Prediction of a favorable clinical course in hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal serum alanine aminotransferase levels: A long-term follow-up study

Oxidative stress biomarkers in the serum and plasma of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Can plasma AGE be a marker of NAFLD? Oxidative stress biomarkers in NAFLD patients

Still little is known about the redox abnormalities in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of the study was to find the relationship between enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, redox homeostasis and oxidative damage in 67-patients with NAFLD. The study population was divided into patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (early NAFLD, n = 29) and patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (advanced NAFLD, n = 38). Redox biomarkers: enzymatic antioxidants (Cu - Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR)); non-enzymatic antioxidants and redox status (reduced glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)); and oxidative damage products (total oxidant status (TOS), advanced glycation end products (AGE), malondialdehyde (MDA), and DNA/RNA oxidative damage) were determined in the serum/plasma samples. The activity of SOD, GPx, GR and levels of GSH, TOS, AGE, MDA, and DNA/RNA oxidative damage were significantly elevated in early NAFLD and advanced NAFLD group compared to controls (p < .001). There was a positive correlation between AGE, TAC and ALT activity (R = 0.34, p = .04; R = 0.36, p = .03, respectively) in advanced NAFLD group. Interestingly, ROC analysis for AGE showed good discriminatory ratio for patients with minimal steatosis (BARD score 0-1) vs. moderate steatosis (BARD score 2-4), AUC = 0.76. Plasma AGE can be a potential non-invasive biomarker differentiating NAFLD patients.

The Relationship Between Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms, the Expression of DNA Damage Response Genes, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Polish Population

The molecular mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to DNA damage caused by oxidative stress products induced by hepatitis B virus (HBV) or C (HCV) infection and exposure to environmental pollutants. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DNA damage response (DDR) genes may influence individual susceptibility to environmental risk factors and affect DNA repair efficacy, which, in turn, can influence the risk of HCC. The study evaluates a panel of 15 SNPs in 11 DDR genes (XRCC1, XRCC3, XPD, MUTYH, LIG1, LIG3, hOGG1, PARP1, NFIL1, FEN1, and APEX1) in 65 HCC patients, 50 HBV- and 50 HCV-infected non-cancerous patients, and 50 healthy controls. It also estimates the mRNA expression of nine DDR genes in cancerous and adjacent healthy liver tissues. Two of the investigated polymorphisms (rs1052133 and rs13181) were associated with HCC risk. For all investigated genes, the level of mRNA was significantly lower in HCC cancer tissue than in non-cancerous liver tissue. Seven of the investigated polymorphisms were statistically related to gene expression in cancer tissues. The disruption of DDR genes may be responsible for hepatocellular transformation in HCV-infected patients.

Oxidative stress balance is dysregulated and represents an additional target for treating cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pancreatico-biliary malignancies exhibit similar characteristics, including obesity-related features and poor prognosis, and require new treatment strategies. Oxidative stress is known to induce DNA damage and carcinogenesis, and its reduction is viewed as being favorable. However, it also has anti-infection and anti-cancer functions that need to be maintained. To reveal the effect of oxidative stress on cancer progression, we evaluated oxidative stress and anti-oxidative balance in pancreatic cancer (PC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) patients, as well as the effect of add-on antioxidant treatment to chemotherapy in a mouse cholangiocarcinoma model.

METHODS

We recruited 84 CC and 80 PC patients who were admitted to our hospital. Serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and the anti-oxidative OXY-adsorbent test were determined and the balance of these tests was defined as an oxidative index. A diabetic mouse-based cholangiocarcinoma model was utilized to evaluate the effects of add-on antioxidant therapy on cholangiocarcinoma chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Serum ROM was higher and anti-oxidant OXY was lower in CC patients with poor outcomes. These parameters were not significantly different in PC patients. In mice, vitamin E administration induced antioxidant hemeoxygenase (HO)-1 protein expression in cancer tissue, while the number of stem-like cells increased. l-carnitine administration improved intestinal microbiome and biliary acid balance, upregulated the hepatic mitochondrial membrane uptake related gene Cpt1 in non-cancerous tissue, and did not alter stem-like cell numbers.

CONCLUSION

Oxidative stress balance was dysregulated in cholangiocarcinoma with poor outcome. The mitochondrial function-supporting agent l-carnitine is a good candidate to control oxidative stress conditions.