Recently， the American College of Gastroenterology （ACG） released the clinical guidelines on perioperative risk assessment and management of patients with cirrhosis， proposing a comprehensive approach for perioperative risk assessment and management in these patients. The guidelines mainly focus on the severity of liver diseases， extrahepatic comorbidities， and surgery-specific factors， with an emphasis on individualized risk stratification using validated risk assessment tools （such as the VOCAL-Penn score） for patients with cirrhosis. This article gives an excerpt of the key statements in the guidelines.

Objective To investigate the role and potential mechanism of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1)⁺ macrophages in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis. Methods The expression features of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allografts of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) patients were analyzed based on single-cell transcriptome data of renal tissues from patients with CAD. Transcription factor VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis were performed on the single-cell transcriptome data. Renal tissue samples were collected from kidney transplant recipients, including the CAD group (n=5) and the non-renal allograft fibrosis group (CTL group, n=5). A mouse model of chronic allograft rejection was established and divided into the allogeneic kidney transplantation group (CAD group, n=3) and the syngeneic kidney transplantation group (SYN group, n=3). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect renal tissue injury in mice, and Masson staining was used to detect renal tissue fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect SPP1 expression in renal tissues of transplant recipients and mouse renal allografts. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were extracted from mice and subjected to hypoxia stimulation. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot, and SPP1 expression was detected by flow cytometry. BMDMs were transfected with HIF-1α overexpression plasmid and HIF-1α small interfering RNA (siRNA) followed by hypoxia intervention, and the expression of HIF-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot. Mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) were co-cultured with the supernatant of BMDMs, and the expression of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)-related markers was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Results Single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allograft tissues was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the CTL group (P<0.05). The renal injury score and the percentage of interstitial fibrotic area in the CAD group were significantly higher than those in the SYN group (both P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages was increased in the CAD group compared with the CTL group, and also increased in the CAD group compared with the SYN group (both P<0.05). VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis revealed activation of the hypoxia pathway and upregulated expression of transcription factors such as HIF-1α in SPP1⁺ macrophages. SPP1 expression was elevated in BMDMs under hypoxic conditions. Knockdown of HIF-1α inhibited hypoxia-induced SPP1 protein expression, whereas overexpression of HIF-1α upregulated SPP1 protein levels. After co-culture of hypoxia-induced BMDMs with MAECs, the expression levels of EndMT-related markers were increased. Conclusions SPP1⁺ macrophages differentiated under hypoxia are significantly infiltrated in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis, and may promote renal allograft fibrosis by inducing EndMT in renal vascular endothelial cells.

Objective To investigate the association of serum total testosterone(TT),free testosterone(FT),sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG),and estradiol(E_2)with all-cause mortality rate(AMR)in males and to evaluate their predictive value. Methods Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)cycles(1999—2004 and 2013—2016),the relationships between different sex hormones and AMR was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards regression models. The dose-response relationships between different sex hormones and male AMR were assessed with restricted cubic splines(RCS). The predictive performances of different sex hormones for male AMR were compared with receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and the area under the curve(AUC). The survival differences across varying sex hormone levels were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests. Results This study involved 3632 adult male participants with a median follow-up of 6.5 years,during which 320 AMR occurred(8.8%). Cox univariate analysis indicated that TT,FT and SHBG were risk factors for AMR(P＜0.001). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that FT and SHBG were independent risk factors for AMR(FT:HR=0.90,95%CI:0.86-0.94; SHBG:HR=1.01,95%CI:1.01-1.02). RCS revealed a U-shaped nonlinear relationship between TT,FT and AMR(P＜0.001); SHBG showed a positive dose-response relationship with AMR(P＜0.001). The AUCs of FT predicting the 5-year,10-year,and 15-year AMR were 0.78(95%CI:0.73-0.82),0.80(95%CI:0.76-0.84),and 0.84(95%CI: 0.80-0.88),respectively,significantly outperforming other indicators. Subgroup analysis revealed that FT was negatively correlated with male AMR,but this association was modulated by age,race,smoking status and diabetes status(P_(interaction)＜0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that different levels of TT and FT(Q1-Q4)were significantly positively correlated with survival rate(P＜0.001),while different levels of SHBG were significantly negatively correlated with survival rate,with patients in the Q4 group having the highest risk of death(P＜0.001). Conclusion Based on US NHANES,studies have shown that the FT and SHBG are independent risk factors for male AMR,and FT demonstrates greater predictive value for male AMR than TT.

