Objective:To analyze the liver histological characteristics and clinically related factors in inactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (IHC), and also explore whether antiviral treatment is necessary for IHC, as defined in the 2022 version of the hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines.Methods:A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Two hundred and thirty-one IHC cases who underwent liver biopsy histopathological examination in nine medical institutions, including Beijing Youan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, from January 2018 to December 2023 were included. General informative data, clinical serological markers, and transient elastography (TE) examination results were collected. Patients were divided into a positive (148 cases) and a negative group (83 cases) according to the results of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detection. The differences in liver pathological inflammatory activity (G) and liver fibrosis stage (S) were analyzed between the two groups to explore the correlation between liver tissue conditions and clinically related factors. Comparsions of normally distributed continwous data, skeukd continuous data, and categorical data between groups are performed using t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and χ2 tests, respectively. Results:The age of 231 IHC cases was 43 (38, 51) years old, with 95.2% (220/231) aged ≥30 years, and males accounted for 64.9% (150/231). HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were 131.9 (20.8, 400.9) IU/mL and 94.0 (0, 448.5) IU/mL, respectively, of which 35.9% (83/231) were HBV DNA negative (<20 IU/mL). The remarkable proportions of G≥2, S≥2, and liver injury (G≥2 and/or S≥2) in liver tissue were 16.5% (38/231), 29% (67/231), and 35.9% (83/231), respectively. The S≥2 proportion was significantly higher in the HBV DNA-negative group than the positive group (42.2% vs. 21.6%, P<0.001), and it mainly occurred in the population cohort over 30 years old (44.9% vs. 31.0%, P=0.04). The liver stiffness measurement (LSM), aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and platelet (PLT) were significantly higher in the S≥2 group than the S<2 group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Clinicians can comprehensively evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis in IHC based on clinical factors such as age, PLT, APRI, and LSM, even if the liver histological results are lacking. The China 2022 version guidelines define that nearly half of IHC has histological indications for antiviral therapy, and liver biopsy and prompt treatment can be recommended.

Objective:To analyze the liver histological characteristics and clinically related factors in inactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (IHC), and also explore whether antiviral treatment is necessary for IHC, as defined in the 2022 version of the hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines.Methods:A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Two hundred and thirty-one IHC cases who underwent liver biopsy histopathological examination in nine medical institutions, including Beijing Youan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, from January 2018 to December 2023 were included. General informative data, clinical serological markers, and transient elastography (TE) examination results were collected. Patients were divided into a positive (148 cases) and a negative group (83 cases) according to the results of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detection. The differences in liver pathological inflammatory activity (G) and liver fibrosis stage (S) were analyzed between the two groups to explore the correlation between liver tissue conditions and clinically related factors. Comparsions of normally distributed continwous data, skeukd continuous data, and categorical data between groups are performed using t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and χ2 tests, respectively. Results:The age of 231 IHC cases was 43 (38, 51) years old, with 95.2% (220/231) aged ≥30 years, and males accounted for 64.9% (150/231). HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were 131.9 (20.8, 400.9) IU/mL and 94.0 (0, 448.5) IU/mL, respectively, of which 35.9% (83/231) were HBV DNA negative (<20 IU/mL). The remarkable proportions of G≥2, S≥2, and liver injury (G≥2 and/or S≥2) in liver tissue were 16.5% (38/231), 29% (67/231), and 35.9% (83/231), respectively. The S≥2 proportion was significantly higher in the HBV DNA-negative group than the positive group (42.2% vs. 21.6%, P<0.001), and it mainly occurred in the population cohort over 30 years old (44.9% vs. 31.0%, P=0.04). The liver stiffness measurement (LSM), aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and platelet (PLT) were significantly higher in the S≥2 group than the S<2 group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Clinicians can comprehensively evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis in IHC based on clinical factors such as age, PLT, APRI, and LSM, even if the liver histological results are lacking. The China 2022 version guidelines define that nearly half of IHC has histological indications for antiviral therapy, and liver biopsy and prompt treatment can be recommended.

Objective To observe the effect of febuxostat on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of kidney tubules and the levels of serum IL-6 nad transforming growth factor (TGF) β1 in hyperuricemic rats.Methods Forty male SD rats were divided into 4 groups:normal control group (NC group),oteracil potassium group (OP group),oteracil potassium with febuxostat group (OF group) and oteracil potassium with benzbromarone group (OB group).Each group had 10 rats and balanced in body weights.To induce hyperuricemia,rats were given oteracil potassium by gastric garage once a day for eight weeks.Rats in OF group and OB group were given either febuxostat or benbromarone starting with oteracil potassium,and rats in NC group was given saline only.Blood samples were taken before,and at the end of 4 and 8 weeks of the treatments and serum uric acid,creatinine,blood usea nitrogen (BUN),IL-6 and TGFβ1 contents were measured at each time point.Renal pathological changes were observed via HE and Masson staining,and the expression of α-SMA and E-cadherin were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with those in NC group,the levels of serum uric acid,creatinine,BUN,IL-6 and TGFβ1 in the another three groups were increased significantly (all P ＜ 0.01).However,the IL-6 and TGFβ1 contents in OF group were much lower than those in OP group (P ＜0.01).HE and Masson staining showed that OF group had less damage and tubulointerstitial fibrosis than OP group and OB group (P ＜0.01).Moreover,the expression of α-SMA was significantly down-regulated (P ＜ 0.01) and that of E-cadherin was significantly up-regulated in OF group compared with those in OP group.Conclusion Febuxostat treatment significantly inhibited EMT and reduced the levels of IL-6 and TGFβ1 in hyperuricemia rats.

Objective To explore the effect of nucleos(t)ide analog (NA)antiviral treatment on the pathological differentiation of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)and the prognostic factors of HCC.Methods Totally 127 patients with HBV-related HCC who were hospitalized and received partial hepatectomy in First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from March 2007 to November 2013 were included in this study.Sixteen cases received antiviral treatment before operation and the remaining 111 cases had no history of NA treatment.The differences of histopathological grading were compared between the two groups.Twenty-nine patients received antiviral treatment for the first time after surgery,and the rest 82 patients did not.All these patients were followed up for survival and recurrence.Multivariate analysis was used to explore the prognostic factors for HCC.The categorical variables were analyzed byχ2 test or Fisher exact test.Survival rate was compared with Log-rank test. Univariate or multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to explore the related factors of survival. Results The proportions of well-,moderately- or poorly-differentiated HCC in patients with antiviral treatment before surgery were 18.75 %,68.75 % and 12.5 %,respectively.Whereas the proportions in those without treatment were 16.22%,66.67% and 17.11 %,respectively.There was no significant difference in histopathological grading of HCC between the two groups (χ2=0.224,P =0.885 ).The overall median survival time was 39 months.The 6-month,1-and 2-year survival rates were 91 .7%, 77.5 % and 59.3%,respectively.The 6-month,1- and 2-year survival rate of postoperative antiviral treatment were 96.3%,92.4% and 78.5 %,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of no antiviral treatment group (85 .9%,70.0% and 48.5 %,respectively;χ2= 6.967,P = 0.008 ). Univariate analysis showed that tumor number,size,portal vein transfer,AFP level,postoperative antiviral treatment,histopathological grading,TNM staging,BCLC staging,γ-GT and PTA were prognostic factors for postoperative HCC survival.Multivariate analysis showed that AFP level (HR=1 , 95 %CI :1 .0004—1 .002,P =0.004),postoperative antiviral treatment (HR =0.38,95 %CI :0.38—0.15 ,P =0.04)and BCLC stage (B vs A:HR=1 .55 ,95 %CI :0.76—3.18;C vs A:HR=3.63,95 %CI :1 .31 —10.09,P =0.04)were independent prognostic factors.Conclusions Preoperative antiviral treatment has no impact on the histopathological grading of HCC. BCLC stage, AFP level and postoperative antiviral treatment are independent prognostic factors for HBV-related HCC.