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Background: Liver cancer is typified by a complex inflammatory tumor microenvironment, where an array of cytokines and stromal cells orchestrate a milieu that significantly influences tumorigenesis. Interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A), a pivotal pro‐inflammatory cytokine predominantly secreted by Th17 cells, is known to play a substantial role in the etiology and progression of liver cancer. However, the precise mechanism by which IL‐17A engages with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to facilitate the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be fully elucidated. This investigation seeks to unravel the interplay between IL‐17A and HSCs in the context of HCC. Methods: An HCC model was established in male Sprague–Dawley rats using diethylnitrosamine to explore the roles of IL‐17A and HSCs in HCC pathogenesis. In vivo overexpression of Il17a was achieved using adeno‐associated virus. A suite of molecular techniques, including RT‐qPCR, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, Western blotting, cell counting kit‐8 assays and colony formation assays, was employed for in vitro analyses. Results: The study findings indicate that IL‐17A is a key mediator in HCC promotion, primarily through the activation of hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs). This pro‐tumorigenic influence appears to be mediated by HSCs, rather than through a direct effect on HPCs. Notably, IL‐17A‐induced expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in HSCs emerged as a critical factor in HCC progression. Silencing Fap in IL‐17A‐stimulated HSCs was observed to reverse the HCC‐promoting effects of HSCs. Conclusions: The collective evidence from this study implicates the IL‐17A/FAP signaling axis within HSCs as a contributor to HCC development by enhancing HPC activation. These findings bolster the potential of IL‐17A as a diagnostic and preventative target for HCC, offering new avenues for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent structural and functional imaging studies of depression in Parkinson disease (DPD) have failed to reveal the relevant mechanism, and relatively few studies have been conducted on limbic systems such as the hippocampus. This study thus aimed to gain new insights into the pathogenesis of DPD by detecting the changes in the hippocampal structure and the resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of patients with DPD., Methods: This study included 30 patients with DPD (DPD group), 30 patients with nondepressed Parkinson disease (NDPD; NDPD group), and 30 normal controls (NCs; NC group) with no significant age or gender differences with the DPD group. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging and blood oxygen level-dependent imaging data of all patients were collected. The hippocampal volumes were measured using MATLAB software (MathWorks). The correlation between hippocampal volume and the HAMD score in the DPD group was analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. The bilateral hippocampi were used as the regions of interest and as the seed points for FC. FC analysis was performed between the preprocessed functional data of the whole brain and the two seed points with Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State and Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software, respectively. The correlation between FC and HAMD scores in the patients with DPD was determined using partial correlation analysis., Results: Compared with those in the NC group and the NDPD group, the bilateral hippocampal volumes in the DPD group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between the bilateral hippocampal volume and the HAMD score in the DPD group (P<0.05). Compared with that of the NDPD group, the FC of the right hippocampus with the right occipital lobe and left precuneus was reduced in the DPD group. In the DPD group, the FC values of the right hippocampus, right occipital lobe, and left anterior cuneiform lobe were negatively correlated with HAMD scores., Conclusions: The volume of bilateral hippocampi in patients with DPD is significantly decreased and negatively correlated with the severity of depressive disorder. The weakened FC of the right hippocampus to the right occipital lobe and the left precuneus may play an important role in the neurological basis of DPD., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-23-919/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: To validate prognostic performance of the China liver cancer (CNLC) staging system as well as to compare these parameters with those of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system for Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)., Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 1,124 patients with HCC between January 2012 and December 2020 from six Chinese hospitals. Based on overall survival (OS), the prognostic performance outcomes for the CNLC and BCLC staging systems were compared by model discrimination [C statistic and Akaike information criterion (AIC)], monotonicity of the gradient (linear trend chi-square test), homogeneity (likelihood ratio chi-square test), and calibration (calibration plots). A prospective cohort of 44 patients receiving TACE-based therapy included between January 2021 and December 2022 was used to prospectively validate the outcomes., Results: Median OS was 19.1 (18.2-20.0) months, with significant differences in OS between stages defined by the CNLC and BCLC observed ( p <0.001). The CNLC performed better than the BCLC regarding model discrimination (C-index: 0.661 vs. 0.644; AIC: 10,583.28 vs. 10,583.72), model monotonicity of the gradient (linear trend chi-square test: 66.107 vs. 57.418; p <0.001), model homogeneity (159.2 vs. 158.7; p <0.001). Both staging systems had good model calibration. Similar results were observed in the prospective cohort., Conclusions: Combining model discrimination, gradient monotonicity, homogeneity, and calibration, the CNLC performed better than the BCLC for Chinese HCC patients receiving TACE., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests related to this publication., (© 2023 Authors.)