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Background and aims: Expression of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9), an enzyme expressed in response to hypoxia, acidosis and oncogenic alterations, is reported to be a prognostic factor in HCC patients. Here we evaluated serum CA9 levels in HCC and cirrhosis patients.
Methods: HCC and cirrhosis patients were prospectively recruited and CA9 levels were determined. CA9 levels were compared to stages of cirrhosis and HCC stages. The association of the CA9 levels and overall survival (OS) was assessed. Furthermore, immunohistochemical CA9 expression in HCC and cirrhosis was evaluated.
Results: 215 patients with HCC were included. The median serum CA9 concentration in patients with HCC was 370 pg/ml and significantly higher than in a healthy cohort. Patients with advanced cancer stages (BCLC and ALBI score) had hid significant higher levels of CA9 in the serum. HCC patients with high serum CA9 concentrations (>400 pg/ml) had an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) 1.690, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.017–2.809, P = 0.043). Serum CA9 concentration in cirrhotic patients did not differ significantly from HCC patients. Higher CA9 levels in cirrhotic patients correlated with portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Patients with ethanol induced cirrhosis had the highest CA9 levels in both cohorts. Levels of CA9 did not correlate with immunohistochemical expression.
Conclusions: We conclude that a high CA9 level is a possible prognostic indicator for a poor outcome in HCC patients. The high CA9 levels are probably mainly associated with portal hypertension. Ductular reactions might be a possible source of serum CA9.
Rationale and objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze the role of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients who suffered from groin pain and whose physical examination and ultrasound returned inconclusive/indefinite results, as well as in patients receiving an ongoing assessment for a previous herniotomy.
Material and methods: For this study, 25 patients 14 women and 11 men were selected with a mean age of 41.6 years, including clinical complaints, such as groin pain and or a previous herniotomies. These patients underwent dynamic MRI. Reports were created by a radiology resident and a radiology consultant. Clinical and ultrasound documentation were compared to with imaging results from the MRI.
Results: The results of the dynamic MRI were negative for 23 patients (92%) and positive for two patients (8%). One patient suffered from an indirect hernia and one from a femoral hernia. A repeated hernia was an excluding for the preoperated patients with pain and ongoing assessment.
Conclusions: Dynamic MRI shows substantially higher diagnostic performance in exclusion of inguinal hernia, when compared to a physical examination and ultrasound. The examination can also be used in assessments to analyze the operation’s results.