1.Etiological detection techniques for hepatitis D virus infection: Clinical application and research advances
Huimin LIU ; Wenting CHEN ; Qing MAO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(2):265-271
Hepatitis D is a severe infectious disease caused by hepatitis D virus (HDV), and its clinical manifestation and outcome vary depending on the mode of infection (co-infection and super-infection). This article systematically elaborates on the etiological markers for HDV, screening strategies for HDV infection, clinical diagnosis, and principles for treatment and management. In addition, it also discusses the challenges in etiological detection of HDV infection from the perspectives of the unique structure of the virus, genotypes, and detection techniques and reviews the new techniques in this field, in order to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with HDV and offer new ideas for the standardization and domestication of etiological detection techniques.
2.Role of liver cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma and related strategies for targeted therapy
Wenting CUI ; Ningning LIU ; Xiuzhen MA ; Ping MAI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(2):457-463
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with relatively high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, and its therapeutic resistance and recurrence mechanism are closely associated with liver cancer stem cells (LCSC). This article systematically introduces the biological characteristics of LCSC and their key role in the progression of HCC, reviews the functional characteristics of the specific surface markers (such as EpCAM and CD133) and related signaling pathways (such as Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β, and STAT3), elaborates on the interaction between LCSC and tumor microenvironment, and summarizes the latest clinical treatment strategies targeting LCSC and the countermeasure for existing resistance mechanisms. The article points out that LCSC promote tumor development and progression through metabolic reprogramming and immune microenvironment remodeling, and it is proposed to establish a standardized detection system for LCSC specific markers and promote a triple synergistic therapeutic paradigm combining targeted therapy, immune regulation, and traditional chemotherapy, in order to provide new ideas for the clinical intervention of HCC.
3.Novel pathogenesis and intervention strategies for liver cirrhosis based on the gut microbiota-bile acid axis
Ningning LIU ; Wenting CUI ; Shuli MU ; Xiuzhen MA ; Ping MAI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):718-725
Liver cirrhosis is the final stage of the progression of various chronic liver diseases, often accompanied by serious complications and high mortality rates. Recent studies have shown that the interaction between gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism (the gut microbiota-bile acid axis) is closely associated with liver cirrhosis. This article systematically reviews the mechanism of action of the gut microbiota-bile acid axis in the progression of liver cirrhosis, elaborates on the pathological features of liver cirrhosis and its harm to the body, and summarizes the association of the gut microbiota-bile acid axis with the development and progression of liver cirrhosis. It also analyzes the key regulatory role of this axis in the progression of liver cirrhosis and explores its potential application value as a therapeutic target for liver cirrhosis, in order to provide a theoretical basis for exploring more effective clinical intervention methods.
4.Clinicopathological and molecular mechanisms of CLDN18.2 in gastric cancer aggressiveness: a high-risk population study with multi-omics profiling
Hengquan WU ; Mei LI ; Gang WANG ; Peiqing LIAO ; Peng ZHANG ; Luxi YANG ; Yumin LI ; Tao LIU ; Wenting HE
Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine 2026;60(1):47-57
Background:
The tight junction protein claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) has been implicated in poor prognosis and suboptimal immunotherapy response in gastric cancer (GC). This study investigates the clinicopathological relevance of CLDN18.2 expression and its association with molecular subtypes in GC patients from a high-incidence region, combining transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to explore how CLDN18.2 contributes to progression and metastasis.
Methods:
A retrospective cohort of 494 GC patients (2019–2024) underwent immunohistochemical analysis for CLDN18.2, Epstein-Barr virus (Epstein–Barr virus–encoded RNA), p53, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, and MSH6). CLDN18.2 positivity was defined as moderate to strong (2+/3+) membranous staining in ≥75% of tumor cells. Clinicopathological correlations, biomarker associations, and survival outcomes were evaluated. Transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing was performed to explore molecular mechanisms.
Results:
CLDN18.2 positivity was observed in 26.9% (133/494) of gastric adenocarcinomas. CLDN18.2-positive tumors correlated with TNM stage (p = .003) and shorter overall survival (p = .018). No associations were identified with age, sex, HER2 status, microsatellite instability, or Epstein-Barr virus infection. Transcriptomic profiling revealed CLDN18.2-high tumors enriched in pathways involving cell junction disruption, signaling regulation, and immune modulation. Proteomic profiling showed that tumors with high CLDN18.2 were enriched in multiple mechanism-related pathways such as integrated metabolic reprogramming, cytoskeletal recombination, immune microenvironment dysregulation, and pro-survival signaling. These mechanisms may collectively contribute to tumor progression and metastasis.
