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Review
. 2024 Sep 24;16(19):3247.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16193247.

The Molecular Mechanisms of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Linda Galasso  1   2 , Lucia Cerrito  1   2 , Fabrizio Termite  1 , Irene Mignini  1   2 , Giorgio Esposto  1   2 , Raffaele Borriello  1   2 , Maria Elena Ainora  1   2 , Antonio Gasbarrini  1   2 , Maria Assunta Zocco  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The Molecular Mechanisms of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Linda Galasso et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the sixth most diagnosed cancer worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. The association of HCC and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) represents an advanced stage of the tumor. PVT has a prevalence of about 25-50% in HCC, determining poor prognosis and a remarkable reduction in therapeutic perspectives in these patients, leading to severe complications such as ascites, metastasis, an increase in portal hypertension and potentially fatal gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this review is to evaluate the molecular mechanisms that are at the basis of PVT development, trying to evaluate possible strategies in the early detection of patients at high risk of PVT.

Keywords: cirrhosis; endothelial disfunction; hepatocellular carcinoma; thrombosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Differences between a sinusoid in a cirrhotic liver and one in a non-cirrhotic liver and molecular mechanisms of endothelial disfunction in the origin of portal vein thrombosis. This image has been generated with Biorender.com (https://biorender.com)—accessed on 14 August 2024.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The hemostatic balance in a cirrhotic patient. This image has been generated with Biorender.com (https://biorender.com)—accessed on 14 August 2024.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The role of endotoxemia on portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic livers. This image has been generated with Biorender.com (https://biorender.com)—accessed on 14 August 2024.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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