ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence rate of primary liver cancer （PLC） and the progression of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients with low-level viremia （LLV） （HBV DNA<2 000 IU/mL but ≥20 IU/mL） after treatment adjustment， and to provide more robust evidence for clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of LLV patients who initially received nucleos（t）ide analogue （NAs） for at least 48 weeks at the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from August 2007 to April 2017 and subsequently underwent NAs adjustment due to LLV， and according to the virologic response after 48 weeks of treatment adjustment， the patients were divided into LLV group and complete virological response （CVR） group （HBV DNA<20 IU/mL）. The patients were followed up once every 3‍ ‍—‍ ‍6 months till the primary endpoint event of PLC or October 2024. The incidence rate of PLC and the progression of liver fibrosis were observed， and the progression of liver fibrosis was defined as an increase of ≥1 grade in fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） index. 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 continuous data with skewed distribution between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of PLC， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups； the Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for PLC， and the Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the progression of liver fibrosis. ResultsA total of 307 patients were enrolled， with a mean age of 50.0 years， and the male patients accounted for 80.5%. After 48 weeks of treatment with the adjusted NAs regimen， 254 patients （82.7%） achieved CVR， and 53 patients （17.3%） still had LLV. For the LLV group， the incidence rate of PLC was 30.2% and the rate of liver fibrosis progression was 22.6%， while for the CVR group， the incidence rate of PLC was only 13.4%， and the rate of liver fibrosis progression was 7.5%. The multivariate regression analyses showed that LLV was an independent risk factor for the onset of PLC （hazard ratio=2.623， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.315‍ ‍—‍ ‍5.234， P=0.006） and the progression of liver fibrosis （odds ratio=3.213， 95%CI： 1.385‍ ‍—‍ ‍7.455， P=0.007）. ConclusionActive adjustment of treatment is needed immediately after the diagnosis of LLV to improve CVR， and if LLV persists after treatment adjustment， it is necessary to enhance the monitoring of liver fibrosis progression and PLC， so as to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the relation between temporal expression changes of proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 ( PRRT2) gene and clinical progression of PRRT2-related paroxysmal disorders (PRPDs). Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed; 19 patients with PRPDs admitted to Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from July 2021 to July 2024 were enrolled; their clinical data, including onset age and disease progression, were collected. Using Bgee database, the PRRT2 gene expressions in different age groups were analyzed to explore their relations with clinical progression. Results:Among the 19 patients, 8 were diagnosed as having infantile convulsion with choreoathetosis (ICCA), 1 patient as having infantile convulsion, and 10 as having paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD). Among patients with ICCA, the disease course was divided into two stages: in infantile period, it manifested as infantile convulsions at the onset, with an onset age of (5.75±1.03) months, ranged 4-7 months; in early childhood, no seizures were noted, enjoying a silent period and lasting for a period ranged 7-15 years; subsequently, the disease relapsed during adolescent, presenting as dyskinesia, with an onset age of (11.75±3.11) years, ranged 8-16 years. Among patients with PKD, onset age was (10.40±3.17) years, ranged 5-17 years. PRRT2 expression peaked before 1 year old, declined to the lowest level at 10 years old, and then gradually increased, reaching a second peak at 17 years old; PRRT2 expression demonstrated bimodal peaks during early childhood and adolescence. Conclusion:PRPDs progression shows a certain consistency with the temporal change of PRRT2 gene expression.

