AIM:To investigate the effect of apoptosis stimulation protein 2(ASPP2)on the development of traumatic proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR)in a rabbit model.METHODS:A total of 30 New Zealand white rabbits were selected, and the right eyes of all rabbits were inflicted with a scleral penetrating wound of approximately 6 mm. Then rabbits were randomly and evenly divided into experimental and control group. The experimental group received an intravitreal injection of 0.1 mL of ARPE-19 cell suspension transfected with lentivirus-ASPP2, while the control group received an intravitreal injection of 0.1 mL of ARPE-19 cell suspension transfected with negative control lentivirus. At 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk after PVR modeling, a handheld tonometer was used to measure the intraocular pressure. Moreover, fundus photography and ocular ultrasound examination were performed to detect the retinal proliferation. At 4 wk after modeling, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological retinal changes, and Western blot was used to determine the protein expressions of ASPP2 and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)marker Vimentin in the rabbit retinas.RESULTS:At 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk after modeling, there were no significant changes in intraocular pressure within the experimental and control group of rabbit eyes, either before or after PVR modeling, the success rate of PVR modeling in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05), and the retinal proliferation and structural disorder was less severe in the experimental group. At 4 wk after modeling, the retinal protein expression level of ASPP2 in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group(t=3.193, P=0.033), while the Vimentin protein expression level was significantly lower in the experimental group(t=-3.599, P=0.023).CONCLUSION:ASPP2 may be involved in regulating the process of EMT in retinal pigment epithelial cells, thereby delaying the development and progression of traumatic PVR in rabbit eyes.

Sustained inflammatory responses are closely related to various severe diseases, and inhibiting the excessive activation of inflammasomes and pyroptosis has significant implications for clinical treatment. Natural products have garnered considerable concern for the treatment of inflammation. Huanglian-Wumei decoction (HLWMD) is a classic prescription used for treating inflammatory diseases, but the necessity of their combination and the exact underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism have not yet been elucidated. Inspired by the supramolecular self-assembly strategy and natural drug compatibility theory, we successfully obtained berberine (BBR)-chlorogenic acid (CGA) supramolecular (BCS), which is an herbal pair from HLWMD. Using a series of characterization methods, we confirmed the self-assembly mechanism of BCS. BBR and CGA were self-assembled and stacked into amphiphilic spherical supramolecules in a 2:1 molar ratio, driven by electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking; the hydrophilic fragments of CGA were outside, and the hydrophobic fragments of BBR were inside. This stacking pattern significantly improved the anti-inflammatory performance of BCS compared with that of single free molecules. Compared with free molecules, BCS significantly attenuated the release of multiple inflammatory mediators and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pyroptosis. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism is closely related to the inhibition of intracellular nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 phosphorylation and the noncanonical pyroptosis signalling pathway mediated by caspase-11.

Objective:To investigate the current status of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in China, and to provide supporting data and reference for the development of endoscopic treatment.Methods:In this study, initiated by the Liver Health Consortium in China (CHESS), a questionnaire was designed and distributed online to investigate the basic condition of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in 2022 in China. Questions included annual number and indication of endoscopic procedures, adherence to guideline for preventing esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB), management and timing of emergent EGVB, management of gastric and isolated varices, and improvement of endoscopic treatment. Proportions of hospitals concerning therapeutic choices to all participant hospitals were calculated. Guideline adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals were compared by using Chi-square test.Results:A total of 836 hospitals from 31 provinces (anotomous regions and municipalities) participated in the survey. According to the survey, the control of acute EGVB (49.3%, 412/836) and the prevention of recurrent bleeding (38.3%, 320/836) were major indications of endoscopic treatment. For primary [non-selective β-blocker (NSBB) or endoscopic therapies] and secondary prophylaxis (NSBB and endoscopic therapies) of EGVB, adherence to domestic guideline was 72.5% (606/836) and 39.2% (328/836), respectively. There were significant differences in the adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals in primary prophylaxis of EGVB [71.0% (495/697) VS 79.9% (111/139), χ2=4.11, P=0.033] and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB [41.6% (290/697) VS 27.3% (38/139), χ2=9.31, P=0.002]. A total of 78.2% (654/836) hospitals preferred endoscopic therapies treating acute EGVB, and endoscopic therapy was more likely to be the first choice for treating acute EGVB in tertiary hospitals (82.6%, 576/697) than secondary hospitals [56.1% (78/139), χ2=46.33, P<0.001]. The optimal timing was usually within 12 hours (48.5%, 317/654) and 12-24 hours (36.9%, 241/654) after the bleeding. Regarding the management of gastroesophageal varices type 2 and isolated gastric varices type 1, most hospitals used cyanoacrylate injection in combination with sclerotherapy [48.2% (403/836) and 29.9% (250/836), respectively], but substantial proportions of hospitals preferred clip-assisted therapies [12.4% (104/836) and 26.4% (221/836), respectively]. Improving the skills of endoscopic doctors (84.2%, 704/836), and enhancing the precision of pre-procedure evaluation and quality of multidisciplinary team (78.9%, 660/836) were considered urgent needs in the development of endoscopic treatment. Conclusion:A variety of endoscopic treatments for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension are implemented nationwide. Participant hospitals are active to perform emergent endoscopy for acute EGVB, but are inadequate in following recommendations regarding primary and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB. Moreover, the selection of endoscopic procedures for gastric varices differs greatly among hospitals.

