Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Objective:To examine the clinical effect of endovascular treatment for patients with non-acute symptomatic anterior circulation distal medium artery disease (aDMAD).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study.Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 28 patients(29 lesions) with non-acute symptomatic aDMAD who underwent endovascular treatment at the Department of Neurosurgery,Beijing Hospital from May 2018 to March 2024. There were 15 males and 13 females,with an age of (63.4±10.2) years (range:36 to 82 years). The course of disease were more than 72 hours of all the patients. Confirmed by digital subtraction angiography,the lesion was located in distal anterior circulation and (or) medium arteries. Among them, 21 lesions (72.4%) located at middle cerebral artery and 8 lesions (27.6%) located at anterior cerebral artery.The median degree of stenosis before surgery ( M(IQR)) was 90%(23%) (range:70% to 100%).After standardized drug treatment,there was still a transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction in the vascular related area.The therapeutic effects and complications were analyzed,and the differences in the occurrence of target vessel restenosis under different interventional treatment methods were collected. Results:A total of 28 patients with 29 lesions underwent endovascular treatment, with a treatment success rate of 96.6% (28/29). The course of disease was 60(66)days (range:9 to 210 days). Simple plain balloon angioplasty was performed in 12 cases (13 lesions), drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in 7 cases (7 lesions), and stent placement in 9 cases (9 lesions). The median degree of stenosis after surgery was 20%(39%) (range:0 to 50%). There was no new cerebral infarctions,cerebral hemorrhages,or other complications during the perioperative period.Imaging follow-up was conducted on 23 lesions for 12(15)months(range:3 to 34 months),with 10 cases (43.5%) of restenosis,3 cases (13.0%) of symptomatic restenosis,and 4 cases (17.4%) of re-treatment. There were no new cases of cerebral hemorrhage or death during the follow-up process.The restenosis rate was 6/10 for the conventional balloon group,1/6 for the DCB group, and 3/7 for the stent group; the rate of symptomatic restenosis was 1/10 for the conventional balloon group,0/6 for the DCB group, and 2/7 for the stent group.Conclusions:Endovascular treatment for non-acute symptomatic aDMAD is relatively effective,but there is a high rate of restenosis postoperatively. DCB may reduce the occurrence of postoperative restenosis.

Objective To discuss the efficacy and safety of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)for portal hypertension with portal vein thrombosis(PVT).Methods A total of 31 patients with portal hypertension complicated by PVT,who underwent TIPS at the Chinese PLA General Hospital between December 2017 and October 2022,were enrolled in this study.The clinical data,including preoperative laboratory tests,operation pattern,intraoperative portal vein pressure(PVP),postoperative follow-up ultrasound or enhanced CT examination findings,and the presence or absence of hepatic encephalopathy(HE),were collected.Paired t-test was used to compare the differences in PVP before and after stenting,Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the postoperative shunt patency rate,rebleeding rate,incidence of HE,and survival rate.Log-rank test was used to analyze the differences in follow-up results between the patients having cavernous transformation of portal vein(CTPV)and the patients having no CTPV.Results The technical success rate of TIPS procedure was 93.55％(29/31).In the 29 patients with successful surgery,the mean PVP value decreased from preoperative(30.15±4.61)mmHg to postoperative(20.84±5.57)mmHg,the difference was statistically significant(t=8.975,P＜0.05).The postoperative median follow-up time was 22.90 months(range of 4.50-61.80 months).During the follow-up period,24.14％of patients(7/29)developed shunt tract dysfunction,17.24％of patients(5/29)developed rebleeding,17.24％of patients(5/29)developed HE,and 5 patients(5/29,17.24％)died.Ten patients(10/29,34.48％)with PVT were complicated by CTPV,among them 5 patients had shunt dysfunction,3 patients had rebleeding,one patient developed HE,and 3 patients died.Of the 19 patients who having no coexisting CTPV,shunt dysfunction was seen in 2,rebleeding in 2 and HE in 4,and 2 patients died.The incidences of shunt tract dysfunction and rebleeding in the patients having CTPV were obviously higher than those in the patients having no CTPV(both P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences in the incidences of HE and death existed between the two groups(both P＞0.05).Conclusion TIPS can effectively reduce the PVP in patients with PVT.The incidences of shunt tract dysfunction and rebleeding in the PVP with coexisting CTPV are remarkably higher than those in the PVT patients with no coexisting CTPV.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:537-542)

