ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of the direct-acting antiviral agents coblopasvir hydrochloride/sofosbuvir （CLP/SOF） regimen used alone or in combination with ribavirin （RBV） in the treatment of patients with genotype 3 hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection in terms of virologic response rate， liver function recovery， improvement in liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and adverse drug reactions， and to provide a reference for clinical medication. MethodsA total of 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled， and according to the treatment method， the patients were divided into CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group with 55 patients and CLP/SOF treatment group with 43 patients. The patients were observed in terms of rapid virologic response at week 4 （RVR4）， sustained virologic response （SVR）， previous treatment experience， underlying diseases， laboratory and imaging indicators， and adverse reactions during treatment. The course of treatment was 12 weeks， and the patients were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. 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 Friedman test was used for comparison within each group at different time points， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison and correction of P value； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for SVR12. ResultsBefore treatment， there were significant differences between the CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group and the CLP/SOF treatment group in terms of LSM， total bilirubin （TBil）， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， HCV genotype， and the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis and compensation （all P<0.05）. The 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 81.6% and an SVR12 rate of 93.9%. The patients with genotype 3a HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 84.44% and an SVR12 rate of 97.78%， while the patients with genotype 3b HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 79.25% and an SVR12 rate of 90.57%. There were significant differences in RVR4 and SVR12 rates between the patients without hepatocellular carcinoma and those with hepatocellular carcinoma， there was a significant difference in RVR4 rate between the patients without HIV infection and those with HIV infection， and there was a significant difference in SVR12 rate between the previously untreated patients and the treatment-experienced patients （all P<0.05）. The univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment history， hypertension， hepatocellular carcinoma， ascites， albumin （Alb）， and platelet count were influencing factors for SVR12 （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinoma （odds ratio=0.034， 95% confidence interval： 0.002‍ ‍—‍‍ 0.666， P=0.026） was an independent influencing factor for SVR12. After treatment with CLP/SOF combined with RBV or CLP/SOF alone， the patients with genotype 3 HCV infection showed gradual reductions in the liver function parameters of TBil， GGT， and alanine aminotransferase （all P<0.05） and a gradual increase in the level of Alb （P<0.05）. As for renal function， there were no significant changes in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine after treatment （P>0.05）. For the patients with or without liver cirrhosis， there was a significant reduction in LSM from baseline after treatment for 12 weeks （P<0.05）. Among the 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection， 9 tested positive for HCV-RNA at 12 weeks after treatment， 2 showed no response during treatment， 4 showed virologic breakthrough， and 3 experienced recurrence. The overall incidence rate of adverse events during treatment was 17.35% for all patients. ConclusionCLP/SOF alone or in combination with RBV has a relatively high SVR rate in the treatment of genotype 3 HCV infection， with good tolerability and safety in patients during treatment， and therefore， it holds promise for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis， and to establish a predictive model. MethodsA total of 217 patients who were diagnosed with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis and were admitted to The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming l from January， 2019 to December， 2022 were enrolled， among whom 63 patients who were readmitted within at least 1 year and had no portal hypertension-related complications were enrolled as recompensation group， and 154 patients without recompensation were enrolled as control group. Related clinical data were collected， and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for the factors that may affect the occurrence of recompensation. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed measurement data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed measurement data between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A binary Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the predictive performance of the model. ResultsAmong the 217 patients with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis， 63 （29.03%） had recompensation. There were significant differences between the recompensation group and the control group in HIV history （χ²=4.566， P=0.034）， history of partial splenic embolism （χ²=6.687， P=0.014）， Child-Pugh classification （χ²=11.978， P=0.003）， grade of ascites （χ²=14.229， P<0.001）， albumin （t=4.063， P<0.001）， prealbumin （Z=-3.077， P=0.002）， high-density lipoprotein （t=2.854， P=0.011）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （Z=-2.447， P=0.014）， prothrombin time （Z=-2.441， P=0.015）， carcinoembryonic antigen （Z=-2.113， P=0.035）， alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） （Z=-2.063， P=0.039）， CA125 （Z=-2.270， P=0.023）， TT3 （Z=-3.304， P<0.001）， TT4 （Z=-2.221， P=0.026）， CD45⁺ （Z=-2.278， P=0.023）， interleukin-5 （Z=-2.845， P=0.004）， tumor necrosis factor-α （Z=-2.176， P=0.030）， and portal vein width （Z=-5.283， P=0.005）. The multivariate analysis showed that history of partial splenic embolism （odds ratio ［OR］=3.064， P=0.049）， HIV history （OR=0.195， P=0.027）， a small amount of ascites （OR=3.390， P=0.017）， AFP （OR=1.003， P=0.004）， and portal vein width （OR=0.600， P<0.001） were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of recompensation in patients with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis. The ROC curve analysis showed that HIV history， grade of ascites， history of partial splenic embolism， AFP， portal vein width， and the combined predictive model of these indices had an area under the ROC curve of 0.556， 0.641， 0.560， 0.589， 0.745， and 0.817， respectively. ConclusionFor patients with decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis， those with a history of partial splenic embolism， a small amount of ascites， and an increase in AFP level are more likely to experience recompensation， while those with a history of HIV and an increase in portal vein width are less likely to experience recompensation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of noninvasive imaging detection （FibroScan）， two serological models of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio （GPR） score and S index， and two inflammatory factors of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in predicting liver fibrosis in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B （CHB）， as well as the consistency of liver biopsy in pathological staging， and to provide early warning for early intervention of CHB. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 131 HBeAg-positive CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy in The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2019 to December 2023. The results of liver biopsy were collected from all patients， and related examinations were performed before liver biopsy， including total bilirubin， alanine aminotransferase， platelet count， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase， albumin， IL-6， TNF-α， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and abdominal ultrasound. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Kappa analysis was used to investigate the consistency between LSM noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy， and the Spearman analysis was used to investigate the correlation between each variable and FibroScan in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis stage. The Logistic regression analysis was used to construct joint predictive factors. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the value of each indicator alone and the joint predictive model in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsIn the consistency check， inflammation degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.807 （P<0.001）， and liver fibrosis degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.827 （P<0.001）， suggesting that FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and liver biopsy showed good consistency in assessing inflammation degree and liver fibrosis stage. Age was positively correlated with LSM， GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α （all P<0.05）， and GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were positively correlated with LSM （all P<0.05）. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were all independent risk factors for diagnosing significant liver fibrosis （≥S2） and progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3） （all P<0.05）. As for each indicator alone， GPR score had the highest value in the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis （≥S2）， followed by S index， IL-6， and TNF-α， while S index had the highest value in the diagnosis of progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3）， followed by GPR score， TNF-α， and IL-6. The joint model had a higher predictive value than each indicator alone （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere is a good consistency between FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α are independent risk factors for evaluating different degree of liver fibrosis in CHB， and the combined prediction model established by them can better diagnose liver fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for hepatic hydrothorax （HH） before intervention for primary hepatic carcinoma （PHC）， and to construct and assess the nomogram risk prediction model. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 353 hospitalized patients who attended the Third People’s Hospital of Kunming for the first time from October 2012 to October 2021 and there diagnosed with PHC， and according to the presence or absence of HH， they were divided into HH group with 153 patients and non-HH group with 200 patients. General data and the data of initial clinical testing after admission were collected from all PHC patients. 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 or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. After the multicollinearity test was performed for the variables with statistical significance determined by the univariate analysis， the multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The “rms” software package was used to construct a nomogram risk prediction model， and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve were used to assess the risk prediction model； the “Calibration Curves” software package was used to plot the calibration curve， and the “rmda” software package was used to plot the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve. ResultsAmong the 353 patients with PHC， there were 153 patients with HH， with a prevalence rate of 43.34%. Child-Pugh class B （odds ratio ［OR］=2.652， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.050 — 6.698， P=0.039）， Child-Pugh class C （OR=7.963， 95%CI： 1.046‍ ‍—‍ ‍60.632， P=0.045）， total protein （OR=0.947， 95%CI： 0.914‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.003）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （OR=1.007， 95%CI： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.014， P=0.025）， and interleukin-2 （OR=0.801， 95%CI： 0.653‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.032） were independent influencing factors for HH before PHC intervention， and a nomogram risk prediction model was established based on these factors. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good degree of fitting （χ²=5.006， P=0.757）， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.752 （95%CI： 0.701‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.803）， a sensitivity of 78.40%， and a specificity of 63.50%. The calibration curve showed that the model had good consistency in predicting HH before PHC intervention， and the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve showed that the model had good clinical practicability within a certain threshold range. ConclusionChild-Pugh class， total protein， interleukin-2， and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are independent influencing factors for developing HH before PHC intervention， and the nomogram model established based on these factors can effectively predict the risk of developing HH.

Tricuspid regurgitation associated with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) constitutes a significant subset of secondary tricuspid regurgitation, characterized by a multifactorial etiology involving pacing lead-mediated mechanical interference and CIED-related systemic factors. The pathogenesis of CIED-related tricuspid regurgitation encompasses direct mechanical trauma or functional disruption of the tricuspid valve apparatus by pacing leads, pacing mode-induced hemodynamic alterations, and clinical risk factors such as permanent atrial fibrillation, apical pacing, and high right ventricular pacing burden. The natural progression and clinical outcomes of CIED-related tricuspid regurgitation parallel those of tricuspid regurgitation stemming from other etiologies. Advanced imaging modalities, including echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, enable precise diagnosis and longitudinal assessment of CIED-related tricuspid regurgitation. Management strategies emphasize multidisciplinary collaboration as well as integration of preventive approaches-such as refined lead implantation techniques and tailored pacing modalities-with therapeutic interventions ranging from pharmacotherapy to surgical valve repair or replacement. This article reviews the current understanding of CIED-related tricuspid regurgitation to provide a reference for clinical practice and research.
Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Defibrillators, Implantable/adverse effects* ; Pacemaker, Artificial/adverse effects*

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain damage poses a high risk of death or lifelong disability, yet effective treatments remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that miR-100-5p levels in the lesioned cortex increased after HI insult in neonatal mice. Knockdown of miR-100-5p expression in the brain attenuated brain injury and promoted functional recovery, through inhibiting the cleaved-caspase-3 level, microglia activation, and the release of proinflammation cytokines following HI injury. Engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing neuron-targeting rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) and miR-100-5p antagonists (RVG-EVs-Antagomir) selectively targeted brain lesions and reduced miR-100-5p levels after intranasal delivery. Both pre- and post-HI administration showed therapeutic benefits. Mechanistically, we identified protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit alpha (Ppp3ca) as a novel candidate target gene of miR-100-5p, inhibiting c-Fos expression and neuronal apoptosis following HI insult. In conclusion, our non-invasive method using engineered EVs to deliver miR-100-5p antagomirs to the brain significantly improves functional recovery after HI injury by targeting Ppp3ca to suppress neuronal apoptosis.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism* ; Mice ; Recovery of Function/physiology* ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Antagomirs/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Brain Injuries/metabolism* ; Glycoproteins ; Peptide Fragments ; Viral Proteins

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective To investigate the metabolic characteristics of patients with early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and to develop a risk prediction model for microvascular complications.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 980 T2DM patients admitted for treatment between April 2020 and April 2024.Based on age at diagnosis,the patients were divided into two groups,an early-onset T2DM group(age at diagnosis<40 years,n=265)and a late-onset T2DM group(age at diagnosis≥40 years,n=715).Differences in metabolic indicators between the two groups were compared.Patients in the early-onset group were further divided into a complication subgroup(n=142)and a non-complication subgroup(n=123)based on the presence or absence of microvascular complications.Data on baseline characteristics,metabolic parameters,and laboratory indicators were collected and compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for microvascular complications,and a nomogram prediction model was constructed.The model's discriminative performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and its calibration was evaluated using calibration curves and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Decision curve analysis(DCA)was also performed to assess the model's clinical utility.Results Compared with the late-onset group,patients in the early-onset group exhibited more pronounced metabolic abnormalities,including higher body mass index(BMI),proportion of family history of diabetes mellitus,glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels,total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),triglyceride-glucose index(TyG),and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)levels(all P<0.05),along with a shorter disease duration and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)(P<0.05).According to a multivariate analysis,systolic blood pressure(SBP),total bilirubin(TBIL),HDL-C,LDL-C,TyG,and LDH were identified as independent risk factors for microvascular complications in patients with early-onset T2DM.A predictive model based on these factors was established as the follows,Log(P)=-19.915+0.017×SBP-0.136×TBIL-1.241×HDL-C+0.684×LDL-C+0.769×TyG+0.050×LDH.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)was 0.864(95%CI,0.820-0.907),and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated good model fit(χ2=10.286,P=0.246).The slope of the DCA curve was also close to 1.Conclusion The nomogram prediction model based on SBP,TBIL,HDL-C,LDL-C,TyG,and LDH demonstrates good predictive performance for microvascular complications and can provide a reference for clinical risk stratification and individualized intervention.

