood/*pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase/blood

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of temporary occlusion of hepatic blood inflow on hepatic cancer treated with diode-laser induced thermocogation (LITT).

METHODSThe carcinoma Walker-256 was implanted in 40 SD rat livers. Twelve days later, the animals were randomly divided into 4 groups. Group A received LITT alone; group B received hepatic artery temporary occlusion during LITT; group C received portal vein temporary occlusion during LITT; group D received hepatic artery and portal vein temporary occlusion during LITT. Tumors were exposed to 810 nm diode-laser light at 0.95 watts for 10 min from a scanner tip applicator placed in the tumor. At the same time, the intrahepatic temperature distribution in rats with liver tumors was measured per 2 min during thermocoagulation. Tumor control was examined immediately 7 and 14 d after thermocoagulation.

RESULTSThere was significant difference of intrahepatic temperature distribution in rats with liver tumors among the 4 groups (P<0.05) except when group C samples were compared with group D samples at each time point, and group B samples were compared with group C samples at 120 s (P>0.05). Light microscopic examination of the histologic section samples revealed three separate zones: regular hyperthermic coagulation necrosis zone, transition zone and reference zone. Compared with the samples in group A and group B, group C and group D samples had more clear margin among the three zones.

CONCLUSIONThe hepatic blood inflow occlusion, especially portal vein hepatic blood inflow occlusion, or all hepatic blood inflow occlusion considerably increased the efficacy of LITT in the treatment of liver cancer.

Animals ; Laser Coagulation ; Liver Circulation ; physiology ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply ; surgery ; Rats ; Temperature ; Time Factors

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; blood supply ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; blood supply ; Male ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors ; blood