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This article discusses a case of a 60-year-old woman with type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) who presented with a pancreatic nodular lesion and dilated main pancreatic duct (MPD), which initially raised suspicion of pancreatic cancer. However, further examination through endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and biopsy revealed the relapse of AIP. The patient's condition improved with increased doses of oral steroids, and surgery was not pursued. This case highlights the importance of careful diagnosis and follow-up in distinguishing between AIP and pancreatic cancer. [Extracted from the article]

Background In allergic asthma, environmental allergens including house dust mite ( HDM) trigger pattern recognition receptors and activate downstream signaling pathways including NF-κB pathways not only in immune cells but also in airway epithelial cells. Recent studies have shown that NF-κB activation is regulated positively or negatively depending on the cellular context by Iκ BNS (encoded by the gene Nfkbid), one of atypical IκB proteins, in the nucleus. Therefore, we hypothesized that Iκ BNS expressed in immune cells or epithelial cells is involved in the regulation of asthmatic responses. Aim To determine the roles of Iκ BNS in HDM-induced asthmatic responses. Methods Roles of Iκ BNS in HDM-induced airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness ( AHR) were examined by using Iκ BNS-deficient ( Nfkbid −/−) mice. Roles of Iκ BNS expressed in hematopoietic cells and nonhematopoietic cells were separately evaluated by bone marrow chimeric mice. Roles of Iκ BNS expressed in murine tracheal epithelial cells (m TECs) were examined by air-liquid interface culture. Results House dust mite-induced airway inflammation and AHR were exacerbated in mice lacking Iκ BNS in hematopoietic cells. In contrast, HDM-induced airway inflammation was exacerbated, but AHR was attenuated in mice lacking Iκ BNS in nonhematopoietic cells. The induction of Muc5ac, a representative mucin in asthmatic airways, was reduced in Nfkbid −/− m TEC, whereas the induction of Spdef, a master regulator of goblet cell metaplasia, was not impaired in Nfkbid −/− m TEC. Moreover, Iκ BNS bound to and activated the MUC5 AC distal promoter in epithelial cells. Conclusion Iκ BNS is involved in inducing Muc5ac expression in lung epithelial cells and causing AHR in HDM-induced asthma models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cell division cycle associated 3 (CDCA3), part of the Skp1-cullin-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase, refers to a trigger of mitotic entry and mediates destruction of the mitosis inhibitory kinase. Little is known about the relevance of CDCA3 to human malignancy including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We aimed to characterize the expression state and function of CDCA3 in OSCC. Methods We evaluated CDCA3 mRNA and protein expression in both OSCC-derived cell lines and primary OSCCs and performed functional analyses of CDCA3 in OSCC-derived cells using the shRNA system. Results The CDCA3 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels was frequently up-regulated in all cell lines examined and primary tumors (mRNA, 51/69, 74 %; protein, 79/95, 83 %) compared to normal controls (p = 20) compared with the expression in OSCCs. Among the clinical variables analyzed, the CDCA3 expression status was closely related to tumor size (p p Cip1, p27Kip1, p15INK4B, and p16INK4A) in the knockdown cells. Conclusion The current results showed that overexpression of CDCA3 occurs frequently during oral carcinogenesis and this overexpression might be associated closely with progression of OSCCs by preventing the arrest of cell-cycle progression at the G1 phase via decreased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors.

