To assess the effectiveness and the safety of radio-frequency thermal ablation (RFTA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤5
cm in compensated cirrhosis.
A cohort of 202 consecutive ...patients (165 Child-Pugh class A and 37 class B) was prospectively assessed. A single lesion was observed in 160/202 (79.2%), two lesions in 29/202 (14.3%), and three lesions in 13/202 (6.4%) of patients.
Sixty-seven patients died. Survival rates were 80% at 12 months, 67% at 24 months and 57% at 30 months (Child-Pugh A 59% and Child-Pugh B 48%). By Cox regression analysis, survival was independently predicted by serum albumin levels ≥35
g/L, platelet count ≥100.000/mmc, tumor size ≤3
cm, complete response at 1 month and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging classification. Overall recurrence rates were 22, 38, and 44% at 12, 24, and 30 months, respectively. One procedure-related death occurred. The proportion of major complications after treatment was 3.9%.
A complete response after RFTA significantly increases survival. The longest survival is obtained in the presence of HCC ≤3
cm and of higher baseline albumin levels and platelet counts. BCLC staging classification is able to discriminate patients with good or poor prognosis.
Thin (40
nm and 160
nm) Cr
N coatings were deposited on steel by reactive magnetron sputtering deposition, varying the N
2 flow. The coatings were characterized in the as-deposited condition and ...after annealing in air at 500
°C for 1
h, by X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopies. Hardness was measured by nanoindentation. Coatings have a nanocrystalline microstructure with the phase shifting from Cr
2N to CrN, increasing grain size, thermal stability and resistance to oxidation with increasing N
2. Also intrinsic coating hardness is influenced by both N
2 flow during deposition and film thickness, as a result of changes in phase composition and microstructural properties.
We study the effect of a direct giant dipole resonance (GDR) excitation in intermediate dinuclear systems with exotic shape and charge distributions formed in charge asymmetric fusion entrance ...channels. A related enhancement of the GDR gamma yield in the evaporation cascade of the fused nucleus is expected. The dynamical origin of such GDR extra strength will show up in a characteristic anisotropy of the dipole gamma-emission. A fully microscopic analysis of the fusion dynamics is performed with quantitative predictions of the GDR photon yield based on a dynamics-statistics coupling model. In particular we focus our attention on the energy and mass dependence of the effect. We suggest a series of new experiments, in particular some optimal entrance channel conditions. We stress the importance of using the new available radioactive beams.
The presence of correctly formed disulfide bonds is crucial to the structure and function of proteins that are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Disulfide bond formation occurs in the ER ...owing to the presence of several specialized catalysts and a suitable redox potential. Work in yeast has indicated that the ER resident glycoprotein Ero1p provides oxidizing equivalents to newly synthesized proteins via protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). Here we show that Ero1‐Lα, the human homolog of Ero1p, exists as a collection of oxidized and reduced forms and covalently binds PDI. We analyzed Ero1‐Lα cysteine mutants in the presumed active site C391VGCFKC397. Our results demonstrate that this motif is important for protein folding, structural integrity, protein half‐life and the stability of the Ero1‐Lα–PDI complex.
Limited therapies are available for large (≥40 mm) unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Currently, the standard treatment with transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is unsatisfactory with ...high recurrence rate and limited effect on survival. Laser Ablation (LA) has emerged as a relatively new technique characterized by high efficacy and good safety. This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of LA in comparison to TACE in patients with large HCC.
Eighty-two patients with a single HCC nodule ≥40 mm (BCLC stage A or B) were enrolled in this case-control study. Forty-one patients were treated with LA and 41 patients were treated with TACE. Response to therapy was evaluated according to the mRECIST criteria. Survival was calculated with Kaplan-Meier from the time of cancer diagnosis to death with values censored at the date of the last follow-up.
Twenty-six (63.4%) and 8 (19.5%) patients had a complete response after LA and TACE, respectively (
< 0.001). Subsequently we stratified the HCCs in 3 categories according to the nodule size: 40-50 mm, 51-60 mm, and >60 mm. LA resulted superior to TACE especially in nodules ranging between 51 and 60 mm in diameter, with a complete response rate post-LA and post-TACE of 75% and 14.3%, respectively (
= 0.0133). The 36 months cumulative survival rate in patients treated with LA and TACE was 55.4% and 48.8%, respectively. The disease recurrence rates after LA and TACE were 19.5% and 75.0%, respectively.
LA is a more effective therapeutic option than TACE in patients with solitary large HCC.
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