Hepatic fibrosis refers to excessive accumulation and abnormal proliferation of fibrous connective tissue in the liver triggered by multiple pathogenic factors， and it may progress to liver cirrhosis， portal hypertension， and liver cancer. The pathological mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis involve hepatocyte injury， inflammatory cell infiltration with the release of inflammatory mediators， hepatic stellate cell activation， and extracellular matrix deposition. Recent studies have focused on mitochondrial dysfunction in disease progression， including the molecular pathways for hepatic fibrosis driven by metabolic disorders， energy deficiency， oxidative stress， mitochondrial dynamic imbalance， and autophagic dysfunction， all of which can induce liver injury. This article reviews the latest advances in hepatic fibrosis， in order to provide new therapeutic strategies for clinical management.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy， safety， and cost-effectiveness of posaconazole for the prevention of invasive fungal infections （IFIs）. METHODS PubMed， Embase， CNKI， Wanfang data and other Chinese and English databases were searched， as well as the official websites of related health technology assessment （HTA）. Systematic review （SR）/meta-analysis， pharmacoeconomic studies， and HTA reports of posaconazole for the prevention of IFIs were collected. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database to November 1， 2025. After screening the literature， extracting the data， and evaluating the quality of the literature， the results of the included studies were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS A total of 45 studies were included， involving 17 SR/meta-analyses， 26 pharmacoeconomic studies， 1 SR/meta-analysis combined with a pharmacoeconomic study， and 1 HTA report. In terms of effectiveness， posaconazole was significantly superior to other antifungal drugs （eg.， fluconazole， itraconazole） in reducing the incidence of IFIs， the incidence of invasive aspergillosis， all-cause mortality， and IFI-related mortality （ P ＜0.05）. In terms of safety， posaconazole was significantly superior to other antifungal drugs in the incidence of total adverse reactions （ P ＜0.05）， but there was no significant difference in the incidence of serious adverse reactions， the incidence of gastrointestinal advers e reactions， drug-induced liver injury， and the withdrawal rate due to adverse drug reactions （ P ＞0.05）. In terms of cost-effectiveness， most studies have shown that posaconazole possesses more cost-effectiveness advantages. CONCLUSIONS Posaconazole demonstrates favorable efficacy， safety， and cost-effectiveness in preventing IFIs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cholesterol absorption inhibitors （ezetimibe and hybutimibe） combined with statins for the treatment of dyslipidemia. METHODS Randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about above-mentioned drug combination in patients with dyslipidemia were retrieved from CNKI，PubMed and other Chinese and English databases. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database to October 2025. After screening the literature，extracting the data，and evaluating the quality of the literature，network meta-analysis was performed using R software. RESULTS A total of 36 RCTs were included. Results showed that in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and total cholesterol （TC）， ezetimibe+statins and hybutimibe+statins were significantly superior to statins+placebo and placebo alone （ P ＜0.05）. The top two interventions according to surface under the cumulative ranking curve （SUCRA） rankings were both ezetimibe+statins and hybutimibe+statins. In terms of triglyceride （TG） lowering， both hybutimibe+statins and ezetimibe+statins were significantly better than statins alone， statins+placebo and placebo alone （ P ＜0.05）， with hybutimibe+statins and ezetimibe+statins ranking top two by SUCRA. For apolipoprotein B （ApoB） reduction， ezetimibe+statins was significantly superior to statins alone and placebo alone （ P ＜0.05）， and the top two SUCRA rankings were ezetim ibe+statins and statins+placebo. In terms of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） increase， placebo was significantly better than statins alone， hybutimibe+statins， statins+placebo， and ezetimibe+statins （ P ＜0.05）， and the top two SUCRA rankings were placebo alone and statins alone.There was no statistically significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions among the interventions （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Ezetimibe combined with statins shows significant advantages in reducing LDL-C， TC and ApoB， while the hybutimibe combined with statins may have potential advantages in lowering TG； both combination regimens have good safety.

Digital intelligence technology is a comprehensive technical system with data as the key element and artificial intelligence as the core driving force. It provides innovative methodological support for addressing core bottlenecks in rare disease etiology research, including sample scarcity, high-dimensional datacomplexity, intricate pathogenic mechanisms, and challenges in causal validation. This paper systematically reviews the application pathways and current implementation of digital intelligence across four major stages of rare disease research, including etiological clue mining, causal inference, mechanism analysis, and clinical translation. Furthermore, it summarizes the technical strengths, existing limitations, and developmental challenges, aiming to inform optimization of the research paradigm and promote the sustainable advancement of rare disease research.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs174575 and rs2845574 of the fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) gene and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: A total of 1 514 pregnant women who visited West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2021 were enrolled in this study. Among them, 583 were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM group), and 931 had normal pregnancies (control group). The SNPs rs174575 and rs2845574 of the FADS2 gene were analyzed using Sanger DNA sequencing. Plasma levels of insulin (INS), apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) were measured using enzymatic methods, chemiluminescence and immunoturbidimetry. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University (Ethics No.: 2020-036). RESULTS: The main genotype at the rs174575 C/G and rs2845574 C/T loci were CC in both GDM and control groups. No significant difference was found between the GDM and control groups regarding the genotypic or allelic frequencies of rs174575 and rs2845574 sites (P > 0.05). Among the GDM group, individuals with the GG genotype at the rs174575 site had lower plasma HDL-C levels compared to those with the CC genotype (P < 0.05), and had higher atherogenic indices (AI) compared with the CC and CG genotype (P < 0.05; P < 0.05). Individuals with the TT genotype at the rs2845574 site had higher AI compared with the CT genotype (P < 0.05). Among the control group, individuals with the GG genotype had lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared to those with the CC genotype (P < 0.05). Additional subgroup analysis demonstrated that the rs174575 polymorphism was associated with AI levels in obesity subgroup of GDM, TG levels in non-obese subgroup of control and DBP levels in the obese subgroup of control (P < 0.05; P < 0.05; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The FADS2 rs174575 and rs2845574 polymorphisms in GDM patients are associated wit HDL-C and AI levels, and the FADS2 rs174575 polymorphisms was also associated with DBP levels in normal pregnant women. The AI and DBP levels have a BMI-dependent effect.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Fatty Acid Desaturases/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Adult ; Diabetes, Gestational/blood* ; Blood Pressure/genetics* ; Lipids/blood* ; Genotype ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease

Objective Based on clinical consultation practices,it systematically evaluates the outcomes of remote video consultation services,identifies key factors influencing these outcomes,and provides empirical evidence for optimizing telemedicine services.Methods It recruited 201 patients nationwide requiring video consultations,objectively recorded diagnostic outcomes,and analyzed influencing factors using hierarchical regression.Results Among the 201 participants,62(30.84％)achieved effective diagnosis and treatment,while 139(69.16％)did not meet expected outcomes.Hierarchical regression results revealed that disease category,physician title,availability of auxiliary diagnostic information,and presence of assisting personnel significantly impacted consultation outcomes(P＜0.05).Higher physician titles,richer auxiliary diagnostic information provided by patients,and involvement of assisting personnel correlated with better alignment of outcomes with expectations.Conclusion Significant variations in video consultation outcomes were observed,primarily influenced by assisting personnel,physician qualifications,auxiliary diagnostic information and disease category.It is suggested to introduce a large artificial intelligence model for pre-triage,set up standardized video consulting rooms in primary medical and health institutions and configure collaborative personnel,and build a regional patient information sharing platform,so as to improve patient satisfaction during treatment and promote the further development and optimization of video consultation.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of modified Lianpoyin formula （LPYJWF） in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori （Hp）-associated gastric mucosal damage based on mitochondrial autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 60 eight-week-old Balb/c male mice were assigned via the random number table method into control， model， high-dose LPYJWF （LPYJWF-H， 27.3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium-dose LPYJWF （LPYJWF-M， 13.65 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， low-dose LPYJWF （LPYJWF-L， 6.83 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and quadruple therapy groups. Except the control group， other groups were modeled for Hp infection. Mice were administrated with LPYJWF at corresponding doses by gavage. Quadruple therapy group was given omeprazole （6.06 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） + amoxicillin （303 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） + clarithromycin （151.67 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） + colloidal pectin capsules （30.3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage. The control group was given an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl for 14 days. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of gastric mucosa， and Warthin-Starry （W-S） silver staining was used to detect Hp colonization. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe the mitochondrial ultrastructure of the gastric tissue， and immunofluorescence co-localization assay was adopted to detect the expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A （TFAM） and translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane member 20 （TOMM20）. The water-soluble tetrazolium salt method and thiobarbituric acid method were used to determine the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA）， respectively， in the gastric tissue. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of PTEN-induced kinase 1 （PINK1）， Parkin， p62， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18）. Real-time quantitative PCR was employed to assess the mRNA levels of PINK1， Parkin， p62， and LC3. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group presented obvious gastric mucosal damage， colonization of a large number of Hp， severe mitochondrial damage， vacuolated structures due to excessive autophagy， reduced TOMM20 and TFAM co-expression in the gastric mucosal tissue， and reduced SOD and increased MDA （P<0.01）. In addition， the gastric tissue in the model group showed up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of PINK1， Parkin， and LC3 and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of p62 （P<0.01， as well as increased expression of inflammasome-associated proteins NLRP3， ASC， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the LPYJWF and quadruple therapy groups showed alleviated pathological damage of gastric mucosa， reduced Hp colonization， mitigated mitochondrial damage， and increased co-expression of TOMM20 and TFAM. The SOD level was elevated in the LPYJWF-L group （P<0.01）， and the MDA levels became lowered in the LPYJWF and quadruple therapy groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， the LPYJWF and quadruple therapy groups showed down-regulated mRNA levels of PINK1， Parkin， and LC3 and protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin， and up-regulated mRNA level of p62 （P<0.01）. The LPYJWF-M， LPYJWF-H， and quadruple therapy groups showcased down-regulated LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ level （P<0.05， P<0.01） and up-regulated protein level of p62 （P<0.01）. The expression of inflammasome-associated proteins NLRP3， ASC， IL-1β， and IL-18 were reduced in the LPYJWF and quadruple therapy groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLPYJWF ameliorates gastric mucosal damage and exerts mucosa-protective effects in Hp-infected mice， which may be related to the inhibition of excessive mitochondrial autophagy， thereby inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Objective:To observe any effect of electroacupuncture on the urodynamics of rats modeling chronic urinary retention after a sacral cord injury (SCI), and to explore its regulatory effect on interstitial Cajal cells (ICCs) in the bladder and the mechanism.Methods:Seventy-five female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an electroacupuncture group, an inhibitor group, and an inhibitor plus electroacupuncture group, each of 15. On day 1 of the experiment the sacral spinal cord was completely transected at the level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra in all groups except the sham operation group. In that group the spinous processes and laminae of L 2-4 were exposed but not injured, and then sutured. On day 16, both the inhibitor group and the inhibitor plus electroacupuncture group were given intraperitoneal injections of imatinib mesylate, while the electroacupuncture group and the inhibitor plus electroacupuncture group began 14 consecutive days of electroacupuncture. After the intervention, urodynamic testing was performed on the rats in all five groups, and they were then sacrificed. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe any morphological changes in the bladder. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to assess the ultrastructure and quantity of ICCs in the bladder. And the gene and protein expression of c-Kit and stem cell factor (SCF) in bladder tissue were detected using polymerase chain reactions and western blotting. Western blotting was also applied to detect the relative expression of c-Kit phosphorylated proteins. Results:Compared with the sham group, the model and inhibitor groups showed significant differences in their urination rates, residual urine volumes, bladder volumes and compliance on the 30th day of the experiment. Compared with the model group, the rats who received electroacupuncture displayed more complete voiding, lower residual urine volume, greater bladder volume and better compliance. Compared with the electroacupuncture group, the urodynamic evaluation of the inhibitor plus electroacupuncture group indicated a significant decrease in urination rate, but a significant increase in residual urine volume, bladder volume and compliance. The SCI modeling had destroyed the morphology of the bladder detrusor muscle and the ultrastructure of the ICCs. And the number of Cajal interstitial cells and the relative expression of c-Kit, SCF, and p-c-Kit had decreased significantly. Compared with the model group, a significant improvement was observed in all urodynamic indicators, the morphology of the detrusor muscle, the ultrastructure and number of ICCs, and the relative expression of c-Kit, SCF, and p-c-Kit in the electroacupuncture groups. There were poorer urodynamic indicators, detrusor muscle morphology, ultrastructure and number of ICCs in the inhibitor plus electroacupuncture group compared with the group which received electroacupuncture alone, but there was a significant decrease in the relative expression of p-c-Kit.Conclusions:Electroacupuncture can improve the urodynamics of chronic urinary retention after sacral cord injury, at least in rats. The mechanism may be related to the benign regulation of ICCs through the bladder′s c-kit/SCF signal system.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs174575 and rs2845574 in the fatty acid desaturase 2 ( FADS2) gene and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods:A total of 1 514 pregnant women who visited West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2021, were enrolled in this study. Among them, 583 were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM group), and 931 had normal pregnancies (control group). The SNPs rs174575 and rs2845574 in the FADS2 gene were analyzed using Sanger DNA sequencing. Plasma levels, insulin (INS), apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels were measured using enzymatic methods, chemiluminescence and immunoturbidimetry. This study was approved by Medical Ethics Committee of the West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University (Ethics No. 2020-036). Results:① The main type of genotype at the rs174575 C/G and rs2845574 C/T polymorphic sites were CC in both GDM and control groups. No statistically significant differences were observed between the GDM and control groups regarding the genotype frequencies or allele frequencies of rs174575 and rs2845574 sites ( P>0.05). ② Among the GDM group, individuals with the GG genotype at the rs174575 site had lower plasma HDL-C levels compared to those with the CC genotype ( P<0.05), and had higher atherogenic indices (AI) than CC and CG genotype ( P<0.05; P<0.05). Individuals with the TT genotype at the rs2845574 site had higher AI than CT genotype ( P<0.05). Among the control group, individuals with the GG genotype had lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared to those with the CC genotype ( P<0.05). ③ Additional subgroup analysis demonstrated that the rs174575 polymorphism was associated with AI levels in obesity subgroup of GDM, TG levels in non-obese subgroup of control and DBP levels in obese subgroup of control ( P<0.05; P<0.05; P<0.05). Conclusion:The FADS2 rs174575 and rs2845574 polymorphisms in GDM patients were associated wit HDL-C and AI levels, and the FADS2 rs174575 polymorphisms was also associated with DBP levels in normal pregnant women. The AI and DBP levels have BMI-dependent effect.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and clinically insignificant monoclonal garmmopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).Methods:A retrospective study was performed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients simultaneously diagnosed with both SpA and MGUS at the First Affiliated Hospital to Zhengzhou University between January 2020 and December 2024, supplemented by a literature review.Results:Among the 5 patients (2 males, 3 females; age range 33~65 years), 4 presented with peripheral arthritis and 2 with extra-articular manifestations. All patients demonstrated elevated globulin and IgG levels, with 4 being HLA-B27 positive. M-protein typing revealed IgG/κ in 3 cases and IgA/λ in 2. All five patients underwent both X-ray and MRI examinations, with sacroiliitis being detected in 4 cases. Three patients with long disease duration showed poor response to conventional therapy (NSAIDs/DMARDs). Targeted therapies yielded variable outcomes: one patient achieved normalized globulin/IgG levels with etanercept (3-year follow-up without MGUS progression); another showed marked clinical improvement and significant globulin/IgG reduction with JAK inhibitor (tofacitinib, treated for 7 years); while a third demonstrated no symptom relief then switching from TNF-α inhibitor to IL-17 inhibitor.Conclusion:Persistent hyperglobulinemia in SpA patients warrants MGUS screening. Those with SpA-MGUS may require targeted therapies, where JAK inhibitors and monoclonal TNF-α inhibitors appear to be the preferred options, though long-term monitoring for MGUS progression remains essential.