Publications by authors named "Hiroteru Kamimura"

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) are spreading worldwide as the most critical causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, improving the screening and managing strategies for patients with MASLD or MASH is necessary. A traditional non-systemic review provided this narrative.

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Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and acute liver failure (ALF) are severe hepatitis that occur in patients with and without chronic liver diseases and/or cirrhosis, respectively, and both often result in death. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can cause these severe conditions. We reviewed the role of HAV and HEV, which infect humans through the fecal-oral route, in ALF and ACLF in Asian countries.

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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, particularly in compromised hosts, and various extrahepatic manifestations. HEV infection is reportedly associated with biliary-pancreatic diseases, such as gallstones, cholangitis, choledocholithiasis, and acute pancreatitis. Severe jaundice and prolonged cholestasis are also atypical manifestations of HEV infection.

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Background: This scoping review aimed to delineate the detailed components of exercise therapy and the evaluation methods used for patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: The methodology involved searching the original PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies published between January 1975 and March 2025. The search was completed on 13 March 2025.

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Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, progressive, immune-mediated systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilaginous structures. Approximately 30% of RP cases are associated with autoimmune disease. However, co-occurrence of RP and Crohn's disease (CD) has rarely been reported.

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Patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases often experience itch and struggle with this symptom. We discuss the mechanism of itch in patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases, such as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and others, and their therapies, including ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitors. In patients with PBC, there are high serum/plasma concentrations of multiple factors, including bile salts, bilirubin, endogenous opioids, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), autotaxin, and histamine.

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Tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) are ectopic lymphoid structures induced by multiple stimuli, including infection and tissue injuries; however, their clinical relevance in disease progression has remained unclear. We demonstrated previously that TLTs develop in mouse and human kidneys with aging and can be a potential marker of kidney injury and prognosis, and therapeutic targets. In addition, we found that two types of unique lymphocytes that emerge with aging, senescence-associated T cells and age-associated B cells, are essential for TLT formation in the kidney.

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Introduction: Cirrhosis is a disease with poor prognosis that requires the development of a novel therapeutic approach alternative to liver transplantation. In this study, we focused on the placenta and aimed to clarify the effects of human placental extract (HPE) on cirrhosis.

Methods: A mouse model of carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhosis was used to evaluate the effect of HPE administration subcutaneously and compared with the control group (n = 8 for each group).

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Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) causes cellular senescence due to oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and ectopic fat deposition in the liver. Recently, dasatinib, an antitumor agent, and quercetin, a dietary supplement, were combined as a senolytic drug to eliminate senescent cells. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effects of dasatinib and quercetin administration on removing senescent cells and their therapeutic effects on MASLD in a medaka MASLD model.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cirrhosis is a major health issue due to its poor outcomes and limited therapies, prompting the search for new treatments.
  • Researchers tested a new treatment using platelet-rich plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (PRPEV) in a mouse model of cirrhosis.
  • The findings showed that PRPEV can reduce liver damage, promote healing, and enhance anti-inflammatory responses, suggesting a promising avenue for cirrhosis therapy.
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Among causes of liver failure, liver failure due to lymphocytic infiltration is rare. Unlike typical liver failure, some cases present with severe lactic acidosis and a poor prognosis. We herein report a case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with severe lactic acidosis and liver failure.