Objective:This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the incidence and influencing factors of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in the short term after pacemaker lead implantation at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, so as to provide evidence for understanding pacemaker lead-related TR.Methods:Consecutive patients who underwent single- or dual-chamber permanent pacemaker implantation between June 2019 and December 2023 in the Department of Cardiology were enrolled. General clinical data and relevant parameters were collected. Changes in TR severity before and shortly after the procedure were assessed using echocardiography. TR progression was defined as an increase by one grade or more, and TR improvement as a decrease by one grade or more. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with TR progression.Results:A total of 219 patients were included (128 males, 91 females), with a mean age of 69.7 ± 11.2 years. The median follow-up time was 99 (26, 199) days. TR remained unchanged in 114 patients (52.1%), improved in 46 (21.0%)—including 36 (16.4%) with one-grade reduction, 9 (4.1%) with two-grade reduction, and 1 (0.5%) with three-grade reduction—and progressed in 59 patients (26.9%). Among those with progression, 51 (23.3%) had mild-to-moderate TR worsening by one grade, and 8 (3.7%) had moderate or worse TR worsening by at least two grades. Notably, one case involved lead perforation of the leaflet and two cases had lead impingement. Compared with the non-progression group ( n = 114), pacemaker indication (AV block vs. sick sinus syndrome), baseline left atrial diameter, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) and TR were significantly associated with TR progression or improvement (all P < 0.05). Ordinal logistic regression analysis identified preoperative TR severity [ OR=10.57 (3.77–29.68), P < 0.001] and pacemaker indication [ OR=0.452 (0.222–0.918), P = 0.028] as independent predictors of postoperative TR progression. Patients with AV block were more likely to receive left bundle branch pacing ( P < 0.001), which may contribute to their lower risk of TR. Conclusions:Short-term progression of TR after pacemaker implantation is relatively common, although severe TR remains rare. Preoperative TR severity and pacemaker indication are independent predictors of short-term TR progression. The use of physiological pacing modalities may help reduce the incidence of TR following pacemaker lead implantation.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of chronic liver failure in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma(PHC)before intervention,and to establish and evaluate a nomogram risk prediction model.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted by collecting general data and clinical test data within 24 hours of admission for PHC patients.Univariate analysis and Lasso regression were used for variable selection,followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent influencing factors for CLF before PHC intervention,leading to the establishment of a nomogram risk prediction model.The model was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,clinical decision curve,and clinical impact curve.Result A total of 353 cases of PHC patients were collected,including 153 cases in the liver failure group and 200 cases in the non-liver failure group,with a prevalence rate of 43.3％.Variables selected by Lasso regression included gastrointestinal bleeding,prothrombin time(PT),albumin(ALB),total bilirubin(TBIL),and gamma glutamyl transferase(GGT).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gastrointestinal bleeding(OR=13.549,95％CI:2.899～63.322,P=0.001),PT(OR=1.599,95％CI:1.282～1.995,P＜0.001),TBIL(OR=1.016,95％CI:1.006～1.025,P=0.002),and GGT(OR=1.002,95％CI:1.000～1.003,P=0.028)were independent risk factors for chronic liver failure prior to PHC intervention,leading to the establishment of a nomogram risk prediction model.The Hosmer Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good fit(x2=6.152,P＞0.05);the area under ROC was 0.902(0.869-0.934),with a sensitivity of 80.4％and a specificity of 87.5％.The calibration curve indicated that the model predicts chronic liver failure prior to PHC intervention with good consistency.Clinical decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve analysis showed that the model has good clinical utility within a certain threshold range.Conclusion Gastrointestinal bleeding,PT ≥16.05s,TBIL≥37.80 mmol/L,and GGT≥ 99.00 U/L are independent risk factors for the occurrence of chronic liver failure before PHC intervention.The established nomogram risk prediction model has certain clinical application value in predicting the risk of chronic liver failure before PHC intervention.