Clinical and Molecular Hepatology最新文献

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an epithelial cell cancer of the biliary tract. CCA can be further classified into intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA), and distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA) depending on the anatomical location. Until recently, the treatment for advanced CCA has remained highly reliant on chemotherapy, with Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin used in first-line treatment. Recent developments have led to the addition of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to the chemotherapy regimen, highlighting the promising potential of immunotherapies for CCA treatment. Despite these developments, most patients still do not benefit from current treatments, and response rates to ICB monotherapy remain modest. This underscores the need to develop more effective immunotherapeutic strategies. A major obstacle to this is the highly heterogenous nature of the disease. CCA tumors exhibit high inter-tumor heterogeneity in terms of anatomical locations, driver mutations, etiologies, and tumor microenvironment (TME) composition, making each patient immunologically distinct and difficult to benefit from a one-fit-all approach. There is a need to stratify patients according to individual disease status to identify immunotherapies and combination therapies that are most beneficial to them. Here we describe the different ways inter-tumor heterogeneity may arise in CCA, including stromal cell abundance, anatomical location, driver mutations, etiologies, TME profile, and tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) presence. We also discuss what these factors mean to the immune microenvironment and their potential to be used as biomarkers. Careful stratification of patients is crucial in designing personalized medicine to improve survival outcomes and treatment efficacy for CCA patients.

Background/aims: Bezafibrate (BZF), a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor/pregnane X receptor agonist, has demonstrated efficacy in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Although one of the therapeutic effects of BZF is suppression of bile acid synthesis, its specific impact on bile acid synthesis pathways has not been thoroughly explored. This study investigated bile acid profiles, synthesis intermediates, and their associations with liver biochemistries in patients with PBC and PSC, and evaluated the impact of BZF treatment on these associations.

Methods: We enrolled 30 patients with PBC, 10 with PSC, and 30 control subjects. We measured total bile acids, bile acid components, plasma levels of 7α-hydroxycholesterol (7α-OH-C), 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), and 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OH-C) to assess the classic and alternative bile acid synthesis pathways and analyzed the association with liver biochemistries with and without BZF treatment.

Results: Total bile acid levels were elevated in PBC and PSC compared to controls, correlating significantly with liver biochemistries. BZF treatment significantly suppressed the classic pathway, as evidenced by reduced 7α-OH-C and C4 levels. However, 27-OH-C levels, possibly reflecting the alternative pathway activity, were not reduced in those with elevated liver biochemistries despite BZF treatment, suggesting incomplete suppression of alternative pathway in patients with suboptimal BZF response.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that while BZF effectively suppresses the classic pathway, alternative pathway activity may compromise its therapeutic efficacy in treatment-resistant cases, highlighting the need for novel therapies inhibiting the alternative pathway in patients with inadequate response to BZF.

Background/aims: The role of reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in determining outcomes of cirrhotic patients with acute decompensation (AD) is unknown. We aimed to investigate HCMV incidence and potential correlation with hepatic outcomes in AD patients.

Methods: Two prospective multicentre cohorts with AD patients were investigated. Patients in cohort 1 were recruited from 4 centres, while patients in cohort 2 were randomly selected from a second multicentre cohort. HCMV reactivation was established with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay in seropositive patients.

Results: HCMV reactivation was found in 35 patients from cohort 1 (n=722) and 14 from cohort 2 (n=291), with an incidence of 4.8% in both cohorts. Bacterial infection and liver failure were independently correlated with HCMV reactivation. HCMV reactivation was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality. Among bacterial infection populations in these two cohorts, patients with HCMV reactivation had worse prognosis compared to those without. Incidence of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) was higher in patients with HCMV reactivation compared to those without and was also independently correlated with development of ACLF. In a total of 49 HCMV reactivation cases, 8 patients were treated with ganciclovir, in whom a significantly lower 90-day mortality compared with those not treated was observed. All 3 patients who underwent liver transplantation with reactivation of HCMV died.

Conclusion: In AD patients, HCMV reactivation was common, especially in those with bacterial infection or liver failure, and they were more prone to having ACLF and 90‑day mortality. The data propose the need for active surveillance for HCMV infection in AD patients.

Background/aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a global health challenge, leading to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antiviral therapy in achieving sustained virologic response (SVR), concerns persist regarding long-term immune alterations and residual risks, particularly in cirrhotic patients.

Methods: This study investigates 75 soluble immune mediator (SIM) profiles in 102 chronic HCV patients, stratified by cirrhosis status, at therapy initiation, end of treatment, and long-term follow-up (median 96 weeks). Findings were compared with 51 matched healthy controls and validated in an independent cohort of 47 cirrhotic patients, 17 of whom developed HCC.

Results: We observed significant SIM alterations at baseline, with cirrhotic patients displaying a more profoundly dysregulated inflammatory milieu. Despite an overall decline in inflammatory markers following SVR, persistent alterations were evident, particularly in cirrhotic patients. Notably, those with liver stiffness exceeding 14 kPa exhibited sustained inflammatory dysregulation, correlating with liver elastography values. Key SIM such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, urokinase plasminogen activator, and hepatocellular growth factor remained elevated and were associated with HCC development. Network analysis highlighted their roles in liver fibrosis, regeneration, and carcinogenesis.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of early antiviral intervention to prevent cirrhosis-related sequelae. Future studies should explore the mechanistic pathways linking chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and oncogenesis to identify predictive biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets. Addressing persistent immune alterations post-HCV clearance may improve long-term outcomes, particularly in patients with advanced liver disease.

Background/aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) may progress to liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. So far, genome-wide association studies explain a small fraction of MASLD heritability.

Methods: We sought to identify novel genetic determinants of MASLD by exploring interactions between genetic variants and body mass index (BMI). First, we examined genome-wide interactions with BMI for circulating alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels using UK Biobank data. For identified loci, we next examined associations with hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in 35,146 independent UK Biobank participants. Associations with PDFF were replicated in four independent European cohorts, followed by a phenome-wide association study. Finally, we used human liver epigenomic maps and CRISPR/Cas9 experiments in vitro and in vivo to functionally characterize the CYP7A1 locus.

Results: Thirteen loci interact with BMI for ALT (P<5E-8), including eight well-known genetic modulators of MASLD. Two loci-UBXN2B/CYP7A1 and GIPR-are additionally associated with PDFF. For the intronic rs34783010 in GIPR, the minor T allele is associated with lower BMI and higher HbA1c and liver triglyceride content in humans. The UBXN2B/CYP7A1 locus is associated with PDFF in four additional European cohorts. Epigenomic data and in vitro experiments in human liver cells prioritise rs10504255 and CYP7A1 as the functional effectors in this locus. Perturbation of CYP7A1 orthologues using CRISPR/Cas9 results in less liver fat in 10-day-old, metabolically challenged zebrafish larvae.

Conclusion: A genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism×BMI design fuelled identification of two MASLD genes: CYP7A1 and GIPR.

Background/aims: Acute liver failure (ALF) has high mortality predominantly due to compromised immune system and increased vulnerability to bacterial and fungal infections.

Methods: Plasma lipidome and fungal peptide-based community (mycobiome) analysis were performed in discovery cohort (ALF=40, healthy=5) and validated in a validation cohort of 230 patients with ALF using high-resolution-mass-spectrometry, artificial neural network (ANN) and machine learning (ML).

Results: Untargeted lipidomics identified 2,013 lipids across 8 lipid group. 5 lipid-species-phosphatidylcholine (PC)[15:0/17:0], PC[20:1/14:1], PC[26:4/10:0], PC[32:0] and TG[4:0/10:0/23:6]-significantly differentiated ALF-NS (FC>10, P<0.05, FDR<0.01). Mycobiome alpha/beta diversity was significantly higher and showed 4 phyla and >20 species significantly dysregulated in ALF-NS linked with lipid metabolism, fatty acid elongation in ER, and others (P<0.05). Lipid and mycobiome diversity values in ALF-NS were strongly correlated (r2>0.7, P<0.05). Multi-modular correlation network showed striking associations between lipid, fungal peptide modules, and clinical parameters specific to ALF-NS (P<0.05). Cryptococcus amylolentus CBS6039 and Penicillium oxalicum 1142 directly correlated with phosphatidylcholine, triglycerides, and severity in ALF-NS (r2>0.85, P<0.05). POD-fungus and POD-lipids showed direct association with infection, necrosis, and hepatic encephalopathy (Beta>1.2, P<0.05). POD-lipid (AUC=0.969 and HR=1.99 [1.02-2.04]) superseded POD-fungus and severity indices for early-mortality prediction. Finally, significant increase in PC (15:0/17:0) level showed highest normalized importance, and ANNs and ML predicted early mortality with >95% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Interestingly, fungal surveillance protein Clec7a was significantly downregulated (>2-fold), leading to a notable increase in fungal infection-mediated choline/phosphatidylcholine and associated enzymes (FC>1.5; Kennedy cycle). This contributed to phosphatidic acid-mediated hyper-inflammation in ALF-NS.

Conclusion: In ALF, the plasma lipidome and mycobiome are dysregulated. Increased circulating phosphatidylcholine could stratify ALF predisposed to early mortality or require emergency liver transplantation.

Background/aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) remains a global health concern, with over 90% of perinatal infections leading to chronic HBV. To evaluate long-term trends in MTCT rates and associated factors within Korea's national program.

Methods: Population-based cohort study using linked data from the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (PHBPP) and National Health Insurance Service in Korea. The study included HBsAg-positive mother-infant pairs with post-vaccination serologic results from 2002 to 2021.

Results: Among the 154,478 mother-infant pairs, the overall MTCT rate after prophylaxis was 2.3%. Antiviral use lowered MTCT rates (0.9% vs. 2.4%) particularly in HBeAg-positivity (1.0% vs. 5.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.32). Lower MTCT rates were observed for cesarean section vs. vaginal delivery (1.9% vs. 2.6%; aOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.73-0.84) and breastfeeding vs. formula feeding (1.8% vs. 2.8%; aOR 0.65; 95% CI 0.56-0.76). Annual MTCT rates decreased from 3.6% (2002-2005) to 1.3% (2018-2021). Antivirals reduced MTCT rates; initiation at 14-27 weeks (0.39%), or 28-32 weeks (0.44%) vs. ≥33 weeks (1.47%); postpartum continuation (0.55%) vs. antepartum discontinuation (1.44%); use ≥61 days (0.51%) vs. 1-60 days (1.67%). Lower MTCT risk was associated with maternal (old age, high income) and infant (female sex, preterm birth) factors.

Conclusion: This comprehensive analysis of the PHBPP in Korea demonstrates that the use of antivirals, breastfeeding, and cesarean section, combined with conventional immunoprophylaxis, has significantly reduced MTCT rates. These results are crucial for global HBV elimination and can help to guide HBV MTCT prevention strategies.