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OBJECTIVES To investigate the significant predictors of contralateral upper tract recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma. METHODS Between January 2001 and December 2015, 548 patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma who underwent radical nephroureterectomy in a single institution were included in this retrospective cohort study. Several clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes were explored. The crucial end-point was the diagnosis of contralateral upper tract recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy. RESULTS Of the 548 patients, the median age was 68 years (range 24-93 years), and the median follow-up time after radical nephroureterectomy was 41 months (range 8-191 months). Contralateral upper tract recurrence occurred in 28 patients (5.1%). The median time period between radical nephroureterectomy and contralateral upper tract recurrence was 15.4 months (range 3.4-52.4 months). In the multivariate analysis, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate

Graphical abstract, Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from the uncontrolled growth of cells in the colon, rectum, or appendix. The 5-year relative survival rate for patients with CRC is 65% and is correlated with the stage at diagnosis (being 91% for stage I at diagnosis versus 12% for stage IV). This study aimed to identify CRC driver genes to assist in the design of a cancer panel to detect gene mutations during clinical early-stage screening and identify genes for use in prognostic assessments and the evaluation of appropriate treatment options. First, we utilized bioinformatics approaches to analyze 354 paired sequencing profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify CRC driver genes and analyzed the sequencing profiles of 38 patients with >5 years of follow-up data to search for prognostic genes. The results revealed eight driver genes and ten prognostic genes. Next, the presence of the identified gene mutations was verified using tissue and blood samples from Taiwanese CRC patients. The results showed that the set identified gene mutations provide high coverage for driver gene screening, and APC, TP53, PIK3CA, and FAT4 could be detected in blood as ctDNA test targets. We further found that BCL7A gene mutation was correlated with prognosis in CRC (log-rank p-value = 0.02), and that mutations of BCL7A could be identified in ctDNA samples. These findings may be of value in clinical early cancer detection, disease monitoring, drug development, and treatment efforts in the future.

The spreading of viral hepatitis among injecting drug users (IDU) is an emerging public health concern. This study explored the prevalence and the risks of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) among IDU-dominant prisoners in Taiwan. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) and HDV (anti-HDV), viral load and HCV genotypes were measured in 1137(67.0%) of 1697 prisoners. 89.2% of participants were IDUs and none had HIV infection. The prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV, dual HBsAg/anti-HCV, HBsAg/anti-HDV, and triple HBsAg/anti-HCV/anti-HDV was 13.6%, 34.8%, 4.9%, 3.4%, and 2.8%, respectively. HBV viremia rate was significantly lower in HBV/HCV-coinfected than HBV mono-infected subjects (66.1% versus 89.9%, adjusted odds ratio/95% confidence intervals [aOR/CI] = 0.27/0.10–0.73). 47.5% anti-HCV-seropositive subjects (n = 396) were non-viremic, including 23.2% subjects were antivirals-induced. The predominant HCV genotypes were genotype 6(40.9%), 1a(24.0%) and 3(11.1%). HBsAg seropositivity was negatively correlated with HCV viremia among the treatment naïve HCV subjects (44.7% versus 72.4%, aOR/CI = 0.27/0.13–0.58). Anti-HCV seropositivity significantly increased the risk of anti-HDV-seropositivity among HBsAg carriers (57.1% versus 7.1%, aOR/CI = 15.73/6.04–40.96). In conclusion, IUDs remain as reservoirs for multiple hepatitis viruses infection among HIV-uninfected prisoners in Taiwan. HCV infection increased the risk of HDV infection but suppressed HBV replication in HBsAg carriers. An effective strategy is mandatory to control the epidemic in this high-risk group.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the natural course of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Its role in patients treated with nucleotide/nucleoside analogues (NAs) is unclear. We aimed to study the role of hepatitis D in the development of HCC in CHB patients treated with NAs. Altogether, 1349 CHB patients treated with NAs were tested for anti-HDV antibody and RNA. The incidence and risk factors of HCC development were analyzed. Rates of anti-HDV and HDV RNA positivity were 2.3% and 1.0%, respectively. The annual incidence of HCC was 1.4 per 100 person-years after a follow-up period of over 5409.5 person-years. The strongest factor association with HCC development was liver cirrhosis (hazard ratio [HR]/95% confidence interval [CI] 9.98/5.11–19.46, P P = 0.02), age > 50 years old (HR/CI 3.64/2.03–6.54, P P: 0.01), and body mass index (BMI, HR/CI 1.11/1.03–1.18, P = 0.004). The 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 7.3% for patients with HDV RNA negativity compared to that of 22.2% for patients with HDV RNA positivity (P = 0.01). In the subgroup of cirrhotic patients, the factors associated with HCC development were HDV RNA positivity (HR/CI 4.45/1.04–19.09, P = 0.04) and BMI (HR/CI 1.11/1.03–1.19, P = 0.01). HDV viremia played a crucial role in HCC development in CHB patients who underwent NA therapy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA is associated with various types of neoplasms. Hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma has a high risk of recurrence. Here we determined the role of differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocarcinogenesis and identified potential therapeutic targets and non-invasive prognostic markers for long-term outcome of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after surgical resection. METHODS Differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNAs relevant to hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma were identified through comparative RNA-sequencing of tumour and adjacent non-tumour (ANT) tissues in a screening set, and were validated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Target long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tissues and serum exosomes were used to predict the recurrence of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative surgical resection in a large application cohort from 2005 to 2012. RESULTS We confirmed that differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA was upregulated following hepatitis C virus infection and identified as the lncRNA most relevant to hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in tumour tissues as compared to that in ANT tissues. In 183 hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients followed for 10 years after curative HCC resection, the expression level of circulating exosomal differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA was positively associated with HCC recurrence and was the most predictive factor associated with HCC recurrence and mortality (hazard ratio/95% confidence intervals: 7.0/4.3-11.6 and 2.7/1.5-5.1 respectively). CONCLUSIONS Differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA is highly relevant to disease progression of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Our finding indicated that circulating exosomal differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA might serve as a non-invasive prognostic biomarker for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIM The serial serologic changes of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection among chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients who received oral nucleotide/nucleoside analogues are elusive. METHODS Serum anti-HDV and HDV RNA among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were tested at the time of initiating anti-HBV therapy and subsequently during the follow-up period. RESULTS The seropositive rate of anti-HDV and HDV RNA among 2850 CHB patients, was 2.7% and 0.9%, respectively. Factors associated with anti-HDV seropositivity were platelet counts (odds ratio [OR]/95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.995/0.992-0.999; P = 0.006), HBV DNA levels (OR/CI: 0.81/0.70-0.94; P = 0.005), and hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) seropositivity (OR/CI: 0.22/0.05-0.95; P = 0.04). The only factor associated with HDV RNA positivity among anti-HDV seropositive patients was age (OR/CI: 0.95/0.90-1.00; P = 0.03). The spontaneous clearance rate of serum anti-HDV antibody was 3.0 per 100 person-years with a median follow-up period of 3.5 years (range 2-12 years), whereas the seroclearance rate of HDV RNA was 4.3 per 100 person-years among anti-HDV seropositive patients after a median follow-up period of 6.0 years (range 2-11 years). A baseline anti-HDV titer

