Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is one of the most common complications of liver cirrhosis. The formation of PVT can increase the mortality rate of cirrhotic patients and adversely affect the successful implementation and prognosis of liver transplantation. A hypercoagulable state is a unique mechanism underlying PVT formation in cirrhotic patients. In recent years, the pathogenesis of PVT has gradually been elucidated, with specific mechanisms including the following aspects: systemic and local inflammatory responses lead to vascular endothelial cell dysfunction, thereby promoting the activation of the coagulation system; abnormal activation of the monocyte-macrophage system exacerbates local inflammation, enhancing platelet adhesion and aggregation, and facilitating thrombus formation; an imbalance between the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems results in a sustained hypercoagulable state; and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis induces inflammation and metabolic disturbances, thereby increasing the risk of PVT. This article summarizes the latest research progress on these key mechanisms and their interactions, providing new insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of PVT. It also offers directions for the early diagnosis of PVT and the exploration of novel intervention strategies in the future.

BACKGROUND:Ca2+expression in astrocytes has been found to be closely related to cognitive function,and the Ca2+signaling pathway regulated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors(IP3R2)and ryanodine receptor(RYR)2 receptors has become a hot spot in the study of cognitive disorder-related diseases. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression of Ca2+signals mediated by IP3R2 and RYR2 in hippocampal astrocytes in animal models of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning,and to explore the possible pathogenesis of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning. METHODS:C57BL mice with qualified cognitive function were selected by Morris water maze experiment and randomly divided into control group and experimental group.An animal model of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning was established by static carbon monoxide inhalation in the experimental group,and the same amount of air was inhaled in the control group.Behavioral and neuronal changes,astrocyte specific marker glial fibrillary acidic protein,IP3R2,RYR2 receptor and Ca2+concentration in astrocytes of the two groups were detected using Morris water maze,hematoxylin-eosin staining,western blot,immunofluorescence double labeling and Ca2+fluorescence probe at 21 days after modeling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the Morris water maze,the escape latency of the experimental group was significantly longer than that of the control group(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that in the experimental group,the number of hippocampal pyramidal cells decreased,the cell structure was disordered,and the nucleus was broken and dissolved.Immunofluorescence results showed that IP3R2 and RYR2 were co-expressed with glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus,and the expressions of IP3R2,RYR2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were up-regulated in the hippocampus of the experimental group(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of IP3R2,RYR2,and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus of the experimental group were increased(P<0.05).Ca2+concentration in hippocampal astrocytes increased significantly in the experimental group(P<0.05).To conclude,astrocytes may affect Ca2+signals by mediating IP3R2 and RYR2 receptors,then impair the cognitive function of mice with carbon monoxide poisoning,and eventually lead to delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of donafenib combined with programmed death-1 （PD-1） inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS This retrospective study included 165 patients with unresectable HCC who were treated at the Fourth and First Affiliated Hospitals of Soochow University between June 2022 and March 2023. Among them， 89 patients received PD-1 inhibitors （tislelizumab or sintilimab， similarly hereinafter） plus vascular intervention （control group） and 76 patients received donafenib in combination with PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention （observation group）. Short-term efficacy （3 months after treatment）， long-term efficacy （2 years after treatment）， the levels of liver function indexes [serum alanine amino-transferase （ALT）， aspartate transferase （AST）， and total bilirubin （TBil）] and tumor biomarkers [alpha fetoprotein （AFP）， carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， carbohydrate antigen 19-9 （CA19-9）， and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin （DCP）] before treatment and after 3 months of treatment， as well as the occurrence of adverse drug reaction （ADR） during treatment， were compared between the two groups. In addition， overall response rate （ORR） stratified by PD-1 inhibitor type was analyzed. RESULTS After treatment， the ORR was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group （P＜0.05）； although the disease control rate was higher in the observation group compared to the control group， the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The median overall survival of patients in the observation group was 16.9 months [95% confidence interval （CI）： 14.2 to 19.1 months]， which was significantly longer than that in the control group （12.4 months， 95%CI： 10.1 to 15.3 months） （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analysis result indicated that therapeutic advantage was consistent across both sintilimab and tislelizumab subgroups， with no significant heterogeneity （P＞0.1， I 2＜0.001%）. Before treatment， there were no significant differences in liver function indexes or tumor marker levels between 2 groups （P＞0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant declines in these indicators compared with baseline （P＜0.05）， with greater reductions observed in the observation group （P＜0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in overall incidence of ADR and grade ≥3 ADRs between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with unresectable HCC， the combination of donafenib， PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy may achieve superior clinical outcomes without increasing the risk of treatment-related ADR.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic performance of CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) derived from standard images (STD), images processed by first-generation (SSF1) and second-generation (SSF2) whole-heart motion correction algorithm, respectively.Methods:Patients who underwent both coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with FFR examination within 3 months in Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univerisity School of Medicine from January 2020 to December 2022 were screened in this retrospective study. Totally of 121 patients (134 lesions) were finally included in the study. CCTA images were reconstructed using iterative reconstruction, iterative reconstruction plus SSF1 and SSF2 algorithms. All images were divided into three groups: STD group, SSF1 group, and SSF2 group. The image quality of the CCTA images was assessed using the Likert scale, and differences between the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test. The correlation and consistency between CT-FFR and FFR were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. The diagnostic performance of CCTA and CT-FFR from three groups was compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The area under the curve (AUC) was compared using the DeLong test. Results:Compared to the STD group and SSF1 group, the SSF2 group showed the best performance in image quality score (median=3.7). Best correlation ( r=0.652, P<0.001) and consistency (mean difference=0.03) between CT-FFR and FFR were observed in SSF2 group. ROC analysis results revealed that, at the per-lesion level, in the diagnosis of ischemic lesions, the diagnostic performance of CT-FFR in the SSF2 group was significantly better than that of the SSF1 group (AUC=0.88 vs. 0.76, P=0.003), while no significant difference was observed between STD group and SSF1 group ( P=0.125). At the per-patient level, the SSF2 group also demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The SSF2 algorithm significantly improved CCTA image quality and enhanced its diagnostic performance for evaluating stenosis severity and CT-FFR calculations.

