Targeting Wnt/β-catenin Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver cancer is generally related to hepatitis B or C infection and cirrhosis. Usually, patients with HCC are asymptomatic and are diagnosed at late stages when surgical treatment is no longer suitable. Limited treatment options for patients with advanced HCC are a major concern. Therefore, there is an urge for finding novel therapies to treat HCC. Liver cancer is highly heterogeneous and involved deregulation of several signaling pathways. Wnt/β-catenin pathway is frequently upregulated in HCC and it is implicated in maintenance of tumor initiating cells, drug resistance, tumor progression, and metastasis. A great effort in developing selective drugs to target components of the β-catenin pathway with anticancer activity is underway but only a few of them have reached phase I clinical trials. We aim to review the role of β-catenin pathway on hepatocarcinogenesis and liver cancer stem cell maintenance. We also evaluated the use of small molecules targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway with potential application for treatment of HCC

The effect of mothers’ relative earnings on fathers’ responsibility for routine childcare tasks across the first three years: the moderating roles of emotional intimacy and parenting stress

The current study used data from the first phase of the NICHD-SECCYD study, which was collected from birth to age three. These data were collected from 1991 to 1995. The current study utilized a time-lagged, multilevel model to examine the association between increases in maternal relative earnings and subsequent increases in father responsibility for routine childcare tasks over time. Both maternal emotional intimacy and parenting stress were examined as potential moderating effects. The sample included married and cohabitating families. The central constructs for this study were measured at the 6, 15, 24, and 36-month time points, with fathers reporting on their own responsibility for routine childcare tasks and with mothers reporting on their own and their husband’s earnings, their perceptions of emotional intimacy, and their own parenting stress. Results indicated that maternal relative earnings were positively associated with subsequent father responsibility for routine childcare tasks. Although emotional intimacy did not moderate this association, the association between maternal relative earnings and father responsibility for routine childcare tasks was stronger as parenting stress decreased. These findings may have applied implications for intervention programs

Environment and genetic predictors of infant attachment disorganization

This study examined maternal sensitivity to distress, overtly negative maternal behavior, maternal trauma and loss, and their interactions with infant genes related to dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin functioning as predictors of infant attachment disorganization while accounting for race and sociodemographic covariates. The sample included 182 mother-infant dyads (approximately 50% European American and 50% African American). Prenatally, women completed the Adult Attachment Interview. At the 6 month and 1 year visits mothers and infants participated in a series of videotaped interactive tasks designed to elicit infant distress and to assess maternal behavior. Additionally, during the 1 year visit, mothers and infants participated in the Strange Situation Procedure to assess infant-mother attachment security. During the 2 year lab visit, DNA was collected via saliva samples from mothers and children. Results indicated that overtly negative maternal behavior and sociodemographic risk were positively associated with infant attachment disorganization. Infant genotype did not moderate these relationships. These findings may have applied implications

An Ex Vivo Approach to Complex Renal Artery Aneurysm Repair

Ex vivo repair technique for a complex renal artery aneurysm may have several advantages. Smaller incision size and use of minimally invasive techniques may decrease incisional morbidity and improve recovery time, especially in patients with a high body mass index. Improved visualization afforded by back-table methods may also be valuable when repair of aneurysms involving multiple branches is necessary. We report of a successful case of laparoscopic nephrectomy, followed by back-table aneurysmorrhaphy and autotransplant, in a patient with a renal artery aneurysm

Surgical treatment of a rare primary renal carcinoid tumor with liver metastasis

BACKGROUND: Carcinoid tumors are characteristically low grade malignant neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation that arise in various body sites, most commonly the lung and gastrointestinal tract, but less frequently the kidneys, breasts, ovaries, testes, prostate and other locations. We report a case of a carcinoid of renal origin with synchronous single liver metastases on radiological studies. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45 year-old patient who presented with abdominal pain was found on CT scan to have lesions in the right ovary, right kidney, and left hepatic lobe. CA-125, CEA, and CA 19-9 were within normal limits, as were preoperative liver function tests and renal function. Biopsy of the liver mass demonstrated metastatic neuroendocrine tumor. At laparotomy, the patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, radical right nephrectomy with lymphadenectomy, and left hepatectomy. Pathology evaluation reported a right ovarian borderline serous tumor, well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the kidney (carcinoid) with 2 positive retroperitoneal lymph nodes, and a single liver metastasis. Immunohistochemistry revealed that this lesion was positive for synaptophysin and CD56, but negative for chromogranin as well as CD10, CD7, and CD20, consistent with a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. She is doing well one year after her initial surgery, with no evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Early surgical intervention, together with careful surveillance and follow-up, can achieve successful long-term outcomes in patients with this rare malignancy

