5 research outputs found
Platelets and Hepatocellular Cancer: Bridging the Bench to the Clinics
Get PDFGrowing interest is recently being focused on the role played by the platelets in favoring hepatocellular cancer (HCC) growth and dissemination. The present review reports in detail both the experimental and clinical evidence published on this topic. Several growth factors and angiogenic molecules specifically secreted by platelets are directly connected with tumor progression and neo-angiogenesis. Among them, we can list the platelet-derived growth factor, the vascular endothelial growth factor, the endothelial growth factor, and serotonin. Platelets are also involved in tumor spread, favoring endothelium permeabilization and tumor cells' extravasation and survival in the bloodstream. From the bench to the clinics, all of these aspects were also investigated in clinical series, showing an evident correlation between platelet count and size of HCC, tumor biological behavior, metastatic spread, and overall survival rates. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the platelet-tumor axis represents a paramount aspect for optimizing both current tumor treatment and development of new therapeutic strategies against HCC
Impact of anthropogenic disturbances on beetle communities of French Mediterranean coastal dunes
No full textIn coastal dunes, influenced by anthropogenic activities such as tourism, it is important to determine the relative influence of environmental factors at different spatial scales to evaluate the sensitivity of local communities to disturbances. We analyzed beetle communities of 14 dunes of the French Mediterranean coast: four in the relatively preserved Camargue area, and ten in the Var department, where tourism is intensive. Beetle communities were studied three times in early spring using sand sampling. Species-environment relationships were evaluated at the regional, landscape and local scale using redundancy analysis (RDA) and variability partitioning. About 28 species were identified, of which 15 were sand-specialist species, which accounted for more than 93% of total abundance. The beetle communities of Camargue were significantly different from those of the Var department owing to the pullulation of a Tenebrionid species (Trachyscelis aphodioides Latr.) in the Var, except for one restored dune where the community was very similar to those of Camargue. Our results showed no longitudinal gradient between the two regions. Local factors (dune height, preservation and disturbance index) significantly explained most of the variation in the dominance of T. aphodioides, while some other local factors were important for other psammophilous species. This study also suggests that dune beetle communities are strongly affected on beaches intensively managed for tourism, but beetles are still abundant in much disturbed sites
Liver Transplantation in Alcoholic Patients: Impact of an Alcohol Addiction Unit Within a Liver Transplant Center
Get PDFBackground: Many concerns about liver transplantation in alcoholic patients are related to the risk
of alcohol recidivism. Starting from 2002, an Alcohol Addiction Unit (AAU) was formed within the
liver transplant center for the management of alcoholic patients affected by end-stage liver disease and
included in the waiting list for transplantation. We evaluated retrospectively the impact of the AAU on
alcohol recidivism after transplantation. The relationship between alcohol recidivism and the duration
of alcohol abstinence before transplant was evaluated as well.
Methods: Between 1995 and 2010, 92 cirrhotic alcoholic patients underwent liver transplantation.
Clinical evaluation and management of alcohol use in these patients was provided by psychiatrists with
expertise in addiction medicine not affiliated to the liver transplant center before 2002 (n = 37; group
A), or by the clinical staff of the AAU within the liver transplant center starting from 2002 (n = 55;
group B).
Results: Group B, as compared with group A, showed a significantly lower prevalence of alcohol
recidivism (16.4 vs. 35.1%; p = 0.038) and a significantly lower mortality (14.5 vs. 37.8%; p = 0.01).
Furthermore, an analysis of group B patients with either 6 or <6 months of alcohol abstinence before
transplantation showed no difference in the rate of alcohol recidivism (21.1 vs. 15.4%; p = ns).
Conclusions: The presence of an AAU within a liver transplant center reduces the risk of alcohol
recidivism after transplantation. A pretransplant abstinence period <6 months might be considered, at
least in selected patients managed by an AAU
Platelets and hepatocellular cancer: Bridging the bench to the clinics
Get PDFGrowing interest is recently being focused on the role played by the platelets in favoring hepatocellular cancer (HCC) growth and dissemination. The present review reports in detail both the experimental and clinical evidence published on this topic. Several growth factors and angiogenic molecules specifically secreted by platelets are directly connected with tumor progression and neo-angiogenesis. Among them, we can list the platelet-derived growth factor, the vascular endothelial growth factor, the endothelial growth factor, and serotonin. Platelets are also involved in tumor spread, favoring endothelium permeabilization and tumor cells' extravasation and survival in the bloodstream. From the bench to the clinics, all of these aspects were also investigated in clinical series, showing an evident correlation between platelet count and size of HCC, tumor biological behavior, metastatic spread, and overall survival rates. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the platelet-tumor axis represents a paramount aspect for optimizing both current tumor treatment and development of new therapeutic strategies against HCC
Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in patients with curative resection or ablation: impact of HCV eradication does not depend on the use of interferon
No full textBackground: In HCV-infected cirrhotic patients with successfully treated early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the time to HCC recurrence and the effects of sustained viral eradication (SVR) by interferon (IFN)-based or IFN-free regimens on HCC recurrence remain unclear. Aim: To perform an indirect comparison of time to recurrence (TTR) in patients with successfully treated early HCC and active HCV infection with those of patients with SVR by IFN-based and by IFN-free regimens. Methods: We evaluated 443 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage A/0 HCC who had a complete radiological response after curative resection or ablation. Active HCV infection was present in 328, selected from the Italian Liver Cancer group cohort; 58 patients had SVR achieved by IFN-free regimens after HCC cure, and 57 patients had SVR achieved by IFN-based regimens after HCC cure. Individual data of patients in the last two groups were extracted from available publications. Results: TTR by KaplanâMeier curve was significantly lower in patients with active HCV infection compared with those with SVR both by IFN-free (P = 0.02) and by IFN-based (P < 0.001) treatments. TTR was similar in patients with SVR by IFN-free or by IFN-based (P = 0.49) strategies. Conclusion: In HCV-infected, successfully treated patients with early HCC, SVR obtained by IFN-based or IFN-free regimens significantly reduce tumour recurrence without differences related to the anti-viral strategy used