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  • The study introduces RECAM-J 2023, a modified version of the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method aimed at improving the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in Japan.
  • It involved translating and adapting the original RECAM for Japanese clinical practices, and the researchers collected data from 538 DILI cases and 128 non-DILI cases to validate the new scoring system.
  • Results showed that when omitting deductions for missing hepatitis virus markers, RECAM-J 2023 significantly improved identification rates for DILI, indicating its potential effectiveness in routine medical settings in Japan.
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  • Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays a significant role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by reducing fatty accumulation in the liver, activated by growth hormone (GH), but the specific interplay between GH and IGF-1 in NAFLD development needs further exploration.
  • The study investigated GH and IGF-1 levels in mouse models of diet-induced NAFLD, examining how the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic neuropeptides influence GH secretion and IGF-1 expression.
  • The results suggest that IGF-1 release, influenced by neural pathways, is crucial for maintaining liver function in NAFLD, highlighting its potential as a target for therapeutic interventions.
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  • Ursodeoxycholic acid is the main treatment for primary biliary cholangitis, and understanding how well patients respond to it is crucial for improving their outcomes.
  • The study involved two sets of patient data, with machine learning algorithms used to predict treatment responses based on initial health indicators.
  • Results showed that certain blood levels can help predict if patients will respond well to treatment, indicating that machine learning can enhance early detection of those needing alternative therapies.
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  • Researchers aimed to use machine learning (ML) to predict treatment responses in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), focusing on data collected from 194 patients.
  • The study involved analyzing this patient data using five different ML models, determining their effectiveness through the area under the curve (AUC) metrics and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.
  • Results showed that random forest and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) models significantly outperformed logistic regression and other models in predicting treatment outcomes, indicating ML's potential for improving patient prognoses.
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  • - The study analyzed trends in drug-induced liver-related adverse events using the FAERS and JADER databases, focusing on data from the last 20 years.
  • - Top drugs linked to liver injury in FAERS included warfarin, paracetamol, and adalimumab, while sorafenib, nivolumab, and herbal extracts were most common in JADER, with no overlap in the top 30 drugs reported.
  • - An increase in reports of drug-induced liver-related adverse events was noted, highlighting a need for better data collection and real-time monitoring of adverse drug reactions based on differences in countries and underlying health conditions.
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  • ACLF (acute-on-chronic liver failure) is a severe condition associated with poor outcomes, linked to cellular senescence from mitochondrial dysfunction, and the study explores a treatment using the drug ABT263/navitoclax (Navi) to target senescent liver cells.
  • In laboratory studies, Navi was effective in removing senescent liver cells and promoting the growth of healthy hepatocytes, both in cell cultures and in mouse models of ACLF.
  • The results showed that Navi not only reduced harmful secretions linked to cell senescence but also improved liver function and mitochondrial health, suggesting a promising new method for treating ACLF.
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  • * Through experiments, letrozole was shown to impact fibrosis-related gene expressions and improve liver histology, indicating its potential antifibrotic effects in liver fibrosis models.
  • * The findings suggest that letrozole works by inhibiting the Yap-Ctgf pathway, reducing retinoic acid levels, and could be repurposed as a treatment for liver fibrosis due to its off-target effects.
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  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is linked to 10%-20% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases, typically affecting younger patients with larger tumors and poorer prognoses, partly due to the action of the HBx protein.
  • In a study of 55 liver tissue samples, researchers found a significant correlation between HBx and Yes-associated protein (YAP) expression, which was linked to tumor size and serum α-fetoprotein levels.
  • The findings suggest that elevated YAP levels in HBV-related tumors may play a crucial role in the progression of HBV-related HCC, emphasizing its potential as a target for treatment or monitoring.
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Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic dysregulation and is linked with various cardiovascular complications, which often lead to poor prognostic outcomes. To develop a standard therapy for NAFLD and to urgently address its complications, the current study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of NAFLD-related heart disease and the therapeutic effects of drugs targeting various metabolic pathways.

Methods: To explore the mechanism of NAFLD-related heart disease, a medaka model of high-fat diet-induced NAFLD was utilized.

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  • Symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) significantly affect patients' quality of life, but advancements in treatment are improving prognosis; the study aimed to analyze new symptom development and its predictors in PBC patients.
  • A retrospective study involved 382 PBC patients, assessing new symptom impacts through various statistical analyses, revealing a notable risk of developing new symptoms over 20 years.
  • Key predictive factors for new symptoms included serum albumin levels, serum direct bilirubin levels, and adherence to the Paris II criteria, with about 30% of patients experiencing new symptoms by 20 years after diagnosis.
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  • The study investigates the role of the Atm-Chk2 pathway in DSS-induced colitis using a mouse model, which mimics human colitis.
  • Researchers found that activating this pathway in response to DNA damage leads to inflammation and cell death in the colon.
  • In knockout mice lacking a specific protein, the severity of colitis was significantly reduced, suggesting this protein's contribution to the disease process.
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Serotonin (5-HT) is one of the key bioamines of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Its mechanism of action in autonomic neural signal pathways remains unexplained; hence, we evaluated the involvement of 5-HT and related signaling pathways via autonomic nerves in NAFLD. Diet-induced NAFLD animal models were developed using wild-type and melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) knockout (MC4RKO) mice, and the effects of the autonomic neural axis on NAFLD physiology, 5-HT and its receptors (HTRs), and lipid metabolism-related genes were assessed by applying hepatic nerve blockade.

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