1.Therapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody combined with gemcitabine in synergy with PBMC on pancreatic cancer treatment
Hai HU ; Shu-yi XU ; Yue-jiang ZHENG ; Jian-wei ZHU ; Ming-yuan WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):388-396
Pancreatic cancer is a kind of highly malignant tumor with a low survival rate and poor prognosis. The effectiveness of gemcitabine as a first-line chemotherapy drug is limited; however, it can activate dendritic cells and improve antigen presentation which increase the sensitivity of tumor cell to immunotherapy. Although immunotherapy has made some advancements in cancer treatment, the therapeutic benefit of programmed cell death receptor 1/programmed death receptor-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) blockade therapy remains relatively low. The chemokine C-X-C chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by recruiting immunosuppressive cells. The receptor C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), highly expressed in various tumors including pancreatic cancer, plays a crucial role in tumor development and progression. In this study, the anti-tumor immune response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (hPBMC) was enhanced using the combination of BsNb PX4 (anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody) and gemcitabine. In a co-culture system of gemcitabine-pretreated hPBMCs with tumor cells, the BsNb PX4 synergized gemcitabine to improve the cytotoxic activity of hPBMCs against tumor cells. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed increased ratio of CD8+ to CD4+ T cells in combination treatment. In NOD/SCID mice bearing pancreatic cancer, the combination treatment exhibited more infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumor tissues, contributing to an effective anti-tumor response. This study presents potential new therapies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Ethical approval was obtained for collection of hPBMC samples from the Local Ethics Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethic Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (authorizing number: A2024246).
2.Optimization of Surgical Procedure and Efficacy Evaluation of Aortic Calcification Model in Rats with Chronic Kidney Disease
Yicong PAN ; Wenhong JIANG ; Ming HU ; Xiao QIN
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2025;45(3):279-289
Objective To establish a chronic kidney disease-associated aortic calcification model in SD rats using different nephrectomy surgical methods, and to compare and evaluate surgical duration and survival time to explore a more optimized modeling method. Methods According to different surgical methods, the SD rats were divided into four groups: Group A: intraperitoneal resection of 2/3 of the left kidney followed by right total nephrectomy in the second stage; Group B: intraperitoneal resection of 2/3 of the left kidney and simultaneous right total nephrectomy; Group C: dorsal approach right total nephrectomy followed by resection of 2/3 of the left kidney in the second stage; Group D: dorsal approach resection of 2/3 of the left kidney followed by right total nephrectomy in the second stage. After comparing survival curves of SD rats undergoing intraperitoneal versus dorsal approaches, and staged versus single-stage nephrectomy, the optimal nephrectomy surgical method was determined. Then, twenty-four 8-week-old SPF-grade male SD rats were selected for nephrectomy combined with calcitriol-induced calcification. Experimental group (12 rats): the dorsal approach left 2/3 nephrectomy followed by right total nephrectomy, with intraperitoneal injection of 1 μg/kg calcitriol administered one week later to induce aortic calcification. Control group (12 rats): the intraperitoneal injection of 250 μL/kg physiological saline containing 1% DMSO one week after sham surgery. After intraperitoneal injection of drugs for 3 months, the survival status of rats in each group was observed. Under anesthesia, blood samples were collected from each group to measure serum phosphorus and calcium ion concentrations, as well as serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. After euthanizing the rats, a post-mortem examination was performed to observe the residual kidney morphology, and HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the coronal section of the kidney. Additionally, the entire aorta of each group was taken, and the degree of aortic calcification was observed by staining with Alizarin red S and von Kossa. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the gene expression of smooth muscle actin-associated protein alpha (Sm22), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and osteopontin (OPN) in rat aortic tissue to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. Results The exploratory optimization experiment of different surgical procedures found that the survival rate of group D rats,which underwent 2/3 left kidney resection followed by right whole kidney resection via the dorsal approach, was the highest, indicating that this surgical procedure was the best method for establishing a chronic kidney disease model with renal dysfunction. The experimental group rats treated with this surgical procedure combined with high-dose calcitriol injection had significantly lower serum calcium ion concentration than those in the sham-operated control group (P<0.05), while serum phosphorus ion concentration, serum creatinine, and serum urea nitrogen levels were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). HE staining of the kidneys showed significant organic changes in the kidneys of the experimental group rats, with a significant decrease in glomerular count compared to that of the control group (P<0.05), indicating the successful establishment of a renal failure model. Alizarin red S staining showed significant pigment deposition in the aortic media of the experimental group rats, while von Kossa staining showed significant silver nitrate deposition in the aortic media of the experimental group rats, which was consistent with the manifestation of aortic calcification in renal failure. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression level of Sm22 in the aortic tissue of the experimental group rats decreased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of OPN and Runx2 increased (P<0.05), indicating a transition of aortic smooth muscle cells from smooth muscle phenotype to bone-like phenotype and successful induction of an aortic calcification model. Conclusion The method of establishing an aortic calcification model of chronic kidney disease in SD rats by first removing two-thirds of the left kidney via the dorsal approach followed by right total nephrectomy, combined with high-dose calcitriol administration, shortens the surgical time, improves the success rate of modeling, and increases the animal survival rate.
3.Optimization of Surgical Procedure and Efficacy Evaluation of Aortic Calcification Model in Rats with Chronic Kidney Disease
Yicong PAN ; Wenhong JIANG ; Ming HU ; Xiao QIN
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2025;45(3):279-289
Objective To establish a chronic kidney disease-associated aortic calcification model in SD rats using different nephrectomy surgical methods, and to compare and evaluate surgical duration and survival time to explore a more optimized modeling method. Methods According to different surgical methods, the SD rats were divided into four groups: Group A: intraperitoneal resection of 2/3 of the left kidney followed by right total nephrectomy in the second stage; Group B: intraperitoneal resection of 2/3 of the left kidney and simultaneous right total nephrectomy; Group C: dorsal approach right total nephrectomy followed by resection of 2/3 of the left kidney in the second stage; Group D: dorsal approach resection of 2/3 of the left kidney followed by right total nephrectomy in the second stage. After comparing survival curves of SD rats undergoing intraperitoneal versus dorsal approaches, and staged versus single-stage nephrectomy, the optimal nephrectomy surgical method was determined. Then, twenty-four 8-week-old SPF-grade male SD rats were selected for nephrectomy combined with calcitriol-induced calcification. Experimental group (12 rats): the dorsal approach left 2/3 nephrectomy followed by right total nephrectomy, with intraperitoneal injection of 1 μg/kg calcitriol administered one week later to induce aortic calcification. Control group (12 rats): the intraperitoneal injection of 250 μL/kg physiological saline containing 1% DMSO one week after sham surgery. After intraperitoneal injection of drugs for 3 months, the survival status of rats in each group was observed. Under anesthesia, blood samples were collected from each group to measure serum phosphorus and calcium ion concentrations, as well as serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. After euthanizing the rats, a post-mortem examination was performed to observe the residual kidney morphology, and HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the coronal section of the kidney. Additionally, the entire aorta of each group was taken, and the degree of aortic calcification was observed by staining with Alizarin red S and von Kossa. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the gene expression of smooth muscle actin-associated protein alpha (Sm22), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and osteopontin (OPN) in rat aortic tissue to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. Results The exploratory optimization experiment of different surgical procedures found that the survival rate of group D rats,which underwent 2/3 left kidney resection followed by right whole kidney resection via the dorsal approach, was the highest, indicating that this surgical procedure was the best method for establishing a chronic kidney disease model with renal dysfunction. The experimental group rats treated with this surgical procedure combined with high-dose calcitriol injection had significantly lower serum calcium ion concentration than those in the sham-operated control group (P<0.05), while serum phosphorus ion concentration, serum creatinine, and serum urea nitrogen levels were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). HE staining of the kidneys showed significant organic changes in the kidneys of the experimental group rats, with a significant decrease in glomerular count compared to that of the control group (P<0.05), indicating the successful establishment of a renal failure model. Alizarin red S staining showed significant pigment deposition in the aortic media of the experimental group rats, while von Kossa staining showed significant silver nitrate deposition in the aortic media of the experimental group rats, which was consistent with the manifestation of aortic calcification in renal failure. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression level of Sm22 in the aortic tissue of the experimental group rats decreased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of OPN and Runx2 increased (P<0.05), indicating a transition of aortic smooth muscle cells from smooth muscle phenotype to bone-like phenotype and successful induction of an aortic calcification model. Conclusion The method of establishing an aortic calcification model of chronic kidney disease in SD rats by first removing two-thirds of the left kidney via the dorsal approach followed by right total nephrectomy, combined with high-dose calcitriol administration, shortens the surgical time, improves the success rate of modeling, and increases the animal survival rate.
