BACKGROUND:It has been reported that treatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) increases the abundance of circulating CD34+ cells in rats. Data from the study, more important, suggested that mobilized by G-CSF may enhance rapid reendothelization and reduce neointimal formation after vascular injury.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether BM-derived CD34+ cells could enhance rapid reendothelization and reduce neointimal formation after balloon-injured carotid artery in an intact rat model.DESIGN: Randomized control animal study.SETTING: Nanjing First Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in Nanjing First Hospital from December 2005 to April 2006. A total of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250 g and of SPF grade, were purchased from National Rodent Laboratory Animal Resources, Shanghai Branch. The recombinant human G-CSF was purchased from Qilu Pharmaceutical. The 2F Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheters were purchased from Edwards Lifesciences. Anti-human CD34 and anti-human CD45 were purchased from Multi Sciences.METHODS: SD rats were divided randomly into treated group (n =20) and control group (n =20). Subcutaneous injection of recombinant human G-CSF (100 μg/kg/day) once daily for 8 days for treated group. Control group as treated with subcutaneous injection of saline. Five days after initiation of G-CSF treatment or saline, the rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection with ketamine. The left common carotid artery was exposed through a midline incision of the ventral side of the neck. A 2F Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter was inserted through the external carotid artery,inflated with 200 μL air, and passed 3 times along the length of the segment, which was defined proximally by the carotid bifurcation and distally by the edge of the omohyoid muscle. After removal of the catheter, the proximal ligature of the external carotid artery was tied off. ① An average of 1 mL venous blood per rat was collected for enumeration of the white blood wells (WBCs) and CD34+ cells before and 5 days after initiating G-CSF or saline treatment. ② Ten rats in each group were killed with overdose ketamine at 14 and 28 days after balloon injury and left common carotid arteries were harvested. The luminal surface of carotid arteries (n =5, each group) was exposed to calculate the reendothelialized area, which was manually traced with software (Image ProPlus). Reendothelialized area = non-stained with Evans blue area/the total area of balloon-injuried. The cross sections of carotid arteries (n =5, each group) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and calculated intima-to-media area ratio (I/M) with software (Image ProPlus) to assess the extent of neointimal thickening. ③ To evaluate the extent of reendothelialization of arteries injury, sections were stained with CD31 and vWF by immunohistochemistry analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① The number of WBCs and CD34+ cells; ② the extent of reendothelialization of arteries injury; ③ the extent of neointimal hyperplasia (I/M); ④ CD31 + and vWF+ endothelial cells.RESULTS: A total of 40 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① The number of WBCs and CD34+ cells: After 5 days of treatment, the number of WBCs in the treated rats increased more than 2.7-fold compared with control group [(27.60±2.45) ×109 L-1, (10.11±1.81) ×109 L-1, P ＜ 0.01], CD34+ cells increased more than 12.2-fold compared with control group (38.31×107 L-1, 3.14×107 L-1, P ＜ 0.01). ② The extent of reendothelialization: At 14 and 28 days after balloon injury,carotid artery of reendothelialization in the treated group were (68.3±8.3)％ and (97.6±4.1)％, superior than the control group (33.8±6.3)％ and (76.1±5.2)％ (P ＜ 0.01). ③ The extent of neointimal hyperplasia: At 14 and 28 days after balloon injury, the neointima-media (I/M) ratios in the treated rats were 0.39±0.11 and 0.45±0.09, less than the control group 0.87±0.15,1.26±0.16 (P ＜ 0.01). A highly significant inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia was observed in the treated group. ④ CD31+ and vWF+ endothelial cells: At 28 days after injury, sections from G-CSF treated group showed almost complete and continuous monolayer of CD31 and vWF positive cells.In contrast, a patchy and interrupted CD31 and vWF positive cells were found lining the lumen of control group.CONCLUSION:Treatment with G-CSF significantly increases the number of CD34+ cells and accelerates the rate of reendothelialization of injured vessels, leading to marked inhibition of neointimal formation after vascular injury in rats.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between antithrombin Ⅲ(AT-Ⅲ) activity and survival, bleeding and thrombosis complications in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and to explore the prediction value of AT-Ⅲ activity in the prognosis of ACLF patients.Methods:The clinical data of 130 hospitalized patients with ACLF were retrospectively collected in Wuxi No.5 People′s Hospital from January 1, 2013 to April 1, 2019. The liver function, international normalized ratio (INR), and 90-day survival rate were detected. The AT-Ⅲ activity values at admission, week two, week four, and week eight of hospitalization were recorded, and the occurrences of fecal occult blood and femoral vein thrombosis were also recorded. The measurement data were compared by t test, analysis of variance, or rank sum test, and the categorical data were compared by chi-square test. The risk factors affecting the survival of ACLF patients were analyzed by Cox regression. The survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results:At the end of 90-day follow-up of 130 patients, 56 patients died, 20 patients (15.38%) were fecal occult blood positive and 15 (11.54%) had femoral vein thrombosis. The baseline AT-Ⅲ activity in the death group was lower than that in the survival group ((17.89±13.68)% vs (36.03±11.96)%), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-8.045, P<0.01). The baseline AT-Ⅲ activities in fecal occult blood positive and negative patients were (18.26±11.52)% and (25.06±10.97)%, respectively, and in femoral vein thrombosis and non-thrombotic patients were (17.55±10.33)% and (32.48±11.88)%, respectively. The differences were both statistically significant ( t=8.746 and 8.090, respectively, both P<0.01). Through dynamic monitoring of AT-Ⅲ, the AT-Ⅲ activity showed a downward trend in the death group, while that showed an upward trend in the survival group, but the differences were not statistically significant ( F=0.282 and 0.401, respectively, both P>0.05). The Cox regression analysis suggested INR (odds ratio ( OR)=1.364, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.078-1.726, P=0.010) and AT-Ⅲ activity ( OR=0.930, 95% CI 0.906-0.954, P<0.01) were the independent factors affecting the survival of patients with ACLF. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of the AT-Ⅲ activity for predicting 90-day survival outcome of the patient was 0.706 (95% CI 0.773-0.952, P<0.01), and the cut-off value was 25%. Patients with AT-Ⅲ activity ≥ 25% had a higher survival rate than those with AT-Ⅲ activity <25% ( χ2=58.20, P<0.01). Conclusions:AT-Ⅲ activity is associated with fecal occult blood positive and femoral vein thrombosis in ACLF patients. The AT-Ⅲ activity is an independent influencing factor for predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients. Patients with AT-Ⅲ activity less than 25% have the higher mortality rate.

