{"title":"Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein/Hepatocyte Growth Factor Ratio as a Novel Biomarker Predicting the Prognosis of Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis: Need of Validation and Dynamic Assessment to Establish Utility.","authors":"Ajay Kumar Mishra","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14234","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144484090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy: Prevalence and Clinical Impact on Liver Cirrhosis Outcomes.","authors":"Takashi Kitagataya, Goki Suda, Takatsugu Tanaka, Shoichi Kitano, Naohiro Yasuura, Akimitsu Meno, Takashi Sasaki, Risako Kohya, Qingjie Fu, Shunichi Hosoda, Sonoe Yoshida, Osamu Maehara, Shunsuke Ohnishi, Masatsugu Ohara, Masato Nakai, Takuya Sho, Kosuke Nakamura, Suguru Ishizaka, Naoya Sakamoto","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14232","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a significant complication of liver cirrhosis; however, its prevalence and impact in Asian populations remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of CCM in Japanese patients with liver cirrhosis and to evaluate its impact on clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospective study, 80 patients with liver cirrhosis confirmed using transient elastography (liver stiffness ≥ 12.5 kPa) were included. Study was performed at Hokkaido University Hospital between January 2014 and April 2024. CCM was diagnosed using the 2019 Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy Consortium criteria. Subsequently, patient characteristics, survival, and the incidences of decompensation and cardiovascular events were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of CCM was 46.3% (37/80), with 78.4% of patients with CCM showing isolated systolic dysfunction based on global longitudinal strain. Patients with CCM were significantly older, had lower serum ammonia and bilirubin levels, and had higher platelet counts. CCM was associated with a significantly higher incidence of decompensation events (hazard ratio 3.97, 95% confidence interval 1.64-9.61, p = 0.003) and was an independent risk factor for decompensation in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 3.24, 95% confidence interval 1.29-8.11, p = 0.012). Patients with and without CCM showed no significant differences in overall survival or cardiovascular events.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CCM is prevalent among Japanese patients with liver cirrhosis and is associated with an increased risk of hepatic decompensation. These findings highlight the importance of cardiac evaluation in patients with cirrhosis and suggest that CCM should be considered in the management of liver cirrhosis to improve patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Progressive Sarcopenia as a Prognostic Marker in the Era of Immunotherapy.","authors":"Takeshi Okamoto, Takashi Sasaki, Masato Ozaka, Naoki Sasahira","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14231","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Deceased Donation Disparities in East Asia-A Tale of Two Systems.","authors":"Shinji Itoh, Yuki Bekki, Takeo Toshima, Tomoharu Yoshizumi","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14223","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Slow-Release Prostacyclin Agonist-Immersed Sheet Implantation Suppresses Liver Fibrosis via Hippo Signaling Pathway Activation.","authors":"Wataru Fujii, Yoshito Tomimaru, Shogo Kobayashi, Kosuke Torigata, Kouichi Hasegawa, Akima Harada, Kazuki Sasaki, Shinichiro Hasegawa, Daisaku Yamada, Hirofumi Akita, Takehiro Noda, Hidenori Takahashi, Hiroki Imamura, Takahiro Kodama, Shuji Terai, Yoshiki Sawa, Shigeru Miyagawa, Yuichiro Doki, Hidetoshi Eguchi","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Liver cirrhosis is characterized by fibrosis of the liver. No effective treatments are currently available other than liver transplantation. The slow-release version of prostacyclin agonist ONO1301, ONO1301SR, has prolonged effects and lower blood concentrations than its oral form and may be a treatment option for liver fibrosis. However, its effects are unclear and require further investigation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated the antifibrotic effects of ONO1301SR by implanting ONO1301SR-immersed sheets on the liver in a mouse model of chronic liver injury. Samples of the liver tissue were then assessed by histological and biochemical methods. We also investigated the mechanisms underlying the effects of ONO1301 by performing RNA sequencing analyses, and the investigated results were verified in in vitro experiments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Implantation of an ONO1301SR-immersed sheet significantly improved liver fibrosis. RNA sequencing of liver tissue treated with the ONO1301SR-immersed sheet indicated activation of the Hippo signaling pathway. When ONO1301 was administered to TAA-injured Fa2N-4 hepatocytes and hepatic stellate LX-2 cells, activation of the Hippo signaling pathway was observed in the cells. Furthermore, hepatocytes treated with ONO1301 significantly suppressed hepatic stellate LX-2 cell activation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implantation of ONO1301SR-immersed sheets suppresses liver fibrosis via Hippo signaling pathway activation, suggesting that slow-release prostacyclin agonist may have potential as a promising therapeutic option for liver fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144316785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Utilizing Altmetrics to Track Advancements in Noninvasive Tests for MASLD.","authors":"Masato Yoneda, Yoshio Sumida, Yoshihiro Kamada, Hirokazu Takahashi, Hideki Fujii, Shinichi Takeda, Azadeh Hosseini-Tabatabaei, Atsushi Nakajima","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Noninvasive tests (NITs) are vital for the early diagnosis of the stage of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This study investigates relationships between altmetric scores, traditional Web of Science metrics (citations and impact factor), and the clinical impact as assessed by multiple experts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Articles