Objective:To investigate the effect of zirconia personalized gingival structure on peri-implant soft and hard tissue stability after single-tooth implant restorations in patients with thin gingival biotypes in the anterior region, with a view to provide a clinical guideline.Methods:This retrospective study included 20 patients with thin gingival biotype and implant restorations in the anterior region. These patients included 9 males and 11 females, and the age was (35.2± 10.3) years. The patients were from the Department of Periodontal Implantology, Stomatology Hospital, Southern Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques were used to fabricate a titanium base zirconia personalized gingival structure to maintain the soft-tissue perforated gingival contour of the anterior esthetic zone. This structure consists of two modalities: titanium base + zirconia outer crown or titanium base personalized zirconia abutment + zirconia outer crown. Clinical outcomes were recorded immediately and after delivery of the final restorations. Implant retention was recorded, esthetic scoring was performed using the pink esthetic index, the amount of bone resorption at the implant margins was measured based on digitized apical radiographs, and periodontal health was evaluated using the modified plaque index and the modified bleeding index.Results:The survival rate of the 20 implants was 100% after 3 years of wearing the final restorations, with a pink aesthetic score of 9.3±0.9. Bone resorption at the proximal and distal mesial margins of the implants was 0.09 (-0.21, 0.20) mm, 0.17 (-0.12, 0.27) mm after 3 years, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant when compared to bone resorption immediately after placement of the final restoration [0(0, 0) mm] ( Z=-1.03, P=0.394; Z=-2.05, P=0.065). Conclusions:Zirconia personalized gingival structure maintains the stability of peri-implant hard and soft tissues of thin gingival biotypes in the anterior region.

AIM: To explore the protective effect of astragalus glycyrrhiza decoction (AGD) on arsenic trioxide (ATO)-induced QT interval prolongation and its mechanism based on metabonomics. METHODS: The model of ATO-induced QT interval prolongation in rats was established, and ECG, blood routine, and metabonomics were detected, and the key targets were collected combined with network pharmacology. The possible candidate genes and pathways for the protective effect of AGD were screened by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis and then verified by experiments in vitro. RESULTS: AGD could significantly alleviate the ATO-induced QT interval of SD rats. GO enrichment analysis was mainly related to inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress, inner cell vesicles, folds, inner cell vesicles, SMAD binding, R-SMAD binding, and signal receptor activator activity. KEGG analysis showed that it was mainly concentrated in the PI3K-Akt signal pathway, lipid and arteriosclerosis, FOXO signal pathway, TNF signal pathway, HIF-1, and other signal pathways. Through the H9c2 cell model in vitro, it was verified that AGD could reverse the expression of SIRT1 and FOXO1 proteins. CONCLUSION: AGD may improve the ATO-induced QT interval prolongation and reduce the cardiotoxicity of ATO by regulating the SIRT1 / FOXO1 signal pathway.

Objective : To compare the disinfection effect of 3% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide and 500 mg/L chlorine-containing disinfectants in the independent waterway of a periodontal ultrasonic scaler to provide a reference for clinical waterway disinfection management in stomatology departments. Methods : The 18 ultrasonic scalers were randomly divided into 3 groups of 6 units: the control group, experimental group 1 (3% hydrogen peroxide disinfectant group), and experimental group 2 (500 mg/L chlorine-containing disinfectant group). The replaceable parts of the independent waterway pipes of the 3 groups of ultrasonic scalers were replaced, and the water supply was supplied with sterile distilled water (DW). In the control group, special treatment was not applied to the nonreplaceable pipe part. In experimental group 1, the 3% hydrogen peroxide was used to disinfect nonreplaceable pipelines. In experimental group 2, the nonreplaceable part was disinfected with the 500 mg/L chlorine-containing disinfectant. The water sample was taken from the outlet of the scaler working part in the three groups for monitoring before disinfection, immediately after disinfection and 10 consecutive days after disinfection. Bacteria in the water samples were cultured for the colony counts. Then, the bacterial culture data were compared between groups. The qualified criterion of the water sample was that the number of bacterial colonies was less than or equal to 100 CFU/mL. After disinfection, a bacterial species mass spectrometry identification analysis was carried out when the number of bacterial colonies in each group exceeded the standard for the first time. Biofilms from the inner wall of the tube in the three groups were observed under an electron microscope on the 10th day after disinfection. Results : There were no significant differences between the three groups before disinfection (F = 2.549, P = 0.111). The number of bacterial colonies in the spout of 6 scalers in the control group all exceeded the standard, and three kinds of bacteria were cultured: Sphingomonas melonis, Herbaspirillum huttiense, and Ralstonia pickettii. Compared with those in the control group, the number of bacterial colonies in experimental group 1 decreased significantly for 1-2 days after disinfection (P<0.05) and reached the standard. On the 3rd day after disinfection, the number of bacterial colonies of group 1 increased rapidly and exceeded the standard, and three kinds of bacteria were cultured: Sphingomonas, Herbaspirillum huttiense, and Ralstonia pickettii. For experimental group 2, the number of bacterial colonies decreased significantly compared to the control group on Days 1 to 6 after disinfection, but the number of bacterial colonies increased slightly from the 7th day after disinfection and exceeded the standard. Two kinds of bacteria were cultured: Herbaspirillum huttiense and Ralstonia pickettii. The average number of bacterial colonies 10-day after disinfection in experimental group 2 was lower than that in experimental group 1(P<0.001). Under an electron microscope, the biofilm thickness of the two experimental groups was significantly lower than that of the control group. Conclusion There is water pollution in the independent waterway of a periodontal ultrasound scaler. Three percent hydrogen peroxide and 500 mg/L chlorine disinfectant both have effective disinfection effects on the outlet water of scalers, and the effect of 500 mg/L chlorine disinfectant is better than that of 3% hydrogen peroxide. The use of 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfect periodontal ultrasound scaler-independent waterways is recommended for disinfection every other day, and disinfection once a week is recommended for the use of 500 mg/L chlorine disinfectant.

Liver diseases are common in China and the incidence and mortality of primary liver cancer are among the top in the world. As one of the therapeutic methods for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver transplantation has become an important technique in hepatic surgery. Most of patients with HCC have progressed to stage B or C of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging when diagnosed. How to reduce the dropout rate of HCC patients due to the progression of tumor when waiting for liver transplantation, develop individualized immunosuppressant plans for HCC patients after liver transplantation, and accurately manage patients with HCC recurrence after liver transplan-tation are the current hotspots of research. The authors review the relevant literature, summarize the treatment experience, and discuss the hot issues in liver transplantation for HCC, in order to provide reference for related treatment.