In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

[Objective] To explore the relationship between neutrophil activation under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the incidence of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI). [Methods] This prospective cohort study enrolled adult patients who scheduled for cardiac surgery under CPB at West China Hospital between May 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI). Blood samples (5 mL) were obtained from the central vein before surgery, at rewarming, at the end of CPB, and 24 hours after surgery. Neutrophils were labeled with CD11b, CD54 and other markers. To assess the effect of neutrophils activation on AKI, propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to equilibrate covariates between the groups. [Results] A total of 120 patients included into the study, and 17 (14.2%) developed AKI. Both CD11b⁺ and CD54⁺ neutrophils significantly increased during the rewarming phase and the increases were kept until 24 hours after surgery. During rewarming, the numbers of CD11b⁺ neutrophils were significantly higher in AKI compared to non-AKI (4.71×10⁹/L vs 3.31×10⁹/L, Z=-2.14, P<0.05). Similarly, the CD54⁺ neutrophils counts were also significantly higher in AKI than in non-AKI before surgery (2.75×10⁹/L vs 1.79×10⁹/L, Z=-2.99, P<0.05), during rewarming (3.12×10⁹/L vs 1.62×10⁹/L, Z=-4.34, P<0.05), and at the end of CPB (4.28×10⁹/L vs 2.14×10⁹/L, Z=-3.91, P<0.05). An analysis of 32 matched patients (16 in each group) revealed that CD11b⁺ and CD54⁺ neutrophil levels of AKI were 1.74 folds (4.83×10⁹/L vs 2.77×10⁹/L, Z=-2.72, P<0.05) and 2.34 folds (3.32×10⁹/L vs 1.42×10⁹/L, Z=-4.12, P<0.05), respectively, of non-AKI at rewarming phase. [Conclusion] Neutrophils are activated during CPB, and they can be identified by CD11b/CD54 markers. The activated neutrophils of AKI patients are approximately 2 folds of non-AKI during the rewarming phase, with disparity reached peak between groups during rewarming. These findings suggest the removal of 50% of activated neutrophils during the rewarming phase may be effective to reduce the risk of AKI.

In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

Background and Aims:Postoperative intra-abdominal infection(PIAI)is a common postoperative complication in abdominal surgery and a challenging issue worldwide,with a treatment failure rate of 68.3％and an in-hospital mortality rate as high as 40.8％.The key to managing this condition is early control of the infection source,debridement and adequate drainage.Delayed control of the infection source is an independent risk factor for predicting treatment failure.Many PIAI lesions are located deep within the abdominal cavity,lacking optimal routes for percutaneous drainage,and the risks and difficulties of reoperation are significant.Thus,controlling the infection source in PIAI is a difficult task.Here,the authors report the management of 4 PIAI patients treated with nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract,aiming to provide clinical insights and references. Methods:The clinical data of 4 patients undergoing nephroscopic debridement,catheter irrigation and drainage for PIAI from October 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.Key techniques of nephroscopic management of PIAI were summarized and contextualized with relevant literature. Results:The 4 PIAI cases included a right-sided retroperitoneal abscess after catheter drainage for severe acute pancreatitis,a hepatic abscess at the liver raw surface after right hemihepatectomy,bile leakage and secondary duodenal fistula after laparoscopic choledocholithotomy and T-tube drainage,and a pancreatic abscess at the pancreatic raw surface after distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy.All patients underwent nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract:guidewires were inserted into the drainage sinus tract,followed by a minimally invasive expansion drainage kit and nephroscopy;pus was irrigated out,and pus moss was clamped out with foreign body forceps under nephroscopy.Then,irrigation drainage tubes were placed under the guidance of the guidewire,and continuous irrigation and drainage were performed.The 4 patients underwent a total of 5 nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage procedures,with one case requiring two operations.The preoperative catheterization time ranged from 14 to 58 d,with an average of 38.4 d.One patient concurrently underwent choledochoscopy for stone extraction and biliary drainage via the T-tube sinus tract.The operative time ranged from 30 to 115 min,with an average of 67.4 min.Aside from one case of minor intraoperative bleeding,which stopped after injecting diluted norepinephrine solution into the sheath and blocking the sheath,there were no surgical complications in the other three cases.The postoperative drainage tube duration ranged from 7 to 30 d,with an average of 20.75 d.After treatment,all PIAI lesions disappeared,and no recurrence was observed during follow-up,which ranged from 16 to 40 months. Conclusion:Nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract for PIAI is simple,feasible,and safe,allowing for direct visualization to avoid organ damage.It is effective in removing pus and necrotic tissue,replacing drainage tubes,and can be repeatedly performed with high efficiency and remarkable results.This method is particularly suitable for patients with postoperative abdominal drainage tube obstruction combined with encapsulated intra-abdominal fluid collections.

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the autumn-winter season in Beijing, providing evidence for the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of ARIs.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of Yun Pi Tiao Fei(spleen-strengthening and lung-regulating)Tuina(Chinese therapeutic massage)combined with azithromycin in the treatment of chronic cough due to Qi deficiency of lung and spleen after Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children. Methods:A total of 100 children with chronic cough due to Qi deficiency of lung and spleen after Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection were enrolled and divided into a control group and an observation group according to the random number table method,with 50 cases in each group.The control group was treated with oral azithromycin,and the observation group was treated with Yun Pi Tiao Fei Tuina on the basis of the treatment in the control group,with each session lasting about 35 min,and the treatment was carried out once a day.After 14 d consecutive treatments,the cough score,traditional Chinese medicine symptom score,clinical symptoms or signs disappearance time,serum inflammatory factors[tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,C-reactive protein(CRP),interleukin(IL)-6],eosinophilic cationic protein(ECP),eosinophils(EOS),and immunoglobulin(Ig)E levels were observed,and the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared. Results:The total effective rate was 96.0%in the observation group,which was higher than 78.0%in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the daytime and nighttime cough scores and total cough score in the two groups were reduced(P<0.05),and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the scores of repeated coughing,weak coughing,tiredness and weakness,white sputum with diluted texture,and formless stools in the two groups were decreased(P<0.05),and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of TNF-α,CRP,IL-6,ECP,EOS,and IgE in the two groups were decreased(P<0.05),and the levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The disappearance time of cough,coarse breath sounds,and airway hyperresponsiveness came earlier in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion:Yun Pi Tiao Fei Tuina combined with azithromycin has a significant effect in the treatment of chronic cough due to Qi deficiency of lung and spleen after Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children.It can inhibit infection,shorten the course of disease,and promote recovery,causing fewer adverse reactions.