Objective To investigate the effect of expression of Cullin 4B (CUL4B) on the prognosis of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 79 patients who underwent liver transplantation for HCC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 1,2014 and June 30,2015 were collected.The specimens of HCC tissues were collected and embedded in paraffin,and then were detected by immunohistochemistry staining.Observation indicators:(1) expression of CUL4B in HCC tissues;(2) follow-up and survival;(3) prognostic factors analysis after liver transplantation;(4) association between expression of CUL4B and recurrence and metastasis of tumor after liver transplantation.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect tumor recurrence or metastasis and survival up to June 2018.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as (x)±s.The comparison between groups of count data was done using the chi-square test.The survival curve drawn using the Kaplan-Meier method,and the survival analysis was done by Log-rank test.The univariate and multivariate analysis were respectively done using the COX regression model.The association analysis was done using the Pearson test.Results (1) Expression of CUL4B in HCC tissues:immunohistochemistry staining showed that CUL4B was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm,with a powerful brownish-yellow staining.The high expression and low expression of CUL4B in HCC tissues were detected in 64 and 15 patients,respectively.(2) Follow-up and survival:79 patients were followed up for 38-56 months,with an average time of 46 months.During the follow-up,37 patients had no tumor recurrence and 42 had tumor recurrence (32 with tumor extrahepatic metastasis and 10 with intrahepatic metastasis);36 had survival and 43 died;the 1-and 3-year overall survival rates were respectively 86.84％ and 63.25％,and 1-and 3-year tumorfree survival rates were respectively 62.31％ and 51.27％.(3) Prognostic factors analysis after liver transplantation:① Results of univariate analysis showed that preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP),Child-Pugh score,maximum tumour dimension,capsular invasion,intravascular tumor thrombus,Edmonson pathological grading and expression of CUL4B were related factors affecting the 3-year overall survival rate of patients after liver transplantation for HCC [Hazard Ratio (HR) =2.17,3.36,3.66,2.43,2.19,3.36,2.84,95％ confidence interval(CI):1.17-4.04,1.53-7.42,2.10-6.42,1.33-4.17,1.08-9.04,1.58-7.59,1.17-6.32,P＜ 0.05].The preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP),Child-Pugh score,maximum tumour dimension,capsular invasion,intravascular tumor thrombus,Edmonson pathological grading and expression of CUL4B were related factors affecting the 3-year tumor-free survival rate of patients after liver transplantation for HCC (HR =2.06,3.72,3.16,2.36,2.83,3.21,1.69,95％CI:1.34-4.85,1.72-8.63,1.79-7.31,1.46-4.86,1.19-8.63,1.19-7.92,1.06-4.87,P＜0.05).② Results of multivariate analysis showed that maximum tumour dimension,intravascular tumor thrombus and expression of CUL4B were independent factors affecting the 3-year overall survival rate of patients after liver transplantation for HCC [Odds ratio(OR) =3.43,3.69,2.81,95％CI:1.16-6.02,1.96-9.38,1.04-9.63,P＜0.05].The maximum tumour dimension,intravascular tumor thrombus and expression of CUL4B were independent factors affecting the 3-year tumor-free survival rate of patients after liver transplantation for HCC (OR=2.25,4.72,2.74,95％C1:1.16-4.02,1.98-9.47,1.03-7.10,P＜ 0.05).The 3-year overall survival rate in patients with high-and low-expressions of CUL4B was respectively 66.7％ and 32.8％,with a statistically significant difference (x2 =5.69,P＜0.05).The 3-year tumor-free survival rate in patients with high-and low-expressions of CUL4B was respectively 73.3％ and 18.6％,with a statistically significant difference (x2 =4.63,P＜0.05).(4) Association between expression of CUL4B and recurrence and metastasis of tumor after liver transplantation:results of Pearson test showed that expression of CUL4B was significantly associated with HCC recurrence and metastasis after liver transplantation (r =0.62,P＜0.05).The further analysis showed that expression of CUL4B was significantly associated with extrahepatic metastasis after liver transplantation (r=0.84,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The expression of CUL4B is associated with HCC recurrence after liver transplantation,and it can be as a predictor for HCC recurrence and distant metastasis after liver transplantation.

Objective To evaluate the role of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) in improving the diagnosis and treatment of human herpes virus-6B (HHV-6B) encephalitis after liver transplantation. Methods MDT consultation was delivered for one rare case of HHV-6B encephalitis after liver transplantation to establish an effective individualized treatment regime. Results On the 16 d after liver transplantation, the patient developed headache, and suddenly presented with unresponsiveness, unconsciousness, coma complicated with involuntary limb twitching on the 18 d. Blood ammonia level was increased. Brain CT scan showed cerebral ischemic changes. Electroencephalography prompted the epileptic seizure. After MDT consultation, the possibility of nervous system infection after liver transplantation was considered, and medication therapy was given to control the epileptic seizure. Cerebrospinal fluid examination via lumbar puncture hinted increased intracranial pressure. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of the cerebrospinal fluid demonstrated that the patient was tested positive for HHV-6B nucleic acid, which confirmed the diagnosis of HHV-6B encephalitis. The immunosuppressant regime was adjusted, intravenous ganciclovir was given for antiviral treatment, and active interventions were delivered to prevent and treat relevant complications. Epileptic seizure disappeared after 4 d, and neurological symptoms were significantly alleviated after 2 weeks. After 4-week antiviral treatment, the patient was tested negative for virology testing, and the neurological function was restored to normal. Conclusions HHV-6B encephalitis rarely occurs after adult liver transplantation, which is primarily associated with the virus reactivation after use of immunosuppressant. MDT pattern may be employed to deepen the understanding of the patient's condition, formulate more effective individualized treatment regime, and enhance the clinical efficacy and safety.

Objective:To explore the association between levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on admission and prognosis of patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU).Methods:The data were collected from patients who were admitted to the ICU of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the United States from 2001 to 2012 with available TSH test records within 24 hours after the ICU admission via the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲv1.4 (MIMIC-Ⅲv1.4). Information including gender, age, ethnicity, type of admission, mechanical ventilation (MV) or renal replacement therapy (RRT) received on admission, comorbidities, and TSH test records within 24 hours after the ICU admission were collected. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, simplified acute physiology score Ⅱ (SAPS Ⅱ) and the comorbidities index Elixhauser (SID30) score were calculated according to the parameters. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Differences in baseline characteristics and prognosis were examined between patients with normal TSH levels and abnormal TSH levels which was determined according to a dichotomous variable provided by the data. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between TSH levels and prognosis after adjusting for confounding factors. A sensitivity analysis was conducted which categorized the study population as three groups (i.e., decreased, normal, and elevated TSH levels) using the range of 0.30-3.00 mU/L as the normal range of TSH.Results:A total of 3 425 ICU patients were enrolled in the study, of which 2 692 (78.60%) were with normal TSH and 733 (21.40%) were with abnormal TSH. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, age, ethnicity, type of admission and the ratio of MV between the normal TSH and abnormal TSH groups. Compared with normal TSH group, the patients in abnormal TSH had a higher SOFA, SAPS Ⅱ and SID30 scores as well as the ratio of RRT [SOFA score: 4 (2, 7) vs. 4 (2, 6), SAPS Ⅱ score: 38.02±13.76 vs. 36.53±13.75, SID30 score: 11 (4, 22) vs. 11 (0, 20), RRT ratio: 5.32% (39/733) vs. 3.49% (94/2 692), all P < 0.05]. The hospital mortality of patients in normal TSH was significantly higher than that of those in abnormal TSH [9.82% (72/733) vs. 5.94% (160/2 692), P < 0.01]. After adjusting for confounding factors, abnormal TSH was significantly associated with hospital mortality [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.24-2.35, P = 0.001]. In the sensitivity analysis in which the range of 0.30-3.00 mU/L was used as the normal range of TSH, compared with normal TSH, decreased TSH ( OR = 2.36, 95% CI was 1.40-3.97, P = 0.001) and elevated TSH ( OR = 1.44, 95% CI was 1.05-1.98, P = 0.023) were both significantly associated with increased hospital mortality. Conclusion:An abnormal level of TSH within 24 hours after admitted to ICU is an independent risk factor for hospital mortality among ICU patients.

Objective To investigate the distribution and drug resistance characteristics of pathogens in donors and recipients undergoing simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK). Methods Clinical data of 231 pairs of donors and recipients undergoing SPK were analyzed retrospectively. The pathogens of samples from donors and recipients were identified by VITEK-2 analyzer, and drug sensitivity test was performed by K-B method. The source distribution and composition ratio of pathogens in donor and recipient samples, distribution characteristics of multi-drug resistant organism, infection of recipients and drug resistance characteristics of pathogens were analyzed. Results A total of 395 strains of pathogens were cultured from 1 294 donor samples, and the detection rate was 30.53%. Gram-negative bacteria mainly consisted of klebsiella pneumoniae, Gram-positive bacteria mainly comprised staphylococcus aureus, and fungi primarily included candida albicans, respectively. In total, 2 690 strains of pathogens were cultured from 10 507 recipient samples, and the detection rate was 25.60%. Gram-negative bacteria mainly consisted of pseudomonas maltophilia, Gram-positive bacteria primarily comprised enterococcus faecalis, and fungi mainly included candida albicans, respectively. Among 395 pathogens of donors, 15 strains of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 16 strains of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) positive drug-resistant bacteria, 8 strains of carbapenem-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa (CR-PA), 21 strains of carbapenem-resistant acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB), 2 strains of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and 1 strain of multiple-drug/pan-drug resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR/PDR-PA) were identified. Among 2 690 strains of recipient pathogens, 73 strains of ESBL positive drug-resistant bacteria, 44 strains of CR-PA, 31 strains of CR-AB and 3 strains of MDR/PDR-PA were detected. One recipient developed donor-derived infection, 69 cases of pneumonia, 52 cases of urinary tract infection, 35 cases of abdominal infection and 2 cases of hematogenous infection were reported within postoperative 1 year. Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to certain antibiotics. Gram-positive bacteria were sensitive to vancomycin. Fungi were sensitive to amphotericin B. Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens of SPK recipients, which are resistant to certain antibiotics. Empirical use of antibiotics can be delivered before culture results are obtained. Subsequently, sensitive antibiotics should be chosen according to the culture results to improve the survival rate of SPK recipients.

【Objective】 To evaluate the HBsAg detection results of HBsAg+ samples after 8 years refrigeration by ELISA and evaluate the effectiveness of the current storage policy of retained samples. 【Methods】 A total of 100 HBsAg+ plasma samples by ELISA from May 2014 to March 2015 and refrigerated at -20℃ were collected and retested for HBsAg using the same method after thawing in 2023. 【Results】 The HBsAg retest results of 100 plasma samples were all positive, with the concordance rate of 100%, though there was a significant decrease in the S/CO value after refrigeration(27.52 vs 19.03, P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Long-term refrigeration can lead to a decrease in the S/CO value of HBsAg ELISA detection,but it does not affect the positive results.

Objective:To investigate the application value of donor liver autologous portal venous blood rinse in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 35 pairs of donors and recipients who underwent OLT in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from May 2018 to June 2019 were collected. Of the 35 donors, there were 31 males and 4 females, aged (48±9)years. Of the 35 recipients, there were 25 males and 10 females, aged (47±9)years. Of the 35 recipients, 16 recipients undergoing donor liver autologous portal venous blood rinse were allocated into the portal vein group, and 19 recipients undergoing donor liver albumin water rinse were allocated into the albumin group. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) postoperative situations; (3) follow-up. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and compari-son between groups was analyzed using the t test. Measurement data of skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were descried as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the Fisher exact probability. Results:(1) Surgical situations. The anhepatic phase time and arterial blood Ca 2+ concentration within 5 minutes after reperfusion of the recipients were (52±12)minutes and (0.99±0.10)mmol/L in the portal vein group, versus (64±12)minutes and (1.05±0.07)mmol/L in the albumin group, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=2.94, 2.22, P<0.05). The mean arterial pressure, arterial blood K +concentration and arterial blood pH within 5 minutes after reperfusion of the recipients were (70±24)mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (4.7±1.3)mmol/L and 7.27±0.06 in the portal vein group, versus (71±28)mmHg, (4.6±1.1)mmol/L and 7.30±0.07 in the albumin group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=0.14, 0.30, 1.22, P>0.05). (2) Post-operative situations. Cases with post-reperfusion syndrome (PRS), cases with severe PRS of cardiac arrest, cases with primary graft nonfunction of the recipients were 6, 0, 2 in the portal vein group, versus 8, 1, 1 in the albumin group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( P>0.05). Total bilirubin on postoperative day 7 of the recipients was (90±52)μmol/L in the portal vein group, versus (166±112)μmol/L in the albumin group, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( t=2.66, P<0.05). International normalized ratio on postoperative day 7, the highest alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase within 7 days after operation of the recipients were 2.1±2.0, (1 952±2 813)IU/L and (3 944±6 673)IU/L in the portal vein group, versus 1.8±0.6, (1 023±1 014) IU/L and (2 005±2 910)IU/L in the albumin group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=0.66, 1.23, 1.08, P>0.05). Recipients with hepatic artery complication and biliary complication were 1 and 2 in the portal vein group, versus 0 and 4 in the albumin group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were 3 cases and 2 cases died during the perioperative period in the portal vein group and the albumin group, respectively. (3) Follow-up. Of the 35 recipients, 30 recipients were followed up for 534(range, 28?776)days after operation. During the follow-up, there were 3 patients with postoperative complications in the portal vein group including 2 cases died and 1 case recovered after sympto-matic treatment. There were 5 patients with postoperative complications in the albumin group including 1 case died and 4 cases recovered after symptomatic treatment. Up to the follow-up date, 11 patients in the portal vein group and 16 patients in the albumin group were in good condition. Conclusion:Rinse of the donor liver with autologous portal venous blood during liver transplantation can shorten the time of anhepatic phase, without increasing the occurrence of post-reperfusion syndrome, ischemia re-perfusion injury and biliary tract complications.