Hepatitis C is distributed worldwide and possesses a hidden characteristic. The traditional methods of screening and diagnosis of hepatitis C infection commonly used in clinics are based on anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA detection. Advances in HCV antigen detection technologies can apparently reduce the window period for anti-HCV antibodies, providing new clinical evidence for the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of HCV infection. This article is a current review of HCV antigen detection methodologies, clinical applications, and detection strategies.

Chemokines and their receptors play crucial roles in nervous system diseases,among which the CXC chemokine receptor 3(CXCR3)is an important mediator of intercellular communication.CXCR3 not only participates in inflammatory chemotaxis and malignant behaviors of tumor cells but also regulates the neurologic diseases.CXCR3 and its ligands directly or indirectly contribute to neuroinflammation and neuroimmunity,and potentially serve as therapeutic targets for diseases like multiple sclerosis,Alzheimer's disease,and glioma and so on.This review discusses the expression and impact of CXCR3 and its ligands in neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis,neurologic tumors,neurodegenerative diseases,and neuropathic pain,as well as their associations with CXCR3 ligands.Understanding the mechanisms linking CXCR3 to these diseases could facilitate its potential as an early diagnostic biomarker and a target for drug intervention,and provide the basis of studying the occurrence and developmant of nervous system disease.

Objective:To carry out a scoping review on feeding decision aids in patients with advanced dementia, clarify the characteristics, functions, and application effects of the tools, so as to provide reference for further clinical research.Methods:The research on feeding decision aids for patients with advanced dementia was systematically searched on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , VIP, WanFang Data, and the China Biomedical Literature Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The search period was from database establishment to August 2022. Two researchers independently selected literature based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted, summarized and analyzed data from the included literature.Results:A total of 8 decision aids were included. The main types included web-based decision aids, paper text decision support manuals, audio manual form decision aids, and a combination of various forms of decision aids. Decision aids provided dementia feeding related information to patients and surrogate decision-makers, analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of different feeding methods, helped clarify their value preferences, and assisted them in making feeding decisions. The evaluation of application effectiveness mainly included outcome indicators such as knowledge, decision conflict, decision regret, decision satisfaction, frequency of doctor-patient communication, and acceptability and effectiveness of decision aids.Conclusions:Decision aids have played a positive role in selecting feeding methods for dementia patients and surrogate decision-makers. Under the background of "Internet + nursing service", we can learn from the experience of foreign research and make full use of artificial intelligence technology to explore scientific and feasible personalized decision aids, so as to provide demand based decision support for patients and their surrogate decision-makers and improve the quality of decisions.

Objective:To evaluate the safety of discontinuing nucleoside/nucleoside analogue (NAs) therapy in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis after HBsAg negative conversion.Methods:A total of 3 783 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis in compensated stage were treated with NAs at Taizhou Hospital, Taizhou Municipal Hospital and Taizhou Enze Hospital from January 2008 to December 2020. The clinical data and laboratory tests results of 85 patients with HBsAg negative conversion were retrospectively analyzed, including 36 cases discontinued the drug, and 49 continued to use drug. Chi-square test and rank-sum test were used for data analysis.Results:During the 24 and 48 months of follow-up, the ALT levels were within the normal range in both groups. There were no significant differences in positive rates of anti-HBs and HBeAg ( χ2=0.75, 0.39 and 0.90, P=0.78 0.84 and 0.34; χ2=0.40, 0.00 and 0.00, P=0.84, 1.00 and 1.00) between two groups. After 48 months of follow-up, 2 cases of primary liver cancer occurred in the discontinuation group and no primary liver cancer occurred in the continuation group ( χ2=0.89, P=0.34). Throughout the follow-up, HBsAg remained negative and HBV DNA load was below the lower limit of detection in both groups. Conclusions:Discontinuation of NAs can be considered after the HBsAg negative conversion in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis.

The brain pericyte is a unique and indispensable part of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and contributes to several pathological processes in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pericytes are regulated in the damaged brain are largely unknown. Here, we show that the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induces the appearance of CD11b⁺ pericytes after TBI. These CD11b⁺ pericyte subsets are characterized by increased permeability and pro-inflammatory profiles compared to CD11b^- pericytes. Moreover, histones from NETs by Dectin-1 facilitate CD11b induction in brain pericytes in PKC-c-Jun dependent manner, resulting in neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction after TBI. These data indicate that neutrophil-NET-pericyte and histone-Dectin-1-CD11b are possible mechanisms for the activation and dysfunction of pericytes. Targeting NETs formation and Dectin-1 are promising means of treating TBI.
Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain/pathology* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Histones ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; Pericytes/pathology*

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) are highly heterogeneous, and the management of pNENs patients can be intractable. To address this challenge, an expert committee was established on behalf of the Group of Pancreatic Surgery, Chinese Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association, which consisted of surgical oncologists, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, endocrinologists, radiologists, pathologists, and nuclear medicine specialists. By reviewing the important issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of pNENs, the committee concluded evidence-based statements and recommendations in this article, in order to further improve the management of pNENs patients in China.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) are highly heterogeneous, and the management of pNENs patients can be intractable. To address this challenge, an expert committee was established on behalf of the Group of Pancreatic Surgery, Chinese Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association, which consisted of surgical oncologists, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, endocrinologists, radiologists, pathologists, and nuclear medicine specialists. By reviewing the important issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of pNENs, the committee concluded evidence-based statements and recommendations in this article, in order to further improve the management of pNENs patients in China.