evaluating NITs for MASLD/MASH published in 2022 were evaluated without language/article-type restrictions by five expert hepatologists based on three subtopics: immediate usefulness in daily clinical practice (practicality), potential influence on future guidelines (impact), and new viewpoints and/or topics (innovation). Eligible articles were ranked 1-10 by physicians and scored by rank (10 points to rank 1, 9 points to rank 2, and so on), which were summed across all physicians by subtopic. The physicians' total score was derived from the sum of the subtopic scores. Altmetric scores were manually retrieved using Altmetric Explorer and compared with the summed physician scores and traditional metrics (Clarivate) using Pearson's correlation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Moderate positive correlations existed between the altmetric attention score (AAS) and physician total score (r = 0.52), and between the AAS and innovation subtopic (r = 0.56). Weaker positive correlations existed between the AAS and practicality (r = 0.20) and impact (r = 0.14) subtopics. Among the high-ranking articles, the innovation subtopic demonstrated greater concordance across the five experts than the practicality and impact subtopics.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The use of altmetrics alongside traditional metrics may contribute to physicians involved in MASLD care obtaining innovative research information on NIT more quickly.</p>","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144316786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is Useful for Surveying Gastroesophageal Varices in Patients After Fontan Surgery.","authors":"Takanori Suzuki, Kentaro Matsuura, Sayuri Yamabe, Kiyomi Kayama, Tsutomu Shinohara, Keiichi Itatani, Yoshiki Okamoto, Hayato Kawamura, Kei Fujiwara, Yoshihiro Seo, Hiromi Kataoka","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a common complication of Fontan surgery (FS) because of the inherent risk of chronic hepatic congestion, and often leads to gastroesophageal varices (GEVs). However, little is known regarding the factors involved in the development of GEVs in patients following FS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 50 patients who had undergone FS, and were evaluated for abdominal complications between November 2007 and December 2024 through contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presence of GEVs, mainly esophageal varices (EVs), was determined by the imaging data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The number of the patients who developed GEVs and collateral veins following FS were 12 (24%) and 7 (14%), respectively, as evaluated by imaging. No significant differences were observed between the age, sex, and duration from FS to imaging, and blood biochemistry indices of patients with (n = 12) and without EVs (n = 38). However, collateral veins were more prevalent among patients with EVs compared to those without EVs (p = 0.002). In addition, patients with collateral veins had poor ALBI scores than those lacking collateral veins (p = 0.032).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The presence of GEVs following FS could not be predicted by blood biochemical indices and other clinical factors, although EVs were more frequently observed in patients with collateral veins. Contrast-enhanced CT or MRI can be useful for surveying GEVs in patients following FS.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nagoya City University (approval number: 60-24-0125).</p>","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Continuous Intravenous Infusion of Hepatocyte Growth Factor Promotes the Development of a Fibrolytic Phenotype in Hepatic Macrophages and Stellate Cells in a Rat Model of Bile Duct Ligation.","authors":"Oki Taniyama, Kotaro Kumagai, Shuji Kanmura, Yuko Nakamura, Hiromi Eguchi, Miho Uehara, Kyoko Meguro, Ai Toyodome, Sho Ijuin, Haruka Sakae, Kazuaki Tabu, Kohei Oda, Seiichi Mawatari, Keisuke Yano, Satoshi Ieiri, Akio Ido","doi":"10.1111/hepr.14227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.14227","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Liver cirrhosis is a severe condition that often progresses to the decompensated phase, highlighting the global urgency for the development of antifibrotic agents. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) strongly promotes liver regeneration and attenuates fibrosis. However, HGF has not been clinically applied to treat patients with liver cirrhosis. Here, we aimed to explore the antifibrotic effects and mechanism(s) of action of HGF, through continuous intravenous infusions, in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to BDL. Two weeks post-BDL, an intravenous catheter was inserted into the right jugular vein. After 1 week, the rats were randomized into different groups for continuous intravenous infusion of phosphate-buffered saline alone, HGF at 0.25 mg/kg/day, or HGF at 1.0 mg/kg/day. After 10 days of treatment, the rats were euthanized, and blood and liver tissues were collected for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Continuous intravenous HGF infusion increased the serum albumin levels, decreased the alanine aminotransferase levels, preserved prothrombin time activity, ameliorated liver fibrosis and fibrosis-associated stellate cell activation, and significantly promoted hepatocyte proliferation in rats with BDL. HGF-MET signaling suppressed IL-6 expression and promoted matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) expression in infiltrating macrophages in vivo and in human macrophage and hepatic stellate cell lines in vitro.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Continuous intravenous infusion of HGF attenuated BDL-induced liver fibrosis by decreasing IL-6 expression, increasing MMP-2 expression in macrophages and hepatic stellate cells, and inactivating hepatic stellate cells directly or indirectly. These findings offer valuable insights into developing novel HGF-based therapies for liver cirrhosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":12987,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144301929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}