Objective To describe the clinical features of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis(PSC)in China based on a nationwide multicenter patient cohort,and to investigate the risk factors for prognosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PSC based on the electronic medical record system of seven grade A tertiary hospitals across the country,and related data were extracted.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate liver transplant-free survival,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rate between PSC patients with different features.The Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for the prognosis of PSC patients and the interactions between key factors.Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled,among whom 55.6%(55/99)had large-duct PSC and 29.0%(31/107)had comorbidity with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The positivity rate of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)was 32.9%(24/73),and 50.0%(40/80)of the patients had an increase in IgG/IgM.The median symptom-to-diagnosis interval was 1 year(<1-4.0),and 38.3%(41/107)of the patients had progressed to decompensated cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis.The median liver transplant-free survival time was 114 months(95%confidence interval[CI]:62-166),with a 5-year survival rate of 65.7%.The multivariate analysis showed that an increase in total bile acid(TBA)(hazard ratio[HR]=1.006,95%CI:1.002-1.010,P=0.001)and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval(HR=1.252,95%CI:1.059-1.480,P=0.009)were independent risk factors for prognosis.The interaction analysis showed that compared with the female patients with TBA<50 μmol/L,both male and female patients with TBA≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(male:HR=16.563,95%CI:2.103-130.449,P<0.001;female:HR=17.009,95%CI:2.113-136.934,P<0.001),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a TBA level of<50 μmol/L,the patients with an age of≥45 years and a TBA level of≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=10.729,95%CI:1.325-86.859,P=0.026).Compared with the female patients with an symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the male patients with a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.825,95%CI:1.725-13.644,P=0.003),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.983,95%CI:1.366-18.173,P=0.015).Conclusion Compared with the reports from Western countries,large-duct PSC is also the main type of PSC in China,but with a relatively low proportion,and there is also a relatively low proportion of patients with IBD or positive ANCA.An increase in TBA and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval are independent risk factors for prognosis,with significant interactions with age and sex.This suggests that early screening and intervention should be enhanced to improve prognosis.

Purpose To investigate interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity in patients with neuropsychological systemic lupus erythematosus(NPSLE)during resting state and its relationship with clinical indicators and neuropsychological scales.Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 35 patients with NPSLE and 31 healthy controls(control group)from Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University(June 2020 to March 2023).All participants underwent resting state functional MRI and completed neuropsychological assessments including mini-mental state examination,Montreal cognitive assessment,hospital anxiety and depression scale,fatigue scale for motor and cognitive functions,along with laboratory tests(C3,C4,IgA,IgM,IgG).Image preprocessing and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC)calculations were performed using DPABI V7.0 on Matlab R2013b.Between-group differences in VMHC values were compared,and correlations between VMHC values in significant regions and neuropsychological/clinical data were analyzed.Results The NPSLE group demonstrated significantly lower mini-mental state examination and Montreal cognitive assessment scores compared with those in control group(t=-6.297,-7.001,both P=0.001).Patients with NPSLE exhibited significantly decreased VMHC values in bilateral parahippocampal gyri,precentral gyri,middle frontal gyri,and medial/paracingulate gyri compared with those in control group(family-wise error corrected,voxel-level P<0.001,cluster-level P<0.05).In the NPSLE group,VMHC values in precentral gyri showed positive correlation with IgA levels(r=0.351,P=0.039),while VMHC values in medial/paracingulate gyri positively correlated with IgA(r=0.345,P=0.043)and negatively with C4(r=-0.368,P=0.030).Conclusion Patients with NPSLE demonstrate abnormal interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity,and the correlation between imaging metrics and clinical data in differential brain regions may facilitate early diagnosis of NPSLE while providing novel insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of cerebral injury.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical predictive value of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in the occurrence of cardiac death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:A retrospective follow-up was performed for 160 patients (109 males, 51 females; age: 68.5(61.0, 74.0) years) who underwent MPI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between June 2017 and March 2024. The 17-segment 5-point method was used for image analysis to obtain the left ventricular myocardial perfusion and functional parameters. The patients were followed up for cardiac death, and divided into death group and survival group. Clinical data of those 2 groups were compare by χ2 test, the independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors related to cardiac death. The ROC curve was used to analyze the performance of predictors. Survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was performed to compare the difference between 2 groups. Results:The follow-up time of 160 patients with CKD was 26.0(10.0, 46.5) months. Of 160 patients, 17 died and 143 survived. There were statistically significant differences in body mass index (BMI), previous myocardial infarction, previous revascularization, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), positive MPI, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS) and summed difference score (SDS) between the death group and the survival group ( χ2 values: 4.58-16.13, t values: -2.34, -3.97, Z values: from -2.81 to 5.02, all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SSS (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.153, 95% CI: 1.062-1.252, P=0.001) and hs-CRP ( HR=1.031, 95% CI: 1.004-1.058, P=0.023) were independent risk factors for cardiac death in patients with CKD. The optimal cut-off value of SSS for predicting cardiac death in those patients was determined to be 8 with the AUC of 0.815, and the incidence of cardiac death in the SSS ≥8 group was significantly higher than that in the SSS<8 group (33.3%(12/36) vs 4.0%(5/124); χ2 = 25.44, P<0.001). Conclusion:MPI is an important imaging method for the evaluation of cardiac death in patients with CKD, SSS and hs-CRP are important risk factors in predicting cardiac death in those patients.

Objective To investigate the post-intervention experiences in elderly stroke patients who received the group-based acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT)and to provide a reference to improve the group-based ACT intervention strategies for the patients.Methods With the descriptive phenomenological research,the semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 elderly stroke patients who had received the group-based ACT intervention for 6 months in a Tier-IIIA hospital in Hunan Province between May and July 2023.The data acquired from the interviews were analysed using the Colaizzi method.Results The experiences in elderly stroke patients with the group-based ACT intervention were categorised into three main themes and ten sub-themes:(1)The impact of intervention on the psychology and spirit(change cognition and accept oneself;enhance awareness and reflect on oneself;clarify values and adapt to oneself;disengage from suffering and achieve dissociation;understand suffering and discover a sense of meaning in life);(2)Behavioural changes brought by the intervention(change approaches to improve health;engage in rehabilitation exercises and build confidence;enhance social interactions and integrate into life);(3)Suggestions for the intervention program(tailor to the physiological characteristics of the elderly;adapt to the psychological characteristics of the elderly).Conclusion The group-based ACT intervention has a beneficial effect on the psychological,spiritual and behavioural changes in the elderly stroke patients.The intervention programs should be improved according to the physical and mental characteristics therefore to improve the mental health of elderly stroke patients.

