Innovations and breakthroughs Recent reports have highlighted view more the importance of HBV genotypes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), age, and sex in hepatocarcinogenesis and the development of clinical liver cirrhosis. Metabolic syndrome has been found to be independently associated with liver cirrhosis in the patients with chronic hepatitis B. This is the first study to report that HBV genotype C, age (�� 45 years), male sex, and ALT abnormality are independently associated with probable cirrhosis in community-based HBV-infected subjects, especially with the subclinical liver cirrhosis. Furthermore, this study suggested that fatty liver may not be associated with probable liver cirrhosis. Applications This study suggests that genotype C HBV-infected male residents at the age of 45 years or older should be routinely examined for active hepatitis and early cirrhosis.
Early intervention to the HBV-infected subjects with high risks of cirrhosis might be effective for decreasing the overall mortality from liver cirrhosis and subsequent HCC. Terminology Probable cirrhosis is referred to ultrasonographic cirrhosis (ultrasonographic score �� 8) and cirrhosis-like ultrasonographic abnormalities (ultrasonographic score from 5 to 7). Probable cirrhosis is not histologically confirmed liver cirrhosis. Ultrasonography is an imaging examination which is widely accepted by the community-based HBV-infected subjects without apparent clinical manifestations. Peer review The results of this study provide sufficient experimental evidences or data from which scientific conclusions can be drawn.
The discussion is well organized and an overall theoretical analysis is given. Acknowledgments We thank Dr. Hong-Xia Ni and Dr. Ting Fang, Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Ningbo, for their great help in field study; Dr. Lei Han, Dr. Wen-Ying Lu, Dr. Yi-Fang Han, Dr. Xiao-Jie Tan, and Dr. Wen-Jun Chang, Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University for their technical assistance. Footnotes Supported by Ministry of Health of China, No. 2008ZX10002-15; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30921006; Shanghai Science & Technology Committee, No. 08XD14001; and Shanghai Heath Bureau of Health, No.
08GWD02 and 08GWZX0201 Peer reviewer: Raffaele Pezzilli, MD, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Sant��Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Massarenti, 9, Bologna 40138, Italy S- Editor Wang YR L- Editor Ma JY E- Editor Lin YP
AIM: To investigate in vitro treatment with NVP-AEW541, a small molecule inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), in biliary tract cancer (BTC), since this disease is associated with a poor prognosis due to wide resistance to chemotherapeutic agents Carfilzomib and radiotherapy. METHODS: Cell growth inhibition by NVP-AEW541 was studied in vitro in 7 human BTC cell lines by automated cell counting.