Objective:To examine the clinical effect of endovascular treatment for patients with non-acute symptomatic anterior circulation distal medium artery disease (aDMAD).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study.Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 28 patients(29 lesions) with non-acute symptomatic aDMAD who underwent endovascular treatment at the Department of Neurosurgery,Beijing Hospital from May 2018 to March 2024. There were 15 males and 13 females,with an age of (63.4±10.2) years (range:36 to 82 years). The course of disease were more than 72 hours of all the patients. Confirmed by digital subtraction angiography,the lesion was located in distal anterior circulation and (or) medium arteries. Among them, 21 lesions (72.4%) located at middle cerebral artery and 8 lesions (27.6%) located at anterior cerebral artery.The median degree of stenosis before surgery ( M(IQR)) was 90%(23%) (range:70% to 100%).After standardized drug treatment,there was still a transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction in the vascular related area.The therapeutic effects and complications were analyzed,and the differences in the occurrence of target vessel restenosis under different interventional treatment methods were collected. Results:A total of 28 patients with 29 lesions underwent endovascular treatment, with a treatment success rate of 96.6% (28/29). The course of disease was 60(66)days (range:9 to 210 days). Simple plain balloon angioplasty was performed in 12 cases (13 lesions), drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in 7 cases (7 lesions), and stent placement in 9 cases (9 lesions). The median degree of stenosis after surgery was 20%(39%) (range:0 to 50%). There was no new cerebral infarctions,cerebral hemorrhages,or other complications during the perioperative period.Imaging follow-up was conducted on 23 lesions for 12(15)months(range:3 to 34 months),with 10 cases (43.5%) of restenosis,3 cases (13.0%) of symptomatic restenosis,and 4 cases (17.4%) of re-treatment. There were no new cases of cerebral hemorrhage or death during the follow-up process.The restenosis rate was 6/10 for the conventional balloon group,1/6 for the DCB group, and 3/7 for the stent group; the rate of symptomatic restenosis was 1/10 for the conventional balloon group,0/6 for the DCB group, and 2/7 for the stent group.Conclusions:Endovascular treatment for non-acute symptomatic aDMAD is relatively effective,but there is a high rate of restenosis postoperatively. DCB may reduce the occurrence of postoperative restenosis.

Esophageal cancer is an upper gastrointestinal malignancy with a bleak prognosis.It is still being explored in depth due to its complex molecular mechanisms of occurrence and development.Lipids play a crucial role in cells by participating in energy supply,biofilm formation,and signal transduction pro-cesses,and lipid metabolic reprogramming also constitutes a significant characteristic of malignant tu-mors.More and more studies have found esophageal cancer has obvious lipid metabolism abnormalities throughout its beginning,progress,and treatment resistance.The inhibition of tumor growth and the enhancement of antitumor therapy efficacy can be achieved through the regulation of lipid metabolism.Therefore,we reviewed and analyzed the research results and latest findings for lipid metabolism and associated analysis techniques in esophageal cancer,and comprehensively proved the value of lipid metabolic reprogramming in the evolution and treatment resistance of esophageal cancer,as well as its significance in exploring potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-positive bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2022.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-positive bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）were collected during January 2022 to December 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used to analyze the data.Results:A total of 3 163 strains of Gram-positive pathogens were collected from 51 member units，and the top five bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 147，36.3%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=928，29.3%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=369，11.7%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=296，9.4%）and alpha-hemolyticus Streptococci（ n=192，6.1%）. The detection rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）were 26.4%（303/1 147）and 66.7%（619/928），respectively. No glycopeptide and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococci were detected. The sensitivity rates of Staphylococcus aureus to cefpirome，rifampin，compound sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline and tigecycline were all >95.0%. Enterococcus faecium was more prevalent than Enterococcus faecalis. The resistance rates of Enterococcus faecium to vancomycin and teicoplanin were both 0.5%（2/369），and no vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was detected. The detection rate of MRSA in southern China was significantly lower than that in other regions（ χ2=14.578， P=0.002），while the detection rate of MRCNS in northern China was significantly higher than that in other regions（ χ2=15.195， P=0.002）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in provincial hospitals were higher than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=13.519 and 12.136， P<0.001）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in economically more advanced regions（per capita GDP≥92 059 Yuan in 2022）were higher than those in economically less advanced regions（per capita GDP<92 059 Yuan）（ χ2=9.969 and 7.606， P=0.002和0.006）. Conclusions:Among the Gram-positive pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China， Staphylococci is the most common while the MRSA incidence decreases continuously with time；the detection rate of Enterococcus faecium exceeds that of Enterococcus faecalis. The overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is still at a low level. The composition ratio of Gram-positive pathogens and resistant profiles varies slightly across regions of China，with the prevalence of MRSA and MRCNS being more pronounced in provincial hospitals and areas with a per capita GDP≥92 059 yuan.

