OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyse fungal composition and exploit application potential in the Bantou (BT) agarwood-forming trunk of Aquilaria sinensis. METHODS: BT agarwood is a naturally formed agarwood that was collected after cutting. Total genomic DNA of the fungi in BT agarwood was extracted by the hexadecyltrimethy ammonium bromide (CTAB) method, followed by PCR amplification and library construction. The effective tags were obtained by the HiSeq2500 platform, and the data were subjected to bioinformatics and statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 7 850 040 effective tags were obtained, Ascomycota was the most abundant fungus at the phylum level, with a relative abundance of 56.36%-61.44%, followed by Basidiomycota, with a relative abundance of 10.49%-20.39%. Dothideomycetes, Agaricomycetes and Sordariomycetes were dominant at the class level, accounting for 26.21%-33.88%, 8.40%-17.66%, and 18.41%-24.11%, respectively. Lignosphaeria, Phaeoacremonium and Hermatomyces were dominant at the genus level, with relative abundances of 6.25%-7.64%, 1.95%-9.05% and 1.5%-5.4%, respectively. Diversity and richness analysis showed that the fungal composition in the agarwood formation sites (agarwood layer, upper agarwood layer and lower agarwood layer) were significantly lower than those in the decomposing layer and the healthy layer. That is, the fungal diversity and richness were significantly reduced during agarwood formation by the action of open wounds. The fungal community structure in the decomposing layer and agarwood formation sites obviously differed from that in the healthy layer. The number of Aspergillus taxa in agarwood formation sites decreased significantly (healthy layer is 0.5%, decomposing layer is 0.022%, upper agarwood layer is 0.012%, agarwood layer is 0.01%, and lower agarwood layer is 0.013%), indicating that agarwood may contain potential substances to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus. CONCLUSION Agarwood from agarwood formation sites contains potential substances that inhibit Aspergillus, which provides valuable information for the control of the genus of Aspergillus.

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a respiratory syndrome caused by severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Once SARS-CoV-2 was detected in Wuhan(Hubei Province,China),it rap-idly spread widely across China and the world,posing a serious threat to global health and the economy.With the development of Artificial Intelligence(AI)technology and the openness and application of open-source software,tremendous progress has been achieved in the quantitative study of chest radiology for COVID-19,enabling the quantitative dataization of radiological image data,which adds a powerful indicator to the prognosis study of COV-ID-19.Therefore,we reviewed the current literature on the factors predicting the severity and prognosis of COV-ID-19,and summarized demographic,laboratory and radiological factors to help with risk stratification and prog-nosis assessment for COVID-19 patients and assist in their clinical management and treatment.

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a respiratory syndrome caused by severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Once SARS-CoV-2 was detected in Wuhan(Hubei Province,China),it rap-idly spread widely across China and the world,posing a serious threat to global health and the economy.With the development of Artificial Intelligence(AI)technology and the openness and application of open-source software,tremendous progress has been achieved in the quantitative study of chest radiology for COVID-19,enabling the quantitative dataization of radiological image data,which adds a powerful indicator to the prognosis study of COV-ID-19.Therefore,we reviewed the current literature on the factors predicting the severity and prognosis of COV-ID-19,and summarized demographic,laboratory and radiological factors to help with risk stratification and prog-nosis assessment for COVID-19 patients and assist in their clinical management and treatment.

"Quality evaluation through identification"(QECI)is a theory that summarizes the essence of quality identification experience about traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).As an important component of the current quality evaluation system of TCM,the theory provides theoretical guidance for controlling and evaluating TCM's quality.Identifying based on human senses,traditional appearance identification relies on experience,which is subjective,difficult to quantify,and poorly repeatable.Modern measurement tools and biomimetic technology can quantify appearance characters(shape,color,smell,taste)of TCM.Then associate the results with content of active ingredients or biological effects.Make use of the visualization,quantifiability,portability,and repeatability of modern scientific means and screen feasible and controllable quality control indicators,which can be applied to quality evaluation and control of TCM's production and processing in each stage.The origin,connotation,modern research progress,and application value of QECI are reviewed,aiming to provide reference for addressing the shortcomings of traditional appearance evaluation,expanding the application scope of QECI,and promoting the construction of TCM's quality evaluation system.

