1.Progress on antisense oligonucleotide in the field of antibacterial therapy
Jia LI ; Xiao-lu HAN ; Shi-yu SONG ; Jin-tao LIN ; Zhi-qiang TANG ; Zeng-ming WANG ; Liang XU ; Ai-ping ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):337-347
With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.
2.Therapeutic Study on The Inhibition of Neuroinflammation in Ischemic Stroke by Induced Regulatory T Cells
Tian-Fang KANG ; Ai-Qing MA ; Li-Qi CHEN ; Han GONG ; Jia-Cheng OUYANG ; Fan PAN ; Hong PAN ; Lin-Tao CAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):946-956
ObjectiveNeuroinflammation plays a crucial role in both the onset and progression of ischemic stroke, exerting a significant impact on the recovery of the central nervous system. Excessive neuroinflammation can lead to secondary neuronal damage, further exacerbating brain injury and impairing functional recovery. As a result, effectively modulating and reducing neuroinflammation in the brain has become a key therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes in ischemic stroke patients. Among various approaches, targeting immune regulation to control inflammation has gained increasing attention. This study aims to investigate the role of in vitro induced regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in suppressing neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke, as well as their potential therapeutic effects. By exploring the mechanisms through which Tregs exert their immunomodulatory functions, this research is expected to provide new insights into stroke treatment strategies. MethodsNaive CD4+ T cells were isolated from mouse spleens using a negative selection method to ensure high purity, and then they were induced in vitro to differentiate into Treg cells by adding specific cytokines. The anti-inflammatory effects and therapeutic potential of Treg cells transplantation in a mouse model of ischemic stroke was evaluated. In the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, after Treg cells transplantation, their ability to successfully migrate to the infarcted brain region and their impact on neuroinflammation levels were examined. To further investigate the role of Treg cells in stroke recovery, the changes in cytokine expression and their effects on immune cell interactions was analyzed. Additionally, infarct size and behavioral scores were measured to assess the neuroprotective effects of Treg cells. By integrating multiple indicators, the comprehensive evaluation of potential benefits of Treg cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke was performed. ResultsTreg cells significantly regulated the expression levels of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo, effectively balancing the immune response and suppressing excessive inflammation. Additionally, Treg cells inhibited the activation and activity of inflammatory cells, thereby reducing neuroinflammation. In the MCAO mouse model, Treg cells were observed to accumulate in the infarcted brain region, where they significantly reduced the infarct size, demonstrating their neuroprotective effects. Furthermore, Treg cell therapy notably improved behavioral scores, suggesting its role in promoting functional recovery, and increased the survival rate of ischemic stroke mice, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic strategy for stroke treatment. ConclusionIn vitro induced Treg cells can effectively suppress neuroinflammation caused by ischemic stroke, demonstrating promising clinical application potential. By regulating the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, Treg cells can inhibit immune responses in the nervous system, thereby reducing neuronal damage. Additionally, they can modulate the immune microenvironment, suppress the activation of inflammatory cells, and promote tissue repair. The therapeutic effects of Treg cells also include enhancing post-stroke recovery, improving behavioral outcomes, and increasing the survival rate of ischemic stroke mice. With their ability to suppress neuroinflammation, Treg cell therapy provides a novel and effective strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke, offering broad application prospects in clinical immunotherapy and regenerative medicine.
3.Five-year outcomes of metabolic surgery in Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes.
Yuqian BAO ; Hui LIANG ; Pin ZHANG ; Cunchuan WANG ; Tao JIANG ; Nengwei ZHANG ; Jiangfan ZHU ; Haoyong YU ; Junfeng HAN ; Yinfang TU ; Shibo LIN ; Hongwei ZHANG ; Wah YANG ; Jingge YANG ; Shu CHEN ; Qing FAN ; Yingzhang MA ; Chiye MA ; Jason R WAGGONER ; Allison L TOKARSKI ; Linda LIN ; Natalie C EDWARDS ; Tengfei YANG ; Rongrong ZHANG ; Weiping JIA
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):493-495
4.Scientific connotation of "blood stasis toxin" in hypoxic microenvironment: its "soil" function in tumor progression and micro-level treatment approaches.