4.Clinical efficacy of valve surgery for infective endocarditis in 343 patients: A retrospective study in a single center
Shuanglei ZHAO ; Zhou LIU ; Bin WANG ; Zhaoqing SUN ; Mingxiu WEN ; Qianxian LI ; Yi HU ; Wenjian JIANG ; Jie HAN ; Jiangang WANG ; Ming GONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1133-1139
Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of valve surgeries for infective endocarditis and the affecting factors, and compare the early- and long-term postoperative outcomes of different surgery approaches. Methods The patients with infective endocarditis who underwent valve replacement/valvuloplasty in our hospital from 2010 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. Results A total of 343 patients were enrolled, including 197 patients with mechanical valve replacement, 62 patients with bioprosthetic valve replacement, and 84 patients with valvuloplasty. There were 238 males and 105 females with an average age of (44.2±14.8) years. Single-valve endocarditis was present in 200 (58.3%) patients, and multivalve involvement was present in 143 (41.7%) patients. Sixty (17.5%) patients had suffered thrombosis before surgery, including cerebral embolisms in 32 patients. The mean follow-up time was (60.6±43.8) months. Early mortality within one month after the surgery occurred in 17 (5.0%) patients, while later mortality occurred in 19 (5.5%) patients. Eight (2.3%) patients underwent postoperative dialysis, 13 (3.8%) patients suffered postoperative stroke, 6 patients underwent reoperation, and 3 patients suffered recurrence of infective endocarditis. Smoking (P=0.002), preoperative embolisms (P=0.001), duration of surgery (P=0.001), and postoperative dialysis (P=0.001) were risk factors for early mortality, and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥60% (P=0.022) was protective factor for early mortality. New York Heart Association classification Ⅲ-Ⅳ (P=0.010) and ≥3 valve procedures (P=0.028) were risk factors for late mortality. The rate of composite endpoint events was significantly lower in the valvuloplasty group than that in the valve replacement group. Conclusion For patients with infective endocarditis, smoking and preoperative embolisms are associated with high postoperative mortality, multiple-valve surgery is associated with a poorer prognosis, and valvuloplasty has advantages over valve replacement and should be attempted in the surgical management of patients with infective endocarditis.
5.Effectiveness of arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction using a "sandwich" patch combined with platelet-rich plasma injection in treating massive irreparable rotator cuff tears.
Wen ZOU ; Ming ZHOU ; Shaoyong FAN ; Huiming HOU ; Li GONG ; Tao XU ; Liangshen HU ; Jiang JIANG
Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery 2025;39(10):1285-1289
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate effectiveness of arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction using a "sandwich" patch combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in treating massive irreparable rotator cuff tears.
METHODS:
A clinical data of 15 patients (15 sides) with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears, who were admitted between September 2020 and March 2023 and met the selective criteria, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 8 males and 7 females with an average age of 62.1 years (range, 40-80 years). The rotator cuff tears were caused by trauma in 7 cases and other reasons in 8 cases. The disease duration ranged from 5 to 25 months, with an average of 17.7 months. According to the Hamada grading, the rotator cuff tears were rated as grade 1 in 2 cases, grade 2 in 8 cases, and grade 3 in 5 cases. All patients were underwent superior capsular reconstruction using the "sandwich" patches (autologous fascia lata+polypropylene patch+autologous fascia lata) combined with PRP injection on patches. The pre- and post-operative active range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder joint, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score, University of California, Los Angeles Shoulder Rating Scale (UCLA) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were recorded. The subacromial space was measured on the imaging and rotator cuff integrity was assessed based on Sugaya grading.
RESULTS:
All incisions healed by first intention after operation without any complications such as infection. All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 14.4 months). At last follow-up, the active ROMs of flexion, abduction, external rotation, internal rotation of the shoulder joint, subacromial space, ASES score, Constant-Murley score, and UCLA score increased, and VAS score decreased, showing significant differences when compared with preoperative values ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the Sugaya grading between last follow-up and immediately after operation ( P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
For massive irreparable rotator cuff tears, arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction using the "sandwich" patches combined with PRP injection can restore stability of the shoulder joint, relieve pain, promote rotator cuff healing, and achieve good short-term effectiveness.
Humans
;
Platelet-Rich Plasma
;
Female
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Rotator Cuff Injuries/therapy*
;
Arthroscopy/methods*
;
Adult
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*
;
Rotator Cuff/surgery*
;
Range of Motion, Articular
;
Shoulder Joint/surgery*
6.Effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction on Intensive Blood Pressure Control: Emulation of a Randomized Target Trial Using Real-World Data.
Xiao-Jie WANG ; Yuan-Long HU ; Jia-Ming HUAN ; Shi-Bing LIANG ; Lai-Yun XIN ; Feng JIANG ; Zhen HUA ; Zhen-Yuan WANG ; Ling-Hui KONG ; Qi-Biao WU ; Yun-Lun LI
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(8):677-684
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension.
METHODS:
Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate.
RESULTS:
The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse.
CONCLUSIONS
XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult
;
Aged
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology*
;
Blood Pressure/drug effects*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
;
Hypertension/physiopathology*
;
Patient Readmission
;
Treatment Outcome
7.Enhanced radiotheranostic targeting of integrin α5β1 with PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody): A strategy for prolonged tumor retention with fast blood clearance.
Siqi ZHANG ; Xiaohui MA ; Jiang WU ; Jieting SHEN ; Yuntao SHI ; Xingkai WANG ; Lin XIE ; Xiaona SUN ; Yuxuan WU ; Hao TIAN ; Xin GAO ; Xueyao CHEN ; Hongyi HUANG ; Lu CHEN ; Xuekai SONG ; Qichen HU ; Hailong ZHANG ; Feng WANG ; Zhao-Hui JIN ; Ming-Rong ZHANG ; Rui WANG ; Kuan HU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):692-706
Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [64Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [64Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [64Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [177Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.
8.Fibroblast activation protein targeting radiopharmaceuticals: From drug design to clinical translation.
Yuxuan WU ; Xingkai WANG ; Xiaona SUN ; Xin GAO ; Siqi ZHANG ; Jieting SHEN ; Hao TIAN ; Xueyao CHEN ; Hongyi HUANG ; Shuo JIANG ; Boyang ZHANG ; Yingzi ZHANG ; Minzi LU ; Hailong ZHANG ; Zhicheng SUN ; Ruping LIU ; Hong ZHANG ; Ming-Rong ZHANG ; Kuan HU ; Rui WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4511-4542
The activation proteins released by fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment regulate tumor growth, migration, and treatment response, thereby influencing tumor progression and therapeutic outcomes. Owing to the proliferation and metastasis of tumors, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is typically highly expressed in the tumor stroma, whereas it is nearly absent in adult normal tissues and benign lesions, making it an attractive target for precision medicine. Radiolabeled agents targeting FAP have the potential for targeted cancer diagnosis and therapy. This comprehensive review aims to describe the evolution of FAPI-based radiopharmaceuticals and their structural optimization. Within its scope, this review summarizes the advances in the use of radiolabeled small molecule inhibitors for tumor imaging and therapy as well as the modification strategies for FAPIs, combined with insights from structure-activity relationships and clinical studies, providing a valuable perspective for radiopharmaceutical clinical development and application.
9.Comprehensive Analysis of Oncogenic, Prognostic, and Immunological Roles of FANCD2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Potential Predictor for Survival and Immunotherapy.
Meng Jiao XU ; Wen DENG ; Ting Ting JIANG ; Shi Yu WANG ; Ru Yu LIU ; Min CHANG ; Shu Ling WU ; Ge SHEN ; Xiao Xue CHEN ; Yuan Jiao GAO ; Hongxiao HAO ; Lei Ping HU ; Lu ZHANG ; Yao LU ; Wei YI ; Yao XIE ; Ming Hui LI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):313-327
OBJECTIVE:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sensitive to ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death that occurs in most tumor types. However, the mechanism through which ferroptosis modulates HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic role and prognostic value of FANCD2 and provide novel insights into the prognostic assessment and prediction of immunotherapy.
METHODS:
Using clinicopathological parameters and bioinformatic techniques, we comprehensively examined the expression of FANCD2 macroscopically and microcosmically. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify the prognostic value of FANCD2 in HCC and elucidated the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of FANCD2 in oncogenesis by promoting iron-related death.
RESULTS:
FANCD2 was significantly upregulated in digestive system cancers with abundant immune infiltration. As an independent risk factor for HCC, a high FANCD2 expression level was associated with poor clinical outcomes and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that FANCD2 was mainly involved in the cell cycle and CYP450 metabolism.
CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively elucidate the oncogenic role of FANCD2. FANCD2 has a tumor-promoting aspect in the digestive system and acts as an independent risk factor in HCC; hence, it has recognized value for predicting tumor aggressiveness and prognosis and may be a potential biomarker for poor responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis*
;
Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis*
;
Immunotherapy
;
Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group D2 Protein/metabolism*
;
Prognosis
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*
10.Association between the non-treatment threshold or upper limit of normal of alanine aminotransferase and liver pathological injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and a persistently low level of alanine aminotransferase
Ming SHU ; Suwen JIANG ; Airong HU ; Qin CHEN ; Jialan WANG ; Menghan JIN ; Haojin ZHANG ; Shiqi YANG ; Shiyang FAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(10):2044-2053
ObjectiveTo investigate the significance of different non-treatment thresholds or upper limits of normal (ULN) of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in evaluating significant liver pathological injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and to provide guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment. MethodsThis study was conducted among 733 patients with chronic HBV infection who were hospitalized in Ningbo No. 2 Hospital from January 2015 to December 2023 and underwent liver biopsy and histopathological examination, and all patients had a persistent ALT level of ≤40 U/L and positive HBV DNA (>30 IU/mL). According to the treatment threshold or ULN of ALT, the patients were divided into group 1 with 575 patients (≤35 U/L for male patients, ≤25 U/L for female patients), group 2 with 430 patients (≤30 U/L for male patients, ≤19 U/L for female patients), group 3 with 443 patients (≤27 U/L for male patients, ≤24 U/L for female patients), group 4 with 446 patients (≤25 U/L), group 5 with 158 patients (>35 U/L for male patients, >25 U/L for female patients), and group 6 with 145 patients (>30 — ≤35 U/L for male patients, >19 — ≤25 U/L for female patients). Groups 2, 5, and 6 were compared to analyze the severity of liver pathological injury in patients with different ALT levels and the constituent ratio of patients with significant liver pathological injury, and groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were compared to investigate the value of different ULN or non-treatment thresholds of ALT in determining liver inflammation grade (G), liver fibrosis stage (S), and the treatment indication based on liver pathology. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test or the Tambane’s test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups and further comparison between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups; a Ridit analysis was used for comparison of ranked data. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis (forward stepwise) was performed with whether liver pathology met the treatment indication (≥G2 and/or ≥S2) as the dependent variable and related factors with a significant impact on the dependent variable (P <0.05) as the independent variable. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC), as well as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio, was used to assess the diagnostic value of different non-treatment thresholds of ALT. ResultsAmong the 733 patients, 259 (35.33%) had ≥G2 liver inflammation, 211 (28.79%) had ≥S2 liver fibrosis, and 306 (41.75%) had treatment indication (≥G2 and/or ≥S2). There was a significant difference in liver inflammation grade (G0 — G4) between groups 2, 5, and 6 (χ2=22.869, P <0.001), and there were also significant differences in the constituent ratios of patients with ≥G2 or ≥G3 liver inflammation between the three groups (χ2=21.742 and 14.921, P<0.001 and P=0.001). There was a significant difference in liver fibrosis stage (S0 — S4) between groups 2, 5, and 6 (χ2=16.565, P<0.001), and there were also significant differences in the constituent ratios of patients with ≥S2, ≥S3 or S4 liver fibrosis between the three groups (χ2=13.264, 13.050, and 6.260, P=0.001, 0.001, and 0.044). There were significant differences between groups 2, 5, and 6 in the constituent ratios of patients with or without treatment indication based on liver pathology (χ2=20.728, P<0.001). There were significant differences between groups 2, 5, and 6 in the constituent ratio of male patients (χ2=24.836, P<0.05), age (F=5.710, P<0.05), ALT (F=473.193, P<0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (F=107.774, P<0.05), ALT/AST ratio (F=40.167, P<0.05), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) (H=15.463, P<0.05), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (H=63.024, P<0.05), and LIF-5 (5 indicators for liver inflammation and fibrosis) (H=46.397, P<0.05). In groups 1 — 4, compared with the patients without treatment indication, the patients with treatment indication had a significantly lower constituent ratio of patients with positive HBeAg, significantly lower levels of platelet count (PLT) and HBV DNA, and significantly higher age, ALT, AST, GGT, APRI, FIB-4, and LIF-5 (all P<0.05). The Logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.044, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.025 — 1.063, P<0.001), GGT (OR=1.022, 95%CI: 1.007 — 1.038, P=0.003), and HBV DNA (OR=0.839, 95%CI: 0.765 — 0.919, P<0.001) were influencing factors for treatment indication based on liver pathology in group 1; HBeAg (OR=1.978, 95%CI: 1.269 — 3.082, P=0.003), age (OR=1.048, 95%CI: 1.025 — 1.071, P<0.001), GGT (OR=1.016, 95%CI: 1.001 — 1.031, P=0.041), and PLT (OR=0.995, 95%CI: 0.991 — 1.000, P=0.049) were influencing factors in group 2; age (OR=1.040, 95%CI: 1.014 — 1.066, P=0.002), ALT (OR=1.047, 95%CI: 1.005 — 1.092, P=0.029), HBV DNA (OR=0.817, 95%CI: 0.736 — 0.907, P<0.001), and LIF-5 (OR=7.382, 95%CI: 1.151 — 47.330, P=0.035) were influencing factors in group 3; age (OR=1.054, 95%CI: 1.031 — 1.077, P<0.001), ALT (OR=1.061, 95%CI: 1.016 — 1.107, P=0.008), and HBV DNA (OR=0.825, 95%CI: 0.743 — 0.917, P<0.001) were influencing factors in group 4. The diagnostic performance for identifying ≥G2 liver inflammation, ≥S2 liver fibrosis, and treatment indication in groups 1 — 4 had an AUC of >0.7; group 1 showed the lowest sensitivity (28.76%) and the highest specificity, positive predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio in judging treatment indication; group 2 had the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value and the lowest negative likelihood ratio; groups 3 and 4 had similar diagnostic indicators. ConclusionIn patients with chronic HBV infection and a persistently low ALT level, the severity of liver histopathological injury and the constituent ratio of significant liver histopathological injury decrease with the reduction in ALT level. A higher non-treatment threshold or ULN of ALT can help to identify the patients requiring treatment (with a higher specificity), while a lower non-treatment threshold or ULN of ALT can help to identify the patients who do not require treatment (with a higher sensitivity).

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