By reviewing ancient materia medica， medical books and modern literature， this paper conducted a systematic research on name， origin， scientific name evolution， producing area， quality， harvesting and processing methods of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma. The results showed that Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma was first published in Mingyi Bielu， and its correct name was Gaoliangjiang. The mainstream origin of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma used in the past dynasties is Alpinia officinarum， which is used to this day， while it used to be mixed with A. galanga because of the similar name and morphology. Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma produced in Danzhou and Leizhou was considered to be better in ancient times， and now it mainly produced in Guangdong， Guangxi and Hainan provinces. In addition， it has been concluded that Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma with reddish brown， sturdy and firm character， wrinkled skin， convex flesh， aromatic and spicy taste， and few branches is the best. In ancient times， Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma was commonly harvested in February and March， whereas it generally harvested in late summer or early autumn at present， and wild products are usually harvested before the rainy season in May. The main processing methods of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma are cleansing and cutting， and some other methods are stir-frying or mixing with auxiliary materials. Based on the research results， it is suggested that the raw products of A. officinarum rhizomes or its processed products according to prescription requirements should be used in the development of famous classical formulas containing Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma.

Objective To investigate the value of interleukin-6 (IL-6) combined with Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods A total of 86 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2018 were enrolled, and according to their survival status after follow-up for 90 days, they were divided into death group with 50 patients and survival group with 36 patients. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of IL-6, and a statistical analysis was performed for general information. The t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between 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 two groups. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed for IL-6 and other variables; a binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the value of IL-6 combined with MELD score in predicting the prognosis of HBV-ACLF. Results There were significant differences between the death group and the survival group in hematocrit ( t =2.413), platelet count ( t =6.584), total bilirubin (TBil) ( t =-8.070), prothrombin time (PT) ( U =77.500), international standardized ratio ( U =102.000), HBV DNA ( t =-2.767), IL-6 ( t =-16.543), and MELD score ( t =-8.192), and the death group had a significantly higher level of IL-6 than the survival group (27.13±12.18 pg/mL vs 9.72±5.56 pg/mL, P < 0.001). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was positively correlated with TBil and PT ( r =0.579 and 0.681, both P < 0.001). The binary logistic regression analysis showed that IL-6 (odds ratio[ OR ]=1.480, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.196~1.833, P =0.007) and MELD score ( OR =1.128, 95% CI : 1.033~1.231, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for the death of HBV-ACLF patients within 90 days. IL-6 combined with MELD score had an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.891 (95% CI : 0.778~0.999), with a higher AUC than IL-6 (AUC=0.838, 95% CI : 0.687~0.989) or MELD score (AUC=0.783, 95% CI : 0.634~0.933). IL-6 combined with MELD score had a significantly higher value than IL-6 alone in predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF ( Z =-2.257, P =0.024). Conclusion IL-6 combined with MELD score can be used as a good model for predicting the short-term prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of interleukin-32 (IL-32) combined with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) in predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). MethodsA total of 92 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2018 were enrolled, and according to the follow-up results at 3 months after diagnosis, the patients were divided into survival group with 40 patients and death group with 52 patients. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of IL-32. Clinical data of the patients were collected, including age, sex, underlying diseases, major complications, white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), hematocrit (HCT), total bilirubin (TBil), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (Alb), serum creatinine (SCr), prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), and HBV DNA. The 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 two groups; a Pearson correlation analysis was performed for IL-32 and other variables; a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve(AUC) was used to evaluate the value of IL-32 combined with MELD score in predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. The normal Z test was used for comparison of AUC. ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in HCT, PLT, TBil, SCr, PT, INR, HBV DNA, IL-32, and MELD score (all P＜0.05). IL-32 was positively correlated with TBil (r=0.952, P＜0.001) and MELD score (r=0850, P＜0.001). IL-32 (odds ratio ［OR］=1.137, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 1040-1243, P=0.005) and MELD score (OR=1.055, 95% CI: 1.001-1.109, P=0.025) were independent risk factors for the death of HBV-ACLF patients. IL-32 combined with MELD score had the highest value in predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF (AUC=0.992, 95% CI: 0.981-1000), with a significantly higher AUC than IL-32 (0.992 vs 0.984, Z=2.265, P＜0.05) and MELD score (0.992 vs 0877, Z=3182, P＜0.05). ConclusionBoth IL-32 and MELD score can predict the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF, and the combination of these two indicators has a better predictive value.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of coagulation function parameters and platelet indices in thrombotic events in patients with hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). MethodsA total of 56 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2019 were enrolled and divided into thrombotic complication (TC) group with 24 patients and non-thrombotic complication (NTC) group with 32 patients. A retrospective analysis was performed for their general clinical data on admission, and the patients were observed in terms of the changes in coagulation function, platelet count (PLT), and the platelet function-related index mean platelet volume (MPV) on days 1-7 after admission. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum 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. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare coagulation markers within and between groups at different time points. ResultsOn admission, the TC group had a significantly younger age than the NTC group ［31.5 (29.0-34.0) years vs 48.5 (36.0-50.7) years, Z=-2.637, P=0.008］. On the day of admission, there was no significant difference in MPV between the TC group and the NTC group (P ＞0.05), while on days 2-7 after admission, there was a significant difference in MPV between the two groups (t=-2.696、-2.742、-2.894、-4.174、-3.945、-4.716,all P ＜0.01). In the TC group, MPV reached the peak value on day 5 of admission, with a mean value of 13.90±1.12 fl, which was higher than the range of normal values. On admission, all patients had a mean prothrombin time (PT) of 28.8±7.2 s, a mean activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) of 50.5±8.7 s, and a mean international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.6±0.7, which were higher than normal values; all patients had a mean fibrinogen (Fb) level of 1.16±0.3 g/L and a mean PLT of (107.7±26.5)×109/L, which were lower than normal values. There were no significant differences in PT, APTT, Fb, INR, and PLT between the TC group and the NTC group (all P ＞0.05). ConclusionCoagulation disorder in patients with liver failure is more of a low-equilibrium state, which is complex and heterogeneous and requires individualized treatment. For patients with HBV-ACLF, the development of thrombotic events may be more associated with platelet function than PLT or conventional coagulation markers.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on mice with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and its effect on intestinal flora. MethodsA total of 40 mice were randomly divided into control group (CON group), model group (MOD group), FMT group (feces of the mice in the CON group were used as fecal microbiota donor), and FMT model group (ANFMT group, with feces of the mice in the MOD group as fecal microbiota donor), with 10 mice in each group. All mice were observed in terms of body weight, death, liver histopathology, and changes in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and intestinal flora. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the SNK-q test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the CON group, the MOD group had a significant reduction in body weight and significant increases in AST and ALT (all P＜0.05), as well as large patchy necrosis of hepatocytes, significant increases in Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia, and Erysipelatoclostridium, and significant reductions in Dubosiella and Duncaniella (all P＜0.05). Compared with the CON group, the ANFMT group had a significant increase in AST (P＜0.05), hepatocyte swelling and mild ballooning degeneration, significant increases in Unclassified and Faecalibaculum, and significant reductions in Patescibacteria, Deferribacteres, Muribaculum, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Rikenella, Odoribacter, Mucispirillum, and Lachnospiraceae_unclassified (all P＜0.05). Compared with the MOD group, the FMT group had significant reductions in AST and ALT (both P＜0.05), mild hepatocellular necrosis and marked ballooning degeneration, significant increases in Paramuribaculum and Bilophila, and significant reductions in Firmicutes, Rikenella, and Absiella (all P＜0.05). ConclusionIntestinal flora disturbance is observed in ACLF mice, and dysbacteriosis may lead to liver injury. FMT can alleviate liver inflammation in ACLF mice and thus exert a protective effect.