Background: A large amount of epidemiological evidence indicates that persistent HCV infection is the main risk factor for HCC. We aimed to study the effects of persistent HCV infection on the interaction of the virus and host cell to identify cancer gene profiles. Methods: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify differentially expressed genes between uninfected Huh7.5.1 control cells, short-term HCV (S-HCV), early long-term HCV (eL-HCV), and long-term HCV (L-HCV) infections, which were analyzed using different dynamic bioinformatics and analytic tools. mRNA expression was validated and quantified using q-PCR. One hundred ninety-six serum samples of HCV patients with IFN/RBV treatment were used to study chemokine levels. Results: S-HCV activates an inflammatory response and drives cell death and apoptosis through cell cycle arrest via MAPK signaling. L-HCV promotes cell growth and alters cell adhesion and chemokine signaling via CXCL8-mediated-SRC regulation. A total of 196 serum samples from the HCV and HCV-HCC cohorts demonstrated significantly upregulated pro-inflammatory CXCL8 in non-SVR (persistent HCV infection) patients in the HCV-HCC group. Conclusions: Persistent infection with HCV induced pro-inflammatory CXCL8 and the oncogene SRC, thereby triggering and promoting hepatocarcinogenesis. CXCL8 may be a potential biomarker for monitoring HCV-related HCC progression.

In the recent decade, the importance of DNA damage repair (DDR) and its clinical application have been firmly recognized in prostate cancer (PC). For example, olaparib was just approved in May 2020 to treat metastatic castration-resistant PC with homologous recombination repair-mutated genes, however, not all patients can benefit from olaparib, and the treatment response depends on patient-specific mutations. This highlights the need to understand the detailed DDR biology further and develop DDR-based biomarkers. In this study, we establish a four-gene panel of which the expression is significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in PC patients from the TCGA-PRAD database. This panel includes DNTT, EXO1, NEIL3, and EME2 genes. Patients with higher expression of the four identified genes have significantly worse OS and PFS. This significance also exists in a multivariate Cox regression model adjusting for age, PSA, TNM stages, and Gleason scores. Moreover, the expression of the four-gene panel is highly correlated with aggressiveness based on well-known PAM50 and PCS subtyping classifiers. Using publicly available databases, we successfully validate the four-gene panel as having the potential to serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for PC specifically based on DDR biology.

Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is an RNA virus that requires the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to propagate into hepatocytes, with Genotype I being more prevalent globally. However, the prevalence of HDV genotypes in Taiwan is unknown. Accordingly, a cohort including 24 chronic HBV patients who received nucleos(t)ides (NUCs) between January 2002 and July 2018 was used to determine HDV genotypes and genotype specific serological association in chronic HBV carriers. HDV-positive genotypes in 18/24 (75%) males and 6/24 (25%) females were identified among chronic HBV patients. Viremia was lower in HDV-IV patients than in patients affected with other HDV genotypes (1.34 log10 copies/mL vs. 3.30 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.009). A logistics regression analysis revealed that HDV-IV was inversely proportional to HDV RNA (odds ratio [OR]/95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.370/0.164–0.830, p = 0.017). The serologic association study indicated lower levels of creatinine (p = 0.047) and HDV-RNA (p = 0.009) in the HDV-IV group than the non-HDV-IV group but did not indicate any significant differences in the AST, ALT, bilirubin levels or other laboratory test factors. The three genotypes evident in Taiwan were HDV-I (4/24, 16.7%), HDV-II (6/24, 25.0%), and HDV-IV (14/24, 58.3%), and HDV-IV is the predominant HDV genotype in Taiwan. These results anticipate a clear understanding of HDV genotype serological association in chronic HBV carriers.

The clinical presentation and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication as compared to HCC in viremic patients are not well characterized. We aimed to investigate the characteristics and survival between HCV patients with and without viremia at HCC diagnosis.: We retrospectively analyzed overall survival outcomes in 1389 HCV-related HCC patients, including 301 with HCC developed after HCV eradication (post-SVR HCC) and 1088 with HCV viremia at HCC diagnosis (viremic HCC). We also evaluated overall survival in the two groups using propensity score-matching methods.: At HCC diagnosis, post-SVR HCC patients were older, less obese, less likely cirrhotic, with better liver function, lower alfa-fetoprotein levels, earlier BCLC stages, and higher rate of treatment with surgery. Overall, post-SVR HCC patients had higher median survival than viremic patients (153.3 vs. 55.6 months, p &lt, 0.01), but post-SVR HCC was not independently associated with survival on multivariate analysis (adjusted HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.76–1.47). However, on sub-analysis, viremic HCC patients who subsequently received anti-viral treatment and achieved SVR had higher median survival than post-SVR HCC patients (p &lt, 0.01). Viremic HCC with subsequent SVR was also significantly associated with lower mortality as compared to post-SVR HCC (adjusted HR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.11–0.29). In addition, we observed similar findings in our analysis of the propensity score-matched cohorts.: The advantages in clinical and tumor characters at HCC diagnosis determined the better overall survival of post-SVR HCC patients, however, HCV eradication after HCC development was also associated with improved survival.

Background/aim Docetaxel has been widely used in metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) patients for decades. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of docetaxel rechallenge in patients with mCRPC. Patients and methods We retrospectively compared patients who had received either first-line docetaxel and rechallenge after Androgen Receptor-axis Targeted therapies (ARAT), to those without rechallenge docetaxel. Multivariate cox-regression analysis was used to evaluate survival. Results Out of the 204 patients with mCRPC enrolled in the study, 24 patients received docetaxel rechallenge and 180 did not. The median overall survival was 50.11 months in the rechallenge group, as compared to 26.36 months in the non-rechallenge group (p of log rank=0.044). In the multivariate model, doxetaxel rechallenge was an independent risk factor for overall survival [hazard ratio (HR)=0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.32-0.99], together with the performance status score 2 (HR=2.46, 95%CI=1.32-4.58), hormone-sensitive state duration (HR=0.99, 95%CI=0.99-0.999), liver (HR=1.90, 95%CI=1.04-3.47) and brain metastases (HR=2.23, 95%CI=1.26-5.46). The advantage of rechallenge was addressed in the androgen receptor-axis-targeted (ARAT) non-responsive patients (HR=0.36, 95%CI=0.17-0.78). Adverse events were at 29.17% with Grade 3/4 neutropenia and at 20.83% with Grade 1/2 neutropenia in the docetaxel rechallenge group. Conclusion The docetaxel rechallenge improved survival in patients with mCRPC failure of first-line docetaxel and subsequent abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide. Independent predictive factors for overall survival included i) the performance status, ii) hormone-sensitive state duration, iii) liver and iv) brain metastases. Patients non-responsive to ARATs will benefit from docetaxel rechallenge with regards to overall survival.

Introduction: The use of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for localized prostate cancer has increased in recent years. Postoperative ileus (POI) is the most common perioperative complication leading to delayed discharge after RARP. The incidence and management of prolonged POI from at our institution were reviewed. Materials and Methods: A total of 958 RARPs were reviewed. Prolonged POI was defined as intolerance of an oral diet that continued until the postoperative day 6 and beyond. All data including the patients' characteristics, comorbidities, perioperative outcome, and management of prolonged POI were assessed. Results: Seven patients experienced prolonged POI. Four of these seven patients (57%) recovered under conservative treatment. Three patients (43%) needed surgical reexploration were identified by abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan, including one adhesive intestinal obstruction and two incarcerated inguinal hernias. The laparoscopic reexplorations were successfully performed for the three patients. Conclusion: For patients with prolonged POI failing initial conservative treatment, a prompt CT survey is crucial for early detection of patients requiring surgical intervention, helps to avoid intra-abdominal adhesion during the exploratory laparotomy and reduces associated surgical complications.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic efficacy of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in patients with metastatic Castration–resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) receiving docetaxel as the first line of treatment.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with mCRPC and receiving first line docetaxel in Taichung Veterans General Hospital from 2006 to 2012. The GNRI was calculated using serum albumin and body mass index, with a poor nutritional status defined as GNRI Results: One-hundred seventy patients with mCRPC were included. One-hundred twenty-five patients were of normal nutritional status (GNRI ≥92) and 45 patients were of poor nutritional status (GNRI p < 0.001). The median overall survival from mCRPC was 30.39 months in the good nutritional status group and 11.07 months in the poor nutritional status group (p of log rank Conclusion: Poor nutritional status with a GNRI

Background: The biochemical response is a crucial indicator of prognosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with nucleotide/nucleoside analogues (NAs). The impact of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection on alanine aminotransferase normalization is elusive. Methods: The longitudinal study recruited 1185 CHB patients who received NAs. These patients were tested for anti-HDV antibody and HDV RNA at the initiation of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy and annually for patients who were HDV-seropositive. ALT levels were examined at the first and second year of anti-HBV therapy. ALT abnormality was defined as ALT levels above 40 IU/mL in both male and female, and the risk factors associated with ALT abnormality were analysed. Results: Rates of seropositivity for anti-HDV and HDV RNA were 2.0% and 0.8% among 1185 NA-treated CHB patients, respectively. The strongest factor associated with ALT abnormality (>40 IU/mL) after first year treatment with NAs was HDV RNA seropositivity at year 1 (odds ratio [OR]/95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.44/3.49–283.56, P = 0.002), followed by liver cirrhosis (2.18/1.51–3.15, P

During the progression from hepatitis to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure, the accumulation of stressed/damaged hepatocyte elements associated with liver inflammation is critical. The causes of hepatocyte injuries include viral hepatitis infections, alcoholic hepatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (Hep-EVs) released from stressed/damaged hepatocytes are partly responsible for liver disease progression and liver damage because they activate non-parenchymal cells and infiltrate inflammatory cells within the liver, which are in turn are an important source of EVs. This cell-to-cell signaling is prevalent during inflammation in many liver diseases. Accordingly, special emphasis should be placed on liquid biopsy methods for the long-term monitoring of chronic liver diseases. In the present review, we have highlighted various aspects of current liquid biopsy research into chronic liver diseases. We have also reviewed recent progress on liquid biopsies that focus on cell-free DNA (cfDNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and the proteins in EVs as potential diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic targets in patients with viral hepatitis, fatty liver steatosis, and alcoholic liver diseases.

Background & Aims: Differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) associated with various types of neoplasms. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (HCV-HCC) has a high risk of recurrence. We explored the role of DANCR in HCV-related hepatocarcinogenesis and identified potential therapeutic targets and non-invasive prognostic markers for long-term outcome of HCV-HCC after surgical resection. Methods: DANCR relevant to HCV-HCC were identified by comparative RNA-sequencing of tumor (T) and adjacent non-tumor (ANT) tissues in a screening set, validated using real-time PCR Target lncRNAs in tissues and serum exosomes were used to predict HCC recurrence of HCV-HCC after curative surgical resection in a large application cohort. Exosome-Derived DANCR was explored using JFH1-infected cells and macrophages. Results: We confirmed that DANCR was upregulated by HCV infection and identified as the lncRNA most relevant to HCV-HCC in tumor as compared to ANT tissues. In 183 HCV-HCC patients followed for 10 years after curative HCC resection, the expression level of circulating exosomal DANCR was positively associated with HCC recurrence and was the most predictive factor associated with HCC recurrence and mortality (hazard ratio/95% confidence intervals: 7.0/4.3–11.6 and 2.7/1.5–5.1, respectively). In vitro study further demonstrated that exosomal DANCR was positively associated with mesenchymal-associated β-catenin expression in HCV infectious hepatocyte and macrophages, which might consequently promote tumor cell migration and invasion abilities in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions: The lncRNA DANCR is highly relevant to disease progression of HCV-HCC Furthermore, circulating exosomal DANCR might serve as a non-invasive prognostic biomarker for HCV-HCC. Funding Statement: This study supported by the grants from the Ministry of Science Technology (MOST) grant (108-2314-B-037-079-MY3) (106-2221-E-039-011-MY3); China medical University (CMU108-MF-93), (CMU108-Z-02), (CMU108-S-22); Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU-Q108009), (KMUQ109005), (108-CCH-KMU-001); partially by Kaohsiung Medical University Research Center Grant KMU-TC108A04 and KMU-TC108B06. This study was partially supported by Center of Liquid Biopsy and Center of Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, and the "Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B) " from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no support from any organization other than the below mentioned ones for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. Hence, all authors declare themselves to be independent from funders with respect to this manuscript. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at each hospital and the TLCN User Committee and was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization for Good Clinical Practice.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) 19, 21, and 23 have been reported as functional factors in human metabolic diseases and malignancies. We performed a prospective survey to compare circulating FGF levels in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients and normal controls. Between 2016 and 2017, 39 patients with UC of the urinary bladder or upper urinary tract who received surgical intervention were included. All the serum samples were obtained before surgeries. The control group included 28 healthy volunteers. Analysis of the circulating FGF19, 21, and 23 levels among all 67 subjects, as well as a subgroup analysis of the 39 UC patients were performed. The median levels of serum FGF19, 21, and 23 in the UC patients were 84.2, 505.3, and 117.6 pg/mL, respectively, which were statistically different from levels found in the healthy controls (P = 0.015

MHC class I chain-related gene A (MICA) variants have been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Their association with MICA expression in cancer cells and cancer recurrence is unknown. SNP rs2596542 of MICA was tested in 193 HCC patients with surgical resection. The corresponding MICA expression in the cancer tissue was measured by immunochemistry microarray. Patients with the SNP rs2596542 A allele had significantly lower MICA expression in tumor tissue than did those with the GG genotype (24.7 ± 15.1% vs. 41.5 ± 23.4%, P 30%, patients with either one and both two risk factors had HCC HRs of 9.76 (C.I. 1.27–75.03, P = 0.03) and 27.30 (C.I. 3.46–215.6, P = 0.002), respectively. We concluded that low cellular MICA expressions were at a greater risk of HCC recurrence after curative treatment.