ObjectiveTo investigate the features of liver histopathological damage in patients with indeterminate phase of chronic HBV infection， as well as the timing for initiating antiviral therapy in such patients. MethodsA retrospective screening was performed for the patients with chronic HBV infection who were hospitalized in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital and underwent liver biopsy from March 2018 to April 2022， among whom the patients who met the criteria for indeterminate phase defined in Chinese guidelines for chronic hepatitis B prevention and treatment （2022 edition） were enrolled， and their clinical data were collected. Liver histopathological stage was determined using the Scheuer scoring system， with stages 0 — 4 for inflammation grade （G） and stages 0 — 4 for fibrosis degree （S）， and the patients were divided into groups based on the presence of significant necroinflammation （≥G2） and significant liver fibrosis （≥S2）. 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 two groups. A Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between liver histopathology and clinical factors， and the Logistic regression model was used to identify the independent influencing factors for significant necroinflammation and liver fibrosis. ResultsA total of 271 patients with indeterminate phase of chronic HBV infection were enrolled， among whom 61 （22.5%） had significant necroinflammation （≥G2） and 124 （45.8%） had significant liver fibrosis （≥S2）. The Logistic regression analysis showed that alanine aminotransferase ≥30 U/L （for male patients） or ≥19 U/L （for female patients） （odds ratio ［OR］=2.69， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.39 — 5.21， P=0.003）， HBV DNA ≥2 000 IU/mL （OR=2.75， 95%CI： 1.38 — 5.48， P=0.004）， and liver stiffness measurement （LSM） ≥6.0 kPa （OR=4.57， 95%CI： 2.17 — 9.62， P<0.001） were independent risk factors for significant inflammation. HBV DNA ≥2 000 IU/mL （OR=1.82， 95%CI： 1.01 — 3.32， P=0.049） and LSM ≥6.0 kPa （OR=2.06， 95%CI： 1.23 — 3.43， P=0.006） were independent influencing factors for significant liver fibrosis. ConclusionAmong the patients with indeterminate phase of chronic HBV infection， a substantial proportion of patients have significant liver histopathological damage. Antiviral therapy should be initiated in a timely manner for patients with high-risk factors.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling is the core pathological feature in the onset and pro-gression of pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH).Currently,there is no well-defined therapeutic strategy that can effectively delay or reverse this process.Despite the widespread clinical application of targeted vasodilator drugs,patients still face a high risk of mortality and adverse cardiovascular e-vents,suggesting an urgent need to explore new pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets.In recent years,the relationship between dyslipidemia and PAH has garnered increasing attention.This article aimed to review the role of lipid metabolism disorders in pulmonary vascular remodeling in pul-monary arterial hypertension and its underlying mechanism,with the hope of providing new interven-tion targets for the treatment of PAH,thereby improving patient survival rates and quality of life.

Objective To investigate the incidence and adverse prognosis of late onset sepsis(LOS)in neonates in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU).Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collect and analyze the peri-natal condition,underlying diseases,invasive procedures,and adverse prognosis of neonates in NICU of a regional maternal and child healthcare hospital from 2019 to 2023.According to whether LOS occurred during hospitaliza-tion,neonates were divided into LOS group and non-LOS group.The LOS group was divided into 5 subgroups based on whether invasive procedures were performed:LOS plus umbilical vein catheter(UVC)group,LOS plus peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)group,LOS plus sequential catheter group,LOS plus tracheal intuba-tion group,and LOS plus lumbar puncture group,the relationship between LOS and adverse prognosis was ana-lyzed.Results Among 2 945 neonates in NICU,354(12.02％)developed LOS.Comparison between LOS groups and non-LOS group were as follows:in term of perinatal condition of neonates,there were statistically significant difference in weight,gestational age,and whether they were twins between the two groups(all P＜0.001);in term of underlying diseases,there were statistically significant differences in the number of cases of maternal gestational hypertension,neonatal asphyxia,neonatal congenital heart disease,neonatal ventricular dilation,neonatal pneumo-nia,neonatal hyperthyrotropinemia,and neonatal anemia,as well as five invasive procedures between the two groups(all P＜0.05).Compared with the non-LOS group,the incidences of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP),neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis(NNEC),bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD),and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)in LOS group were all higher(all P＜0.001).Regression analysis showed that compared with the non-LOS groups,the risk of ROP increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus sequential catheter group having a 2.27-fold higher risk of ROP than non-LOS group;the risk of NNEC increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus UVC group having an 8.29-fold higher risk of NNEC than the non-LOS group.Except for the LOS plus UVC group,the risk of BPD increased in the LOS group and other subgroups,with the LOS plus PICC group and LOS plus sequential catheter group having 4.68-and 4.64-fold higher risk of BPD than the non-LOS group,respectively;the risk of NRDS in the LOS plus PICC group was 6.84-fold higher than the non-LOS group(all P＜0.05).The top three pathogens causing LOS were coagulase negative Staphylococcus,Klebsiella pneumoniae,and Escherichia coli.Conclusion LOS can significantly increase the risks of ROP,NNEC,BPD,and NRDS.LOS plus invasive procedures can further increase the risk of adverse prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between the changes of vascular density in deep and shallow layers,retinal hyperreflexia and the therapeutic response of diabetic macular edema(DME).Methods Retrospectively selected DME patients(45 cases and 59 eyes)who visited the Department of Ophthalmology from April 2020 to November 2023 as the experimental group.Compare the change of deep and superficial blood vessel density and retinal hyperreflective points before and after treatment of the patients.The correlation between each index and poor response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment with DME was analyzed using the Pearson test.The value of baseline deep retinal capillary plexus(DCP),central macular retinal thickness(CMT),number of high-reflective foci(HRF)in the retina,and blood flow density(FD300-VD)in diagnosing poor response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME was analyzed using the subject operating characteristic curve(ROC).Results Compared with pre-treatment,patients'superficial retinal capillary plexus(SCP),DCP,FD300-VD,and deep-superficial flow ratio(DSFR)increased and CMT thickness significantly decreased after treatment(P<0.05).Pearson's correlation test showed that the outcome of patients with poor response to anti-VEGF therapy was negatively correlated with baseline SCP-VD,DCP-VD,DSFR,and FD300-VD(r=-0.458,-0.433,-0.604,and-0.452,P<0.05)and positively correlated with CMT(r=0.427,P<0.05).The results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that a rise in SCP,DCP,FD300-VD,and DSFR,and a decrease in CMT were corre-lates affecting the response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME(OR=0.285,0.272,0.291,0.268,2.821,P<0.05).The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the AUCs of baseline DCP,CMT,HRF quantity,and FD300-VD were 0.918,0.934,0.947,and 0.927,respectively,which were of good value in diagnosing poor response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME.Conclusion Morphologic indicators such as changes in the density of deep and superfi-cial blood vessels and retinal hyperreflective spots have good application value in assessing the response to DME treatment and can assist in clinical treatment.