Wei FAN ; Yuan-Lin LYU ; Xiao-Chen NI ; Kai-Yuan ZHANG ; Chu-Hang WANG ; Jia-Ning GUO ; Guang-Ji ZHANG ; Jian-Bo HUANG ; Tao JIANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3483-3488
The tumor microenvironment is a crucial factor in tumor occurrence and progression. The hypoxic microenvironment is widely present in tumor tissue and is a key endogenous factor accelerating tumor deterioration. The "blood stasis toxin" theory, as an emerging perspective in tumor research, is regarded as the unique "soil" in tumor progression from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) due to its dynamic evolution mechanism, which closely resembles the formation of the hypoxic microenvironment. Scientifically integrating TCM theories with the biological characteristics of tumors and exploring precise syndrome differentiation and treatment strategies are key to achieving comprehensive tumor prevention and control. This article focused on the hypoxic microenvironment of the tumor, elucidating its formation mechanisms and evolutionary processes and carefully analyzing the internal relationship between the "blood stasis toxin" theory and the hypoxic microenvironment. Additionally, it explored the interaction among blood stasis, toxic pathogens, and hypoxic environment and proposed micro-level prevention and treatment strategies targeting the hypoxic microenvironment based on the "blood stasis toxin" theory, aiming to provide TCM-based theoretical support and therapeutic approaches for precise regulation of the hypoxic microenvironment.
Humans
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Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects*
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Neoplasms/therapy*
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Animals
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Disease Progression
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal
5.Safety, dosimetry, and efficacy of an optimized long-acting somatostatin analog for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in metastatic neuroendocrine tumors: From preclinical testing to first-in-human study.
Wei GUO ; Xuejun WEN ; Yuhang CHEN ; Tianzhi ZHAO ; Jia LIU ; Yucen TAO ; Hao FU ; Hongjian WANG ; Weizhi XU ; Yizhen PANG ; Liang ZHAO ; Jingxiong HUANG ; Pengfei XU ; Zhide GUO ; Weibing MIAO ; Jingjing ZHANG ; Xiaoyuan CHEN ; Haojun CHEN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):707-721
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabeled SSTR2 agonists is a treatment option that is highly effective in controlling metastatic and progressive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Previous studies have shown that an SSTR2 agonist combined with albumin binding moiety Evans blue (denoted as 177Lu-EB-TATE) is characterized by a higher tumor uptake and residence time in preclinical models and in patients with metastatic NETs. This study aimed to enhance the in vivo stability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of 177Lu-EB-TATE by replacing the maleimide-thiol group with a polyethylene glycol chain, resulting in a novel EB conjugated SSTR2-targeting radiopharmaceutical, 177Lu-LNC1010, for PRRT. In preclinical studies, 177Lu-LNC1010 exhibited good stability and SSTR2-binding affinity in AR42J tumor cells and enhanced uptake and prolonged retention in AR42J tumor xenografts. Thereafter, we presented the first-in-human dose escalation study of 177Lu-LNC1010 in patients with advanced/metastatic NETs. 177Lu-LNC1010 was well-tolerated by all patients, with minor adverse effects, and exhibited significant uptake and prolonged retention in tumor lesions, with higher tumor radiation doses than those of 177Lu-EB-TATE. Preliminary PRRT efficacy results showed an 83% disease control rate and a 42% overall response rate after two 177Lu-LNC1010 treatment cycles. These encouraging findings warrant further investigations through multicenter, prospective, and randomized controlled trials.
6.Analysis of Tongue and Face Image Features of Anemic Women and Construction of Risk-Screening Model.
Hong Yuan FU ; Yi CHUN ; Ya Han ZHANG ; Yu WANG ; Yu Lin SHI ; Tao JIANG ; Xiao Juan HU ; Li Ping TU ; Yong Zhi LI ; Jia Tuo XU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(8):935-951
OBJECTIVE:
To identify the key features of facial and tongue images associated with anemia in female populations, establish anemia risk-screening models, and evaluate their performance.
METHODS:
A total of 533 female participants (anemic and healthy) were recruited from Shuguang Hospital. Facial and tongue images were collected using the TFDA-1 tongue and face diagnosis instrument. Color and texture features from various parts of facial and tongue images were extracted using Face Diagnosis Analysis System (FDAS) and Tongue Diagnosis Analysis System version 2.0 (TDAS v2.0). Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used for feature selection. Ten machine learning models and one deep learning model (ResNet50V2 + Conv1D) were developed and evaluated.
