The feces from these patients were collected using the stool coll

The feces from these patients were collected using the stool collection devices, and were stored at −20°C. All the subjects provided their written informed consent, and the use of fecal samples and isolated H. pylori strains for this study was approved by the ethics committee of Hirosaki University. The following laboratory bacterial strains were used: check details H. pylori ATCC 43504, H. hepaticus ATCC 51448, H. felis ATCC 49179, H. mustelae ATCC 43772, H. cinaedi ATCC 35683, Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 29428, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacteroides vulgatus IFO 14921, Bifidobacterium breve JCM 1192, and Bifidobacterium infantis JCM 1222. H. pylori strains isolated

from 1344 Japanese patients who underwent gastro-duodenoscopy at Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital were also tested. Culturing and whole-cell disruption of all of the bacterial strains was carried out as described previously.8 The standard H. pylori cellular antigen was prepared from H. pylori ATCC 43504 and cultured on Difco Brain Heart Infusion Agar (Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) plates containing 5% horse blood in a microaerophilic environment (Anaero Pack Helico System; Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc., Tokyo, Japan).

The culture plate was incubated for 7 days in an anaerobic environment (Anaero Pack Anaero System; Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc.). Bacterial cells R788 clinical trial were harvested, washed with PBS, suspended in PBS containing 0.5% formalin, and then incubated at 4°C for overnight. The bacterial cells were washed three times with PBS and disrupted by sonication (Biom’c Model 7250, Seiko Instruments & Electronics, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). H. pylori ATCC 43504 antigen was obtained from the supernatant upon centrifugation of the sonicated suspension and was stored at −30°C until use. The protein concentration of antigens from the clinical strains was adjusted to 5 µg/mL with the diluent buffer. The protein concentration of the laboratory strains was adjusted to 40 000, 8000, 1600, 320, and 64 ng/mL for TPAg EIA test,

and adjusted to 10 µg/mL for Rapid TPAg test. Catalase activity of the bacterial 3-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) reductase antigen prepared from 127 H. pylori clinical strains was determined at 25°C by spectrophotometry15 using a molar absorption coefficient of 43.48 L/mol/cm at 240 nm.16 The protein concentration was determined with a bicinchoninic acid protein assay reagent (PIERCE., Rockford, IL, USA) with bovine serum albumin as the standard. TPAg EIA and Rapid TPAg were stored at 30°C for 12 months. The diagnostic performances of the TPAg EIA and Rapid TPAg were examined using the H. pylori ATCC 43504 antigen and five clinical fecal samples. Three of the fecal samples were from H. pylori-positive patients, and two samples were from H. pylori-negative patients. Correlation between catalase activity and the absorbance value of TPAg EIA was calculated by Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Key Word(s): 1 lncRNAs; 2 hypoxia; 3 gastric cancer; 4 metast

Key Word(s): 1. lncRNAs; 2. hypoxia; 3. gastric cancer; 4. metastasis; Presenting

Author: DULCIENEM.M. QUEIROZ Additional Authors: GIFONEA ROCHA, ANDREIAMC ROCHA, NATHALIEB.F. ALMEIDA, VIVIANEC.F. SANTOS, KÁDIMAN. TEIXEIRA, FABRÍCIOF. MELO, ALDOA.M LIMA Corresponding Author: DULCIENEM.M. QUEIROZ Affiliations: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Unviersidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Unviersidade Federal do Ceará Objective: In genome-wide association studies, STAT3 (rs744166) minor G allele is associated with protection against inflammatory selleck inhibitor bowel disease. It is well known that STAT3 has protective effect on the intestinal mucosa, whereas in the stomach it is associated with carcinogenesis by participating in a series of tumorigenic processes such as cell proliferation, survival, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis and immune evasion and inflammation. Thus, we evaluated whether the polymorphism is associated with increased risk of gastric cancer. Methods: We included 878 subjects: 232 H. pylori-positive adult patients with distal gastric carcinoma and 105 with gastritis and 541 voluntary blood donors. The STAT3 polymorphism was analyzed by Taqman SNP genotyping assays in DNA extracted