We developed a novel hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-monitoring system using a luminescent, 11-amino acid reporter (HiBiT). We performed high-throughput antiviral screening using this system to identify anti-HBV compounds. After the infection of primary human hepatocytes with the recombinant virus HiBiT-HBV, which contains HiBiT at its preS1, 1262 compounds were tested in a first screening using extracellular HiBiT activity as an indicator of viral infection. Following a second screening, we focused on the compound skimmianine, which showed a potent antiviral effect. When skimmianine was added at the same time as HiBiT-HBV infection, skimmianine inhibited HiBiT activity with EC 50 of 0.36 pM, CC 50 of 1.67 μM and a selectivity index (CC 50 :EC 50 ratio) of 5,100,000. When skimmianine was added 72 h after HiBiT-HBV infection, the EC 50 , CC 50 and selectivity index were 0.19 μM, 1.87 μM and 8.79, respectively. Time-lapse fluorescence imaging analysis using another recombinant virus, ReAsH-TC155HBV, with the insertion of tetra-cysteine within viral capsid, revealed that skimmianine inhibited the accumulation of the capsid into hepatocytes. Furthermore, skimmianine did not inhibit either attachment or internalization. These results imply that skimmianine inhibits the retrograde trafficking of the virus after internalization. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the recombinant virus, HiBiT-HBV, for high-throughput screening to identify anti-HBV compounds.

We herein report a rare case of idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH)-like disease that developed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). A 53-year-old woman who underwent allo-HSCT for acute myeloid leukemia showed portal hypertension with radiological and histopathological findings consistent with IPH, distinct from veno-occlusive disease (VOD) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the liver. This case highlights the importance of considering IPH-like disease as a potential cause of portal hypertension after allo-HSCT. Awareness of this complication can aid in the early diagnosis and appropriate management of patients post allo-HSCT.

Mutations in the non-structural protein regions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are a cause of a non-sustained virological response (SVR) to treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis; however, there are non-SVR cases without these mutations. In this study, we examined immune cell profiles in peripheral blood before and after ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir treatment and screened for genes that could be used to predict the therapeutic effects of DAAs. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis indicated that the median frequencies of programmed cell death-1-positive (PD-1+) effector regulatory T cells (eTregs), PD-1+CD8+ T cells, and PD-1+Helper T cells were decreased significantly in SVR cases, but without significant changes in non-SVR cases. The frequency of PD-1+ naïve Tregs was significantly higher in the SVR group than in the non-SVR group before and after treatment. Similar results were found in patients treated with other DAAs (e.g., daclatasvir plus asunaprevir) and supported an immune response after HCV therapy. RNA-sequencing analysis indicated a significant increase in the expression of genes associated with the immune response in the SVR group, while genes related to intracellular and extracellular signal transduction were highly expressed in the non-SVR group. Therefore, we searched for genes associated with PD-1+ eTregs and CD8+ T cells that were significantly different between the SVR and non-SVR groups and found that T-box transcription factor 21 was associated with the non-SVR state. These results indicate that PD-1-related signaling pathways are associated with a non-SVR mechanism after DAAs treatment separate from mutation-related drug resistance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Miura et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background and Aims: Endoscopic interventions for bile duct stones (BDSs) with benign choledochojejunal anastomotic stenosis (bCJS) are challenging. Therefore, we investigated endoscopic interventions for BDSs with bCJS., Methods: Seventeen patients with BDSs with bCJS were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics, technical success, adverse events (AEs), and recurrence were evaluated., Results: In 17 patients, the median diameters of the bile duct and BDSs were both 8 mm. The median number of BDSs was 3. The technical success rate was 94% (16/17). Ten patients underwent balloon dilation at the choledochojejunal anastomotic site (CAS), the median diameter of balloon dilation was 10.5 mm, and waist disappearance was achieved in 2. Six patients had fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) with a diameter of 10 mm placed at the CAS. BDSs were removed after balloon dilation or FCSEMS