RESULTS:
Anemic women showed lower a-values, higher L- and b-values across all age groups. Texture features analysis showed that women aged 30-39 with anemia had higher angular second moment (ASM)and lower entropy (ENT) values in facial images, while those aged 40-49 had lower contrast (CON), ENT, and MEAN values in tongue images but higher ASM. Anemic women exhibited age-related trends similar to healthy women, with decreasing L-values and increasing a-, b-, and ASM-values. LASSO identified 19 key features from 62. Among classifiers, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model achieved the best performance [area under the curve (AUC): 0.849, accuracy: 0.781]. The ResNet50V2 model achieved comparable results [AUC: 0.846, accuracy: 0.818].
CONCLUSION
Differences in facial and tongue images suggest that color and texture features can serve as potential TCM phenotype and auxiliary diagnostic indicators for female anemia.
Humans
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Female
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Tongue/diagnostic imaging*
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Adult
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Anemia/diagnosis*
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Middle Aged
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Face/diagnostic imaging*
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Young Adult
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Machine Learning
7.Postmortem Diffusion of Aconitum Alkaloids and Their Metabolites in Rabbits
Jia-Hao LIANG ; Ming CHENG ; Xiao-Jun LU ; Yan-Hua SHI ; Yun SUN ; Qing-Lin GUAN ; Tao WANG ; Meng HU ; Ke-Ming YUN ; Hai-Yan CUI
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(2):186-191
Objective To explore the postmortem diffusion rule of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabo-lites in poisoned rabbits,and to provide a reference for identifying the antemortem poisoning or post-mortem poisoning of Aconitum alkaloids.Methods Twenty-four rabbits were sacrificed by tracheal clamps.After 1 hour,the rabbits were administered with aconitine LD50 in decocting aconite root powder by intragastric administration.Then,they were placed supine and stored at 25℃.The biological samples from 3 randomly selected rabbits were collected including heart blood,peripheral blood,urine,heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney tissues at 0 h,4 h,8 h,12 h,24 h,48 h,72 h and 96 h after intragastric administration,respectively.Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in the biological samples were ana-lyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS).Results At 4 h after intragastric administration,Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites could be detected in heart blood,peripheral blood and major organs,and the contents of them changed dynamically with the preservation time.The contents of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites were higher in the spleen,liver and lung,especially in the spleen which was closer to the stomach.The average mass fraction of benzoylmesaconine metabolized in rabbit spleen was the highest at 48 h after intragastric administration.In contrast,the contents of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in kidney were all lower.Aconi-tum alkaloids and their metabolites were not detected in urine.Conclusion Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites have postmortem diffusion in poisoned rabbits,diffusing from high-content organs(stomach)to other major organs and tissues as well as the heart blood.The main mechanism is the dispersion along the concentration gradient,while urine is not affected by postmortem diffusion,which can be used as the basis for the identification of antemortem and postmortem Aconitum alkaloids poisoning.
8.Exploration on the Medication Rules of HUANG Li in Treating Recurrent Angina Pectoris After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Coronary Heart Disease
Shi-Yi TAO ; Xian-Wen TANG ; Lin-Tong YU ; De-Shuang YANG ; Rui-Qi YAO ; Lan-Xin ZHANG ; Jia-Yun WU ; Li HUANG
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(6):1598-1606
Objective To explore the medication rules of Professor HUANG Li for the treatment of recurrent angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)for coronary heart disease by data mining method.Methods The prescriptions for effective cases of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI for coronary heart disease treated by Professor HUANG Li in the outpatient department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were collected.SPSS Statistics 26.0 software and SPSS Modeler 18.0 software were used for frequency statistics,analysis of the therapeutic actions,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the prescribed herbs as well as association rule analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis of the herbs.Results A total of 344 Chinese medicine prescriptions were obtained,involving 209 herbs,with a cumulative frequency of 5 874 times.The top 30 Chinese medicinals were named as the high-frequency Chinese medicines,and the herbs with the frequency over 100 times in descending order were Astragali Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Puerariae Lobatae Radix,Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma,Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Poria,Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Curcumae Rhizoma,Sparganii Rhizoma,Dioscoreae Rhizoma,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Codonopsis Radix,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.The high-frequency Chinese medicinals were mostly classified as blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs and qi-replenishing drugs.The medicinal properties of the drugs were characterized by being warm,mild,or cold,the flavors were predominated by being sweet,pungent or bitter,and the medicinals usually had the meridian tropism of the spleen,lung and liver meridians.A total of 30 association rules were mined out,cluster analysis yielded 5 herbal groups,and factor analysis yielded 11 groups of common factors.Conclusion For the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,Professor HUANG Li follows the theory of qi,blood and water,and especially pays more attention to the ascending and descending of qi movement.For qi deficiency and blood stasis contribute to the basic pathogenesis of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI,the therapy of benefiting qi,activating blood and removing stasis is recommended.Moreover,the simultaneous regulation of five zang-organs and simultaneous use of the cold and warm herbs are performed,and the herbs of benefiting qi and invigorating spleen,resolving phlegm and inducing diuresis,tranquilizing mind,promoting qi and dissipating masses,and activating blood to eliminate stasis are used for adjuvant therapy.