from leukocytes. Cytokine gastric concentrations were evaluated according to each genotype in the group of patients with gastritis VX 809 by ELISA. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 17. Results: The alleles at individual loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. The frequency of G allele was higher (p = 0.01) in gastric cancer patients (52.6%) than in the control group (43.4%). In the multivariate analysis, the rs744166 minor allele (OR = 1.68, 95%CI = 1.17 – 2.41), increasing

age (OR = 1.20, 95%CI = 1.17 – 1.23) and male gender (OR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.01 – 3.05) remained independently associated with gastric cancer. The gastric concentrations of IL-11, IL-17A and IL-23 were higher in the carriers of the rs744166 polymorphic allele than in those with the wild genotypes. Conclusion: Concluding, STAT3 rs744166 polymorphism is a risk factor for gastric cancer and modifies the gastric expression of Th-17 cell-related Anidulafungin (LY303366) cytokines, which may be due to the role of STAT3 in controlling Th-17 pathway. Grants: INCT/CNPq/CAPES. Key Word(s): 1. Helicobacter pylori; 2. Gastric cancer; 3. Stat3; 4. Interleukins; Presenting Author: HONG LI Additional Authors: DAIMING FAN, YONGQUAN SHI, JIE DING Corresponding Author: YONGQUAN SHI, JIE DING Affiliations: Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases & State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology Objective: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is the most common precancerous lesion of gastric cancer. Bile acids have been considered playing a pivotal role in the induction of IM. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly understood. We aimed to explore the role of miRNAs in bile acids induced IM.

Key Word(s): 1 lncRNAs; 2 hypoxia; 3 gastric cancer; 4 metast

Key Word(s): 1. lncRNAs; 2. hypoxia; 3. gastric cancer; 4. metastasis; Presenting

Author: DULCIENEM.M. QUEIROZ Additional Authors: GIFONEA ROCHA, ANDREIAMC ROCHA, NATHALIEB.F. ALMEIDA, VIVIANEC.F. SANTOS, KÁDIMAN. TEIXEIRA, FABRÍCIOF. MELO, ALDOA.M LIMA Corresponding Author: DULCIENEM.M. QUEIROZ Affiliations: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Unviersidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Unviersidade Federal do Ceará Objective: In genome-wide association studies, STAT3 (rs744166) minor G allele is associated with protection against inflammatory Gefitinib cell line bowel disease. It is well known that STAT3 has protective effect on the intestinal mucosa, whereas in the stomach it is associated with carcinogenesis by participating in a series of tumorigenic processes such as cell proliferation, survival, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis and immune evasion and inflammation. Thus, we evaluated whether the polymorphism is associated with increased risk of gastric cancer. Methods: We included 878 subjects: 232 H. pylori-positive adult patients with distal gastric carcinoma and 105 with gastritis and 541 voluntary blood donors. The STAT3 polymorphism was analyzed by Taqman SNP genotyping assays in DNA extracted

from leukocytes. Cytokine gastric concentrations were evaluated according to each genotype in the group of patients with gastritis Torin 1 by ELISA. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 17. Results: The alleles at individual loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. The frequency of G allele was higher (p = 0.01) in gastric cancer patients (52.6%) than in the control group (43.4%). In the multivariate analysis, the rs744166 minor allele (OR = 1.68, 95%CI = 1.17 – 2.41), increasing

age (OR = 1.20, 95%CI = 1.17 – 1.23) and male gender (OR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.01 – 3.05) remained independently associated with gastric cancer. The gastric concentrations of IL-11, IL-17A and IL-23 were higher in the carriers of the rs744166 polymorphic allele than in those with the wild genotypes. Conclusion: Concluding, STAT3 rs744166 polymorphism is a risk factor for gastric cancer and modifies the gastric expression of Th-17 cell-related Resveratrol cytokines, which may be due to the role of STAT3 in controlling Th-17 pathway. Grants: INCT/CNPq/CAPES. Key Word(s): 1. Helicobacter pylori; 2. Gastric cancer; 3. Stat3; 4. Interleukins; Presenting Author: HONG LI Additional Authors: DAIMING FAN, YONGQUAN SHI, JIE DING Corresponding Author: YONGQUAN SHI, JIE DING Affiliations: Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases & State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology Objective: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is the most common precancerous lesion of gastric cancer. Bile acids have been considered playing a pivotal role in the induction of IM. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly understood. We aimed to explore the role of miRNAs in bile acids induced IM.