removal, and 6 of 16 patients were treated with a combination of lithotripsy and 5 with peroral direct cholangioscopy (PDCS). Regarding AEs, perforation at the CAS by balloon dilation occurred in 1 patient. The median follow-up was 3701 days. Nine of 16 patients (56%) had recurrence. The patients treated with a combination of PDCS at BDS removal (P = .022) and waist disappearance at the CAS by balloon dilation (P = .035) had significantly fewer recurrences., Conclusions: Endoscopic interventions for BDSs with bCJS are useful and relatively safe; however, long-term follow-up showed frequent recurrences. Recurrence was common in patients not treated with the combination of PDCS at BDS removal and those without waist disappearance at the CAS by balloon dilation., Competing Interests: Disclosure All authors disclosed no financial relationships., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A 29-year-old man with severe ulcerative colitis and gastroduodenitis was initially treated with oral mesalamine and high-dose intravenous steroid therapy; however, his epigastralgia and vomiting did not improve. After initiating infliximab, the patient experienced prompt improvement in symptoms and inflammation. Although steroids were effective for the colon, they proved ineffective for gastroduodenal lesions, highlighting the necessity for molecular-targeted agents, such as infliximab, in these cases. The timing for administering such agents should be carefully considered.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an essential role in tumorigenesis, chemoresistance, and metastasis. Previously, we demonstrated that the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is dictated by a subset of epithelial cell adhesion molecule-positive (EpCAM+) liver CSCs with the activation of Wnt signaling. In this study, we evaluated the expression of dUTP pyrophosphatase (dUTPase), which plays a central role in the development of chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil, in EpCAM+ HCC cells. We further evaluated the effect of beta-hydroxyisovaleryl-shikonin (β-HIVS), an ATP-noncompetitive inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, on HCC CSCs. EpCAM and dUTPase were expressed in hepatoblasts in human fetal liver, hepatic progenitors in adult cirrhotic liver, and a subset of HCC cells. Sorted EpCAM+ CSCs from HCC cell lines showed abundant nuclear accumulation of dUTPase compared with EpCAM-negative cells. Furthermore, treatment with the Wnt signaling activator BIO increased EpCAM and dUTPase expression. In contrast, β-HIVS treatment decreased dUTPase expression. β-HIVS treatment decreased the population of EpCAM+ liver CSCs in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo compared with the control vehicle. Taken together, our data suggest that dUTPase could be a good target to eradicate liver CSCs resistant to 5-fluorouracil. β-HIVS is a small molecule that could decrease dUTPase expression and target EpCAM+ liver CSCs.

Introduction: Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG) is a potential biomarker for disease activity and reflects mucosal healing in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, only a few studies have described a detailed sensitivity analysis of LRG in predicting mucosal healing in patients. This study aimed to evaluate the association between LRG and the endoscopic activity of UC and its predictability for mucosal healing and explore the utility and clinical application of LRG., Methods: The diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers, including LRG, in predicting the endoscopic activity of UC was evaluated. All consecutive patients who underwent total colonoscopy between April 2021 and September 2022 were included. The Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) was used for assessing endoscopic activity. Furthermore, endoscopic remission was defined as an MES of ≤1. Clinical activity was evaluated based on stool frequency and bloody stool. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and binary logistic regression were performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the biomarkers. We evaluated LRG trends and treatment response in patients with MES ≥2 who underwent induction therapy., Results: This study comprised 214 patients. The proportions of endoscopically and clinically active patients were 33.6% and 49.1%, respectively. LRG had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.856, with a higher diagnostic accuracy than other biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, leukocyte, neutrophil, platelet, and albumin. The cutoff value for LRG was 15.6 μg/mL (sensitivity, 72.2%; specificity, 86.6%). Using the MES, patients with higher scores had higher LRG levels than those with lower scores. The cutoff value, AUC, sensitivity, and specificity varied with a higher AUC for left-sided colitis and pancolitis than for proctitis. Logistic regression analysis showed that LRG was an independent predictor of endoscopic remission using multivariate analysis, even with the factor of clinical activity. The change ratio of LRG pre- and post-treatment was statistically significant in the higher LRG group., Conclusion: LRG reflected endoscopic activity independently, regardless of clinical symptoms. An LRG below the cutoff value could indicate a significantly low probability of endoscopic activity in asymptomatic patients, and follow-up endoscopy (not for cancer screening) may be unnecessary. Furthermore, a higher LRG level might be more useful as an indicator of treatment efficacy., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The number of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients persists even under nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) expression has been reported in advanced chronic liver diseases as well as cancer tissues. We observed an association between related to HCC incidence and serum AKR1B10 by analyzing patients under treatment with NAs. Serum AKR1B10 levels measured by ELISA were higher in HCC cases under NA treatment compared with non-HCC cases and were associated with lamivudine- and adefovir pivoxil-, but not entecavir- or tenofovir alafenamide-treated cases. The latter drugs did not increase AKR1B10 values even in HCC cases, suggesting that they influence the reduction of AKR1B10 in any cases. This analysis was supported by in-vitro examination, which showed reduced AKR1B10 expression by entecavir and tenofovir via immunofluorescence staining. In conclusion there was a relationship between HBV-related HCC incidence and AKR1B10 under nucleos(t)ide analogues, especially in the use of lamivudine and adefovir pivoxil, but entecavir and tenofovir had suppressive effects of AKR1B10., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/aims: The necessity for pharyngeal anesthesia during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is controversial. This study aimed to compare the observation ability with and without pharyngeal anesthesia under midazolam sedation., Methods: This prospective, single-blinded, randomized study included 500 patients who underwent transoral upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under intravenous midazolam sedation. Patients were randomly allocated to pharyngeal anesthesia: PA+ or PA- groups (250 patients/group). The endoscopists obtained 10 images of the oropharynx and hypopharynx. The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of the PA- group in terms of the pharyngeal observation success rate., Results: The pharyngeal observation success rates in the pharyngeal anesthesia with and without (PA+ and PA-) groups were 84.0% and 72.0%, respectively. The PA- group was inferior (p=0.707, non-inferiority) to the PA+ group in terms of observable parts (8.33 vs. 8.86, p=0.006), time (67.2 vs. 58.2 seconds, p=0.001), and pain (1.21±2.37 vs. 0.68±1.78, p=0.004, 0-10 point visual analog scale). Suitable quality images of the posterior wall of the oropharynx, vocal fold, and pyriform sinus were inferior in the PA- group. Subgroup analysis showed a higher sedation level (Ramsay score ≥5) with almost no differences in the pharyngeal observation success rate between the groups., Conclusion: Non-pharyngeal anesthesia showed no non-inferiority in pharyngeal observation ability. Pharyngeal anesthesia may improve pharyngeal observation ability in the hypopharynx and reduce pain. However, deeper anesthesia may reduce this difference.

Liver function influences the plasma antithrombin (AT)-III levels. AT-III is beneficial for patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and low plasma AT-III levels. However, whether these levels affect prognosis in patients with cirrhosis-associated PVT remains unknown. This retrospective study involved 75 patients with cirrhosis and PVT treated with danaparoid sodium with or without AT-III. The plasma AT-III level was significantly lower in patients with liver failure-related death than in those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related death ( p = 0.005), although the Child-Pugh and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) scores were not significantly different between these two groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the plasma AT-III levels showed cutoff values of 54.0% at 5-year survival. Low plasma AT-III levels (<54.0%) were associated with significantly worse prognosis than high levels in both overall survival ( p = 0.0013) and survival excluding HCC-related death ( p < 0.0001). Low plasma AT-III (<54.0%) was also associated with a significantly worse prognosis among patients with Child-Pugh A/B or ALBI grade 1/2 ( p < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses indicated that low plasma AT-III levels (<54.0%) were an independent prognostic factor for poor survival outcome. Low plasma AT-III levels may be associated with mortality, particularly liver failure-related death, independent of liver function.

Background: Endoscopic gastroduodenal stent (GDS) placement is widely used as a safe and effective method to rapidly improve gastrointestinal symptoms of malignant gastric outlet obstruction (MGOO). While previous studies reported the utility of chemotherapy after GDS placement for prognosis improvement, they did not fully address the issue of immortal time bias., Objectives: To examine the association between prognosis and clinical course following endoscopic GDS placement, using a time-dependent analysis., Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study., Methods: This study included 216 MGOO patients who underwent GDS placement between April 2010 and August 2020. Data of patient baseline characteristics, including age, gender, cancer type, performance status (PS), GDS type and length, GDS placement location, gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score, and history of chemotherapy before GDS were collected. The clinical course following GDS placement was evaluated by GOOSS score, stent dysfunction, cholangitis, and chemotherapy. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify prognostic factors after GDS placement. Stent dysfunction, post-stent cholangitis, and post-stent chemotherapy were analyzed as time-dependent covariates., Results: Mean GOOSS scores before and after GDS were 0.7 and 2.4, respectively, with significant improvement after GDS placement ( p  < 0.001). The median survival time after GDS placement was 79 [95% confidence interval (CI): 68-103] days. In multivariate Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates, PS 0-1 [hazard ratio (HR): 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.75; p  < 0.001], ascites (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.04-2.01; p  = 0.028), metastasis (HR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.31-2.58; p  < 0.001), post-stent cholangitis (HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.37-4.15; p  = 0.002), and post-stent chemotherapy (HR: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.002-0.10; p  < 0.001) significantly affected prognosis after GDS placement., Conclusion: Post-stent cholangitis and tolerability to receive chemotherapy after GDS placement influenced prognosis in MGOO patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2023.)

Objective: We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in a multicentre cohort of patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV)., Methods: One hundred and eighty-six AAV patients who underwent radiographs and MRI screening of bilateral hip joints at more than 6 months after initial remission induction therapy (RIT) were retrospectively assessed for the presence of ONFH., Results: Among 186 AAV patients, 33 (18%) were diagnosed with ONFH. Among the patients with ONFH, 55% were asymptomatic and 64% had bilateral ONFH. Seventy-six per cent of ONFH joints were in precollapse stages (stage ≤2), whereas 24% of ONFH joints were in collapse stages (stage ≥3). Moreover, 56% of the precollapse stage joints were already at risk of future collapse (type ≥C-1). Even in asymptomatic ONFH patients, 39% of the precollapse stage joints were type ≥C-1. Prednisolone dose of ≥20 mg/day on day 90 of RIT was an independent risk factor for ONFH in AAV patients (OR 1.072, 95% CI 1.017 to 1.130, p=0.009). Rituximab use was a significant beneficial factor against ONFH (p=0.019), but the multivariate analysis rejected its significance (p=0.257)., Conclusion: Eighteen per cent of AAV patients developed ONFH, and two-thirds of the ONFH joints were already in collapse stages or at risk of future collapse. Prednisolone dose of ≥20 mg/day on day 90 of RIT was an independent risk factor for ONFH. A rapid reduction of glucocorticoids in RIT and early detection of precollapse ONFH by MRI may decrease and intervene ONFH development in AAV patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: KI has received research grants from Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma and has received honoraria for lectures from Abbvie, Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Eli Lilly Japan, Novartis, Pfizer Japan, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Eisai, Gilead Sciences and Bristol Myers Squibb, all unrelated to the current manuscript. HN has received research grants from Chugai Pharmaceutical, Abbvie, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Astellas Pharma, Eli Lilly Japan, Asahikasei Pharma, Pfizer Japan, UCB Japan, Eizai, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and Bristol Myers Squibb, and has received honoraria for lectures from Chugai Pharmaceutical, Abbvie, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Astellas Pharma, Eli Lilly Japan, Asahikasei Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Eisai, Bristol Myers Squibb and Nippon Kayaku, all unrelated to the current manuscript., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel fully covered self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) with dumbbell-shaped flare ends for the palliation of distal biliary obstruction (DBO) due to unresectable pancreatic cancer (UPC). Patients with DBO due to UPC who received the