Background/aim We performed a retrospective survey on our metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) patients who had received targeted therapies, and afterwards evaluated the clinical impacts of local interventions on the patient outcomes. Materials and methods Between 2006 and 2016, 124 patients with MRCC who had received at least one line of tyrosine kinase inhibitors or mammalian target of rapamycin were included in the study. Seventy-five patients (60.5%) received targeted therapies only, twenty-six patients received complete resection and the remaining 23 received incomplete local interventions for their metastatic lesions. Analysis of the basic characteristics, overall survival and multi-variant regression amongst the three groups was performed. Results The age, gender distribution, tumor cell type, targeted therapy selection, line of therapies and sites of metastases were not different amongst the three groups. The targeted therapy-only group had a significantly higher percentage of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) poor-risk patients compared with the other two groups (22.7% vs. 3.8% and 0%, p=0.006 respectively). The targeted treatment duration and follow-up duration was significantly shorted in the targeted therapy-only group. Of the twelve variables analyzed, complete resection and MSKCC poor-risk group showed a significant impact on the overall survival rate (HR=0.5, 95%CI=0.25-0.98, p=0.045; HR=2.97, 95%CI=1.05-8.4, p=0.04 respectively). Conclusion Complete resection of metastatic sites for MRCC patients, combined with targeted therapy, could provide better overall survival rates than targeted therapy alone. Poor MSKCC risk is still correlated to a poor outcome in the current targeted therapy era.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related A (MICA) genetic variants and their serum levels (sMICA) were associated with the development of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in untreated cohorts. The dynamic changes in serial sMICA levels and their association with HCC in the post-curative status are elusive. METHODS Single nucleotide polymorphism rs2596542 of MICA and serial sMICA levels were analyzed in chronic hepatitis C patients with a sustained virologic response after antivirals. Forty-two patients who developed HCC and 84 age-matched, gender-matched, and cirrhosis propensity score-matched non-HCC controls were compared. Serial sMICA levels were measured within 6 months before treatment initiation (pre-sMICA), 6 months after the end of treatment (post-sMICA), and on the last visit before the development (or not) of HCC (last-sMICA). RESULTS Cox regression analysis revealed that last-sMICA was the only predictive factor of HCC development (hazard ratio/95% confidence interval: 2.27 (per 1 log pg/mL increase)/1.672-3.082, P

Background/purpose: The role of directly-acting antivirals (DAA)-containing regimens in the treatment of patients dually-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains unclear. The pilot study aimed to explore the safety and efficacy of a protease inhibitor, boceprevir, in combination with peginterferon/ribavirin for HCV genotype 1 (HCV-1)/HBV dually-infected patients refractory to prior peginterferon/ribavirin. Methods: Twelve peginterferon-experienced patients dually-infected with HCV-1/HBV were assigned to receive boceprevir 800 mg, twice a day, plus peginterferon-α 2b 1.5 μg/kg/week and ribavirin 800-1400 mg/day for 36 or 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was HCV sustained virological response (SVR, HCV RNA undetectable 24 weeks after end-of-treatment). Results: Five patients terminated treatment early due to adverse events (one at week 4, one at week 46), virological failures (one non-response and one breakthrough), and patient request (n = 1). Eight patients achieved HCV SVR (66.7% in full-analysis set and 72.7% in modified intention-to-treat population). The HCV SVR rate was 71.4% (5/7) in prior relapsers, 60.0% (3/5) in prior null responder; 75% in non-cirrhotic and 50% in cirrhotic patients. All four patients of prior non-cirrhotic relapsers received 36-week regimen and achieved HCV SVR. There was no HBV-related hepatic flare. All patients experienced at least one adverse event. Two had serious adverse events. Conclusion: Boceprevir plus peginterferon/ribavirin is effective in the treatment of HCV-1/HBV dually infected patients' refractory to prior peginterferon/ribavirin combination therapy. Keywords: Boceprevir, HBV, HCV, Taiwan

Background: In order to prevent over treatment of prostate cancer and significant adverse effects after surgical intervention, active surveillance was suggested in low risk or very low risk patients. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the adverse pathological results of candidates eligible for active surveillance. Methods: A total of 904 patients underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in this single institute, from 2005 to April 2014. One hundred and thirty-two patients were eligible for active surveillance (AS). Candidates for active surveillance were defined as low risk (T1/T2a, prostate specific antigen 10 ng/ml or less, and Gleason score 6 or less) and very low risk (T1c, prostate specific antigen density 0.15 or less, Gleason score 6 or less, 2 or fewer positive biopsy cores, 50% or less cancer involvement per core) patients. Adverse pathological results were defined as Gleason sum more than 6, and non-organ-confined disease. Results: There were 132 patients eligible for active surveillance. One hundred and thirteen (85.6%, 113/132) patients had low risk disease and nineteen (14.4%, 19/132) patients had very low risk disease. The adverse pathological results of low risk disease were upgrading Gleason sum and non-organ-confined disease, 41.6% (47/113) and 28.3% (32/113), respectively. The adverse pathological results of very low risk disease were upgrading Gleason sum and non-organ-confined disease, 15.8% (3/19) and 15.8% (3/19), respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that although AS may prevent over treatment and significant adverse effects after surgical intervention, stratification of patients with low risk prostate cancer is of paramount importance when choosing appropriate candidate for AS. The risk of adverse pathological results should be well informed in the pretreatment counseling. Keywords: Laparoscopy, Prostate, Prostatectomy, Prostatic neoplasms, Risk

// Chia-Yen Dai 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, * , Yi-Shan Tsai 1, * , Wen-Wen Chou 1 , Tawei Liu 1 , Chung-Feng Huang 1, 2, 4 , Shu-Chi Wang 3 , Pei-Chien Tsai 1 , Ming-Lun Yeh 1, 4, 5 , Ming-Yen Hsieh 1 , Ching-I Huang 1, 5 , Shang-Yin Vanson Liu 7 , Jee-Fu Huang 1, 4 , Wan-Long Chuang 1, 4, 6 and Ming-Lung Yu 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 1 Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2 Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 3 Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 4 Faculty of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 5 Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 6 Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 7 Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 8 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Ming-Lung Yu, email: fish6069@gmail.com Keywords: miR-125b; HCV; IL-6; STAT3; HCV Received: July 28, 2017 Accepted: December 01, 2017 Published: January 10, 2018 ABSTRACT Background/Aims: MicroRNA-125b (miR-125b) has been found to regulate inflammation and acts as an oncogene in many cancers. The mechanisms of miR-125b expression during hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain to be clarified. The present study aims to identify the factors that might regulate miR-125b expression in HCV infection. Results: High expression of miR-125b was found to correlate with HCV infection in replicon cells and in sera from HCV-infected patients, whereas the miR-125b inhibitor reduced HCV gene expression. The interleukin 6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway plays an inducible effect on miR-125b gene expression. STAT3 siRNA or inhibitor could reduce HCV replication. Materials and Methods: HCV replicon cells Con1 (type 1b) and Huh7/Ava5 (type 1b) were treated with 17-hydroxy-jolkinolide B (HJB) or STAT3 siRNA. Cell viability assay and Renilla Luciferase Assay were used. Fragments of the miR-125b-1 promoter were constructed for the luciferase reporter assay. PSMB8, PSMB9, miR-125b-1, and miR-125b-2 expression was determined using TaqMan ® Gene Expression Assays. Western blot analysis was performed to assess protein abundance. Conclusions: This study elucidates a novel pathway for miR-125b in the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection and suggests it as a possible target for treating HCV infection.