Results: Results: 87 (534%) patients had MAP, 58 (356%) MSAP an

Results: Results: 87 (53.4%) patients had MAP, 58 (35.6%) MSAP and 18 (11.04%) SAP. Among the baseline characteristics, BISAP was significantly higher in MSAP compared to MAP[1.2 (1.9–2.4) vs 1.6 (1.5–2.01); p = 0.002] but was similar to

SAP; and BUN was significantly higher in SAP compared to MSAP[64.9 (50.7–79.1) vs 24.9 (20.7–29.1); p < 0.0001]. All outcomes except in-hospital mortality were significantly higher in MSAP compared to MAP. Need for ICU care (83.3% vs 43.1%; p = 0.01), total ICU days www.selleckchem.com/products/R788(Fostamatinib-disodium).html (7.9 (4.8–10.9) vs 3.5 (0.5–2.5); p = 0.04) and in-hospital mortality (38.9% vs 1.7%; p = 0.0002) was significantly more in SAP compared to MSAP; while total hospital stay and frequency of IN were similar in both. Four (4.6%) patients with MAP required ICU care due to pneumonia and sepsis, and had similar hospital

stay as MSAP. Moreover, patients with MSAP who had IN (n = 10) had similar outcomes as those of patients with SAP. Conclusion: This study validates the clinical utility of the Revised Atlanta definitions of severity of AP. However, there appears to Compound Library cost be some heterogeneity in the MSAP group in terms of outcomes. Key Word(s): 1. Revised Atlanta; 2. validation; Table 1: Comparison of outcomes among different categories of acute pancreatitis Outcomes MAP MSAP SAP (n = 87) (n = 58) (n = 18) *indicates statistically significant difference between MAP and MSAP Table 2: Difference in outcomes between MSAP

with IPN and SAP Outcomes Moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) with infected necrosis (n = 10) Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) (n = 18) ‘p’ value Total hospital stay in days (Mean; 95% Cl) 14 (4.3–23.7) 15.1 (10.7–19.5) 0.84 Need for ICU care (n; %) 6 (60) 15 (83.3) 0.63 Days in ICU (Mean; 95% CI) 3.5 (1.2–12.1) 7.9 (4.8–10.9) 0.35 Need for interventions (n; %) 5 (50) 6 (33.3) 0.39 In-hospital mortality (n; %) 1 (10) 7 (38.9) 0.11 Presenting Author: RUPJYOTI TALUKDAR Additional Authors: GV RAO, D NAGESHWAR REDDY Corresponding Author: this website RUPJYOTI TALUKDAR Affiliations: Asian Institute of Gastroenterology Objective: Pancreatic calcification has been shown to be a risk factor for diabetes (DM) in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). It was unclear whether ductal calculi or parenchymal calcification attributes to the risk. We prospectively re-explored the disease-related risk factors for DM in CP and studied the impact of ductal decompression on DM in a high volume academic center. Methods: 645 patients with chronic pancreatitis were followed for a mean (range) duration of 3.5 (1.3–10.1) yrs. Data on clinical/radiological characteristics of CP, diabetic status, and ductal decompression (endotherapy and LPJ) were prospectively recorded. CP related data from previous evaluation were also recorded.


“Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is typically c


“Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is typically characterized by orthostatic headache; however, various atypical manifestations of SIH have been

reported recently. We report here the case of a 46-year-old man with headache secondary to SIH, which was nonorthostatic, triggered only when the patient shook his head. We suggest that SIH should be suspected in patients with headache induced by head-shaking, even without orthostatic features, especially when the headache is accompanied by other symptoms commonly associated with SIH. “
“Background.— Studies using resources of a public family health program to estimate the prevalence of chronic JNK inhibitor mw daily headaches (CDH) are lacking. Objectives.— To estimate the 1-year prevalence of CDH, as well as the presence of associated psychiatric and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) comorbidities,

on the entire population of a city representative of the rural area of Brazil. Methods.— This was a cross-sectional, population-based, 2-phase study. In the first phase, health agents interviewed all individuals older than 10 years, in a rural area of Brazil. In the second stage, all individuals who reported headaches on 4 or more days per week were then evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. CDH were classified according to the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2). Medication overuse headache Liothyronine Sodium was diagnosed, as per the ICHD-2, after detoxification trials. Psychiatric comorbidities MG-132 in vitro and TMD were diagnosed based on the DSM-IV and on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders criteria, respectively. Results.— A total of 1631 subjects participated in the direct interviews. Of them, 57 (3.6%) had CDH. Chronic migraine was the most common of the CDH (21, 36.8%). Chronic tension-type headache (10, 17.5%), medication overuse headache (13, 22.8%) and probable medication overuse headache

