ObjectiveTo investigate the value of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein （I-FABP） in predicting 6-week mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis after successful endoscopic hemostasis for esophagogastric variceal bleeding （EVB）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 207 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent successful endoscopic treatment for EVB （including ligation and sclerotherapy） in The Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to June 2025， with the endpoint of 6-week bleeding-related mortality. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of I-FABP on admission， and a stratified analysis was performed based on the quartiles of I-FABP measurements. 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 two groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis， Cox regression analysis， and restricted cubic spline （RCS） curve were used to investigate the association between I-FABP and mortality. Machine learning models were used to further quantify the impact of I-FABP on mortality. The integrated Brier score and an integrated cumulative/dynamic area under the curve were used to assess the importance of time-dependent variables， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the performance of the predictive model. ResultsDuring the study， 29 patients （14.0%） died within 6 weeks after successful endoscopic hemostasis， with a median time to death of 16 （8—26） days. The mortality group had a significantly higher serum level of I-FABP than the survival group （Z=-3.731， P<0.001）. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there was a significant difference in 6-week mortality between the groups of patients based on I-FABP quartiles （χ²=12.78， P=0.005）. The multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that an increase in I-FABP （hazard ratio=1.87， P=0.003） was an independent influencing factor for 6-week mortality. The RCS analysis showed a linear relationship between I-FABP and 6-week mortality （P_non-linear=0.280， P_overall=0.029）. Machine learning models showed that there was a dynamic change in the importance of I-FABP over time， and Brier score loss and the loss of cumulative/dynamic area under the curve after permutation showed that I-FABP was an important variable affecting 6-week mortality rate. ConclusionI-FABP level is independently associated with the risk of 6-week mortality endoscopic hemostasis for EVB in patients with liver cirrhosis， and therefore， it can be used as a potential biomarker for poor short-term prognosis.

Objective:To explore the clinical predicting value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in the development of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis.Method:We used case-control study. A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 169 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023. EV diagnosis and grades were based on gastroscopy. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum level of I-FABP on admission. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation among variables. Contributing factors of EV were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the predictive performance of I-FABP for EV presence.Results:The gastroscopy showed 59 patients without EV. The median of I-FABP in the EV Group was significantly higher than that in the no-EV Group [2.01 (1.39, 2.89) μg/L vs 0.96 (0.77, 1.91) μg/L], and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=5.585, P<0.001). I-FABP showed significant positive correlations between model for end-stage liver disease sore and Von Willebrand Factor Antigen/thrombocyte Ratio ( r=0.523, 0.328, both P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified I-FABP as the independent factor contributing to the presence of EV ( OR=1.73, P=0.045). The area under the curve of I-FABP predicting EV was 0.76. The cut-off was 1.46 μg/L. Conclusion:I-FABP is a potential marker for the formation of EV in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis, and its increased concentration is related to reduced hepatic reserve and portal hypertension.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) for the formation and development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis complicated with esophageal varices (EV).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023 in this cohort study. PVT was diagnosed and graded according to the imaging examination, and patients were divided into PVT group and non-PVT group. The thrombus recanalization of PVT in PVT group and newly occurring PVT events in non-PVT group was observed during twelve-month follow-up. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the baseline level of I-FABP. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluated the predictive performance of I-FABP for newly occurring PVT event. The cumulative incidence was compared by log-rank test. Results:A total of 161 patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV were included, with an average age of (57.71±11.12) years old, including 46 patients with PVT and 115 patients without PVT. During the follow-up period, 11 PVT patients had thrombus recanalization. Meanwhile, 17 patients without PVT had newly occurring PVT events. The I-FABP level was 2.59 (1.63, 3.18) μmol/L in the PVT group and 1.94 (1.44, 2.81) μmol/L in the non-PVT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=2.12, P=0.034). The baseline I-FABP level in patients with newly occurring PVT event was higher than that in patients without PVT (2.78(1.86, 3.20) μmol/L vs 1.92 (1.18, 2.74) μmol/L), while the I-FABP level in patients with thrombus recanalization was lower than that in patients without thrombus recanalization (2.06 (1.16, 2.69) μmol/L vs 2.84 (1.92, 3.27) μmol/L). The differences were both statistically significant ( Z=2.61 and 2.25, respectively, both P<0.05). The non-PVT patients were stratified according to the median level of I-FABP, and the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with I-FABP<1.94 μmol/L in the non-PVT group had a significantly lower cumulative rate of newly occurring PVT during follow-up compared to those with I-FABP≥1.94 μmol/L (7.1% (4/56) vs 22.0% (13/59), χ2=5.03, P=0.025). The ROC curve showed that I-FABP had a certain predictive efficacy for the occurrence PVT. The area under the curve were 0.698 (95% confidence interval 0.606 to 0.780) and the optimal cut-off of 2.36 μmol/L, with sensitivity of 70.59% and specificity of 69.39%. Conclusion:I-FABP is not only associated with PVT recanalization in CHB cirrhosis, but also a potential biomarker for predicting PVT formation and development.

BACKGROUND:Relatively or absolutely active bone resorption function of osteoclasts is one of the causative factors of osteoporosis. Therefore,how to inhibit the formation of osteoclasts and reduce the bone resorption activity is a key element in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Liquiritin,which is derived from licorice,plays a role in the clinical treatment of bone diseases,but there are fewer studies addressing the application of liquiritin in osteoporosis and the mechanism is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To confirm,through both in vivo and in vitro experiments,that liquiritin inhibits osteoclast differentiation and alleviates bone loss.METHODS:Cell counting kit-8 was used to detect whether Liquiritin exerts toxic or proliferative effects on mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages,and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining was performed to observe the effect of liquiritin in inhibiting osteoclast differentiation. The affinity of liquiritin binding to proteins related to osteoclast differentiation was verified by network pharmacology. RT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to detect the inhibitory effects of liquiritin on osteoclast-specific protein and gene expression as well as relevant signaling pathways. Finally,the mitigating effect of liquiritin on bone loss was verified in the C57BL/6J mouse osteoporosis model.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Liquiritin,at concentrations of 20 μmol/L and below,could inhibit the formation and differentiation of osteoclasts. Concurrently,it exhibited a high affinity with osteoclast-specific proteins such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells 1,Cathepsin K,c-Fos,and matrix metalloproteinase 9,and reduced the relative expression levels of these genes and proteins. Liquiritin could also effectively lower the phosphorylation expression level of JNK in the MAPK signaling pathway at the 15th,30th,45th,and 60th minutes,and it could salvage the degradation of nuclear factor-κB inhibitor α in the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway at the 60th minute. In vivo experiments demonstrated that liquiritin could mitigate bone loss caused by osteoclasts and improve parameters related to trabecular bone. To conclude,liquiritin possesses the capacity to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and alleviate bone loss,thereby exerting a protective role against osteoporosis.

Objective To investigate the expression characteristics and clinical diagnostic value of programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)and its corresponding ligand(PD-L1)in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Methods One hundred and sixty COPD patients who visited Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from April 2024 to November 2024 were included and divided into an acute exacerbation group of 100 cases and a stable group of 60 cases according to the severity of the disease.Additionally,40 healthy volunteers during the same period were recruited as the control group.The general clinical data of the patients were collected.Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test(CAT)and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Questionnaire(mMRC)Scale were used to test the severity of the disease;respiratory function testing was performed and fasting venous blood was collected for serum PD-1 and PD-L1 testing.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum PD-1,PD-L1,CAT,and mMRC,and multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the influencing factors of AECOPD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum PD-1 and PD-L1 level for AECOPD.Results Serum PD-1 level in the stable COPD group and AECOPD group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group,while serum PD-L1 level was significantly decreased,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);The level of PD-1 gradually increased with the grading of lung function and the deterioration of AECOPD,with statistical significance(P<0.05);Pearson correlation showed that serum PD-1 level was positively correlated with CAT scores in COPD patients,while negatively with CAT scores,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that elevated levels of serum inter-leukin-6(IL-6),neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR),and PD-1 were risk factors for AECOPD,while elevated level of PD-L1 was protective factor for AECOPD(P<0.05);ROC curve showed that the levels of PD-1,PD-L1,IL-6,NLR,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)for their combined prediction of AECOPD diagnosis were 0.884,0.867,0.868,0.802,and 0.995,respectively.Conclusion Serum PD-1 and PD-L1 in AECOPD patients have presented certain expression characteristics,with elevated PD-1 level while decreased PD-L1 level.Both have good clinical diagnostic value for AECOPD.

Objective To investigate the expression characteristics and clinical diagnostic value of programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)and its corresponding ligand(PD-L1)in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Methods One hundred and sixty COPD patients who visited Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from April 2024 to November 2024 were included and divided into an acute exacerbation group of 100 cases and a stable group of 60 cases according to the severity of the disease.Additionally,40 healthy volunteers during the same period were recruited as the control group.The general clinical data of the patients were collected.Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test(CAT)and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Questionnaire(mMRC)Scale were used to test the severity of the disease;respiratory function testing was performed and fasting venous blood was collected for serum PD-1 and PD-L1 testing.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum PD-1,PD-L1,CAT,and mMRC,and multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the influencing factors of AECOPD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum PD-1 and PD-L1 level for AECOPD.Results Serum PD-1 level in the stable COPD group and AECOPD group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group,while serum PD-L1 level was significantly decreased,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);The level of PD-1 gradually increased with the grading of lung function and the deterioration of AECOPD,with statistical significance(P<0.05);Pearson correlation showed that serum PD-1 level was positively correlated with CAT scores in COPD patients,while negatively with CAT scores,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that elevated levels of serum inter-leukin-6(IL-6),neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR),and PD-1 were risk factors for AECOPD,while elevated level of PD-L1 was protective factor for AECOPD(P<0.05);ROC curve showed that the levels of PD-1,PD-L1,IL-6,NLR,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)for their combined prediction of AECOPD diagnosis were 0.884,0.867,0.868,0.802,and 0.995,respectively.Conclusion Serum PD-1 and PD-L1 in AECOPD patients have presented certain expression characteristics,with elevated PD-1 level while decreased PD-L1 level.Both have good clinical diagnostic value for AECOPD.

BACKGROUND:Relatively or absolutely active bone resorption function of osteoclasts is one of the causative factors of osteoporosis. Therefore,how to inhibit the formation of osteoclasts and reduce the bone resorption activity is a key element in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Liquiritin,which is derived from licorice,plays a role in the clinical treatment of bone diseases,but there are fewer studies addressing the application of liquiritin in osteoporosis and the mechanism is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To confirm,through both in vivo and in vitro experiments,that liquiritin inhibits osteoclast differentiation and alleviates bone loss.METHODS:Cell counting kit-8 was used to detect whether Liquiritin exerts toxic or proliferative effects on mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages,and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining was performed to observe the effect of liquiritin in inhibiting osteoclast differentiation. The affinity of liquiritin binding to proteins related to osteoclast differentiation was verified by network pharmacology. RT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to detect the inhibitory effects of liquiritin on osteoclast-specific protein and gene expression as well as relevant signaling pathways. Finally,the mitigating effect of liquiritin on bone loss was verified in the C57BL/6J mouse osteoporosis model.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Liquiritin,at concentrations of 20 μmol/L and below,could inhibit the formation and differentiation of osteoclasts. Concurrently,it exhibited a high affinity with osteoclast-specific proteins such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells 1,Cathepsin K,c-Fos,and matrix metalloproteinase 9,and reduced the relative expression levels of these genes and proteins. Liquiritin could also effectively lower the phosphorylation expression level of JNK in the MAPK signaling pathway at the 15th,30th,45th,and 60th minutes,and it could salvage the degradation of nuclear factor-κB inhibitor α in the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway at the 60th minute. In vivo experiments demonstrated that liquiritin could mitigate bone loss caused by osteoclasts and improve parameters related to trabecular bone. To conclude,liquiritin possesses the capacity to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and alleviate bone loss,thereby exerting a protective role against osteoporosis.

Objective:To explore the clinical predicting value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in the development of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis.Method:We used case-control study. A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 169 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023. EV diagnosis and grades were based on gastroscopy. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum level of I-FABP on admission. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation among variables. Contributing factors of EV were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the predictive performance of I-FABP for EV presence.Results:The gastroscopy showed 59 patients without EV. The median of I-FABP in the EV Group was significantly higher than that in the no-EV Group [2.01 (1.39, 2.89) μg/L vs 0.96 (0.77, 1.91) μg/L], and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=5.585, P<0.001). I-FABP showed significant positive correlations between model for end-stage liver disease sore and Von Willebrand Factor Antigen/thrombocyte Ratio ( r=0.523, 0.328, both P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified I-FABP as the independent factor contributing to the presence of EV ( OR=1.73, P=0.045). The area under the curve of I-FABP predicting EV was 0.76. The cut-off was 1.46 μg/L. Conclusion:I-FABP is a potential marker for the formation of EV in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis, and its increased concentration is related to reduced hepatic reserve and portal hypertension.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) for the formation and development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis complicated with esophageal varices (EV).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023 in this cohort study. PVT was diagnosed and graded according to the imaging examination, and patients were divided into PVT group and non-PVT group. The thrombus recanalization of PVT in PVT group and newly occurring PVT events in non-PVT group was observed during twelve-month follow-up. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the baseline level of I-FABP. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluated the predictive performance of I-FABP for newly occurring PVT event. The cumulative incidence was compared by log-rank test. Results:A total of 161 patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV were included, with an average age of (57.71±11.12) years old, including 46 patients with PVT and 115 patients without PVT. During the follow-up period, 11 PVT patients had thrombus recanalization. Meanwhile, 17 patients without PVT had newly occurring PVT events. The I-FABP level was 2.59 (1.63, 3.18) μmol/L in the PVT group and 1.94 (1.44, 2.81) μmol/L in the non-PVT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=2.12, P=0.034). The baseline I-FABP level in patients with newly occurring PVT event was higher than that in patients without PVT (2.78(1.86, 3.20) μmol/L vs 1.92 (1.18, 2.74) μmol/L), while the I-FABP level in patients with thrombus recanalization was lower than that in patients without thrombus recanalization (2.06 (1.16, 2.69) μmol/L vs 2.84 (1.92, 3.27) μmol/L). The differences were both statistically significant ( Z=2.61 and 2.25, respectively, both P<0.05). The non-PVT patients were stratified according to the median level of I-FABP, and the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with I-FABP<1.94 μmol/L in the non-PVT group had a significantly lower cumulative rate of newly occurring PVT during follow-up compared to those with I-FABP≥1.94 μmol/L (7.1% (4/56) vs 22.0% (13/59), χ2=5.03, P=0.025). The ROC curve showed that I-FABP had a certain predictive efficacy for the occurrence PVT. The area under the curve were 0.698 (95% confidence interval 0.606 to 0.780) and the optimal cut-off of 2.36 μmol/L, with sensitivity of 70.59% and specificity of 69.39%. Conclusion:I-FABP is not only associated with PVT recanalization in CHB cirrhosis, but also a potential biomarker for predicting PVT formation and development.

Currently, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) surveillance mainly relies on sentinel surveillance and the HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) case reporting system to calculate the HIV infection rate, the number of newly reported HIV cases, and the HIV-related mortality rate, while theses measures are not able to directly estimate the HIV incidence. National-level research is conducted to investigate the characteristics of drug-resistant strains of HIV. HIV infection has the characteristics of a covert progression and a long-term latent phase, making it difficult to identify individuals in the acute infection stage. Conventional monitoring method struggles to determine the infection time of individuals, thereby introducing potential biases in the estimation of the incidence and impacting the comprehensive exploration of disease risk factors and the assessment of intervention measures. Recently, test for recent infection (TRI), as one of AIDS epidemic surveillance and intervention assessment measures, has become a vital way to estimate HIV incidence by testing the cross-sectional specimens. TRI can identify recent HIV infection and long-term HIV infection, consisting of serological and molecular method. Serological assays have been widely used because of their low cost, high accuracy of HIV infection incidence estimate and long development history, and their accuracy and simplicity have achieved significant progress in recent years. According to introduct the principle, accuracy and application of TRI, this paper reviews the latest progress, advantages, and limitations of TRI.