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The aim of this study was to ascertain the diagnostic value of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and SCCA-IgM for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After a comprehensive search of PubMed and Web of Science databases, we identified eligible studies on the diagnostic value serum SCCAs for HCC. The quality of the eligible studies was assessed using the revised Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy (QUADAS-2) tool. The overall diagnostic value of SCCAs for HCC was pooled using a bivariate model. Twelve studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities for SCCA and SCCA-IgM were 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.81) and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.55-0.82), respectively. The corresponding specificities were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.52-0.94) and 0.62 (95% CI, 0.51-0.72), respectively. The areas under summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves for SCCA and SCCA-IgM were 0.76 (95% CI, 0.72-0.80) and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.66-0.74), respectively. Major design deficiencies of the included studies were two-gate design and partial verification bias. Therefore, we concluded that both serum SCCA and SCCA-IgM have a fair diagnostic value for HCC.

Objective: Visceral hypersensitivity is highly prevalent in most functional bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and activation of intestinal mast cells (MC) may play a role because they have been found in close proximity to gastrointestinal mucosal sensory nerve terminals containing neuropeptides and a bi-directional pathway connecting the central nervous system, gut, and MC has been demonstrated. The current study appraised the status of rectal visceral perception, as well as the changes in the MC and substance P (SP) in the intestinal mucosa of patients with IBS., Methods: The study group comprised 42 patients with IBS and 19 healthy subjects who underwent anorectal manometry and rectal perception thresholds to balloon distension. The MC and the SP-ergic terminals in the mucosa were stained for respective histochemical and immunohistochemical investigations. The results were presented both qualitatively and quantitatively by color image analyzer, based on analysis of the intensity and area of stained fibrils. The structural relationship between the MC and nerve terminals was studied by electron microscopy, using an in situ embedding technique., Results: The anorectal resting pressure, squeezing pressure and relaxation pressure were normal in both groups. The sensation threshold, defecation threshold and pain threshold in diarrhea-predominant IBS and the pain thresholds in constipation-predominant IBS were much lower than in the controls. Rectal compliance decreased in IBS. The number of MC in the terminal ileum, the ileocecal junction and the ascending colon was significantly elevated in IBS (P < 0.01), and the MC showed great variation. A significantly increased concentration of SP was found in the colon of the IBS patients compared with the controls. There was a positive correlation between the profiles of mucosal MC and the SP-ergic terminals, and MC were closely adjacent to SP-ergic terminals in the lamina propria., Conclusion: As altered rectal perception is present in almost all patients with IBS, it might be a reliable biological characteristic of the disease. Alterations in the MC and SP of the intestinal mucosa may be important factors in visceral hypersensitivity.

Objective: To investigate the changes of the mast cells (MCs) and substance P (SP), and to elucidate their possible roles in visceral hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)., Methods: In 22 diarrhea-predominant IBS, 20 constipation-predominant IBS and 19 controls, the biopsies were carried out from the terminal ileum, the ileocecal junction, the ascending colon, and the sigmoid colon. The MCs and the SP-ergic nerve terminals, SP receptor (SPR) cells were stained by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry respectively, and the results were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively by color image analyzer. The biopsies of the ICJ and the sigmoid colon were measured by radioimmunoassay. The structure relation between the MCs and SP-ergic terminals, SPR-ergic cells were studied through an ultramicroscopy using in situ embedding technique and a light microscopic study in serial sections respectively., Results: The number of MCs in the terminal ileum, the ileocecal junction, and the ascending colon were significantly elevated in IBS patients (P < 0.01), and the MCs in IBS have great variations. Significantly increased the SP-ergic nerve terminals were found in patients with IBS of intestine compared with the control. The correlation between mucosal MC and the SP-ergic nerve terminals was found, and MCs were close to these terminals in lamina propria, which were demonstrated SP-ergic nerve terminals. Some MCs were demonstrated to be SPR-positive cells., Conclusions: The MCs and SP of intestinal mucosa may play a central role in the gut hypersensitivity in both motor response and visceral perception in IBS.