Objective To investigate the incidence and adverse prognosis of late onset sepsis(LOS)in neonates in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU).Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collect and analyze the peri-natal condition,underlying diseases,invasive procedures,and adverse prognosis of neonates in NICU of a regional maternal and child healthcare hospital from 2019 to 2023.According to whether LOS occurred during hospitaliza-tion,neonates were divided into LOS group and non-LOS group.The LOS group was divided into 5 subgroups based on whether invasive procedures were performed:LOS plus umbilical vein catheter(UVC)group,LOS plus peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)group,LOS plus sequential catheter group,LOS plus tracheal intuba-tion group,and LOS plus lumbar puncture group,the relationship between LOS and adverse prognosis was ana-lyzed.Results Among 2 945 neonates in NICU,354(12.02％)developed LOS.Comparison between LOS groups and non-LOS group were as follows:in term of perinatal condition of neonates,there were statistically significant difference in weight,gestational age,and whether they were twins between the two groups(all P＜0.001);in term of underlying diseases,there were statistically significant differences in the number of cases of maternal gestational hypertension,neonatal asphyxia,neonatal congenital heart disease,neonatal ventricular dilation,neonatal pneumo-nia,neonatal hyperthyrotropinemia,and neonatal anemia,as well as five invasive procedures between the two groups(all P＜0.05).Compared with the non-LOS group,the incidences of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP),neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis(NNEC),bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD),and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)in LOS group were all higher(all P＜0.001).Regression analysis showed that compared with the non-LOS groups,the risk of ROP increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus sequential catheter group having a 2.27-fold higher risk of ROP than non-LOS group;the risk of NNEC increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus UVC group having an 8.29-fold higher risk of NNEC than the non-LOS group.Except for the LOS plus UVC group,the risk of BPD increased in the LOS group and other subgroups,with the LOS plus PICC group and LOS plus sequential catheter group having 4.68-and 4.64-fold higher risk of BPD than the non-LOS group,respectively;the risk of NRDS in the LOS plus PICC group was 6.84-fold higher than the non-LOS group(all P＜0.05).The top three pathogens causing LOS were coagulase negative Staphylococcus,Klebsiella pneumoniae,and Escherichia coli.Conclusion LOS can significantly increase the risks of ROP,NNEC,BPD,and NRDS.LOS plus invasive procedures can further increase the risk of adverse prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between the changes of vascular density in deep and shallow layers,retinal hyperreflexia and the therapeutic response of diabetic macular edema(DME).Methods Retrospectively selected DME patients(45 cases and 59 eyes)who visited the Department of Ophthalmology from April 2020 to November 2023 as the experimental group.Compare the change of deep and superficial blood vessel density and retinal hyperreflective points before and after treatment of the patients.The correlation between each index and poor response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment with DME was analyzed using the Pearson test.The value of baseline deep retinal capillary plexus(DCP),central macular retinal thickness(CMT),number of high-reflective foci(HRF)in the retina,and blood flow density(FD300-VD)in diagnosing poor response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME was analyzed using the subject operating characteristic curve(ROC).Results Compared with pre-treatment,patients'superficial retinal capillary plexus(SCP),DCP,FD300-VD,and deep-superficial flow ratio(DSFR)increased and CMT thickness significantly decreased after treatment(P<0.05).Pearson's correlation test showed that the outcome of patients with poor response to anti-VEGF therapy was negatively correlated with baseline SCP-VD,DCP-VD,DSFR,and FD300-VD(r=-0.458,-0.433,-0.604,and-0.452,P<0.05)and positively correlated with CMT(r=0.427,P<0.05).The results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that a rise in SCP,DCP,FD300-VD,and DSFR,and a decrease in CMT were corre-lates affecting the response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME(OR=0.285,0.272,0.291,0.268,2.821,P<0.05).The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the AUCs of baseline DCP,CMT,HRF quantity,and FD300-VD were 0.918,0.934,0.947,and 0.927,respectively,which were of good value in diagnosing poor response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME.Conclusion Morphologic indicators such as changes in the density of deep and superfi-cial blood vessels and retinal hyperreflective spots have good application value in assessing the response to DME treatment and can assist in clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the relation between temporal expression changes of proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 ( PRRT2) gene and clinical progression of PRRT2-related paroxysmal disorders (PRPDs). Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed; 19 patients with PRPDs admitted to Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from July 2021 to July 2024 were enrolled; their clinical data, including onset age and disease progression, were collected. Using Bgee database, the PRRT2 gene expressions in different age groups were analyzed to explore their relations with clinical progression. Results:Among the 19 patients, 8 were diagnosed as having infantile convulsion with choreoathetosis (ICCA), 1 patient as having infantile convulsion, and 10 as having paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD). Among patients with ICCA, the disease course was divided into two stages: in infantile period, it manifested as infantile convulsions at the onset, with an onset age of (5.75±1.03) months, ranged 4-7 months; in early childhood, no seizures were noted, enjoying a silent period and lasting for a period ranged 7-15 years; subsequently, the disease relapsed during adolescent, presenting as dyskinesia, with an onset age of (11.75±3.11) years, ranged 8-16 years. Among patients with PKD, onset age was (10.40±3.17) years, ranged 5-17 years. PRRT2 expression peaked before 1 year old, declined to the lowest level at 10 years old, and then gradually increased, reaching a second peak at 17 years old; PRRT2 expression demonstrated bimodal peaks during early childhood and adolescence. Conclusion:PRPDs progression shows a certain consistency with the temporal change of PRRT2 gene expression.

Objective To investigate the expression of essential meiotic endonuclease 1(EME1)in liver cancer tissue and its effect on the biological behavior of hepatoma cells.Methods The TCGA database was used to identify the differentially expressed genes between liver cancer tissue and paracancerous tissue.Immunohistochemistry and Western Blot were used to measure the expression abundance of EME1 in liver cancer tissue.A lentivirus was constructed by short hairpin RNA,and BEL-7404 cells were transfected with the lentivirus to interfere with the expression of the EME1 gene;the cells were divided into silencing group(shEME1 group)and control group(shCtrl group).Quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of EME1;Celigo Image Cytometer and MTT assay were used to measure cell proliferation rate;flow cytometry was used to observe cell cycle;Caspase 3/7 activity was used to measure cell apoptosis.The independent-samples t-test was used for comparison between two groups.Results TCGA results showed that the mRNA expression level of EME1 in liver cancer tissue was 18.9 times that in paracancerous tissue(t=5.00,P<0.001),and the protein expression level of EME1 in liver cancer tissue was 7.0 times(based on immunohistochemistry:8.4±2.6 vs 1.2±0.4,t=7.55,P<0.001)or 2.5 times(based on Western Blot:249.0%±35.5%vs 100.0%±77.8%,t=3.02,P<0.05)that in paracancerous tissue.After lentivirus infection,compared with the shCtrl group,the shEME1 group had an mRNA expression level of EME1 reduced by 29.9%(29.9%±0.9%vs 100.0%±3.6%,t=32.82,P<0.001),a protein expression level of EME1 reduced by 35.7%(35.7%±14.9%vs 100.0%±28.9%,t=3.42,P<0.05),and a level of cell counting reduced by 45.1%(4 053±167 vs 8 988±477,t=16.91,P<0.001),as well as a level of cell activity reduced to 66.9%(0.518±0.046 vs 0.774±0.022,t=8.74,P<0.001)and a level of colony forming ability reduced to 29.0%(75±6 vs 260±9,t=28.92,P<0.001).Compared with the shCtrl group,the shEME1 group had a significant increase in the proportion of cells in G1 phase(49.9%vs 44.0%,t=8.96,P<0.001)and significant reductions in the proportion of cells in G2/M phase(15.9%vs 17.9%,t=9.13,P<0.001)and S phase(34.2%vs 38.1%,t=6.91,P<0.001),while Caspase 3/7 activity was enhanced by 1.5 times(145.8%±5.9%vs 100.0%±2.3%,t=12.50,P<0.001).Conclusion EME1 is highly expressed in liver cancer tissue,and silencing the EME1 gene can inhibit the proliferation of hepatoma cells and promote cell apoptosis.