Background: s/Aims: Anti-mitochondrial M2 antibody (AMA-M2) is a specific marker for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and it could be also present in non-PBC individuals. Methods: A total of 72,173 Chinese health check-up individuals tested AMA-M2, of which non-PBC AMA-M2 positive individuals were performed follow-up. Baseline data of both clinical characteristics and laboratory examinations were collected in all AMA-M2-positive individuals. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to investigate the potential variables for developing PBC. Results: A total of 2,333 individuals were positive with AMA-M2. Eighty-two individuals had a medical history of PBC or fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PBC at baseline, and 2,076 individuals were non-PBC. After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 0.6% developed PBC, with an accumulative 5-year incidence rate of 0.5%. LASSO regression showed that levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), immunoglobulin M (IgM), eosinophilia proportion (EOS%), gamma globulin percentage, and hemoglobin (HGB) were potential variables for developing PBC. Multivariate Cox regression is used to construct a predictive model based on 7 selected variables, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve of the prediction model at 3, 5, and 10 years were, respectively, 1.000, 0.875, and 0.917. Conclusions This study offers insights into the onset of PBC among individuals who tested positive for AMA-M2 during routine health check-ups. The prediction model based on ALP, GGT, IgM, EOS%, gamma globulin percentage, HGB, and sex has a certain predictive ability for the occurrence of PBC in this population.

Background: s/Aims: Anti-mitochondrial M2 antibody (AMA-M2) is a specific marker for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and it could be also present in non-PBC individuals. Methods: A total of 72,173 Chinese health check-up individuals tested AMA-M2, of which non-PBC AMA-M2 positive individuals were performed follow-up. Baseline data of both clinical characteristics and laboratory examinations were collected in all AMA-M2-positive individuals. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to investigate the potential variables for developing PBC. Results: A total of 2,333 individuals were positive with AMA-M2. Eighty-two individuals had a medical history of PBC or fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PBC at baseline, and 2,076 individuals were non-PBC. After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 0.6% developed PBC, with an accumulative 5-year incidence rate of 0.5%. LASSO regression showed that levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), immunoglobulin M (IgM), eosinophilia proportion (EOS%), gamma globulin percentage, and hemoglobin (HGB) were potential variables for developing PBC. Multivariate Cox regression is used to construct a predictive model based on 7 selected variables, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve of the prediction model at 3, 5, and 10 years were, respectively, 1.000, 0.875, and 0.917. Conclusions This study offers insights into the onset of PBC among individuals who tested positive for AMA-M2 during routine health check-ups. The prediction model based on ALP, GGT, IgM, EOS%, gamma globulin percentage, HGB, and sex has a certain predictive ability for the occurrence of PBC in this population.

Background: s/Aims: Anti-mitochondrial M2 antibody (AMA-M2) is a specific marker for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and it could be also present in non-PBC individuals. Methods: A total of 72,173 Chinese health check-up individuals tested AMA-M2, of which non-PBC AMA-M2 positive individuals were performed follow-up. Baseline data of both clinical characteristics and laboratory examinations were collected in all AMA-M2-positive individuals. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to investigate the potential variables for developing PBC. Results: A total of 2,333 individuals were positive with AMA-M2. Eighty-two individuals had a medical history of PBC or fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PBC at baseline, and 2,076 individuals were non-PBC. After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 0.6% developed PBC, with an accumulative 5-year incidence rate of 0.5%. LASSO regression showed that levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), immunoglobulin M (IgM), eosinophilia proportion (EOS%), gamma globulin percentage, and hemoglobin (HGB) were potential variables for developing PBC. Multivariate Cox regression is used to construct a predictive model based on 7 selected variables, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve of the prediction model at 3, 5, and 10 years were, respectively, 1.000, 0.875, and 0.917. Conclusions This study offers insights into the onset of PBC among individuals who tested positive for AMA-M2 during routine health check-ups. The prediction model based on ALP, GGT, IgM, EOS%, gamma globulin percentage, HGB, and sex has a certain predictive ability for the occurrence of PBC in this population.

Autoimmune liver diseases(AILD)are a type of chronic autoimmune diseases with unknown e-tiology that can lead to liver and biliary injury.AILD often present with insidious clinical manifestations that are not easily detectable.Therefore,laboratory examinations,such as autoantibodies,liver biochemical indica-tors,and immunoglobulins play an important role in the clinical diagnosis of AILD.This article reviews the current application status and challenges of laboratory examinations that have been found to have diagnostic value in the clinical diagnosis of AILD.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical effect on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage between the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and western medication. METHODS: Sixty patients with Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each one. The patients in the control group were administered orally with prednisone acetate tablets and methylcobalamin tablets until the 28th day of illness. In the observation group, the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion was adopted. On the affected side, Qianzheng (EX-HN 16), Yifeng (TE 17), Sibai (ST 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4) and Touwei (ST 8), etc. were stimulated. In the acute stage (Day 1 to 7 of illness), the routine acupuncture and the point-toward-point needle insertion were delivered, no any manipulation was exerted at acupoints, and the needles were retained for 30 min. In the subacute stage (Day 8 to 14 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the acute stage, the depth of needle insertion was adjusted at a part of acupoints and the even needling technique was operated by twisting needle. Besides, electroacupuncture (EA) was attached to Qianzheng (EX-HN 16) and Dicang (ST 4), with continuous wave of low intensity and high frequency, 100 Hz, for 20 min. In the recovery stage (Day 15 to 28 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the subacute stage, the heavy stimulation of acupuncture was given, in which, the sticking and lifting needle techniques were delivered after the needles were inserted from Sibai (ST 2) toward Dicang (ST 4), and from Dicang (ST 4) toward Jiache (ST 6), separately; warm needling was operated at Yifeng (TE 17), and EA changed to stimulate the acupoints with the intermittent wave of high intensity and low frequency, 2 Hz, for 30 min. Acupuncture-moxibustion was given once every other day until the end of the 28th day of illness. The level of House-Brackmann facial nerve function rating scale (H-B grade),the score of Sunnybrook facial nerve grading system (Sunnybrook), the score of facial disability index (FDI), the temperature difference in the infrared thermal imaging facial area and electromyogram (EMG) situation of the affected muscle group were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. Using musculoskeletal ultrasound,the facial nerve diameter was detected and the clinical effect was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the level of H-B grade, Sunnybrook score, the scores of physical function and social life function in FDI were improved when compared with those before treatment in the patients of either group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the results of these evaluations in the observation group were better than those of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the temperature difference of the frontal area, the eye area, the zygomatic area and the mouth corner was declined in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the temperature difference in each area in the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).The root mean square (RMS) of the frontal muscle group, the zygomatic muscle group and the orbicularis muscle group on the affected side increased in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), and RMS of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) after treatment. Before treatment, the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side was larger than that on the healthy side (P<0.01), and after treatment, the diameter on the affected side was reduced when compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01); the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side in the observation group was smaller than that of the control group (P<0.05), while, the diameter on the affected side was larger when compared with the healthy side in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), higher than that of the control group (83.3% [25/30], P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion is clearly effective on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage, which affirms the effectiveness of acupuncture-moxibustion for the acute stage of Bell's facial palsy in comparison with conventional western medication.
Humans ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Bell Palsy/therapy* ; Face

Objective To investigate the role of the renin-angiotensin system(RAS)in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury(AKI)after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy(LRN)and the predictive value of RAS activation status for AKI.Methods Eighty-two patients undergoing LRN at the Third Medical Center of General Hospital of PLA from December,2023 to March,2024 were enrolled,including 57 with postoperative AKI and 25 without AKI according to KDIGO criteria.Blood and urine samples were collected from the patients before and at 24 h after the operation for analyzing the correlation of urinary aldosterone,plasma ACE2,Ang1-7,Nrf-2,and IL-10 levels with postoperative AKI.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and ROC curve were employed to identify the risk factors for postoperative AKI and their predictive value for AKI.Results Compared with those without postoperative AKI,the patients with AKI had significantly higher postoperative urinary aldosterone levels and lower plasma ACE 2,Ang 1-7,Nrf-2,and IL-10 levels(P<0.05).Postoperative urinary aldosterone level was positively correlated with AKI and negatively with estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)(P<0.05);plasma levels of ACE 2,Nrf-2,and IL-10 were all negatively correlated with AKI and positively with eGFR.Urinary aldosterone was a risk factor and plasma ACE 2,Ang 1-7,Nrf-2 and IL-10 were protective factors for AKI,and among them urinary aldosterone was an independent risk factor(AUC=0.651)and plasma Nrf-2 was an independent protective factor(AUC=0.679).The unconventional RAS pathway indices had an AUC of 0.758,and aldosterone combined with the unconventional pathway indices had an AUC of 0.788 for predicting postoperative AKI.Conclusion Activation of the conventional RAS pathway and suppression of the unconventional pathway contribute to AKI following LRA possibly by affecting eGFR.Aldosterone combined with the unconventional pathway indicators can predict the occurrence of AKI after LRN.

Objective To investigate the role of the renin-angiotensin system(RAS)in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury(AKI)after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy(LRN)and the predictive value of RAS activation status for AKI.Methods Eighty-two patients undergoing LRN at the Third Medical Center of General Hospital of PLA from December,2023 to March,2024 were enrolled,including 57 with postoperative AKI and 25 without AKI according to KDIGO criteria.Blood and urine samples were collected from the patients before and at 24 h after the operation for analyzing the correlation of urinary aldosterone,plasma ACE2,Ang1-7,Nrf-2,and IL-10 levels with postoperative AKI.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and ROC curve were employed to identify the risk factors for postoperative AKI and their predictive value for AKI.Results Compared with those without postoperative AKI,the patients with AKI had significantly higher postoperative urinary aldosterone levels and lower plasma ACE 2,Ang 1-7,Nrf-2,and IL-10 levels(P<0.05).Postoperative urinary aldosterone level was positively correlated with AKI and negatively with estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)(P<0.05);plasma levels of ACE 2,Nrf-2,and IL-10 were all negatively correlated with AKI and positively with eGFR.Urinary aldosterone was a risk factor and plasma ACE 2,Ang 1-7,Nrf-2 and IL-10 were protective factors for AKI,and among them urinary aldosterone was an independent risk factor(AUC=0.651)and plasma Nrf-2 was an independent protective factor(AUC=0.679).The unconventional RAS pathway indices had an AUC of 0.758,and aldosterone combined with the unconventional pathway indices had an AUC of 0.788 for predicting postoperative AKI.Conclusion Activation of the conventional RAS pathway and suppression of the unconventional pathway contribute to AKI following LRA possibly by affecting eGFR.Aldosterone combined with the unconventional pathway indicators can predict the occurrence of AKI after LRN.