In HCC, increased proliferation index PCNA is significantly associated with positive p53 and p21/WAF1. But p21/WAF1 expression did not relate to p53 expression. P21/WAF1 (+) is a good event and serves as an independent survival prognostic factor for HCC, which is a novel finding apart from previous reports.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly emerging infectious disease. To describe the hepatic injury caused by this disease, we report the sequential changes of serum transaminase in probable SARS patients during a hospital outbreak in southern Taiwan. From April to June, 2003, 52 probable SARS patients were hospitalized. Serial serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were retrospectively analyzed and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was also evaluated to correlate with the progression of this disease. Fifty-three percent of the patients had abnormal liver function during hospitalization. More than 70% of abnormal transaminase levels were mildly elevated. Most elevated levels were noted during the second week after onset of fever. Neither transaminase elevation nor HBsAg was related to the prognosis of SARS, and only advanced age was an independent predictor of poor outcome. Our study suggested that coronavirus causing SARS might induce liver damage.

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Background. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may present with gastroesophageal and extraesophageal symptoms. Currently, the frequencies of gastroesophageal and extragastroesophageal symptoms in Asian patients with different categories of GERD remain unclear. Aim. To investigate the frequencies of gastroesophageal and extragastroesophageal symptoms in patients with mild erosive esophagitis, severe erosive esophagitis, and Barrett's esophagus of GERD. Methods. The symptoms of symptomatic subjects with (1) Los Angeles grade A/B erosive esophagitis, (2) Los Angeles grade C/D erosive esophagitis, and (3) Barrett's esophagus proven by endoscopy were prospectively assessed by a standard questionnaire for gastroesophageal and extragastroesophageal symptoms. The frequencies of the symptoms were compared by Chi-square test. Result. Six hundred and twenty-five patients (LA grade A/B: 534 patients; LA grade C/D: 37 patients; Barrett's esophagus: 54 patients) were assessed for gastroesophageal and extragastroesophageal symptoms. Patients with Los Angeles grade A/B erosive esophagitis had higher frequencies of symptoms including epigastric pain, epigastric fullness, dysphagia, and throat cleaning than patients with Los Angeles grade C/D erosive esophagitis. Patients with Los Angeles grade A/B erosive esophagitis also had higher frequencies of symptoms including acid regurgitation, epigastric acidity, regurgitation of food, nausea, vomiting, epigastric fullness, dysphagia, foreign body sensation of throat, throat cleaning, and cough than patients with Barrett's esophagus. Conclusion. The frequencies of some esophageal and extraesophageal symptoms in patients with Los Angeles grade A/B erosive esophagitis were higher than those in patients with Los Angeles grade C/D erosive esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus. The causes of different symptom profiles in different categories of GERD patients merit further investigations.