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Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health challenge, being the fifth most prevalent neoplasm and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Liver transplantation offers a potentially curative approach for HCC, yet the risk of recurrence posttransplantation remains a significant concern. This study investigates the influence of a liver immune status index (LISI) on the prognosis of patients undergoing living-donor liver transplantation for HCC., Methods: In a single-center study spanning from 2001 to 2020, 113 patients undergoing living-donor liver transplantation for HCC were analyzed. LISI was calculated for each donor liver using body mass index, serum albumin levels, and the fibrosis-4 index. This study assessed the impact of donor LISI on short-term recurrence rates and survival, with special attention to its correlation with the antitumor activity of natural killer (NK) cells in the liver., Results: The patients were divided into two grades (high donor LISI, >-1.23 [n = 43]; and low donor LISI, ≤-1.23 [n = 70]). After propensity matching to adjust the background of recipient factors, the survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 92.6% and 88.9% and 81.5% and 70.4% in the low and high donor LISI groups, respectively (p = 0.11). The 1- and 3-year recurrence-free survival were 88.9% and 85.2% and 74.1% and 55.1% in the low and high donor LISI groups, respectively (p = 0.02)., Conclusions: This study underscores the potential of an LISI as a noninvasive biomarker for assessing liver NK cell antitumor capacity, with implications for living-donor liver transplantation for HCC. Donor LISI emerges as a significant predictor of early recurrence risk following living-donor liver transplantation for HCC, highlighting the role of the liver antitumor activity of liver NK cells in managing liver malignancies., Competing Interests: None, (Copyright © Japan Medical Association.)

Aim: The anti-tumor effects of natural killer (NK) cells vary among individuals. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expressed on liver NK cells is a marker of anti-tumor cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in immune cell therapy. This study aimed to develop a liver immune status index (LISI) that predicts low TRAIL expression and validates its ability to predict recurrence after initial hepatectomy for primary HCC., Methods: A functional analysis of liver NK cells co-cultured with interleukin-2 for 3 days was performed of 40 liver transplant donors. The LISI, which predicted low TRAIL expression (25% quartile: <33%) in liver NK cells, was calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Next, 586 initial hepatectomy cases were analyzed based on the LISI., Results: Our model was based on the Fibrosis-4 index +0.1 (odds ratio [OR], 1.33), body mass index (OR, 0.61), and albumin levels +0.1 (OR, 0.54). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the LISI for low TRAIL expression was 0.89. Stratification of the recurrence rates (RR) revealed that LISI was an independent predictive factor of RR (moderate risk: hazard ratio, 1.44; high risk: hazard ratio, 3.02). The AUC was similar for the LISI, albumin-indocyanine green evaluation grade, albumin-bilirubin score, and geriatric nutritional risk index for predicting RR. Among the vascular invasion cases, the LISI was more useful than the other indexes., Conclusion: Our model facilitates the prediction of RR in high-risk patients by providing LISI to predict the anti-tumor effects of NK cells., Competing Interests: Hideki Ohdan is an editorial board member., (© 2023 The Authors. Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery.)

Background: Spontaneous rupture of a hemorrhagic hepatic cyst is extremely rare. There is no standard treatment recommended for this condition. We report two cases of hemorrhagic hepatic cysts that spontaneously ruptured and were successfully treated with laparoscopic deroofing. We review the literature and discuss the characteristic features of spontaneous rupture of hemorrhagic hepatic cysts and their treatment., Case Presentation: The first patient was an 85-year-old man admitted for sudden-onset right hypochondralgia and fever. Computed tomography revealed a 13-cm hepatic cyst occupying the right lobe of the liver and spontaneous rupture of the cyst. Laparoscopic deroofing was performed and continuous oozing from the cystic wall was found. Histological examination revealed a simple hepatic cyst. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6. In the second case, a 77-year-old woman who had been followed up for a simple hepatic cyst (13 cm) was admitted for sudden onset of right hypochondralgia. Computed tomography demonstrated a 9.9-cm hepatic cyst occupying segment 4 of the liver. Laparoscopic deroofing was performed and continuous oozing from the cystic wall was observed. Histological examination revealed a simple hepatic cyst. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6., Conclusion: Laparoscopic deroofing was performed in patients with spontaneous rupture of hemorrhagic nonparasitic hepatic cysts., (© 2022. The Author(s).)