novel HILZO fully covered stent (HFS), the WALLFLEX partially covered stent (WPS) or fully covered stent (WFS) were analyzed. The incidence of recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO), time to RBO (TRBO), and the incidence of complications were compared among the three SEMS groups. Eighty-four patients (HFS, n = 36; WPS, n = 20; WFS, n = 28) were included. The incidence of RBO was low in the HFS group (versus the WPS and WFS group, p = 0.033 and 0.023, respectively). TRBO in the HFS group was longer than that in the WFS group (p = 0.049). Placement of the HFS was an independent factor for long TRBO in multivariable analysis (p = 0.040). The incidence of pancreatitis and cholecystitis in the HFS group was low (one for each). It is recommended to use the HFS for the palliation of DBO due to UPC from the viewpoint of the low incidence of RBO and complications., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

We describe a case of esophageal cancer after proton therapy that resulted in an esophagoaortic fistula after photodynamic therapy (PDT). A 49-year-old woman with esophageal cancer (cT1bN0M0, cStage I) underwent chemotherapy (5-FU and cisplatin) and radiotherapy (proton therapy to the cancer lesion after X-ray radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes). Despite a complete response of the primary tumor, local recurrence was observed 10 months after treatment. PDT was performed as a salvage treatment. She was transported to the emergency department in a state of hemorrhagic shock due to hematemesis 50 days after PDT. We diagnosed an esophagoaortic fistula caused by esophageal perforation, and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta and thoracic endovascular aortic repair were performed. The patient was successfully rescued after three surgeries (esophagectomy, extraesophageal fistula, aortic vascular replacement, and gastrointestinal reconstruction). In addition to X-ray radiotherapy before photodynamic therapy, proton therapy in combination with the vascular shutdown effects of PDT may have caused ischemia of the esophagus, resulting in an esophagoaortic fistula. When performing PDT, the type of radiation therapy and the location of the lesion should be examined to assess the risk of penetration or perforation., (© 2022. Japanese Society of Gastroenterology.)

A20 (Tnfaip3), a ubiquitin-editing enzyme, inhibits NF-κB signaling pathways in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies have proved the anti-inflammatory roles of A20 in various cell types, including T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and intestinal epithelial cells. Moreover, recent studies have shown that A20 expressed in lung epithelial cells is required for LPS-induced protection from asthma. In humans, a single-nucleotide polymorphism in TNFAIP3 is associated with asthma risk. However, the role of A20 expressed in T cells in asthmatic responses has not been elucidated. We addressed this point by generating mice lacking A20 expression in T cells (CD4-CreA20  fl/fl mice). We found that house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic airway inflammation, mucus production, airway hyperresponsiveness, and Th2 cytokine production were significantly exacerbated in CD4-CreA20  fl/fl mice compared with those in control A20  fl/fl mice. In vitro differentiation of Th2 cells but not of Th1 cells or Th17 cells was enhanced in CD4 + T cells by the absence of A20. Consistently, enforced expression of A20 inhibited the differentiation of Th2 cells but not of Th1 cells or Th17 cells. Notably, the expression of GATA3 was significantly enhanced in A20-deficient CD4 + T cells, and the enhanced GATA3 expression was partly canceled by IL-2 neutralization. These results suggest that A20 functions as a stabilizing factor maintaining GATA3 levels during the induction of Th2 cells to prevent excessive Th2 cell differentiation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important roles in biological processes. The lncRNA HULC was found to be upregulated in human hepatoma tissues. HULC is thought to be involved in multiple steps of hepatoma development and progression; however, the relationship between HULC and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which is a leading cause of hepatoma, remains unclear., Methods: We examined the effect of HCV replication on HULC expression and the underlying mechanism using cell culture systems. Subsequently, we tested the effect of HULC suppression and overexpression on HCV replication. Finally, we examined the impact of HCV eradication on HULC expression using human liver tissue and blood samples., Results: HCV replication increased HULC expression in cell cultures. A promoter assay showed that an HCV nonstructural protein, NS5A, increased HULC transcription. HULC suppression inhibited HCV replication; conversely, its overexpression enhanced HCV replication. These effects on HCV replication seemed to occur by the modification of HCV translation. Measurements from human liver and blood samples showed that HCV eradication significantly reduced HULC levels in the liver and blood., Conclusions: HCV infection increases HULC expression