scholarly journals Profiling of tumour-associated microbiota in human hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiga Komiyama ◽  
Takahiro Yamada ◽  
Nobuyuki Takemura ◽  
Norihiro Kokudo ◽  
Koji Hase ◽  
...  

AbstractLiver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer that results from chronic hepatitis caused by multiple predisposing factors such as viral infection, alcohol consumption, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Accumulating studies have indicated that dysfunction of the gut epithelial barrier and hepatic translocation of gut microbes may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC. However, the translocated bacteria in HCC patients remains unclear. Here, we characterised tumour-associated microbiota in patients with liver cancer and focused on HCC. We observed that the number of amplicon sequence variants in tumour-associated microbiota was significantly higher compared with that in non-tumour regions of the liver. The tumour-associated microbiota consisted of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria as the dominant phyla. We identified an unclassified genus that belonged to the Bacteroides, Romboutsia, uncultured bacterium of Lachnospiraceae as a signature taxon for primary liver cancer. Additionally, we identified Ruminococcus gnavus as a signature taxon for HCC patients infected with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C viruses. This study suggests that tumour microbiota may contribute to the pathology of HCC.

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 790
Author(s):  
Monica Lupsor-Platon ◽  
Teodora Serban ◽  
Alexandra Iulia Silion ◽  
George Razvan Tirpe ◽  
Alexandru Tirpe ◽  
...  

Global statistics show an increasing percentage of patients that develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and NAFLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even in the absence of cirrhosis. In the present review, we analyzed the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography (US) in the non-invasive evaluation of NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC, as well as possibilities of optimizing US diagnosis with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) assistance. To date, US is the first-line examination recommended in the screening of patients with clinical suspicion of NAFLD, as it is readily available and leads to a better disease-specific surveillance. However, the conventional US presents limitations that significantly hamper its applicability in quantifying NAFLD and accurately characterizing a given focal liver lesion (FLL). Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are an essential add-on to the conventional B-mode US and to the Doppler US that further empower this method, allowing the evaluation of the enhancement properties and the vascular architecture of FLLs, in comparison to the background parenchyma. The current paper also explores the new universe of AI and the various implications of deep learning algorithms in the evaluation of NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC through US methods, concluding that it could potentially be a game changer for patient care.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Benjamin Buchard ◽  
Camille Teilhet ◽  
Natali Abeywickrama Samarakoon ◽  
Sylvie Massoulier ◽  
Juliette Joubert-Zakeyh ◽  
...  

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is considered as the forthcoming predominant cause for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NAFLD-HCC may rise in non-cirrhotic livers in 40 to 50% of patients. The aim of this study was to identify different metabolic pathways of HCC according to fibrosis level (F0F1 vs. F3F4). A non-targeted metabolomics strategy was applied. We analyzed 52 pairs of human HCC and adjacent non-tumoral tissues which included 26 HCC developed in severe fibrosis or cirrhosis (F3F4) and 26 in no or mild fibrosis (F0F1). Tissue extracts were analyzed using 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. An optimization evolutionary method based on genetic algorithm was used to identify discriminant metabolites. We identified 34 metabolites differentiating the two groups of NAFLD-HCC according to fibrosis level, allowing us to propose two metabolomics phenotypes of NAFLD-HCC. We showed that HCC-F0F1 mainly overexpressed choline derivatives and glutamine, whereas HCC-F3F4 were characterized by a decreased content of monounsaturated fatty acids (FA), an increase of saturated FA and an accumulation of branched amino acids. Comparing HCC-F0F1 and HCC-F3F4, differential expression levels of glucose, choline derivatives and phosphoethanolamine, monounsaturated FA, triacylglycerides were identified as specific signatures. Our metabolomics analysis of HCC tissues revealed for the first time two phenotypes of HCC developed in NAFLD according to fibrosis level. This study highlighted the impact of the underlying liver disease on metabolic reprogramming of the tumor.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 184
Author(s):  
Daryl Ramai ◽  
Waqqas Tai ◽  
Michelle Rivera ◽  
Antonio Facciorusso ◽  
Nicola Tartaglia ◽  
...  

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic and progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Its global incidence is increasing which makes NASH an epidemic and a public health threat. Due to repeated insults to the liver, patients are at risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The progression of NASH to HCC was initially defined according to a two-hit model which involved the development of steatosis, followed by lipid peroxidation and inflammation. However, current research defines a “multi-hit” or “multi-parallel hit” model which synthesizes several contributing pathways involved in progressive fibrosis and oncogenesis. This perspective considers the effects of cellular, genetic, immunologic, metabolic, and endocrine pathways leading up to HCC which underscores the complexity of this condition. This article will provide an updated review of the pathogenic mechanisms leading from NASH to HCC as well as an exploration of the role of biomarkers and screening.


2020 ◽  
pp. HEP36
Author(s):  
Pierre Nahon ◽  
Manon Allaire ◽  
Jean-Charles Nault ◽  
Valérie Paradis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) individuals presents substantial clinical and biological characteristics, which remain to be elucidated. Its occurrence in noncirrhotic patients raises issues regarding surveillance strategies, which cannot be considered as cost-effective given the high prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, and furthermore delineates specific oncogenic process that could be targeted in the setting of primary or secondary prevention. In this context, the identification of a genetic heterogeneity modulating HCC risk as well as specific biological pathways have been made possible through genome-wide association studies, development of animal models and in-depth analyses of human samples at the pathological and genomic levels. These advances must be confirmed and pursued to pave the way for personalized management of NAFLD-related HCC.


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