9.Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients (version 2024)
Yao LU ; Yang LI ; Leiying ZHANG ; Hao TANG ; Huidan JING ; Yaoli WANG ; Xiangzhi JIA ; Li BA ; Maohong BIAN ; Dan CAI ; Hui CAI ; Xiaohong CAI ; Zhanshan ZHA ; Bingyu CHEN ; Daqing CHEN ; Feng CHEN ; Guoan CHEN ; Haiming CHEN ; Jing CHEN ; Min CHEN ; Qing CHEN ; Shu CHEN ; Xi CHEN ; Jinfeng CHENG ; Xiaoling CHU ; Hongwang CUI ; Xin CUI ; Zhen DA ; Ying DAI ; Surong DENG ; Weiqun DONG ; Weimin FAN ; Ke FENG ; Danhui FU ; Yongshui FU ; Qi FU ; Xuemei FU ; Jia GAN ; Xinyu GAN ; Wei GAO ; Huaizheng GONG ; Rong GUI ; Geng GUO ; Ning HAN ; Yiwen HAO ; Wubing HE ; Qiang HONG ; Ruiqin HOU ; Wei HOU ; Jie HU ; Peiyang HU ; Xi HU ; Xiaoyu HU ; Guangbin HUANG ; Jie HUANG ; Xiangyan HUANG ; Yuanshuai HUANG ; Shouyong HUN ; Xuebing JIANG ; Ping JIN ; Dong LAI ; Aiping LE ; Hongmei LI ; Bijuan LI ; Cuiying LI ; Daihong LI ; Haihong LI ; He LI ; Hui LI ; Jianping LI ; Ning LI ; Xiying LI ; Xiangmin LI ; Xiaofei LI ; Xiaojuan LI ; Zhiqiang LI ; Zhongjun LI ; Zunyan LI ; Huaqin LIANG ; Xiaohua LIANG ; Dongfa LIAO ; Qun LIAO ; Yan LIAO ; Jiajin LIN ; Chunxia LIU ; Fenghua LIU ; Peixian LIU ; Tiemei LIU ; Xiaoxin LIU ; Zhiwei LIU ; Zhongdi LIU ; Hua LU ; Jianfeng LUAN ; Jianjun LUO ; Qun LUO ; Dingfeng LYU ; Qi LYU ; Xianping LYU ; Aijun MA ; Liqiang MA ; Shuxuan MA ; Xainjun MA ; Xiaogang MA ; Xiaoli MA ; Guoqing MAO ; Shijie MU ; Shaolin NIE ; Shujuan OUYANG ; Xilin OUYANG ; Chunqiu PAN ; Jian PAN ; Xiaohua PAN ; Lei PENG ; Tao PENG ; Baohua QIAN ; Shu QIAO ; Li QIN ; Ying REN ; Zhaoqi REN ; Ruiming RONG ; Changshan SU ; Mingwei SUN ; Wenwu SUN ; Zhenwei SUN ; Haiping TANG ; Xiaofeng TANG ; Changjiu TANG ; Cuihua TAO ; Zhibin TIAN ; Juan WANG ; Baoyan WANG ; Chunyan WANG ; Gefei WANG ; Haiyan WANG ; Hongjie WANG ; Peng WANG ; Pengli WANG ; Qiushi WANG ; Xiaoning WANG ; Xinhua WANG ; Xuefeng WANG ; Yong WANG ; Yongjun WANG ; Yuanjie WANG ; Zhihua WANG ; Shaojun WEI ; Yaming WEI ; Jianbo WEN ; Jun WEN ; Jiang WU ; Jufeng WU ; Aijun XIA ; Fei XIA ; Rong XIA ; Jue XIE ; Yanchao XING ; Yan XIONG ; Feng XU ; Yongzhu XU ; Yongan XU ; Yonghe YAN ; Beizhan YAN ; Jiang YANG ; Jiangcun YANG ; Jun YANG ; Xinwen YANG ; Yongyi YANG ; Chunyan YAO ; Mingliang YE ; Changlin YIN ; Ming YIN ; Wen YIN ; Lianling YU ; Shuhong YU ; Zebo YU ; Yigang YU ; Anyong YU ; Hong YUAN ; Yi YUAN ; Chan ZHANG ; Jinjun ZHANG ; Jun ZHANG ; Kai ZHANG ; Leibing ZHANG ; Quan ZHANG ; Rongjiang ZHANG ; Sanming ZHANG ; Shengji ZHANG ; Shuo ZHANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Weidong ZHANG ; Xi ZHANG ; Xingwen ZHANG ; Guixi ZHANG ; Xiaojun ZHANG ; Guoqing ZHAO ; Jianpeng ZHAO ; Shuming ZHAO ; Beibei ZHENG ; Shangen ZHENG ; Huayou ZHOU ; Jicheng ZHOU ; Lihong ZHOU ; Mou ZHOU ; Xiaoyu ZHOU ; Xuelian ZHOU ; Yuan ZHOU ; Zheng ZHOU ; Zuhuang ZHOU ; Haiyan ZHU ; Peiyuan ZHU ; Changju ZHU ; Lili ZHU ; Zhengguo WANG ; Jianxin JIANG ; Deqing WANG ; Jiongcai LAN ; Quanli WANG ; Yang YU ; Lianyang ZHANG ; Aiqing WEN