in vitro and in vivo. HULC modulates HCV replication through an HCV internal ribosome entry site-directed translation step., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal protein that is elevated in a subset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with poor prognosis, but the molecular target activated in AFP-positive HCC remains elusive. Here, we demonstrated that the transcription factor forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is upregulated in AFP-positive HCC. We found that FOXM1 expression was highly elevated in approximately 40% of HCC cases, and FOXM1-high HCC was associated with high serum AFP levels, a high frequency of microscopic portal vein invasion, and poor prognosis. A transcriptome and pathway analysis revealed the activation of the mitotic cell cycle and the inactivation of mature hepatocyte metabolism function in FOXM1-high HCC. The knockdown of FOXM1 reduced AFP expression and induced G2/M cell cycle arrest. We further identified that the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib attenuated FOXM1 protein expression and suppressed cell proliferation in AFP-positive HCC cells. Carfilzomib in combination with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) blockade significantly prolonged survival by suppressing AFP-positive HCC growth in a subcutaneous tumor xenotransplantation model. These data indicated that FOXM1 plays a pivotal role in the proliferation of AFP-positive liver cancer cells. Carfilzomib can effectively inhibit FOXM1 expression to inhibit tumor growth and could be a novel therapeutic option in patients with AFP-positive HCC who receive anti-VEGFR2 antibodies.

Abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic syndrome, which includes diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. A fraction of NAFLD patients develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, leading to cirrhosis associated with various serious complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal varices, cardiovascular events, and other organ malignancy. Although the incidence of chronic viral hepatitis with associated complications has gradually decreased as highly effective antiviral therapies have been established, the number of patients with steatohepatitis has been increasing.This retrospective study examined data of 229 patients from 22 hospitals in our region. We examined 155 cases of chronological data and assessed the development of liver fibrosis and evaluated hepatic reserve-related markers such as platelet count, FIB-4 index, prothrombin time, and serum albumin concentration. We analyzed the relationship of these chronological changes and the incidence of NAFLD related serious complications.Data related to liver fibrosis progression, albumin, and prothrombin time were significantly associated with the occurrence of serious complications associated with cirrhosis. We compared 22 event and 133 nonevent cases of chronological changes in the data per year and found that serum albumin concentration was significantly lower in the group that developed serious complications (event cases: -0.21 g/dL/year, nonevent cases: -0.04 g/dL/year (P < .001)). This albumin decline was only the associated factor with the event incidence by multivariate analysis (P < .01).Annual decline in serum albumin concentration in patients with NAFLD is associated with serious events from the outcome of multicenter retrospective study. This highlights its potential utility as a surrogate marker to assess the efficacy of prediction of NAFLD related serious events., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The malignant nature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely related to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Bone morphologic protein 9 (BMP9), a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily, was recently reported to be involved in liver diseases including cancer. We aimed to elucidate the role of BMP9 signaling in HCC-CSC properties and to assess the therapeutic effect of BMP receptor inhibitors in HCC. We have identified that high BMP9 expression in tumor tissues or serum from patients with HCC leads to poorer outcome. BMP9 promoted CSC properties in epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-positive HCC subtype via enhancing inhibitor of DNA-binding protein 1 (ID1) expression in vitro. Additionally, ID1 knockdown significantly repressed BMP9-promoted HCC-CSC properties by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, cells treated with BMP receptor inhibitors K02288 and LDN-212854 blocked HCC-CSC activation by inhibiting BMP9-ID1 signaling, in contrast to cells treated with the TGF-β receptor inhibitor galunisertib. Treatment with LDN-212854 suppressed HCC tumor growth by repressing ID1 and EpCAM in vivo. Our study demonstrates the pivotal role of BMP9-ID1 signaling in promoting HCC-CSC properties and the therapeutic potential of BMP receptor inhibitors in treating EpCAM-positive HCC. Therefore, targeting BMP9-ID1 signaling could offer novel therapeutic options for patients with malignant HCC., (© 2021 The Authors. Molecular Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)