Objective:Exploring the efficacy and safety of the combination of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors with chemotherapy for the treatment of local recurrence at the primary tumor site of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) following definitive chemoradiotherapy.Methods:Seventy-six patients with local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy, who were treated at the Cancer Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University from January 2019 to January 2024. All patients received treatment with a PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, and the short-term efficacy, long-term efficacy, and adverse reactions were observed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were employed to identify the factors influencing overall survival (OS) and after-recurrence survival (ARS).Results:Among the 76 patients, 7 achieved partial response, 35 had stable disease, and 34 experienced progressive disease. The objective response rate was 9.2% (7/76), and the disease control rate was 55.3% (42/76). With a median follow-up time of 23.1 months, 33 out of 76 patients died. The median survival time was 38.5 months (95% CI: 29.6-47.3 months); the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year OS were 94.5%, 66.6%, and 51.7%, respectively. The median ARS was 14.7 months (95% CI: 10.4-19.1 months); the 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month ARS were 85.8%, 59.6%, and 25.7%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the initial radiation dose, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of patients after recurrence, the recurrence-free interval (RFI), and the approach to chemotherapy treatment following local esophageal recurrence were factors affecting OS and ARS ( P＜0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that initial radiotherapy dose ( HR=0.268, 95% CI: 0.100-0.720), the ECOG performance status after recurrence ( HR=4.106, 95% CI: 1.228-13.728), and RFI ( HR=0.248, 95% CI: 0.106-0.582) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Additionally, the initial radiation dose ( HR=0.289, 95% CI: 0.098-0.853) and the ECOG performance status after recurrence ( HR=5.143,95% CI:1.404-18.838) were independent prognostic factors for ARS. The incidence of treatment-related adverse-reactions was 85.5% (65/76). Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse reactions primarily included anemia in 4 cases, leukopenia in 8 cases, neutropenia in 9 cases, thrombocytopenia in 2 cases, liver function abnormalities in 4 cases, and elevated troponin T in 2 cases. There were no cases of treatment-related mortality. Conclusions:The combination of PD-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy is safe and effective for local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy and can provide survival benefits for patients. This approach can be considered as a therapeutic option for local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Portal hypertension is a major complication of cirrhosis. The current gold standard for diagnosis is the hepatic venous pressure gradient, but it possesses limitations such as invasiveness. In recent years, non-invasive tests have made significant progress in terms of evaluating and prognostication of portal hypertension. This article reviews the diagnostic value and related research advancements of different non-invasive tests in assessing portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.

Portal hypertension is a major complication of cirrhosis. The current gold standard for diagnosis is the hepatic venous pressure gradient, but it possesses limitations such as invasiveness. In recent years, non-invasive tests have made significant progress in terms of evaluating and prognostication of portal hypertension. This article reviews the diagnostic value and related research advancements of different non-invasive tests in assessing portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.

Objective:Exploring the efficacy and safety of the combination of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors with chemotherapy for the treatment of local recurrence at the primary tumor site of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) following definitive chemoradiotherapy.Methods:Seventy-six patients with local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy, who were treated at the Cancer Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University from January 2019 to January 2024. All patients received treatment with a PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, and the short-term efficacy, long-term efficacy, and adverse reactions were observed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were employed to identify the factors influencing overall survival (OS) and after-recurrence survival (ARS).Results:Among the 76 patients, 7 achieved partial response, 35 had stable disease, and 34 experienced progressive disease. The objective response rate was 9.2% (7/76), and the disease control rate was 55.3% (42/76). With a median follow-up time of 23.1 months, 33 out of 76 patients died. The median survival time was 38.5 months (95% CI: 29.6-47.3 months); the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year OS were 94.5%, 66.6%, and 51.7%, respectively. The median ARS was 14.7 months (95% CI: 10.4-19.1 months); the 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month ARS were 85.8%, 59.6%, and 25.7%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the initial radiation dose, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of patients after recurrence, the recurrence-free interval (RFI), and the approach to chemotherapy treatment following local esophageal recurrence were factors affecting OS and ARS ( P＜0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that initial radiotherapy dose ( HR=0.268, 95% CI: 0.100-0.720), the ECOG performance status after recurrence ( HR=4.106, 95% CI: 1.228-13.728), and RFI ( HR=0.248, 95% CI: 0.106-0.582) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Additionally, the initial radiation dose ( HR=0.289, 95% CI: 0.098-0.853) and the ECOG performance status after recurrence ( HR=5.143,95% CI:1.404-18.838) were independent prognostic factors for ARS. The incidence of treatment-related adverse-reactions was 85.5% (65/76). Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse reactions primarily included anemia in 4 cases, leukopenia in 8 cases, neutropenia in 9 cases, thrombocytopenia in 2 cases, liver function abnormalities in 4 cases, and elevated troponin T in 2 cases. There were no cases of treatment-related mortality. Conclusions:The combination of PD-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy is safe and effective for local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy and can provide survival benefits for patients. This approach can be considered as a therapeutic option for local recurrence at the primary tumor site of ESCC following definitive chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of asperuloside on liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） rats by regulating the sphingosine kinase 1 （SphK1）/sphingosine-1-phosphate （S1P） signaling pathway. METHODS SD rats were fed with a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. They were randomly separated into model group， asperuloside low-dose group （14 mg/kg， i.g.， similarly hereinafter）， asperuloside high-dose group （28 mg/kg）， high dose of asperuloside （28 mg/kg）+pc-NC （empty plasmid， 50 µg， via tail vein， similarly hereinafter） group， and high dose of asperuloside （28 mg/kg）+pc-SphK1 （SphK1 overexpression plasmid， 50 µg） group， with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 rats were fed with a normal diet as control group. Each group was given relevant medicine or plasmid intragastrically once a day or via tail vein twice a week， for 3 consecutive weeks. After the last medication， the levels of blood lipid indexes [total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and free fatty acid （FFA）] and liver function indexes [aspartate transaminase （AST） and alanine transaminase （ALT）] were detected in each group. The pathological changes of liver tissue and liver fibrosis in rats were also observed in each group. The levels of serum fibrosis-related factors [procollagen type Ⅲ （PCⅢ）， collagen type Ⅳ （Ⅳ-Col）， laminin （LN）]， pro-fibrotic factor [transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）]， and pro-inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， IL-6] of rats were determined in each group. The expressions of collagen formation-related proteins （Ⅰ-Col， Ⅳ-Col） and SphK1/S1P pathway-related proteins in the liver tissues of rats were detected in each group. RESULTS Compared with control group， the liver tissue of rats in model group showed significant pathological damage； the NAFLD activity score， liver tissue collagen volume fraction， serum levels of TC，TG， FFA， AST， ALT， PCⅢ， Ⅳ-Col， LN， TGF-β1， IL-1β， iNOS and IL-6， and protein expressions of Ⅰ-Col， Ⅳ-Col， SphK1 and S1P in liver tissue were greatly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the liver tissue pathological damage symptoms of rats in asperuloside low-dose and high-dose groups were improved， and the above indexes were all reduced significantly （P＜0.05）； moreover， the high-dose group had a better effect （P＜0.05）. Compared to asperuloside high-dose group， high dose of asperuloside+pc-NC group， the pathological damage of liver tissue symptoms in rats were aggravated in high dose of asperuloside+pc-SphK1 group， and the above indexes were all increased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Asperuloside can reduce the expressions of pro-fibrotic factor， pro-inflammatory factors and collagen formation-related proteins by inhibiting the activity of SphK1/S1P signaling pathway， thus alleviating liver fibrosis in NAFLD rats.

OBJECTIVE To study the toxicity-reducing effects and mechanisms of Niuhuang Jiedu Tablets(NHJDT)by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)metabolomics.METHODS 24 mice were randomly divided into control,realgar(1.0 g·kg-1)and NHDJT(1.0 g·kg-1)groups with 8 mice in each group.The liver and kidney of mice were collected for patho-logic examination after 14 d oral administration to mice.The content of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in liver and creatinine(Cr)and uric acid(UA)in kidney was also determined.The differences of endogenous metabolites in liver and kidney were further analyzed by GC-MS metabolomics.RESULTS The contents of ALT and AST in the liver as well as the Cr and UA in kidney of mice were significantly changed after NHJDT intervention(P<0.05).NHJDT alleviated the pathological dam-age of liver and kidney in mice.A total of 17 biomarkers related to detoxification were screened,including citric acid,ascorbic acid,asparagine,levodopa and phenylalanine.The changes of metabolites mainly involved in glutamine and glutamate metabolism,arginine biosynthesis,tryptophan metabolism,tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis,and phenylalanine metabolism.CONCLUSION NHJDT with compound compatibility could reduce the hepatorenal toxicity of realgar.The detoxification mechanism may be related to the regu-lation of amino acid metabolism.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Recently, organ support therapy for liver failure has made rapid progress in the direction of clearing bile acids, blood ammonia, and inflammatory factors. However, there is still a lack of high-level evidence-based medicine, necessitating extensive research on the pathogenesis of major subtypes of liver failure so as to explore collaborative key points of clinical research design decisions for appropriate organ support therapy.

Objective:To compare the effectiveness and safety profile of centrifugal and membrane plasma separation model in artificial liver therapy with a dual plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS).Method:A retrospective study was conducted. Data of inpatients with liver failure who were treated with DPMAS therapy in the Liver Disease Center of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, from October 2022 to June 2024 were included. Clinical data such as demographic characteristics, etiology, DPMAS treatment-related indicators (including plasma separation method, vascular access, frequency of treatment, treatment duration, type of anticoagulant drugs, and membrane rupture condition), and laboratory test indicators before and after DPMAS treatment were collected. Categorical variables were compared by the χ2 test. Continuous variables were compared using a t-test or a non-parametric test between groups. Result:Data of 232 cases with liver failure who received artificial liver therapy with DPMAS were included. A total of 473 times DPMAS treatment was given. The average age was 50 years old, and males accounted for 82.3%. Centrifugal plasma separation was the initial DPMAS treatment in 176 (75.9%) cases, while membrane plasma separation was used in 56 cases (24.1%). The most common vascular access for DPMAS treatment was the internal jugular vein. The most commonly used anticoagulant was unfractionated heparin. The treatment duration of DPMAS was significantly higher with centrifugal separation than that with membrane separation ( P<0.001). Hemoglobin levels (mean before and after treatment in the centrifugal: 112.8 g/L vs. 106.3 g/L, P<0.001; mean before and after treatment in the membrane group: 108.4 g/L vs. 103.3 g/L, P<0.001), red blood cell count (mean before and after treatment in the centrifugal group: 3.7×10 9/L vs. 3.5×10 9/L, P<0.001; mean before and after treatment in the membrane group: 3.5×10 9/L vs. 3.3×10 9/L, P<0.001) and platelet count (mean before and after treatment in the centrifugal group: 134.5×10 9/L vs. 119.6×10 9/L, P<0.001; mean before and after treatment in the membrane group: 120.7 ×10 9/L vs. 97.3 ×10 9/L, P<0.001) were slightly decreased following initial DPMAS treatment in both groups. The decrease in platelets was significantly lower in centrifugal separation than that in membrane separation (median: 10.4% vs. 17.0%; P=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference observed in the proportion of puncture site bleeding in terms of plasma separation-related adverse events between the two groups, but plasma separator membrane rupture occurred two times in the DPMAS treatment. Conclusion:Centrifugal and membrane separation, both with DPMAS therapy, can cause a slight decrease in hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and platelets in patients with liver failure. Membrane separation causes a larger drop in platelets than centrifugal plasma separation. The operational convenience of medical personnel, the risk of membrane rupture, the coagulation markers, the patient's vascular condition, and other factors should be comprehensively considered when choosing the plasma separation model.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the dual plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) treatment technology and the laboratory data before and after treatment in patients with liver failure and refractory hyperbilirubinemia, so as to provide a clinical basis for the prediction and prevention of common related complications.Method:A retrospective study was conducted on 161 cases with liver failure and 68 cases with refractory hyperbilirubinemia who underwent DPMAS treatment in our department from October 2022 to July 2024. The general clinical data characteristics, DPMAS treatment status, DPMAS-related complications, and changes in important laboratory indicators before and after the initial DPMAS treatment in both patient groups were analyzed.Results:Among the 229 enrolled cases, 82.53% were male, and the median age was 50 years. The cause of liver failure was hepatitis B virus infection in 84.47%, while hepatitis B accounted for only 51.47% in the other group. There were significant differences in platelets, creatinine, coagulation function, and inflammatory factor-related indicators between the two groups at baseline. The total number of DPMAS treatments given was 471 times. The proportion of albumin used in the initial stage of treatment was significantly higher in patients with refractory hyperbilirubinemia than that in the liver failure group, while the proportion of plasma used in the liver failure group was significantly higher ( P<0.001). The most commonly used anticoagulation regimen was unfractionated heparin. A combined anticoagulation therapy regimen was used in 9.3% of the refractory hyperbilirubinemia group. The internal jugular vein was selected in nearly half of the treated cases. A peripheral vascular access pathway was the treatment option in 31.2%. The proportion of centrifugal separation was significantly higher than that of membrane separation (76.22% vs. 23.78%). The incidence rate of DPMAS-related complications was 16%. The most common complication was bleeding, including bleeding at the puncture site (accounting for 32% of the total complications) and bleeding at non-puncture sites (12%), followed by hypotension (22%), allergic reactions (13%) and infections (11%), respectively. The indexes of hemoglobin, platelets, total bilirubin, and C-reactive protein were significantly decreased within 24-48 hours after DPMAS treatment in both groups of patients. The prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were significantly increased in the liver failure group, while fibrinogen was significantly reduced. Conclusion:DPMAS clinical application is generally safe in patients with liver disease. The most common complications are bleeding, hypotension, allergic reactions, and infections, which need to be paid special attention and timely intervention to ensure the safety profile of treatment.