Objective:To analyze the impact of baseline quantification of hepatitis B core antibody (qHBcAb) on prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:A total of 91 HBV-ACLF patients (HBV-ACLF group), who admitted to Wuxi No.5 People′s Hospital from July 1, 2019 to December 30, 2021, were included in this study. Fifty chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients (CHB group) and 50 chronic HBV carriers (HBV carrier group) were enrolled as controls. Baseline clinical data such as qHBcAb, blood routine examination biochemical, and coagulation indices, HBsAg, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA levels were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. The HBV-ACLF, HBsAg and HBV-DNA data were converted logarithmically. Patients were followed-up for 90 days. Cox regression was used to analyze the correlation between HBV-ACLF and survival outcome; survival rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of baseline qHBcAb for the prognosis in patients with HBV-ACLF.Results:The baseline qHBcAb level in HBV-ACLF patients was (4.83±0.42) IU/ml, which was significantly higher than that in the CHB group [(4.59±0.54) IU/ml] and chronic HBV carrier group [(3.86±0.74) IU/ml] (all P<0.05). At the end of 90 days follow-up, 46 patients (50.55%) survived, and 45 patients (49.45%) died in the HBV-ACLF group. The baseline qHBcAb level was significantly higher in the survival group [(4.93±0.22) IU/ml] than in the death group [(4.70±0.52) IU/ml, P<0.01]. Significant differences were also found in the alpha fetoprotein, international normalized ratio, prothrombin activity, antithrombin Ⅲ activity, platelet, end-stage liver disease model score and hepatic encephalopathy complication between the two groups ( P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the baseline qHBcAb was an independent risk factor affecting the 90-day survival of HBV-ACLF patients [hazard ratio=0.027,95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.001-0.696, P<0.05]. The area under the ROC curve of baseline qHBcAb level for predicting the 90-day survival outcome of HBV-ACLF patients was 0.639 (95% CI 0.525-0.752, P<0.05), with a cut-off value of 4.89 IU/ml. The cumulative survival rate of patients with baseline qHBcAb≥4.89 IU/ml was higher than that of patients with baseline qHBcAb<4.89 IU/ml ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Higher baseline qHBcAb level is associated with favorable outcome of HBV-ACLF patients and baseline qHBcAb may be used as a new biomarker to predict the clinical outcome of HBV-ACLF patients. HBV-ACLF patients with serum qHBcAb lower than 4.89 IU/ml face increased risk of short-term death.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic effect of multi-mode sequential combination of artificial liver in the treatment of hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:The clinical data of HBV-ACLF patients treated with artificial liver in Wuxi Fifth People′s Hospital from January 2018 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Eighty-six patients were divided into artificial liver multi-mode sequential combination therapy group (sequential combination group) and conventional treatment group. The cytokine level changes and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were analyzed at 14 days of disease duration. The survival outcome and complications of artificial liver were analyzed after 30 days of follow-up. Two independent samples t test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of death, and Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate of patients. Results:A total of 86 patients were enrolled, including 48 patients in sequential combination group with the average number of artificial liver of 4.68 times/person, and 38 patients in conventional treatment group with the average number of artificial liver of 3.17 times/person. At 14 days of disease duration, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon γ-inducible protein (IP)-10 level and MELD score in sequential combination group decreased significantly than those in the conventional treatment group ( t=3.80, 3.62, 4.95 and 1.11, respectively, all P<0.050). After 30 days of follow-up, 63 patients survived and 23 patients died. Cox regression analysis showed that baseline international normalized ratio (hazard ratio ( HR)=0.558, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.193 to 0.856, P=0.027), baseline antithrombin Ⅲ activity ( HR=0.876, 95% CI 0.824 to 0.932, P<0.001), artificial liver mode ( HR=0.819, 95% CI 0.236 to 0.992, P=0.005), spontaneous peritonitis ( HR=0.170, 95% CI 0.045 to 0.647, P=0.009) and hepatic encephalopathy ( HR=0.004, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.030, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for 30-day survival outcome. The cumulative survival rate of sequential combination group was higher than that of conventional treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.45, P=0.020). There were no significant differences in the proportions of bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, heart rate and blood pressure instability between the two groups ( χ2=0.63, 1.20 and 0.54, respectively, all P>0.050). The platelet decline of patients in sequential combination group was slighter than that in conventional treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-4.17, P=0.002). Conclusions:Multi-mode sequential combination therapy of artificial liver could eliminate cytokines and reduce MELD score more effectively in patients with HBV-ACLF, and prolong the survival time of patients and have little effect on platelet count.