Background/Purpose Pegylated interferon (PegIFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy has been the standard of care since 2002. Although a better viral response has been achieved among chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients in Taiwan, approximately 25% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 (G1) patients and 15% of G2 patients failed to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) at the first therapy. The actual cost-effectiveness of the retreatment remains elusive. The present study conducted a real-world cost-effectiveness analysis of a large cohort among different pre-specified subgroups of treatment-experienced CHC patients. Methods A total of 117 patients with CHC who failed to achieve SVR at the first IFN-based therapy and received a second IFN-based therapy were enrolled. The inpatient and outpatient costs were acquired from National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The related medical care costs per treatment and per SVR were calculated. Results We demonstrated that the average cost per SVR achieved was $13,722 in treatment-experienced CHC patients. Especially, patients with HCV G1 infection, baseline viral loads > 400,000 IU/mL, advanced hepatic fibrosis, not achieving a rapid viral response at week 4 or complete early viral response at week 12, had poorer cost-effectiveness for PegIFN/RBV retherapy, ranging from around $15,520 to as high as $72,546 per SVR achieved. Conclusion In the current study, we explored the real-world cost-effectiveness data of PegIFN/RBV for different subgroups of treatment-experienced HCV patients. These findings provide information for policy-makers for making decisions on treatment strategies of costly direct-acting antiviral agents for retreating CHC patients.

Background Listening to music can be a noninvasive method for reducing the anxiety level without any adverse effects. The aim of this study was to explore whether music can reduce anxiety and to compare two different styles of music, informal classical music and light music, to ascertain the more effective style of music in reducing anxiety in patients undergoing colonoscopy without sedation. Methods This study enrolled 138 patients who underwent colonoscopy without sedation during a general health examination from February 2009 to January 2015. The patients were randomly assigned to a group that did not listen to music, a group that listened to music by David Tolley, or a group that listened to music by Kevin Kern. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to evaluate the status of anxiety. Results A trend test for mild anxiety was performed on the patients in the three groups, and a significant trend was noted ( p =0.017 for all patients; p =0.014 for analysis by sex). Multivariate analysis for mild anxiety on the patients in each group was also performed in this study, and music by Kevin Kern was found to have the lowest odds ratio (Odds ratio=0.34, p =0.045). Conclusion Listening to music, especially music by Kevin Kern, reduced the level of anxiety in patients undergoing colonoscopy examination without sedation.

An integrative multi-omics database is needed urgently, because focusing only on analysis of one-dimensional data falls far short of providing an understanding of cancer. Previously, we presented DriverDB, a cancer driver gene database that applies published bioinformatics algorithms to identify driver genes/mutations. The updated DriverDBv3 database (http://ngs.ym.edu.tw/driverdb) is designed to interpret cancer omics’ sophisticated information with concise data visualization. To offer diverse insights into molecular dysregulation/dysfunction events, we incorporated computational tools to define CNV and methylation drivers. Further, four new features, CNV, Methylation, Survival, and miRNA, allow users to explore the relations from two perspectives in the ‘Cancer’ and ‘Gene’ sections. The ‘Survival’ panel offers not only significant survival genes, but gene pairs synergistic effects determine. A fresh function, ‘Survival Analysis’ in ‘Customized-analysis,’ allows users to investigate the co-occurring events in user-defined gene(s) by mutation status or by expression in a specific patient group. Moreover, we redesigned the web interface and provided interactive figures to interpret cancer omics’ sophisticated information, and also constructed a Summary panel in the ‘Cancer’ and ‘Gene’ sections to visualize the features on multi-omics levels concisely. DriverDBv3 seeks to improve the study of integrative cancer omics data by identifying driver genes and contributes to cancer biology.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the major leading causes of cancer death worldwide due to the limited availability of biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Autophagy related protease 4B (ATG4B) is an essential protease for the autophagy machinery, and ATG4B phosphorylation at Ser383/392 increases its proteolytic activity. ATG4B expression and activation are crucial for cancer cell proliferation and invasion. However, the clinical relevance of ATG4B and phospho-Ser383/392-ATG4B for OSCC remains unknown, particularly in buccal mucosal SCC (BMSCC) and tongue SCC (TSCC). With a tissue microarray comprising specimens from 498 OSCC patients, including 179 BMSCC and 249 TSCC patients, we found that the protein levels of ATG4B and phospho-Ser383/392-ATG4B were elevated in the tumor tissues of BMSCC and TSCC compared with those in adjacent normal tissues. High protein levels of ATG4B were significantly associated with worse disease-specific survival (DSS) in OSCC patients, particularly in patients with tumors at advanced stages. In contrast, phospho-Ser383/392-ATG4B expression was correlated with poor disease-free survival (DFS) in TSCC patients. Moreover, ATG4B protein expression was positively correlated with phospho-Ser383/392-ATG4B expression in both BMSCC and TSCC. However, high coexpression levels of ATG4B and phospho-Ser383/392-ATG4B were associated with poor DFS only in TSCC patients, whereas they had no significant association with DSS in BMSCC and TSCC patients. In addition, silencing ATG4B with an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) or small interfering RNA (siRNA) diminished cell proliferation of TW2.6 and SAS oral cancer cells. Further, knockdown of ATG4B reduced cell migration and invasion of oral cancer cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that ATG4B might be a biomarker for diagnosis/prognosis of OSCC and a potential therapeutic target for OSCC patients.

In Taiwan, injecting drug use has been the main route of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission since 2005, with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) also having similar transmission routes. This has now become an important public health issue. The aim of this study is to explore the conditions of HDV infections between injecting drug users (IDUs) with and without HIV infection in Southern Taiwan. In this study, 87 IDUs were enrolled, including 27 anti-HDV seronegative IDUs and 60 anti-HDV seropositive IDUs, and the results of their liver function tests, CD4 cell counts, and anti-HIV and HIV RNA levels were analyzed. The prevalence of anti-HDV seropositivity among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositive IDUs in this study was 68.9% (60/87). The prevalence rate of anti-HDV seropositive IDUs among anti-HIV seronegative and anti-HIV seropositive cases was 40.0% (12/30) and 84.2% (48/57), respectively. Anti-HIV seropositivity was related to anti-HDV seropositivity (odds ratio = 9.34, 95% confidence interval = 2.67–31.59, p

Objective For patients with symptomatic large volume benign prostate hyperplasia, open simple prostatectomy has traditionally been the treatment of choice but laparoscopic simple prostatectomy (LSP) has become an effective surgical option. Since the first case of LSP was described in 2002, surgeons have continued to expand the use of minimally invasive surgery. In 2008, the first case of robotic simple prostatectomy (RSP) was reported. We herein report our initial experience with robotic simple prostatectomy. Materials and methods We performed retropubic robotic simple prostatectomy using a transperitoneal approach in 10 patients. All of them had significant symptomatic prostate enlargement confirmed by abdominal or transrectal ultrasound (mean 138.2 mL). Demographic data, perioperative outcomes, and functional outcomes were recorded. Results The median age of patients was 68 years (range 60–76 years). The median International Prostate Symptom Score at baseline was 24 (range 18–34). The median operation time was 150 minutes (range 130–180 minutes). The median estimated blood loss was 100 mL (range 50–850 mL). Intraoperative blood transfusion was required in one patient (10%). The median resected prostate weight was 77.5 g (range 60–120 g). The median hospital stay was 5 days (range 3–5 days). The median urethral catheterization was 12 days (range 9–14 days). All of these patients gained significant improvement in maximum urine flow rate (preoperative vs. postoperative 9.8 mL/min vs. 21.5 mL/min, p = 0.001) and postvoid residual urine (preoperative vs. postoperative 125 mL vs. 10 mL, p = 0.001). Conclusion Robotic simple prostatectomy is a feasible alternative for a greatly enlarged prostate gland with acceptable complications.