Objective:To explore the benefits of transradial diagnostic cerebral angiography in elderly patients and its correlation with morphometric parameters of the aortic arch.Methods:Clinical data and aortic arch CTA imaging parameters of patients who underwent cerebral angiography at the Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Hospital, between May 2022 and April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The study aimed to compare the time taken for angiography via radial artery access in elderly patients versus younger patients, as well as via femoral artery access, and to evaluate the associated aortic arch morphology parameters.Results:A total of 101 patients' data were analyzed, with 67 males(66.3%)and an average age of 63.4±12.0 years.Among them, 69 patients(68.3%)were aged 60 and above.The arterial approach for 44 patients(43.6%)was radial, while 57 cases(56.4%)used the femoral artery approach.In the elderly group, 14 cases(20.6%), 31 cases(45.6%), and 23 cases(33.8%)had type Ⅲ aortic arch, respectively.For younger patients, 17 cases(53.1%), 12 cases(37.5%), and 3 cases(9.4%)fell into these categories.The distribution difference was statistically significant( χ2=12.765, P=0.002).Elderly patients had a larger aortic arch width angle compared to younger patients(106°±12°and 100°±12°, t=2.334, P=0.022).The time for whole-brain angiography via radial artery was shorter for elderly patients than via femoral artery(39.8±29.5 minutes and 52.2±28.4 minutes, respectively, t=1.845, P=0.070).In young patients, there was no significant time difference between the two approaches(42.3±30.4 minutes for radial artery and 34.6±11.2 minutes for femoral artery, t=1.026, P=0.313).In the type Ⅱ aortic arch group, the average times for transradial and transfemoral approaches were 38.1±21.7 minutes and 46.7±32.2 minutes, respectively( t=1.020, P=0.314).The average times for the type Ⅲ aortic arch group were 41.9±37.3 minutes and 48.9±20.7 minutes, respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the duration of radial artery access and the distance from the origin of the innominate artery to the left subclavian artery(Pearson correlation coefficien( r=-0.372, P=0.014). Conclusions:In elderly patients, particularly those with type Ⅱ or Ⅲ aortic arch or a wide aortic arch, diagnostic cerebral angiography using transradial access is preferable to femoral access.The distance between the innominate artery and the left subclavian artery origin could impact the duration of the procedure.

Objective:To identify the risk factors for delayed gastric emptying in patients scheduled for elective caesarean section.Methods:One hundred and five patients, aged≥18 yr, at≥37 week gestation, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, scheduled for elective caesarean section from August 2023 to February 2024, who followed the preoperative fasting guidelines, were collected. Based on the quantitative and qualitative ultrasound assessments of the gastric antrum, patients were divided into 2 groups: delayed gastric emptying group, as defined by Perlas A score of grade 2 or the presence of solid contents or gastric volume/weight >1.5 ml/kg, and non-delayed gastric emptying group, as defined by Perlas A score < grade 2 and gastric volume/weight ≤1.5 ml/kg. The variables of which showed statistically significant differences in the intergroup comparison would enter the logistic regression analysis to stratify the risk factors for delayed gastric emptying before elective caesarean section.Results:There were 41 parturients (39.0%) showed delayed gastric emptying before elective caesarean section. According to the results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis, the gastroesophageal reflux disease( OR=5.313, 95% confidence interval 1.013-27.878, P=0.048) was an independent risk factor for delayed gastric emptying in the patients who underwent elective caesarean section. Conclusions:Gastroesophageal reflux disease is an independent risk factor for delayed gastric emptying in the patients scheduled for elective caesarean section.