Objective To describe the clinical features of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis(PSC)in China based on a nationwide multicenter patient cohort,and to investigate the risk factors for prognosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PSC based on the electronic medical record system of seven grade A tertiary hospitals across the country,and related data were extracted.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate liver transplant-free survival,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rate between PSC patients with different features.The Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for the prognosis of PSC patients and the interactions between key factors.Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled,among whom 55.6%(55/99)had large-duct PSC and 29.0%(31/107)had comorbidity with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The positivity rate of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)was 32.9%(24/73),and 50.0%(40/80)of the patients had an increase in IgG/IgM.The median symptom-to-diagnosis interval was 1 year(<1-4.0),and 38.3%(41/107)of the patients had progressed to decompensated cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis.The median liver transplant-free survival time was 114 months(95%confidence interval[CI]:62-166),with a 5-year survival rate of 65.7%.The multivariate analysis showed that an increase in total bile acid(TBA)(hazard ratio[HR]=1.006,95%CI:1.002-1.010,P=0.001)and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval(HR=1.252,95%CI:1.059-1.480,P=0.009)were independent risk factors for prognosis.The interaction analysis showed that compared with the female patients with TBA<50 μmol/L,both male and female patients with TBA≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(male:HR=16.563,95%CI:2.103-130.449,P<0.001;female:HR=17.009,95%CI:2.113-136.934,P<0.001),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a TBA level of<50 μmol/L,the patients with an age of≥45 years and a TBA level of≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=10.729,95%CI:1.325-86.859,P=0.026).Compared with the female patients with an symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the male patients with a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.825,95%CI:1.725-13.644,P=0.003),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.983,95%CI:1.366-18.173,P=0.015).Conclusion Compared with the reports from Western countries,large-duct PSC is also the main type of PSC in China,but with a relatively low proportion,and there is also a relatively low proportion of patients with IBD or positive ANCA.An increase in TBA and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval are independent risk factors for prognosis,with significant interactions with age and sex.This suggests that early screening and intervention should be enhanced to improve prognosis.

Objective To understand the clinical characteristics of patients with Streptococcus anginosus group(SAG)pulmonary abscess and resistance of SAG.Methods 67 patients with pulmonary abscess admitted to a hos-pital from January 2018 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,clinical data of patients with SAG pulmonary abscess were analyzed,and the minimum inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial agents to 18 SAG strains was de-tected by microbroth dilution method,the carriage of resistance genes and virulence genes of SAG were detected by high-throughput sequencing technology.Results Among 67 patients with pulmonary abscess,SAG accounted for 29.9％(20/67),out of which 2 were excluded due to bacterial inactivation,and 18 patients were included for fur-ther studies.18 patients with SAG pulmonary abscess were all community acquired,with an average age of(60.9±9.1)years.There were 13(72.2％)male patients,most patients(94.4％)complicated chronic pulmonary disease,with cough(94.4％)and expectoration(88.9％)as the initial symptoms,some patients(44.4％)had chest pain,and more than half(61.1％)didn't have fever.The proportion of neutrophils,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,and C-reactive protein were mostly elevated,while procalcitonin was normal.The resistance rate of 18 SAG strains to erythromycin,clindamycin,and tetracycline was＞65％,out of which 14 strains carried resistance gene ermB,13 strains carried resistance gene tetM,and 1 strain carried both resistance gene msrD and mefA.18 SAG strains were detected virulence gene psaA,out of which 3 strains were detected virulence gene nan A.Conclusion SAG is an im-portant pathogen that causes pulmonary abscess,and the patients'complications are mainly chronic pulmonary di-seases,with non-specific clinical manifestations;Most strains carry ermB and tetM genes,mediating resistance to macrolides,lincosamides,and tetracyclines.

Objective:To explore the mechanisms of action of Huanglian Jiedu decoction combined with Xijiao Dihuang decoction (HLJDT-XJDH) in regulating fibroblasts in the treatment of psoriasis. Methods:A mouse model of psoriasis was established by topical application of imiquimod 5% cream on the shaved back; HLJDT-XJDH at different doses of 7.7 and 30.6 g/kg was administered via gavage for intervention, and methotrexate (2 mg/kg) served as a positive control; after 7 days, the severity of skin lesions was assessed using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), while histopathological changes of skin tissues were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Baker scoring. For in vitro experiments, fibroblasts were divided into a control group, a model group, a low-dose (5% drug-containing serum) intervention group, and a high-dose (20% drug-containing serum) intervention group; cells in the control group were cultured with 20% normal rat serum for 24 hours; in the model group, cells cultured with 20% normal rat serum were stimulated with 5 ng/ml tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α and 50 ng/ml interleukin (IL) -17A for 24 hours to mimic fibroblasts during the occurrence of psoriasis; cells in the low- and high-dose intervention groups received the same stimulation as the model group, and were cultured for 24 hours with 5% and 20% HLJDT-XJDH-containing serum, respectively, but not with the 20% normal rat serum. After the above treatment, these cells were co-cultured with keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) using a Transwell system. In addition, on the basis of the control group, fibroblasts were divided into the model group, 20% drug-containing serum intervention group, and 20% drug-containing serum intervention + OE-SFRP2 group; TNF-α and IL-17A were used to stimulate the cells to simulate the psoriatic state; the treatment in the 20% drug-containing serum intervention group was carried out as previously described; in the 20% drug-containing serum intervention + OE-SFRP2 group, cells were transfected with the vector for 48 hours to establish an overexpression model, followed by culture with 20% drug-containing serum for 24 hours, without co-culture with HaCaT cells.. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to assess cell viability, flow cytometry to measure apoptosis rates, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) as well as chemokine ligand (CXCL) 1 and CXCL12 in mouse serum or cell culture supernatant, qPCR to determine the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, cell cycle- and proliferation-related factors, as well as SFRP2 in mouse skin tissues or cells, and Western blot analysis to determine the protein expression of SFRP2, Wnt3a, and β-catenin in fibroblasts. One-way analysis of variance was employed for intergroup comparisons, and post-hoc analysis was conducted using Tukey's test. Results:In vivo mouse experiments showed that compared with the normal control group, the model group exhibited typical psoriatic characteristics in skin morphology, including significant inflammatory infiltration in skin tissues and marked epidermal thickening; compared with the normal control group, the serum levels of TNF-α (531.16 ± 28.27 pg/ml vs. 239.58 ± 10.39 pg/ml), IL-1β (111.40 ± 5.16 pg/ml vs. 80.35 ± 3.87 pg/ml), and IL-6 (109.17 ± 4.84 pg/ml vs. 71.73 ± 2.04 pg/ml) significantly increased in the model group, along with their mRNA expression levels in mouse skin tissues (all P < 0.001) ; compared with the model group, the treatment group showed alleviated psoriatic manifestations, and significant reductions in the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α (low-dose, high-dose, and positive control groups: 420.80 ± 29.30 pg/ml, 322.33 ± 9.40 pg/ml, 322.97 ± 12.16 pg/ml, respectively), IL-1β (98.69 ± 4.49 pg/ml, 89.02 ± 1.56 pg/ml, 88.88 ± 2.08 pg/ml, respectively), and IL-6 (94.07 ± 3.76 pg/ml, 80.54 ± 3.30 pg/ml, 83.21 ± 3.18 pg/ml, respectively), as well as in their mRNA expression levels (all P < 0.001). In in vitro fibroblast experiments, compared with the control group, the model group exhibited a significant elevation in the supernatant levels of IL-1β (126.42 ± 3.56 pg/ml vs. 34.81 ± 0.44 pg/ml), IL-6 (459.44 ± 9.35 pg/ml vs. 115.51 ± 7.26 pg/ml), CXCL1 (2 434.88 ± 127.63 pg/ml vs. 762.85 ± 30.60 pg/ml) and CXCL12 (3 542.14 ± 35.86 pg/ml vs. 2 095.86 ± 45.12 pg/ml), the expression levels of their mRNAs (all P < 0.001), as well as the protein expression levels of SFRP2, Wnt3a, and β-catenin; after intervention with HLJDT-XJDH-containing serum, all the above indices significantly decreased (all P < 0.001). However, when 20% drug-containing serum intervention was administered simultaneously, the expression of inflammatory factors and chemokines in fibroblasts was significantly higher in the SFRP2 overexpression group than in the non-overexpression group (all P < 0.01). When fibroblasts were co-cultured with HaCaT cells, the model group showed significantly increased cell viability but a decreased apoptosis rate of HaCaT cells compared with the control group, while the low- and high-dose intervention groups showed significantly decreased cell viability but increased apoptosis rates of HaCaT cells compared with the model group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:HLJDT-XJDH may exert therapeutic effects in psoriasis by downregulating the SFRP2/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting fibroblast activation and inflammatory process, which subsequently suppresses the proliferation of keratinocytes and the activation of inflammatory cells.