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2024;40(10):865-881
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.
10.Artificial intelligence predicts direct-acting antivirals failure among hepatitis C virus patients: A nationwide hepatitis C virus registry program
Ming-Ying LU ; Chung-Feng HUANG ; Chao-Hung HUNG ; Chi‐Ming TAI ; Lein-Ray MO ; Hsing-Tao KUO ; Kuo-Chih TSENG ; Ching-Chu LO ; Ming-Jong BAIR ; Szu-Jen WANG ; Jee-Fu HUANG ; Ming-Lun YEH ; Chun-Ting CHEN ; Ming-Chang TSAI ; Chien-Wei HUANG ; Pei-Lun LEE ; Tzeng-Hue YANG ; Yi-Hsiang HUANG ; Lee-Won CHONG ; Chien-Lin CHEN ; Chi-Chieh YANG ; Sheng‐Shun YANG ; Pin-Nan CHENG ; Tsai-Yuan HSIEH ; Jui-Ting HU ; Wen-Chih WU ; Chien-Yu CHENG ; Guei-Ying CHEN ; Guo-Xiong ZHOU ; Wei-Lun TSAI ; Chien-Neng KAO ; Chih-Lang LIN ; Chia-Chi WANG ; Ta-Ya LIN ; Chih‐Lin LIN ; Wei-Wen SU ; Tzong-Hsi LEE ; Te-Sheng CHANG ; Chun-Jen LIU ; Chia-Yen DAI ; Jia-Horng KAO ; Han-Chieh LIN ; Wan-Long CHUANG ; Cheng-Yuan PENG ; Chun-Wei- TSAI ; Chi-Yi CHEN ; Ming-Lung YU ;
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2024;30(1):64-79
Background/Aims:
Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1–3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy.
Methods:
We analyzed the Taiwan HCV Registry Program database to explore predictors of DAA failure in HCV patients. Fifty-five host and virological features were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and artificial neural network. The primary outcome was undetectable HCV RNA at 12 weeks after the end of treatment.
Results:
The training (n=23,955) and validation (n=10,346) datasets had similar baseline demographics, with an overall DAA failure rate of 1.6% (n=538). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, poor DAA adherence, and higher hemoglobin A1c were significantly associated with virological failure. XGBoost outperformed the other algorithms and logistic regression models, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.000 in the training dataset and 0.803 in the validation dataset. The top five predictors of treatment failure were HCV RNA, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, platelets, and FIB-4 index. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the XGBoost model (cutoff value=0.5) were 99.5%, 69.7%, 99.9%, 97.4%, and 99.5%, respectively, for the entire dataset.
Conclusions
Machine learning algorithms effectively provide risk stratification for DAA failure and additional information on the factors associated with DAA failure.

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