Objective: To explore the characteristics underlying Th1/Th2/Th17 expression level after entecavir (ETV) discontinuation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who were HBeAg-positive and define the role of Th1/Th2/Th17 in maintaining virological response after ETV discontinuation. Methods: We selected 112 HBeAg positive CHB patients who met the withdrawal criteria according to the guideline of prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (2010 version), and we also separated them into virology sustained response (SVR) group and virological relapse (VR) group according to the recurrence in 52 weeks. We detected serum level of Th1/Th2/h17 related cytokines during 0, 12, 24 and 52 weeks follow-up to further analyze their dynamic changes and expression differences. Results: The results of the study reveals that serum levels of IFN-γ in the group of SVR were at a higher level compared with VR group during follow-up (all P<0.05). While, the serum level of IL-10 decreased in SVR group and was lower than the paired IL-10 level in VR group with significance during follow-up. In VR group, the serum level of IFN-γ decreased during the first 24 weeks after ETV withdrawal, and after then, the level rose. The serum levels of IFN-γ (Th1) in SVR patients were significantly higher than those in VR patients in the different follow-up time points after ETV discontinuation (all P<0.05). And the serum levels of IL-10 (Th2) in SVR patients were significantly lower than that in VR patients (all P<0.05). The comparison of serum levels of IL-17A (Th17) between the two groups had no significant difference (all P>0.005). Conclusions The serum level of IFN-γ in SVR group maintained a high level is conducive to maintaining virological response after ETV withdrawal and high level of IL-10 may be related to virologic relapse.