Conclusions
CLDN18.2 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses demonstrate that CLDN18.2 promotes tumor progression and metastasis, underscoring its potential as an independent prognostic factor in regions with a high incidence of GC.
5.Analysis of Pharmacodynamic Material Basis, Mechanisms, and Efficacy-related Quality Markers of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix with Different Therapeutic Effect
Xiaowei MENG ; Zhenzhen YANG ; Wenting WU ; Ronghua LIU ; Yongmei GUAN ; Hui OUYANG ; Liping HUANG ; Yaqi WANG ; Qiong LI ; Huanhuan DONG ; Jianping GONG ; Weifeng ZHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):269-281
Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix are the dried roots of Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii of the Leguminosae family, respectively. Since their separate inclusion in the 2005 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, the two herbs have been individually recorded. Although they share the same functions and indications, the required content of puerarin differs by a factor of up to eightfold between them. The current quality standard relies solely on a single indicator, puerarin, which fails to reflect the correlation between chemical constituents and core therapeutic effects. This has resulted in prominent issues of mixed use in clinical practice and production, thereby constraining the high-quality development of the industry. Modern research has demonstrated that Puerariae Lobatae Radix contains a comprehensive range and higher content of isoflavonoid constituents, while Puerariae Thomsonii Radix is rich in starch and polysaccharides. Puerariae Lobatae Radix exhibits stronger effects in antipyresis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection, and central analgesia, while Puerariae Thomsonii Radix demonstrates greater advantages in anti-inflammation, hypoglycemia, and peripheral analgesia. Based on this, the chemical material bases of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix at both the macromolecule and micromolecule levels were systematically reviewed and compared. The pharmacodynamic material bases and mechanisms of action underlying their three core therapeutic effects, namely "relieving exterior syndrome and clearing heat", "promoting fluid production to quench thirst", and "dredging channels and activating collaterals", were summarized. The most highly correlated common metabolic pathway shared by both herbs for these three therapeutic effects is the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, and their common core target is prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2). This review provided clinical application recommendations based on the therapeutic differences between the two herbs, elucidated the scientific connotation of their "same origin but different effects", and, grounded in the quality marker (Q-Marker), proposed the concept of efficacy-related Q-Marker based on "substance-efficacy-syndrome" association, as well as a novel strategy for efficacy-oriented quality evaluation. Preliminary screening of quality markers associated with different therapeutic effects was also conducted. This study aims to provide critical scientific evidence for the precise clinical application of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix, the improvement of quality standards, and the high-quality development of the industry.
6.Bioinformatics Reveals Mechanism of Schisandrin B in Inhibiting Ferroptosis to Ameliorate Methionine and Choline Deficiency-induced Fatty Liver Disease in Mice
Zhifeng ZHU ; Wenting LI ; Yongjun CAO ; Yuanyuan LIN ; Yifei LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):74-83
ObjectiveNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic stress liver injury. Ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. Exploring the efficacy and mechanism of schisandrin B in treating NAFLD facilitates the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. MethodsThe molecular structure of schisandrin B was obtained by searching against PubChem, and the related targets were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction. The active ingredients and their targets were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the high-throughput experiment- and reference-guide database of traditional Chinese medicine (HERB). GeneCards and FerrDb were searched for the targets of NAFLD and ferroptosis. The common targets were taken as the core targets, and the protein-protein interaction network of the core targets was established. DAVID was used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Finally, molecular docking was performed between schisandrin B and core targets, and the binding energy was calculated. C57BL/6 mice were fed with a methionine and choline-deficiency (MCD) diet for the modeling of NAFLD. Mice were randomized into normal, model, positive drug (essentiale), and low- and high-dose schisandrin B groups. The body mass and liver index of mice were measured after drug administration. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum and those of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and Fe2+ in the liver homogenate were measured by biochemical assay kits. The pathological changes of the liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and red oil O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in the serum. Western blotting and real-time PCR were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels, respectively, of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin, and ferritin heavy chain (FTH) in the liver tissue. ResultsA total of 2 370, 2 547, and 1 451 targets of schisandrin B, NAFLD, and ferroptosis were obtained, in which 90 common targets were shared by the three. Enrichment analyses predicted 505 GO terms and 92 KEGG pathways. Molecular docking suggested that schizandrin B had strong binding affinity with the key targets of ferropstosis (SLC7A11 and SLC3A2). Animal experiments showed that schizandrin B significantly decreased the liver index, lowered the levels of ALT, AST, TC, TG, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, alleviated hepatocyte ballooning and inflammatory cell infiltration, and reduced lipid accumulation in the liver of NAFLD mice. In addition, schisandrin B significantly lowered the levels of MDA, 4-HNE, and Fe2+, elevated the level of GSH, up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of SLC7A11, SLC3A2, and GPX4, and down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of transferrin in the liver tissue. ConclusionSchisandrin B can alleviate NAFLD by inhibiting ferroptosis in hepatocytes.