The Role of Bridging Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver accounting for 7% of all cancers worldwide. Most cases of HCC develop within an established background of chronic liver disease. For that reason, liver resection is only possible in selected patients. Liver transplantation has become the treatment of choice in patients with HCC, end-stage liver disease, and significant portal hypertension. Shortage of organ donors has resulted in overall increase of waiting list time with increased risk of dropout due to tumor progression. Neoadjuvant therapies have emerged as an alternative to control tumor growth in patients while waiting. The aim of this study is to review the literature on the role of bridging therapy and downstaging prior to liver transplantation in patients with HCC. We are also presenting our single-center experience of 96 patients undergoing transplantation for HCC with and without bridging therapy

The role of sociodemographic risk and maternal behavior in the prediction of infant attachment disorganization

Predictors of infant attachment disorganization were examined among 203 primiparous mothers (52% European American, 48% African American) and their infants (104 female). The Strange Situation Procedure was administered at one year. Global maternal insensitivity and overtly negative maternal behavior were observed during distress-eliciting tasks when infants were six months and one year old. Mothers reported on their demographics to yield a measure of sociodemographic risk (i.e., age, education, income-to-needs). Overtly negative maternal behavior was positively associated with the infant attachment disorganization rating scale score, but did not predict being classified as disorganized. Global maternal insensitivity was associated with higher attachment disorganization, both the rating and the classification, when sociodemographic risk was high but not when sociodemographic risk was low. The pattern of results did not vary by maternal race. The results provide some support for the view that negative maternal behavior and the combination of sociodemographic risk and global maternal insensitivity play a role in the development of infant attachment disorganization

Outcome of Patients With Small Vessel Vasculitis After Renal Transplantation: National Database Analysis

Background. Small vessel vasculitis commonly affects the kidney and can progress to end-stage renal disease. The goal of this study is to compare outcomes of patients who received a renal transplant as a result of small vessel vasculitis (group A) with those who received kidney transplants because of other causes (group B). Methods. This is a retrospective analysis of United Network for Organ Sharing registry data for adult primary kidney transplants from January 2000 to December 2014. Group A patients (N = 2196) were compared with a group B (N = 6588); groups were case matched for age, race, sex, donor type, and year of transplant in a 1:3 ratio. Results. Renal and patient survivals were better in the group A (P \u3c 0.001). New-onset diabetes after transplant developed in 8.3% of the group A and 11.3% of group B (P \u3c 0.001). Seventeen (0.8%) patients in group A developed recurrent disease. Of these, 7 patients had graft failure, 3 of which were due to disease recurrence. Group A patients had significantly higher risk of developing posttransplant solid organ malignancies (11.3% vs 9.3%, P = 0.006) and lymphoproliferative disorder (1.3% vs 0.8%, P = 0.026). Independent predictors of graft failure and patient mortality were recipients\u27 morbid obesity, diabetes, age, and dialysis duration (hazard ratio of 1.7, 1.4, 1.1/10 years, and 1.1/year for graft failure, and 1.7, 1.7, 1.6/10 years and 1.1/year for patient mortality, respectively). Conclusions. Renal transplantation in patients with has favorable long-term graft and patient outcomes with a low disease recurrence rate. However, they may have a higher risk of developing posttransplant malignancies

Adequate symptom relief justifies hepatic resection for benign disease

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of partial liver resection for benign liver lesions. METHODS: All patients operated on for benign liver lesions from 1991 to 2002 were included. Information was retrieved from medical records, the hospital registration system and by a telephonic questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients with a median age of 41 years (17–71) were operated on (M/F ratio 5/23). The diagnosis was haemangioma in 8 patients, FNH in 6, HCA in 13 and angiomyolipoma in 1. Eight patients were known to have relevant co-morbidity. Median operating time was 207 minutes (45–360). The morbidity rate was 25% and no postoperative mortality was observed. Twenty-two patients (79%) had symptoms (mainly abdominal pain) prior to surgery. Twenty-five patients were reached for a questionnaire. The median follow up was 55 months (4–150). In 89% of patients preoperative symptoms had decreased or disappeared after surgery. Four patients developed late complications. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow up after liver surgery for benign liver lesions shows considerable symptom relief and patient satisfaction. In addition to a correct indication these results justify major surgery with associated morbidity and mortality

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm-Case report of a rare pancreatic tumor

INTRODUCTION: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is a rare pancreatic tumor. Most patients are female within the second or third decade of life with only a small minority concerning children. Frequently described as low malignant potential tumors, surgical resection remains the main treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The authors present a case of a SPN diagnosed in a 17-year-old Caucasian girl with vomiting and abdominal pain localized to the right upper quadrant. CT scans and MRI scans showed the presence of a well-defined tumor arising from the pancreatic head with 14cm of greater diameter. Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and histopathology confirmed a SPN with complete resection and no evidence of malignancy. DISCUSSION: SPN are usually found incidentally hence the importance of an accurate radiologic diagnosis. Symptoms may be present such as abdominal pain or vomiting due to compression, namely in large tumors. A surgical approach is usually indicated aiming complete resection, with tumor size not predicting resectability. CONCLUSION: Solid pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas are extremely rare and usually have an excellent long-term prognosis after surgical resection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio