Objective To evaluate the prevalence and clinic relevance of hepatitis G virus(HGV)infection in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Methods Reverse-transcription(RT) nested polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect HGV in 50 HD patients. The prevalence of HGV infection, their relationship with risk factors, liver function and HBV, HCV infection were investigated. Results HGV RNA was found in 14 percent of the HD patients (7 of 50), as compared with none of health blood donors(0 of 20, P

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes pathological changes of the liver,including liver inflammation,hepatocyte necrosis,and even liver fibrosis,and promotes the progression from chronic hepatitis to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,but related mechanisms remain unclear.The mechanism for the interaction between hepatocytes infected by HBV and uninfected hepatocytes/host immune system might be exosomes-mediated cell-cell communication in liver microenvironment.Many studies have demonstrated that viral infection can regulate the production of exosomes and affect their composition,and viral microRNAs,proteins,and even the entire virion can be incorporated into the exosomes,which can affect the immune recognition of viruses or regulate the function of adjacent cells.This article elaborates on the production and composition of exosomes and their roles in viral infection,as well as the research advances in the association between exosomes and HBV infection.

Purpose To explore the Relationship between expression of apoptosis-modulating proteins amdmultidrug resistance in K562/VCR cells. Methods Irnmunocytochemical methol and western blot wereused to analyze the expression of apoptosis-modulating proteins (Bcl - 2, Bcl-XL, Bax, Bak ) in multidrugresistant cell line K562/VCR and drugsensitive cell line K562. Results The positive cell rates ofapoptosis-suppressing protein Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in K562/VCR were (40.0 ± 8.0) % and (60.0 ± 10.0) % .While the rates in K562 were (1.0 ± 0.3) % and (20.0 ± 4.0) %. There was significant difference in thepositive cell rates of Bcl - 2 and Bcl - XL between K562/VCR and K562 ( n = 3, P ＜ 0.05 ). It was alsofound there was no significant difference in expression of Bax between K562/VCR and K562. Furthemore,Bak was not expressed in both K562/VCR and K562 or the expression was very low. Conclusions Wesuggest that Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL play important roles in multidrug resistance in K562/VCR, while Bax and Bakmight not be important.

In situ hybridization (ISH) is a new technique which combines molecular biology, histochemistry, and cytology. It can quantify and locate specific nucleic acids at the cellular and chromosomal levels and is widely used in virological research. ISH is of great significance for the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleic acids (RNA and replicative intermediate DNA) and covalently closed circular DNA. This article reviews the development of ISH and its application in HBV research.

Objective To investigate the expression of Follistatin-like 3(FSTL3)protein in lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)tissue and its association with clinical pathological indicators and prognosis.Methods A total of 268 LUAD patients who underwent radical resection of lung cancer were collected,and the expression of FSTL3 protein in LUAD and paired paracancerous normal tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry.The clinical pathological indicators and overall survival(OS)rate were compared among patients with different levels of FSTL3 expression.Cox regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of postoperative OS in LUAD patients.Results The high expression rate of FSTL3 protein in LUAD tissue(55.97％)was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues(33.21％)(x2=28.098,P＜0.001).The expression level of FSTL3 protein showed significant differences among LUAD patients with different degrees of differentiation,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,and TNM stage(all P＜0.05).The OS rate of patients with high FSTL3 protein expression was significantly lower than that of patients with low expression(x2=4.706,P=0.030).Cox regression analysis indicated that lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,TNM stages Ⅲ,and high expression of FSTL3 were independent risk factors affecting postoperative OS in LUAD patients(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of FSTL3 protein significantly increased in LUAD tissue,and it was associated with tumor differentiation,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,and TNM stage.High expression of FSTL3 was an independent risk factor affecting the postoperative prognosis of LUAD patients.FSTL3 protein has the potential to become a biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic prediction of LUAD.

BACKGROUNDTo elucidate relationship between amino acid sequence of non-structural protein 5A (NS5A) and outcome of HCV (1 b) patients after interferon (IFNa) therapy.

METHODSSera of 24 patients were collected before, during and after IFNa therapy. Pretreatment RNA levels and the sequences of HCV NS5A interferon sensitivity determining region (ISDR) were determined. NS5A full-length sequences of 5 HCV isolates from 3 patients with different response types were also analyzed. Phylogenetic tree analysis and protein secondary structure prediction were undertaken.

RESULTSPretreatment RNA levels of sustained response group were significantly lower than that of non-response group and relapse group (4.50X104 copies/ml versus 1.82X107 copies/ml, P < 0.01).ISDR sequences of NS5A from pretreatment sera were compared with HCV-J strain (prototype). Thirteen of 24 isolates were wild type,11 of 24 were intermediate type and none of them was mutant type. 3 of 6 sustained responders were infected with wild-type isolates, the rest with intermediate type isolates. Phylogenetic tree based on NS5A full-length sequences classified 5 isolates with 3 different response types into 3 groups. Non-response isolates belonged to the same group as HCV-J. Secondary structure prediction of 5 isolates revealed significant differences existing in 2 255- 2 289. This region was partly overlapped with PKR-binding domain.

CONCLUSIONSLow HCV RNA levels in serum are associated with favorable outcome of IFNa therapy. ISDR sequence alone could not predict outcome of IFN treatment. Combination of determination of HCV RNA levels in serum with sequence analysis of PKR-binding domain may be helpful in predicting the efficacy of IFN therapy.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics

At present, interferon (IFN) and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) remain the most important methods for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in clinical practice, but neither of them can effectively eliminate the virus and cure hepatitis B. As the template for HBV transcription and replication, HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) persistently exists in the nucleus in the form of minichromosome and is considered the most important reason for chronic and refractory HBV infection. Since it is hard to completely eliminate cccDNA, functional cure of chronic hepatitis B through sustained silencing of cccDNA has become a major goal of clinical and basic research in recent years. This article reviews the influence of current treatment methods on cccDNA, the factors regulating the amount and activity of cccDNA, and the key obstacles to eradication of cccDNA pool, with perspectives of cccDNA research towards a functional cure of chronic hepatitis B.

It is known that hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) persists in the nucleus of infected hepatocytes in the form of minichromosome and is difficult to target and eliminate. Studies on the mechanisms and strategies for persistent silencing or elimination of HBV cccDNA are the focus achieving for “functional cure” of chronic hepatitis B. This article introduces the current knowledge on the basic biological features of cccDNA, regulatory mechanisms of transcription and metabolism, and related host factors, with a focus on the potential pathways and strategies for cccDNA silencing or elimination.

Objective:To compare the short-term outcomes of very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants supplementarily fed with fortified donor human milk (DHM) or preterm formula (PF) when the mother's own milk (MOM) is insufficient.Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 91 VLBW or ELBW preterm infants with birth weight<1 500 g who were hospitalized in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2020. Based on the supplemental feeding method when MOM was insufficient, these infants were divided into the DHM group ( n=51) and PF group ( n=40). Mann-Whitney U, t-test, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test were used to compare the short-term clinical outcomes during hospitalization between the two groups. Results:(1) There were no statistically significant differences between the 91 preterm infants in the DHM group and PF group in their gestational age, birth weight, sex ratio, birth mode, mothers' age at delivery, or the proportion of infants of small gestational age (all P>0.05). (2) The feeding volume in the DHM group was significantly greater than that in the PF group on the 14th day after birth [(108.2±53.1) vs. (81.0±47.8) ml/(kg·d), t=0.78, P=0.020]. Moreover, the time to achieve the feeding amounts up to 120 ml/(kg·d) and 150 ml/(kg·d) for infants in the DHM group were significantly shorter than those in the PF group [(17.5±10.2) vs. (30.0±12.0) d, t=4.38; (22.1±13.3) vs. (32.3±11.9) d, t=0.02; both P<0.05]; (3) Lower proportion of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) [58.8% (30/51) vs. 100% (40/40), χ 2=21.88, P<0.001] and shorter PICC duration were observed in the DHM group [10.0 (0.0-19.0) vs. 29.0 (17.0-40.5) d, Z=5.56, P<0.001] compared to the PF group. The times of red blood cell transfusions and the incidence of late sepsis in the DHM group were less than those in the PF group [0.0 (0.0-2.0) vs. 2.0 (1.0-3.0) times, Z=4.44, P<0.001; 23.5% (12/51) vs. 50.0% (20/40), χ 2=6.39, P=0.011]. There were no statistically significant differences observed in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and the length of hospitalization (all P>0.05). Conclusion:When MOM is insufficient, supplementing VLBW and ELBW infants with fortified donor human milk can shorten the time to achieve enteral nutrition and reduce the use rate and time of PICC, the incidence of late-onset sepsis, and the times of red blood cell transfusion.

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) play a critical role for the therapy of chronical hepatitis B. DAAs can decrease the production of viral progeny of hepatitis B virus (HBV), breaking the viral dynamic equilibrium between: (1) virion production from hepatocytes and clearance from circulation; (2) replenishment and decay of covalently closed circular (ccc)DNA pool inside infected hepatocytes. Nucleos(t)ide analogues can potently shift the first balance to undetectable viremia in the blood, but have limited or no effect on the second one, thus making it imperative to develop new agents targeting additional step(s) of HBV life cycle. We herein briefly introduce the DAAs currently in development by classifying them as agents affecting the replenishment or the decay of cccDNA pool.