- Trends in the Proportion of Hepatitis C Virus Antibody-Positive Patients Who Could be Considered for Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy Identified Through Preoperative Testing for Ophthalmic Surgery: A Nationwide Multicenter Real-World Cohort Study in Japan. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Sep 16. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of HCV antibody-positive patients in ophthalmology departments has decreased, a considerable proportion could still be considered for DAA therapy. Combining HCV antibody titer determination with EMR review improves the efficiency of identifying patients requiring referral.
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- Prognostic Value of the FIB-3 Index in Patients With Hepatic Encephalopathy Receiving Rifaximin: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Sep 14. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: The FIB-3 index showed better prognostic discrimination than the FIB-4 index and may serve as a simple age-independent fibrosis-related marker that complements established liver function-based prognostic models.
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- Cisterna Chyli Dilation Is a Risk Factor for Liver Nodules and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Fontan-Associated Liver Disease: Pathophysiological Role of Lymphatic Dysfunction. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Sep 12. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: CC dilation was associated with liver nodules in FALD and may reflect lymphatic and hemodynamic burden related to chronic venous congestion. Its potential association with HCC requires validation in larger prospective cohorts.
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- Serum Leucine-Rich α2-Glycoprotein 1 Identifies Cachexia in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis and/or Hepatocellular Carcinoma Having Low C-Reactive Protein Levels. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Sep 11. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Serum LRG1 is associated with cachexia in LC and/or HCC and may provide clinically relevant information not captured by CRP. LRG1 assessment may improve recognition and stratification of cachexia, even in patients with low CRP levels.
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- Rapid Intrasegmental Progression After Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Incidence, Imaging Features, and Clinical Outcomes. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Sep 08. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive imaging features and insufficient post-ablation tumor marker decline were associated with rapid progression, though individual predictive value was low. Tumor marker trends may help guide surveillance and earlier transition to systemic therapy.
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- Nuclear Pan-Lysine Lactylation Immunoreactivity Is Associated With Poor Prognosis in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 28. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Nuclear pan-Kla immunoreactivity was independently associated with poor postoperative outcomes in resected ICC. Pharmacological modulation of lactylation-related pathways was accompanied by suppression of proliferative and cell cycle-related programs, although Kla-specific causality remains to be established.
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- Validation of the Baveno Endoscopy Avoidance Criteria in Japanese Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Real-World Cohort Study. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 28. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: In this large real-world Japanese cohort, the Baveno endoscopy avoidance criteria demonstrated excellent safety for excluding HRV. The exploratory HRV-DS also showed high sensitivity for identifying HRV and may provide a complementary detection-oriented approach in clinical practice.
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- On-Treatment Reassessment of Type IV Collagen 7S and M2BPGi-Qt Improves Long-Term Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk Stratification in Chronic Hepatitis B. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 27. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: On-treatment 4COL7S was independently associated with subsequent HCC development and may serve as a novel direct fibrosis marker for long-term risk stratification in NA-treated chronic hepatitis B. M2BPGi-Qt provided supportive prognostic information, underscoring the clinical relevance of reassessing residual fibrosis-related risk after antiviral treatment initiation.
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- Discordance Between Japanese and European Definitions of Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure in Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis: Insights From a 10-Year Consecutive Cohort. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 24. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Japanese-defined ACLF, particularly extended ACLF, often corresponds to EASL-CLIF grade 0, yet discordant patients showed non-negligible 1-year mortality. These findings suggest that acute hepatic deterioration without overt OF may represent a clinically relevant early-risk phase in alcohol-related cirrhosis. Hepatic- and OF-based frameworks should therefore be interpreted as complementary.
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- Time Matters More Than Distance: The Impact of Transport Logistics on Total Ischemic Time and Survival After Deceased-Donor Liver Transplantation. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 15. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged transport time contributes to increased TIT; however, optimization of perioperative management to minimize TIT may preserve post-transplantation outcomes in long-distance transplantation.
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- Metabolic Burden and Hyperuricemia Are Associated With CKD-Related Outcomes in Individuals With and Without Steatotic Liver Disease. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Oct; 56(10):1535-1546.HR
- CONCLUSIONS: CKD-related outcomes were more strongly associated with the burden of cardiometabolic abnormalities than with hepatic steatosis itself, and these associations were consistent in individuals with and without SLD. Hyperuricemia provided incremental value for renal risk stratification within this cardiometabolic framework, underscoring the importance of comprehensive metabolic risk assessment beyond liver fat status.
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- Clinical Outcomes of Gradual Corticosteroid Tapering for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Liver Injury. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: An empirical gradual corticosteroid tapering strategy developed with reference to Japanese AIH management may contribute to relapse prevention and facilitate ICI rechallenge in patients with ICI-induced liver injury.
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- Des-Gamma-Carboxy Prothrombin Is Associated With Tumor Aggressiveness and Recurrence in Resected Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Clinicopathological and Molecular Analysis. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 13. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: Elevated DCP reflects aggressive tumor biology and identifies patients at high risk of recurrence after resection for BCLC stage 0/A HCC. These findings support the clinical utility of DCP for risk stratification and postoperative surveillance for early-stage HCC.
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- Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 as an Adjunctive Histopathological Marker of Cholangitis Activity in Primary Biliary Cholangitis. [Journal Article]Hepatol Res. 2026 Aug 08. [Online ahead of print]HR
- CONCLUSIONS: IDO-1 reflects active cholangitis rather than chronic damage such as fibrosis or bile duct loss. It is a sensitive marker of dynamic immune activity that may serve as an adjunctive histopathological marker.
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