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The risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in immune inactive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive factors for HCC inimmune inactive CHB.A total of 337 patients in immune inactive CHB were consecutively enrolled in Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital from 1995 to 2017. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for HCC development.During the mean 63 months of follow-up, the incidence of HCC of study population was 4.5% (15/337). Patients who developed HCC were older, had more cirrhosis at baseline, and were more likely to experience ALT elevation2 X upper limit of normal (ULN) during follow-up than those without HCC. In Cox regression analysis, increased ALT levels2 X ULN during follow-up (hazard ratio [HR], 3.774; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.145-12.443; P=0.029] and presence of cirrhosis (HR, 11.768; 95% CI, 3.350-41.336; P0.001) were identified as the independent factors for HCC in immune inactive CHB. With increasing number of risk factors, the respective cumulative incidence of HCC at 10 years was 6.3%, 8.8%, and 63.5%.Underlying cirrhosis and hepatic inflammation reflected by increased ALT levels2 X ULN were significant predictors for HCC in immune inactive CHB. ALT elevation showed a synergistic effect in HCC development combined with cirrhosis. It suggests that patients with high serum ALT levels, especially those with cirrhosis, are required closer surveillance for HCC even in immune inactive CHB.

Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is an uncommon form of intestinal ischemia with high mortality and usually occurs in the setting of preexisting comorbidities including thrombophilia and abdominal inflammatory conditions. Hyperhomocysteinemia has been known to be a risk factor for thromboembolism, often located on an unusual site. Considering that homocysteine metabolism is determined genetically to a high degree, a mutant of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T causes hyperhomocysteinemia, leading to thrombophilia. Until now, there have been few reports of MVT associated with MTHFR gene mutation. We, herein, report a case of small bowel infarction associated with MVT by MTHFR gene mutation in an adult without any other risk factors of thrombophilia.

Genetic variation of Perilla germplasms was investigated using RAPD markers. Forty-two Perilla frutescens lines and cultivars collected form locals were subjected to RAPD analysis using 220 primers. Among them only 13 primers showed polymorphic bands and these 13 primers provided a total of 144 bands, consist of 115 polymorphic and 29 monomorphic ones. The polymorphic bands were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using UPGMA and maximum parsimony (MP) methods. In the UPGMA method, similarity coefficiency of 42 Perilla frutescens lines and cultivars ranged from 0 to 0.7842. The dendrogram of 42 lines and cultivars obtained through UPGMA method resulted in two major groups, and the similar clustering pattern was found by MP method, suggesting Perilla germplasms utilized in this study truly can be divided into two major groups. Although the two major groups were consistent roughly with their phenotypes (under of node, weight of 1,000 grains, and oil content), in detail, much inconsistency also was present.