(10, 17.5%) were also common. Psychiatric disorders were observed in 38 (67.3%) of the CDH subjects. TMD were seen in 33 (58.1)% of them. Conclusions.— The prevalence of CDH in the rural area of Brazil is similar to what has been reported in previous studies. A significant proportion of them have psychiatric comorbidities and/or TMD. In this sample, comorbidities were as frequent as reported in convenience samples from tertiary headache centers. (Headache 2010;50:1306-1312) “
“The primary aim of our study was to evaluate if a group of medication-overuse headache (MOH) patients present dysfunctions in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuit. The secondary aim was to disentangle the role of the medication overuse and of the acute/chronic headache in determining these alterations and to investigate their persistence. Several researches have suggested that MOH may belong to the spectrum of addictive behavior.


“Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is typically c


“Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is typically characterized by orthostatic headache; however, various atypical manifestations of SIH have been

reported recently. We report here the case of a 46-year-old man with headache secondary to SIH, which was nonorthostatic, triggered only when the patient shook his head. We suggest that SIH should be suspected in patients with headache induced by head-shaking, even without orthostatic features, especially when the headache is accompanied by other symptoms commonly associated with SIH. “
“Background.— Studies using resources of a public family health program to estimate the prevalence of chronic GSK1120212 daily headaches (CDH) are lacking. Objectives.— To estimate the 1-year prevalence of CDH, as well as the presence of associated psychiatric and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) comorbidities,

on the entire population of a city representative of the rural area of Brazil. Methods.— This was a cross-sectional, population-based, 2-phase study. In the first phase, health agents interviewed all individuals older than 10 years, in a rural area of Brazil. In the second stage, all individuals who reported headaches on 4 or more days per week were then evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. CDH were classified according to the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2). Medication overuse headache Thymidine kinase was diagnosed, as per the ICHD-2, after detoxification trials. Psychiatric comorbidities IWR-1 supplier and TMD were diagnosed based on the DSM-IV and on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders criteria, respectively. Results.— A total of 1631 subjects participated in the direct interviews. Of them, 57 (3.6%) had CDH. Chronic migraine was the most common of the CDH (21, 36.8%). Chronic tension-type headache (10, 17.5%), medication overuse headache (13, 22.8%) and probable medication overuse headache

(10, 17.5%) were also common. Psychiatric disorders were observed in 38 (67.3%) of the CDH subjects. TMD were seen in 33 (58.1)% of them. Conclusions.— The prevalence of CDH in the rural area of Brazil is similar to what has been reported in previous studies. A significant proportion of them have psychiatric comorbidities and/or TMD. In this sample, comorbidities were as frequent as reported in convenience samples from tertiary headache centers. (Headache 2010;50:1306-1312) “
“The primary aim of our study was to evaluate if a group of medication-overuse headache (MOH) patients present dysfunctions in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuit. The secondary aim was to disentangle the role of the medication overuse and of the acute/chronic headache in determining these alterations and to investigate their persistence. Several researches have suggested that MOH may belong to the spectrum of addictive behavior.

Patients with Crohn’s disease have a higher incidence of white ma

Patients with Crohn’s disease have a higher incidence of white matter T2 hyperintensities as compared with controls. Age was the only significant factor for the abnormalities

within Crohn’s group. White matter T2 hyperintensities are likely another extra-intestinal selleck kinase inhibitor manifestation of Crohn’s disease. “
“Subclavian steal phenomenon occurs when cerebral blood flow is diverted to supply the arm. We report 3 patients with asymptomatic subclavian steal phenomenon with retrograde blood flow in the vertebral artery who presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to dissecting aneurysms of the involved vertebral artery. The association of subclavian steal phenomenon complicated by subarachnoid hemorrhage due to dissecting vertebral aneurysms has not been previously described. “
“We present an unusual case of primary intracranial carcinoid tumor of the skull base centered at the level of the foramen jugulare, selleckchem which was proven with surgical biopsy and later with Somatostatin receptor nuclear medicine scan. We present the salient magnetic resonance imaging features of this rare tumor, describe their characteristic nuclear medicine findings, and briefly review the literature. “
“Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) is thought to