In Taiwan, the number of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection via drug injection has been increasing since 2003. Due to HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) having similar transmission routes, HBV and HIV infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) has become an important public health issue. The aim of this study was explore the prevalence of HBV infection among IDUs with and without HIV infection, and examine whether HIV infection is associated with HBV infection among IDUs in Southern Taiwan. We enrolled 566 IDUs, including 87 anti-HBV positive IDUs and 479 anti-HBV negative IDUs, and also analyzed the results of liver function tests, HBV DNA, anti-HIV, HIV RNA, and CD4 cell count. The results showed that the prevalence of HBV infection among IDUs was 15.4%. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was higher among individuals born before 1985 (15.9% vs. 4.0%), but this was not significant. Anti-HIV seropositivity was related to HBsAg seropositivity [odds ratio (OR) = 2.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.26–4.82, p = 0.008). Anti-HCV and anti-HIV were risk factors for abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT; OR = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.005–4.42, p = 0.048 and OR = 1.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–2.10, p = 0.04, respectively), and HBsAg was not a factor related to abnormal ALT. In conclusion, the prevalence of HBV infection was similar in the general population and in IDUs, and due to anti-HIV seropositivity being significantly related to HBsAg seropositivity, HBV infection among IDUs is still important. We suggest that for IDUs, HBsAg should be monitored closely.

Taiwanofungus camphoratus has been widely used in Taiwan as a folk medicine to prevent and treat liver diseases, diarrhea, abdominal pain, itchy skin, and hypertension. Recent studies have shown that T. camphoratus mycelia extracts exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on some types of renal disease, but the effect of T. camphoratus mycelia on chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. In this study we used the Bioresource Collection and Research Center (BCRC) medium and modified media (e.g., BCRC+A, HKS1, and HKS1+A media) to incubate T. camphorates mycelia and detect the feasible benefits of renal protection in mice with CKD. Five groups of mice with a partial nephrectomy (each mouse weighed approximately 30 g) received a daily administration of different media-treated T. camphoratus mycelia water solutions (3 mg dried mycelia dissolved in 0.3 mL water) by oral gavage for 30 days, while a control group received distilled water. The results show that progressive increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were significantly inhibited in the HKS1+A group on days 10 and 30. Plasma total protein was effectively increased in the HKS1 and HKS1+A groups. The BCRC and BCRC+A groups exhibited no obvious improvement in renal function. The results suggest that the HKS1+A medium provides the optimal effect in preventing the deterioration of kidney function and might have a renoprotective effect on CKD.

Ectopic thyroid tissue in the adrenal gland (ETTAG) usually presents as a well-circumscribed cystic mass on a CT scan. However, the MRI features of ETTAG are incompletely understood. We report a case of ectopic thyroid tissue in the adrenal gland, which demonstrates findings similar to those of a pheochromocytoma on the MRI.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor that occurs in the urinary bladder. We reported a 56-year-old male patient with a history of bradycardia, dizziness, and hypertension provoked by micturition for 5 years. Magnetic resonance imaging discovered a 3.1 cm urinary bladder tumor over the right dome. High urinary catecholamines' level was also found. Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial cystectomy was performed smoothly without perioperative complications.

e16713 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer in adult and is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In most mammals, two isoforms of arginase have been identified (ARG1 and ARG2). Clinical Data revealed that ARG2 is highly expressed in various types of cancers including HCC. However, the role of ARG2 in regulating the progression of HCC has not yet been examined. The present study aimed to examine the role of ARG2 on the progression of HCC. Methods: Cell growth and proliferation were examined by MTT assay and colony formation assay, respectively. Cell migration was determined using wound-healing assay. The expression of ARG2 and its correlated survival rate in HCC was analyzed by DriverDBv3 database. Results: Our experimental results showed that knockdown of ARG2 suppresses cell growth, colony formation and migration ability in HepG2 cells. In HCC patients, ARG2 is highly expressed in primary solid tumor and recurrence solid tumor samples comparing to solid tissue normal samples. In addition, high level of ARG2 is associated with poor overall survival in HCC patients. Conclusions: These results suggest that ARG2 plays an oncogenic role in modulating HCC progression.

The purpose of this study was to identify the significant risk factors of urinary bladder recurrence (UBR) after nephroureterectomy (NUx) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). A total of 550 patients diagnosed with UTUC between January 2001 and December 2015 were included in this retrospective study. The median age of our patients was 68 (range 24&ndash, 93) and the median follow-up time after NUx was 40.3 months (range 8&ndash, 191). The most important censored point of this study was the first episode of UBR. Of the 550 patients, UBR occurred in 164 patients (29.8%). One hundred and forty-two (86.6%) patients with UBR were identified within two years after NUx for UTUC, with the median time interval between NUx and UBR being 8.4 months (range 3&ndash, 59.8). Through univariate analysis, the positive surgical margin (p = 0.049) and tumor multifocality (p = 0.024) were both significant prognostic factors for UBR-free survival after NUx in patients with UTUC. However, only tumor multifocality (p = 0.037) remained a significant prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, tumor multifocality is a significant risk factor of UBR after nephroureterectomy in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

A laparoscope provides many advantages when establishing abdominal access for peritoneal dialysis (PD), particularly with direct observation and correction of the catheter's position. However, laparoscopic placement requires specialized equipment and usually requires using more than one working port, which may increase the potential for complications, including dialysis leakage. We modified the surgical technique by using a nephroscope, rather than a laparoscope. This study aimed to illustrate this modified technique step by step and compare the postoperative outcomes.This study was based on a retrospective chart review of 397 consecutive patients who underwent either laparoscope- or nephroscope-assisted PD catheter insertion between September 2005 and December 2016 in our institute, as performed by a single surgeon. Data were collected and analyzed to compare the characteristics of the patients, including age and gender, along with surgical outcomes and complications between the two groups.Two-hundred fourteen patients underwent laparoscopy implantation, whereas 183 patients received the nephroscope-assisted method. More patients had previously undergone abdominal surgery in the nephroscopy group (29% vs 18.7%, p = 0.035) than those in the laparoscopy group. There was no significant difference in the 1-year catheter survival (82.5% vs 79.4%, p = 0.734) rate between the two groups. A total of five patients experienced dialysis leakage within the laparoscopy group, whereas none had dialysis leakage in the nephroscopy group.The surgical times were significantly shorter in the nephroscopy group. Although comparison of the complication rate between the two groups revealed no statistical significance, there were trends that showed there were less early surgical complications in the nephroscopy group.

A 75-year-old man with gross hematuria for 10 months received a diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma in the left moiety of a horseshoe kidney. Laparoscopic heminephroureterectomy was performed smoothly and without perioperative complications. Preoperative computed tomography angiography was shown to be a valuable imaging modality for evaluating anatomical variations, and the laparoscopic approach was effective for managing malignancy in a horseshoe kidney.

Introduction: Conventional anti-androgen regimens were widely used as an initiation or combined androgen blockade (CAB) therapy in advanced prostate cancer patients. Currently, new androgen pathway inhibitors such as abiraterone acetate (AA) and enzalutamide had been proven effective in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. In this study, we attempt to analyze the role of conventional anti-androgen drugs as deferred CAB therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. Materials and Methods: From 2012 to 2017, 48 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who received sequential treatments with primary androgen blockade, oral anti-androgen regimens, and docetaxel followed by AA treatment were included. We defined effective deferred CAB as any decline of PSA after add-on antiandrogen after CRPC. Patients were separated into effective and ineffective deferred CAB. Comparison between two groups in the first line androgen deprivation therapy duration, CRPC PSA level, pre-AA PSA level, chemotherapy dosages, duration, and patients progression free survival and overall survival after AA treatment were analyzed. Results: Twenty-three patients (47.9%) achieved PSA decline after deferred CAB. Among total 48 patients, 24 patients experienced PSA decline more than 50% after AA treatment. The median PSA progression-free survival and overall survival after AA treatment in the total cohort of 48 patients were 4.4 and 24.3 months, respectively. The effective deferred CAB group showed significantly lower PSA level, lower percentage of PSA progression, higher total follow-up duration, higher percentage of surviving patients, better progression free survival, and overall survival estimate after AA treatment. Of the eight variables analyzed, effectiveness in deferred CAB showed positive association to progression free survival (HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12–0.67, p = 0.004) and overall survival (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07–0.81, p = 0.022). First line androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) duration also showed positive association to overall survival (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–0.99, p = 0.023). Conclusions: Effectiveness of deferred CAB therapy was positively associated with progression free survival and overall survival of AA treatment after docetaxel. It can be used as a pre-treatment predictor.

Introduction: We performed a chart review study in our castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who received Abiraterone acetate (AA) treatment after docetaxel and identified clinical markers which can predict treatment outcome. Materials and Methods: From 2012 to 2016, 64 patients who received docetaxel after CRPC followed by AA treatment were included. Clinical parameters were recorded and analysis was performed to identify associations between pre-treatment variables and treatment outcome. Results: Thirty three patients (51.6%) achieved a decrease in PSA of 50%. The median PSA progression-free survival and overall survival in the total cohort of 64 patients were 6.6 and 24 months, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) in all grades developed in 35.9% (23/64) patients and mostly were grade 1 or 2. The most common AEs were gastric upset, hypokalemia and elevated liver function tests. Of the eight variables analyzed, first line androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) duration showed positive association to progression free survival (HR 0.98, 95% CI [0.96–0.99], p = 0.012) and overall survival (HR 0.97, 95% CI [0.94–0.99], p = 0.019). Pre-AA PSA and PSA progression ratio showed negative association only to progression free survival (HR 1.0, 95% CI [1.000–1.002], p = 0.025, HR 1.01, 95% CI [1.00–1.01], p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: First line ADT duration was positively associated with AA treatment efficacy in progression free survival and overall survival. It can be used as a pre-treatment predictor.

Purpose: To examine whether brain tumors grown in pre-irradiated (PreIR) thigh have a similar tumor bed effect (TBE) as in PreIR brain tissue.Material and methods: Tumor growth delay and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for CD31, an endothelial surface marker, and PIMO, a hypoxia marker, were used to study the TBE of a murine astrocytoma, ALTS1C1, or a stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) gene-silenced astrocytoma, ALTS1C1-SDFkd, growing in different PreIR stroma beds.Results: ALTS1C1 tumors growing in both PreIR brain and PreIR thigh had reduced microvascular density (MVD) and more chronic hypoxia, but tumor growth delay was only seen in PreIR brain tissue. In contrast, ALTS1C1-SDFkd tumors showed tumor growth delay in PreIR thigh, with little effect in PreIR brain tissue.Conclusions: This study cautions that both the tumor and the nature of the PreIR stromal bed are important when using pre-irradiation as a model of recurrent brain tumors after radiation therapy.

Delonix regia (Boj. Ex. Hook) is a flowering plant in the pea family found in tropical areas and its leaves are used informally to treat diseases in folk medicine. However, the cardioprotective effects in this plant are still unclear. In this study, we found that the Delonix regia leaf extract (DRLE) (400 mg/kg/d) can reduce the mortality rate in an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced heart injury and hypertrophy mouse model. Decreased serum levels of creatine phosphokinase, LDH, GOT, TNF-alpha and increased nitric oxide levels were found in DRLE-treated ISO-injured mice. In the in vitro study, the porcine coronary artery exhibited vasodilation effect induced by DRLE in a dose-dependent manner. In the DRLE toxic test, overdose of DRLE showed the high safety in normal mice and may have the ability to remove the metabolic wastes in blood. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that DRLE has the cardioprotective effects by activating the vasodilation through NO pathway and preventing the myocyte injury via inhibition of TNF-alpha pathway. We suggest that DRLE may act as a promising novel herbal medicine for cardioprotection.

Exosome-mediated communication within the cardiac microenvironment is associated with cardiac fibrosis. Simvastatin (SIM), a potent statin, protects against cardiac fibrosis, but its mechanism of action is unclear. We investigated the inhibitory effects and underlying mechanism of simvastatin in cardiac fibrosis, by regulating exosome-mediated communication. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with angiotensin (Ang) II alone, or with SIM for 28 d. Cardiac fibrosis, expressions of fibrosis-associated proteins and mRNAs, and collagen fiber arrangement and deposition were examined. Protein expressions in exosomes isolated from Ang II-treated cardiomyocytes (CMs) were evaluated using nano-ultra-performance liquid chromatographic system, combined with tandem mass spectrometry. Transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts was evaluated using scanning electron and confocal microscopy, and migration assays. Our results showed that SIM attenuated in vivo expression of collagen and collagen-associated protein, as well as collagen deposition, and cardiac fibrosis. The statin also upregulated decorin and downregulated periostin in CM-derived exosomes. Furthermore, it suppressed Ang II-induced transformation of fibroblast to myofibroblast, as well as fibroblast migration. Exosome-mediated cell-cell communication within the cardiac tissue critically regulated cardiac fibrosis. Specifically, SIM regulated the release of CM exosomes, and attenuated Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis, highlighting its potential as a novel therapy for cardiac fibrosis.

// Chung-Feng Huang 1, 2, 3 , Ching-I Huang 1 , Ming-Lun Yeh 1, 2 , Shu-Chi Wang 1 , Kuan-Yu Chen 1 , Yu-Min Ko 1 , Ching-Chih Lin 1 , Yi-Shan Tsai 1 , Pei-Chien Tsai 1 , Zu-Yau Lin 1, 2 , Shinn-Cherng Chen 1, 2 , Chia-Yen Dai 1, 2, 3, 4 , Jee-Fu Huang 1, 2 , Wan-Long Chuang 1, 2 , Ming-Lung Yu 1, 2, 5, 6 1 Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2 Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 3 Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 4 Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 5 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 6 Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Correspondence to: Ming-Lung Yu, email: fish6069@gmail.com Keywords: MICA, SNP, sMICA, liver fibrosis, CHC Received: October 15, 2016 Accepted: February 22, 2017 Published: March 06, 2017 ABSTRACT Background/Aims: Genetic variants of MHC class I polypeptide-related chain A (MICA) at rs2596542 have been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. The linkage between serum MICA (sMICA) and liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C is elusive. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that sMICA were independently correlated to α-fetoprotein (β: 0.149; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.001, 0.003; P = 0.007)and MICA rs2596542 GG genotype (β: 0.209; 95% CI: 0.153, 0.483; P 50 pg/mL provided a positive predictive value of 72 % in predicting advanced liver fibrosis (F3-4) and of 90% in significant fibrosis (> F2) in MICA rs2596542 A allele carriers. Materials and Methods: Serum level and single nucleotide polymorphism at rs2596542 of MICA were tested for the association with liver fibrosis in 319 biopsy proven chronic hepatitis C patients. Conclusions: Levels of sMICA were highly correlated to liver disease severity in chronic hepatitis C patients who carried the MICA rs738409 A allele. Patients possessing the genetic predisposition had a higher likelihood of progressed liver fibrosis if they expressed higher sMICA levels.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection had been associated with cytokine imbalance. Cytokine dynamics in response to peginterferon/ribavirin therapy have an impact on the treatment efficacy for HCV patients. Ninety-two treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C patients were treated with 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon/ribavirin therapy according to their viral genotypes. Sustained virologic response (SVR) is defined as undetectable HCV RNA throughout a 24-week post-treatment follow-up period. Dynamic serum levels of the following cytokines: (1) Th1-mediated cytokines: IFN-γ, interleukin-2, and TNF-alpha; (2)Th2-mediated cytokines: interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10 and (3)immuno-modulatory cytokines: interleukin-1β, interleukin-8, and interleukin-12 were determined by Fluorescent Bead immunoassay. Serial dynamic cytokine expression demonstrated that not only elevated IFN-γ concentrations at specific time points but also the total IFN-γ amount was strongly linked to non-response in peginterferon/ribavirin therapy. IFN-γ levels could serve as an independent predictor for SVR analyzed by multivariate logistic regression test. The accuracy of discriminating responders from non-responders was acceptable when IFN-γ cut-off levels were set at 180, 120, and 40 pg/ml at the 4th week, 12th week, and end-of-treatment of therapy, respectively. Elevated on-treatment IFN-γ concentration was significantly associated with treatment failure among interleukin-28B rs8099917TT carriers and those patients failed to achieve rapid virologic response.

s / Urological Science 26 (2015) 301e310 309 NDP26: LAPAROSCOPIC RADICAL NEPHROURETERECTOMY FOR UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA IN A HORSESHOE KIDNEY: A CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW Shu-Chi Wang , Siu-Wan Hung , Kun-Yuan Chiu . Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Radiology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan A 75-year-old male suffered from gross hematuria for months and was diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma in the left moiety of a horseshoe kidney. Laparoscopic left side radical nephroureterectomy with open bladder cuff excision through a Gibson incision. The patient was discharged on post-operative day five uneventfully. Preoperative computed tomography is quite valuable for the evaluation of the anatomical variations in horseshoe kidneys. In conclusion, laparoscopic approach is effective for managing malignancy in horseshoe kidneys. NDP27: SINGLE MASSIVE URETER POLYP CAUSING URETER INTUSSUSCEPTION: A CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW Pao-Hwa Chen, Chun-Chi Chen, Bai-Fu Wang, Jesen Lin, Heng-Chieh Chiang, Meng-Yi Yan, Chang-Pao Chang, Sheng-Hsien Huang, Kuo-Hsuan Huang, Hung-Jen Shih, Jian-Xiang Zhang, Jian-ting Chen. Divisions of Urology, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua

Bone marrow and intestinal damage limits the efficacy of radiotherapy for cancer and can result in death if the whole body is exposed to too high a dose, as might be the case in a nuclear accident or terrorist incident. Identification of an effective nontoxic biological radioprotector is therefore a matter of some urgency. In this study, we show that an orally administered hot-water extract from a Chinese herbal medicine, Cordyceps sinensis (CS), protects mice from bone marrow and intestinal injuries after total-body irradiation (TBI). CS increased the median time to death from 13 to 20 days after 8 Gy TBI and from 9 to 18 days after 10 Gy TBI. Although CS-treated mice receiving 10 Gy TBI survived intestinal injury, most died from bone marrow failure, as shown by severe marrow hypoplasia in mice dying between 18 and 24 days. At lower TBI doses of 5.5 and 6.5 Gy, CS protected against bone marrow death, an effect that was confirmed by the finding that white blood cell counts recovered more rapidly. In vitro, CS reduced the levels of free radical species (ROS) within cells, and this is one likely mechanism for the radioprotective effects of CS, although probably not the only one.

In recent years high order numerical methods have been widely used in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to effectively resolve complex flow features using meshes which are reasonable for today''s computers. In this paper we review and compare three types of high order methods being used in CFD, namely the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) finite difference methods, the WENO finite volume methods, and the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element methods. We summarize the main features of these methods, from a practical user''s point of view, indicate their applicability and relative strength, and show a few selected numerical examples to demonstrate their performance on illustrative model CFD problems.

The (188)Re-labeled pegylated nanoliposome (abbreviated as (188)Re-Liposome) was prepared and evaluated for its potential as a theragnostic agent for glioma. (188)Re-BMEDA complex was loaded into the pegylated liposome core with pH 5.5 ammonium sulfate gradient to produce (188)Re-Liposome. Orthotopic Fischer344/F98 glioma tumor-bearing rats were prepared and intravenously injected with (188)Re-Liposome. Biodistribution, pharmacokinetic study, autoradiography (ARG), histopathology, and nano-SPECT/CT imaging were conducted for the animal model. The result showed that (188)Re-Liposome accumulated in the brain tumor of the animal model from 0.28%±0.09% injected dose (ID)/g (n=3) at 1 hour to a maximum of 1.95%±0.35% ID/g (n=3) at 24 hours postinjection. The tumor-to-normal brain uptake ratio (T/N ratio) increased from 3.5 at 1 hour to 32.5 at 24 hours. Both ARG and histopathological images clearly showed corresponding tumor regions with high T/N ratios. Nano-SPECT/CT detected a very clear tumor image from 4 hours till 48 hours. This study reveals the potential of (188)Re-Liposome as a theragnostic agent for brain glioma.