Open AccessCombined treatment of vitamin K2and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ameliorates hepatic dysplastic nodule in a patient with liver cirrhosis
Author(s) -
Hitoshi Yoshiji,
Ryuichi Noguchi,
Masaharu Yamazaki,
Yasuhide Ikenaka,
Masayoshi Sawai,
Masatoshi Ishikawa,
Hideto Kawaratani,
Tsuyoshi Mashitani,
Mitsuteru Kitade,
Kosuke Kaji,
Mamoru Uemura,
Junichi Yamao,
Masao Fujimoto,
Akira Mitoro,
Masahisa Toyohara,
Motoyuki Yoshida,
Hiroshi Fukui
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v13.i23.3259
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , medicine , gastroenterology , nodule (geology) , hepatitis c , pathology , biology , paleontology
Although it is well known that the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an ominous complication in patients with liver cirrhosis, there has been no approved drug to prevent the development of HCC to date. We previously reported that the combined treatment of vitamin K2 (VK) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) significantly suppressed the experimental hepatocarcinogenesis. A 66-year-old Japanese woman with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis developed a dysplastic nodule in the liver detected by enhanced computed tomography along with elevation of the tumor markers, namely, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and lectin-reactive demarcation (AFP-L3), suggesting the presence of latent HCC. After oral administration of VK and ACE-I, the serum levels of both AFP and AFP-L3 gradually decreased without any marked alteration of the serum aminotransferase activity. After one-year treatment, not only the serum levels of AFP and AFP-L3 returned to the normal ranges, but also the dysplastic nodule disappeared. Since both VK and ACE-I are widely used without serious side effects, this combined regimen may become a new strategy for chemoprevention against HCC.