be responsible for 8% of all ischemic stroke subtypes. The best medical treatment for this condition is still controversial. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) emboli monitoring may help to guide the treatment by measuring the frequency of microembolic signals (MES). We report a case of IAS where TCD emboli monitoring proved useful in establishing

the mechanism of stroke by being artery-to-artery emboli and guiding therapy based on the frequent symptoms and number of MES. “
“Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome with visuospatial deficits. PET studies have identified hypometabolism of the occipital cortex in PCA. There Enzalutamide order is, however, a huge overlap in clinical presentation and involvement of the occipital cortex between PCA, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Syndrome-specific patterns of metabolism have not yet been demonstrated that allow for a reliable differentiation with [F-18]-FDG-PET. A total of 33 dementia patients (PCA n = 6, DLB n = 12, AD n = 15) who underwent [F-18]-FDG-PET imaging and a neuropsychological examination were retrospectively analyzed. Group comparisons of regional cerebral glucose metabolism were calculated with statistical parametric mapping. Extracted clusters were used to evaluate discrimination accuracy by logistic regression. PCA patients showed a syndrome-specific area of hypometabolism in the right lateral temporooccipital cortex.

Simulated crown preparations with known buccolingual axial wall c

Simulated crown preparations with known buccolingual axial wall convergence

angles (4°, 8°, 12°, 16°, 20°, 24°, 28° 32°), sloped-shoulder marginal area, and occlusal reduction were created and restored with a ceramic crown. The tooth restoration was loaded with a 200 N force at 45° to the incline of the buccal cusp. The responses of the restored tooth with luting agents were analyzed using the 3D finite element method. This study demonstrated that a convergence angle of the preparation above 12° produced a decrease of the resistance of the crown to rotational effects. The study EPZ-6438 in vivo also showed that the use of luting agents that provide bonding between the restoration and dentine improved the rotational resistance of the crown on preparations with large convergence angles. Use of buccolingual convergence angles greater

than 12° reduced the resistance form of the preparation. Luting agents capable of delivering strong bonding between the crown and the preparation improved the resistance in highly tapered preparations. “
“Retrievability is a major concern with cemented versus screw-retained implant restorations. This article describes the use of AG-014699 datasheet cone beam radiography to help target and create a precise screw access opening for a loosened implant-supported single crown retained by cement to its abutment. “
“This clinical report describes a novel method to retrieve the internal connection of a fractured zirconia abutment through modification of a crown and bridge remover. Furthermore, the strengths and limitations of using a zirconia implant abutment will be highlighted. “
“The most frequent mechanical complications of bar-retained implant overdentures (IODs) are fracture of the dentures, loosening of the bar screws, and the need to reactivate the retentive clips. When a bar-retained IOD with an acrylic resin base fractures, the existing bar attachment should be removed to fabricate

a new overdenture. So far, no method has been previously described for remaking a fractured mandibular bar-retained IOD without removing the existing bar attachment. This article describes fabrication of a fractured mandibular bar-retained IOD with distally placed ball attachments using attachment transfer analogs. The described technique aminophylline allows the patient to use the existing overdenture temporarily until the new overdenture is delivered. “
“This clinical report shows the use of extraoral implants to rehabilitate an ocular defect, focusing the surgical and prosthetic procedures. Using local anesthesia and a surgical template obtained from the diagnostic wax ocular pattern, two cylinder dental implants were strategically placed in the lateral aspect of the right infraorbital region. Four months later, an acrylic framework including two spherical magnets was made using plastic UCLA abutments.

Simulated crown preparations with known buccolingual axial wall c

Simulated crown preparations with known buccolingual axial wall convergence

angles (4°, 8°, 12°, 16°, 20°, 24°, 28° 32°), sloped-shoulder marginal area, and occlusal reduction were created and restored with a ceramic crown. The tooth restoration was loaded with a 200 N force at 45° to the incline of the buccal cusp. The responses of the restored tooth with luting agents were analyzed using the 3D finite element method. This study demonstrated that a convergence angle of the preparation above 12° produced a decrease of the resistance of the crown to rotational effects. The study find more also showed that the use of luting agents that provide bonding between the restoration and dentine improved the rotational resistance of the crown on preparations with large convergence angles. Use of buccolingual convergence angles greater

than 12° reduced the resistance form of the preparation. Luting agents capable of delivering strong bonding between the crown and the preparation improved the resistance in highly tapered preparations. “
“Retrievability is a major concern with cemented versus screw-retained implant restorations. This article describes the use of Caspase inhibitor cone beam radiography to help target and create a precise screw access opening for a loosened implant-supported single crown retained by cement to its abutment. “
“This clinical report describes a novel method to retrieve the internal connection of a fractured zirconia abutment through modification of a crown and bridge remover. Furthermore, the strengths and limitations of using a zirconia implant abutment will be highlighted. “
“The most frequent mechanical complications of bar-retained implant overdentures (IODs) are fracture of the dentures, loosening of the bar screws, and the need to reactivate the retentive clips. When a bar-retained IOD with an acrylic resin base fractures, the existing bar attachment should be removed to fabricate

a new overdenture. So far, no method has been previously described for remaking a fractured mandibular bar-retained IOD without removing the existing bar attachment. This article describes fabrication of a fractured mandibular bar-retained IOD with distally placed ball attachments using attachment transfer analogs. The described technique selleck screening library allows the patient to use the existing overdenture temporarily until the new overdenture is delivered. “
“This clinical report shows the use of extraoral implants to rehabilitate an ocular defect, focusing the surgical and prosthetic procedures. Using local anesthesia and a surgical template obtained from the diagnostic wax ocular pattern, two cylinder dental implants were strategically placed in the lateral aspect of the right infraorbital region. Four months later, an acrylic framework including two spherical magnets was made using plastic UCLA abutments.

[7] The aim of this study was to compare radio- and pathological

[7] The aim of this study was to compare radio- and pathological changes and test the adjunct efficacy of sorafenib to yttrium-90 radioembolization (Y90) as a bridge to transplantation in HCC. We tested WHO, EASL, RECIST, mRECIST and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values (DWI parameter) as surrogate markers of complete pathological response after randomization to Yttrium-90 selleck chemical radioembolization (Y90) with or without Sorafenib. This is a detailed imaging analysis from a prospective, randomized study of Y90 radioembolization ± sorafenib in HCC patients being bridged to orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). Patients were randomized 1:1 to

Y90 alone (group A) or in combination with sorafenib (group B). The trial was approved by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board (Chicago, IL), compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and has

been registered (NCT00846131). Clinical effects (adverse events, tolerability, and dose reductions) of combining Y90 with sorafenib are beyond the scope of this imaging analysis and are being reported in a separate article focused on clinical outcomes. Inclusion criteria for the study included HCC confirmed this website by American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidelines, Child-Pugh score ≤B8, and candidates for OLT (up to University of California San Francisco [UCSF] criteria).[2] Patients with performance status >2, metastatic disease, tumor-related portal vein thrombosis (PVT), and/or biological or clinical abnormality contraindicating sorafenib or radioembolization were not study candidates. By protocol, patients receiving >2 Y90 treatments were withdrawn from the analysis. Despite being classified as advanced HCC by Barcelona staging (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; BCLC), patients Venetoclax chemical structure with performance status >0, but with imaging findings of BCLC A, were still considered for transplantation. Between February 2009 and October 2012, 23 patients

(group A: N = 12; group B: N = 11) were enrolled in the study (study flow chart; Fig. 1). Two did not receive therapy: One patient from group A did not have confirmed angiographic hypervascularity at angiography (despite meeting diagnostic criteria), with a subsequent biopsy being negative for malignancy, and 1 from group B died before treatment (ruptured HCC). One patient from group A withdrew consent; that patient was treated off-study with Y90, followed by OLT. The 20 remaining patients comprise the intention-to-treat patient sample (group A: N = 10; group B: N = 10). The study was officially closed on February 7, 2013, when the last remaining patient in group A died of cardiac causes while awaiting transplantation.