7.The Effect of Qishao Tongbi Capsule (芪芍通痹胶囊) on the Wnt/β-catenin Pathway in a Rat Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Yumen XUE ; Xilin XU ; Wei HAN ; Jiaben XU ; Wenting XU ; Zelin LIU ; Xiaofeng ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(1):79-88
ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Qishao Tongbi Capsule (芪芍通痹胶囊, QTC) in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). MethodsSeventy-five rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low-dose QTC group, high-dose QTC group, high-dose QTC +agonist group, with 15 rats in each group. Except for the control group, all other groups were subjected to a fibrous ring puncture to prepare an IDD model. After modeling, rats in low-dose QTC group and high-dose QTC group were given QTC at doses of 0.2 and 0.8 g/(kg·d) by gavage, respectively. Rats in high-dose QTC+ agonist group was given QTC at 0.8 g/(kg·d) and SKL2001 solution at 10 mg/(kg·d) by gavage. The control group and model group were given 10 ml/(kg·d) distilled water by gavage. All treatments were given once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. After treatment, X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to detect IDD degree. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining were used to observe the morphological changes of the intervertebral disc tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the levels of proteoglycan, type Ⅱ collagen (COL Ⅱ), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in the intervertebral disc tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the extracellular matrix (ECM)-related proteins (proteoglycan, COL Ⅱ, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13), aging-related proteins (P53, P21, P16), apoptosis related proteins, including B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (BCL-2), BCL-2 related X protein (BAX), Cleaved Caspase-3, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway related proteins such as Wnt3a, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and β-catenin in the intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue. Reverse Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to assess the mRNA expression of Wnt3a, GSK-3β, and β-catenin in intervertebral disc tissue. ResultsCompared with the model group, rats in the low-dose QTC group and high-dose QTC group exhibited improved DHI, decreased Pfirmann grading, and alleviated IDD. The structural integrity of the NP and annulus fibrosus increased, and the number of the NP increased. The levels of proteoglycan, COL Ⅱ, BCL-2 and GSK-3β increased, while the levels of MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, P53, P21, P16, BAX, Cleaved Caspase-3, Wnt3a and β-catenin protein decreased. The mRNA expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin mRNA decreased, while GSK-3β mRNA expression increased (P<0.05). Compared with the low-dose QTC group, the high-dose QTC group showed further improvements in DHI, decrease in Pfirrmann grading (P<0.05), and greater alleviation of IDD. The structural integrity of NP and annulus fibrosus was further enhanced, and the number of NP cells further increased. The levels of proteoglycan, COL Ⅱ, BCL-2 and GSK-3β were higher, while the levels of MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, P53, P21, P16, BAX, Cleaved Caspase-3, Wnt3a and β-catenin were lower. The mRNA expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin decreased, while GSK-3β mRNA expression increased (P<0.05). Compared with the high-dose QTC group, the high-dose QTC +agonist group showed a decrease of DHI, an increase of Pfirmann grading (P<0.05), significant aggravation of IDD, reduction in structural integrity of the NP and annulus fibrosus, a decrease of NP cell count, lower levels of proteoglycan, COL Ⅱ, BCL-2 and GSK-3β, and higher levels of MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, P53, P21, P16, BAX and Cleaved Caspase-3. Additionally, GSK-3β mRNA expression decreased (P<0.05). ConclusionQTC can inhibit NP cell aging, apoptosis, and ECM degradation in IDD rats, and its therapeutic effect may be mediated through the inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
8.Current status and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence in liver transplantation surgery
Mengnan HOU ; Xudong LIU ; Xiaowei MO ; Wenting LI ; Zan LIU
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;34(7):1505-1513
Liver transplantation is a crucial treatment for end-stage liver disease,yet its complexity continues to limit clinical application.With the development of the internet and big data,artificial intelligence(AI)technologies have gradually expanded their use in liver transplantation surgery,covering donor liver evaluation,organ allocation,robot-assisted surgery,and postoperative management,demonstrating significant advantages.However,the application of AI also raises a series of ethical issues,notably fairness in resource allocation,conflicts between technical limitations and the principle of non-maleficence,ambiguous responsibility attribution,patient privacy security,and informed consent.This article systematically reviews the current applications of AI in liver transplantation surgery and the related ethical challenges,aiming to provide a reference for its rational use and sustainable development.
9.Related factors of drug detoxification motivation in methamphetamine-dependent female youth
Yidan ZHANG ; Xuan LIU ; Simin HOU ; Lushi JING ; Yong DENG ; Yuxi WU ; Wenting ZHOU ; Lan DENG
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2025;39(1):81-86
Objective:To explore drug detoxification motivation in methamphetamine-dependent female youth and its relationship with time perspective,perceived social support and emotion regulation strategies.Methods:To-tally 200 methamphetamine-dependent female youths under compulsory isolation were assessed with the Drug De-toxification Motivation Scale,Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory-Chinese(ZTPI-C),Emotion Regulation Scale(ERS),and Perceived Social Support Scale(PSSS).Results:Multiple linear regression analysis showed that drug detoxification motivation scores were positively correlated with the scores of ERS reevaluation and expression inhi-bition,PSSS family support scores and level of education(β=0.24,0.16,0.20,0.16).Conclusion:Time perspec-tive,perceived social support and emotion regulation strategies are closely related to drug detoxification motivation in methamphetamine-dependent female youth.
10.Multidisciplinary team-based real-world study of patients with hepatitis B-related liver cancer
Huimin LIU ; Shilian LI ; Lijian RAN ; Jing WANG ; Wenting CHEN ; Baoyan XU ; Wenting TAN ; Jie XIA ; Qing MAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2025;39(4):403-410
Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who were treated in a multidisciplinary team(MDT)for liver cancer,so as to provide a basis for clinical optimization of the diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for 482 HBV-related HCC patients who were treated with HCC-MDT every Thursday afternoon in The First Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University from January 2022 to May 2024,aged 18-87(55.54±10.84)years,86.93%(419/482)males and 13.07%(63/482)females. According to the different underlying liver diseases at the time of initial medical treatment and the different prognostic outcomes at the later follow-up,the differences in clinical characteristics between groups under different conditions were compared and analyzed,and the influencing factors of HCC prognosis were understood by Logistic regression analysis. Results:At the time of MDT presentation,the differences in HBeAg status( χ2=6.311 ,P=0.043),γ-glutamyl traspeptidase(GGT)( Z=6.277, P=0.043),alkaline phosphatase(ALP)( Z=7.236 ,P=0.027),and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores( Z=6.111, P=0.047)among patients with different underlying liver diseases were statistically significant. At follow-up,6.75%(11/163)of HBV-related HCC patients who presented to MDT had a family history of HCC,and their cumulative mortality rate was as high as 60.8%(205/337)at least for 1 year. Mulitivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that different underlying liver disease at the time of initial medical treatment,HBV DNA replication level,MELD score and choice of anti-cancer treatment regimen were the influencing factors for the prognosis of HCC(all P<0.05). The worse the degree of cirrhosis at the initial presentation,the higher the level of HBV DNA replication,and the higher the MELD score,the worse the prognosis for HCC. Conclusion:Advancing the diagnosis and treatment of CHB,maximizing the inhibition of HBV DNA replication,reducing the MELD score,and optimizing the anti-cancer treatment regimen can reduce the mortality rate of HBV-related HCC.

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