The American College of Radiology contrast agent–enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System effectively categorized liver nodules 20 mm or smaller in patients at risk for hepatocellular ca... Background American College of Radiology contrast agent–enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) was developed to improve the accuracy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) di...

Insufficient microwave ablation (IMWA) is linked to aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. An increase in lactate levels after sublethal heat stress (HS) has been confirmed in HCC. However, the role of lactate-related histone lactylation in the progression of HCC caused by sublethal HS remains unclear. Here, we found that the metastatic potential of HCC increased in a lactate-dependent manner after IMWA. Moreover, sublethal HS triggered an increase in H3K18la modification, as validated in a cell-derived xenograft mouse model and human HCC samples. By performing an integrated analysis of proteomic and transcriptomic profiles, we revealed that HCC cells exhibited increased intracellular iron ion homeostasis and developed resistance to platinum-based drugs after exposure to sublethal HS. We subsequently integrated proteomic and transcriptomic data with H3K18la-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing to identify candidate genes involved in sublethal heat treatment-induced HCC cell metastasis. Mechanically, an increase in H3K18la modification enhanced the transcriptional activity of NFS1 cysteine desulfurase (NFS1), a key player in iron‒sulfur cluster biosynthesis, thereby reducing the susceptibility of HCC to ferroptosis after IMWA. Knocking down NFS1 diminished the metastatic potential of sublethally heat-treated HCC cells. Additionally, NFS1 deficiency exhibited a synergistic effect with oxaliplatin, leading to the significant inhibition of the metastatic capability of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo, regardless of sublethal HS treatment. In conclusion, our study revealed the oncogenic role of histone lactylation in HCC after IMVA. We also bridged histone lactylation with ferroptosis, providing novel therapeutic targets for HCC following microwave ablation, particularly when combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Non-invasive evaluation of liver steatosis with imaging modalities: New techniques and applications

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatic nodules (≤2cm). We retrospectively evaluated 56 CEUS exam records of hepatic nodules (≤2cm) performed between January 2015 and July 2016 at West China hospital. Each nodule was classified into a LI-RADS-CEUS category by two radiologists according to imaging features. The ultimate CEUS categories were then compared with pathological reports and their correlation was then calculated. Inter-observer agreement for LI-RADS between reader A and B was κ, 0.690, illustrating good consistency. The diagnostic accuracy of LR-5 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was 86.49% but 11.11% for LR-M. LI-RADS-CEUS is a potential standardized categorization system for high-risk HCC patients but might also increase the false-negative diagnosis of nodules of less than 2cm.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) is an evolving technique. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate the value of EUS-LB for parenchymal and focal liver lesions. Besides, we aim...

Can contrast enhanced ultrasound differentiate intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma?