1.Meta-analysis of β-blockers for the primary prevention of liver cirrhosis with clinically significant portal hypertension with no or small esophageal varices
Xin SU ; Wenjie LI ; Zhe CHEN ; Qibiao WU ; Minhao YIN ; Xu HAN ; Danping ZHANG ; Xiqiao ZHOU ; Hong ZHU
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2022;30(11):1237-1245
Objective:To explore whether NSBB is suitable for the primary prevention of liver cirrhosis accompanied by CSPH with no or small esophageal varices.Methods:Relevant literatures were retrieved from Cochrane library, PubMed, EMBASE, SinoMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases until December 12, 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on NSBB use for primary prevention of cirrhosis accompanied by CSPH with no or small esophageal varices were collected. The literature was strictly screened according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) combined effect size. The development of esophageal varices and the initial upper gastrointestinal bleeding were the primary outcome measures. Death (with a maximum average follow-up of about five years) and adverse events (adverse drug reactions, etc.) were the secondary outcome measures.Results:A total of 9 RCTs with 1396 cases were included. Meta-analysis results showed that, compared with placebo, NSBB significantly reduced the incidence of liver cirrhosis accompanied by CSPH with no or small esophageal varices to large esophageal varices progression ( OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.29-0.89, P=0.02), and mortality (with maximum average follow-up of about five years) ( OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.44-0.92, P=0.02); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the initial upper gastrointestinal bleeding rate between the two groups ( OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.44-1.52, P=0.53). Adverse event incidence was greater in the NSBB than the placebo group ( OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.27-2.37, P=0.0005). Conclusions:NSBB use cannot reduce the initial upper gastrointestinal bleeding rate or adverse event incidence in patients with liver cirrhosis accompanied by CSPH with no or small esophageal varices, but it can delay the progression of gastroesophageal varices and reduce patient mortality.
2. High Expression of GADD45B Induced by Acid and Bile Acid is A Potential Prognostic Marker for Barrett's Esophagus-associated Adenocarcinoma
Xin SU ; Danping ZHANG ; Zhe CHEN ; Xu HAN ; Peichen XIA ; Minhao YIN ; Wenjie LI ; Shuo LI ; Guoqin ZHU ; Hong ZHU
Chinese Journal of Gastroenterology 2021;26(11):647-655
Background: Esophageal mucosal injury induced by gastroesophageal reflux is a key link to the development of Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinoma. However, the molecular mechanism is still not elucidated. Aims: To investigate the role of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after stimulating esophageal cells with acid and bile acid in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods: The DEGs were obtained through bioinformatics methods after stimulating esophageal cells with low pH and deoxycholic acid, and GO, KEGG enrichment analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed to screen the hub genes, and their relationships with prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients were analyzed. The role of co-expressed genes of GADD45B in EAC was also analyzed. Results: Thirty-one overlapping DEGs were obtained after stimulating esophageal cells with low pH and deoxycholic acid, which mainly enriched in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, transcription factors activity, and regulation of cell proliferation and apoptotic process. High expression of GADD45B was correlated with the survival prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients. GADD45B and its co-expressed genes were involved in the production of tumor necrosis factor. Conclusions: The high expression of GADD45B induced by acid and bile acid is correlated with the prognosis and tumor stage of EAC patients, and is a potential diagnosis and treatment target for Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinoma.