1.Efficacy of Zishen Huoxue Formula in treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in patients with primary liver cancer
Jing JING ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Simiao YU ; Xin WANG ; Yongqiang SUN ; Yiling WANG ; Ruixin GAO ; Yinying LU ; Xiaohe XIAO ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):874-881
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Zishen Huoxue Formula (ZSXHF) on molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC), to assess the efficacy of ZSXHF in the treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria, and to provide a basis for clinical medication. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among the PLC patients with molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria who were diagnosed and treated in The Department of Hepatology of Chinese PLA General Hospital, from January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2025. With ZSXHF treatment as the exposure factor, the patients with a cumulative treatment duration of ≥9 weeks were enrolled as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group, while those without TCM treatment were enrolled as control group. Propensity score matching was performed for the two groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on sex, age, 24-hour urinary protein, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for promoting the improvement of targeted-therapy-associated proteinuria. ResultsA total of 137 PLC patients with targeted-therapy-associated proteinuria were enrolled, with 34 patients in the TCM group and 103 in the control group. After follow-up for 6 months, the TCM group had a significant improvement in urinary protein grade compared with the control group (χ2=9.261, P=0.016). There were 25 patients in each group after propensity score matching, and after follow-up for 6 months, there were significant differences between the two groups in urinary protein grade (χ2=15.689, P<0.001) and 24-hour urinary protein (Z=-3.075, P=0.002). After cumulative treatment with ZSXHF for ≥9 weeks, the TCM group had a significantly greater change in 24-hour urinary protein from baseline compared with the control group (t=-2.514, P=0.016), while there were no significant differences in the changes in liver and renal function after ZSXHF intervention between the two groups (all P>0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ZSXHF treatment (odds ratio=2.901, 95% confidence interval: 1.135 — 7.417, P=0.026) was an independent influencing factor for improvement in molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria. ConclusionZSHXF can effectively alleviate molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in PLC patients with a favorable safety profile, which provides a new reference for TCM prevention and treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated adverse reactions in PLC patients.
2.The Effect of Fuzheng Huaji Formula (扶正化积方) for Chronic Hepatitis B on Reduction of the Incidence of Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma:A Retrospective Cohort Study
Simiao YU ; Jiahui LI ; Jing JING ; Tingting HE ; Yongqiang SUN ; Liping WANG ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Xiaohe XIAO ; Xia DING ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(3):268-274
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Fuzheng Huaji Formula (扶正化积方) for chronic hepatitis B to reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, collecting medical records of 118 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 234 patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis who visited the hospital between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018. The use of Fuzheng Huaji Formula was designated as the exposure factor. Patients receiving antiviral treatment for hepatitis B without concurrent Fuzheng Huaji Formula therapy were included in the western medicine group, while those receiving antiviral treatment combined with Fuzheng Huaji Formula for a cumulative treatment lasting longer than 3 months were included in the combined treatment group. The follow-up observation period was five years. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to examine the factors influencing the occurrence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. ResultsAmong patients with chronic hepatitis B, there were 55 cases in the combined treatment group and 63 cases in the western medicine group; among patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, there were 110 cases in the combined treatment group and 124 cases in the western medicine group. Five-year follow-up outcomes for chronic hepatitis B patients showed that the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis was 5.45% (3/55) in the combined treatment group and 17.46% (11/63) in the western medicine group, with a statistically significant difference between groups (Z = 2.003, P = 0.045). Five-year follow-up outcomes for hepatitis B-related cirrhosis patients showed that the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was 8.18% (9/110) in the combined treatment group and 22.58% (28/124) in the western medicine group, also showing a statistically significant difference (Z = 3.007, P = 0.003). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that treatment with Fuzheng Huaji Formula is an independent protective factor in preventing the progression of chronic hepatitis B to cirrhosis and the progression of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (P<0.05). ConclusionCombining Fuzheng Huaji Formula with antiviral therapy for hepatitis B can effectively intervene in the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B, reducing the incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
3.Research advances in traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of inflammation-to-cancer transformation in chronic hepatitis
Simiao YU ; Sici WANG ; Haocheng ZHENG ; Yongqiang SUN ; Jing JING ; Tingting HE ; Liping WANG ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Xin WANG ; Xia DING ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(9):1888-1895
Primary liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and the “inflammation-to-cancer transformation” (ICT) of chronic hepatitis is the core pathological process of the progression of chronic hepatitis to liver cancer. Persistent and uncontrolled liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis often leads to repeated liver tissue damage and repair, which gradually develops into liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, eventually leading to malignant transformation through the mechanisms such as gene mutation and microenvironment imbalance. ICT in chronic hepatitis is the key link between chronic hepatitis and liver cancer, and its dynamic evolution involves various pathogenic factors such as dampness, heat, deficiency, toxin, and stasis; among which damp-heat and vital energy deficiency are the initiating factors for ICT of chronic hepatitis, while intermingled stasis and toxin are the key pathological products that promote malignant transformation. Based on the concept of preventive treatment, traditional Chinese medicine can effectively delay and even block the ICT of chronic hepatitis by regulating inflammation, metabolism, and abnormal cell proliferation through multiple targets, which provides important strategies and research directions for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.
4.Evolutionary Law of Syndrome and Syndrome Elements during the Malignant Transformation of Chronic Hepatitis B
Simiao YU ; Xia DING ; Ping LI ; Sici WANG ; Jiahui LI ; Jing JING ; Tingting HE ; Yongqiang SUN ; Liping WANG ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Jie LIN ; Yuan LI ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;64(23):2427-2434
ObjectiveTo clarify the evolutionary laws of syndromes and syndrome elements at different stages during the malignant transformation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). MethodsA total of 671 patients with hepatitis B virus infection, who were admitted to the outpatient and inpatient departments of Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from July 1st, 2020 to June 30th, 2021, were included, involving 120 cases of CHB, 340 cases of hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (HBLC), 64 cases of precancerous lesions with hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (PLHC), and 147 cases of hepatitis B liver cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A Survey form of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome during malignant transformation of chronic hepatitis B was designed, and the general information, auxiliary examination and the four examinations results were collected. Factor analysis and K-means clustering were used to determine and statistically analyze the syndrome and syndrome elements. ResultsFive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types were identified in CHB patients, while there were six TCM syndrome types in HBLC, PLHC and HCC stages. Among CHB patients, the main syndromes were liver constraint and spleen deficiency (53.33%) and liver-gallbladder damp-heat (21.67%), and the dominant syndrome elements were qi stagnation (27.60%), heat (17.71%) and qi deficiency (17.71%). In the HBLC stage, the syndromes were mainly blood stasis obstructing the collaterals (23.83%) and liver constraint and spleen deficiency (22.35%), with dominant syndrome elements being blood stasis (19.25%), dampness (17.46%), and qi deficiency (15.01%). For the PLHC stage, the primary syndrome types were blood stasis obstructing the collaterals (29.68%) and liver-kidney yin deficiency (20.31%), and the leading syndrome elements were blood stasis (22.12%), yin deficiency (15.93%), and qi deficiency (15.04%). In the HCC stage, the syndrome was dominated by blood stasis obstructing the collaterals (33.34%) and liver-kidney yin deficiency (19.73%), with the main syndrome elements being blood stasis (24.52%), yin deficiency (16.09%), and qi deficiency (15.33%). During the progression of CHB to malignancy, there was a gradual decrease in excess syndromes including liver-gallbladder damp-heat and water-dampness internal obstruction from 21.67% to 19.04%. In contrast, deficiency syndromes including liver-kidney yin deficiency and spleen-kidney yang deficiency increased from 15.83% to 31.97%. Additionally, excess syndrome elements including qi stagnation, heat and dampness decreased from 59.89% to 34.48%, while deficiency syndrome elements including qi deficiency, yin deficiency and yang deficiency increased from 32.30% to 41.00%. ConclusionDuring the malignant transformation of CHB, there exists a progression of syndrome and syndrome elements, shifting from qi stagnation, heat and qi deficiency to blood stasis (predominantly excess), dampness and qi deficiency, and then to blood stasis (predominantly deficiency), yin deficiency and qi deficiency, characterized by “deficiency-excess complex, and shift from excess to deficiency”.

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