Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is a chronic liver disease closely related to metabolic dysfunction. Its global prevalence is increasing year by year and shows a trend toward younger onset. It is closely associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases， chronic kidney disease， and extrahepatic malignant tumors， and has become a major public health problem affecting the health of the Chinese population. At present， the treatment of MAFLD mainly focuses on lifestyle intervention. When metabolic cardiovascular risk factors and liver injury are present， pharmacological intervention is required. However， there is still no specific drug therapy for MAFLD. In recent years， many studies have found that the pathogenesis of MAFLD involves interactions among multiple factors， including insulin resistance， oxidative stress， endoplasmic reticulum stress， programmed cell death， immune dysregulation， inflammasomes， gut microbiota imbalance， and bile acid metabolism. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has advantages in integrated regulation with multiple components and multiple targets， and shows significant efficacy in the treatment of MAFLD. Active components of Chinese medicinal herbs and Chinese medicine compound formulas exert definite therapeutic effects by regulating multiple signaling pathways to improve lipid metabolism disorders， inhibit inflammatory responses， and regulate the gut microbiota， thereby effectively improving clinical symptoms and delaying the occurrence and development of MAFLD. Therefore， strengthening research on the mechanisms of action of TCM in MAFLD is of crucial importance and significance for its treatment. This article summarizes the mechanisms by which Chinese medicine monomers and compound formulas intervene in MAFLD through the regulation of related signaling pathways， based on the retrieval and analysis of relevant literature from multiple databases， with the aim of providing theoretical support and a reference basis for the clinical application of TCM in the treatment of MAFLD.

Objective:To investigate the value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA) and pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) in predicting mortality of pediatric sepsis in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) from Southwest China.Methods:This was a prospective multicenter observational study. A total of 447 children with sepsis admitted to 12 PICU in Southwest China from April 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Based on the prognosis, the patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group. The physiological parameters of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS were recorded and scored within 24 h after PICU admission. The general clinical data and some laboratory results were recorded. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the predictive value of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS in mortality of pediatric sepsis.Results:Amongst 447 children with sepsis, 260 patients were male and 187 patients were female, aged 2.5 (0.8, 7.0) years, 405 patients were in the survival group and 42 patients were in the non-survival group. 418 patients (93.5%) met the criteria of SIRS, and 440 patients (98.4%) met the criteria of pSOFA≥2. There was no significant difference in the number of items meeting the SIRS criteria between the survival group and the non-survival group (3(2, 4) vs. 3(3, 4) points, Z=1.30, P=0.192). The pSOFA score of the non-survival group was significantly higher than that of the survival group (9(6, 12) vs. 4(3, 7) points, Z=6.56, P<0.001), and the PCIS score was significantly lower than that of the survival group (72(68, 81) vs. 82(76, 88) points, Z=5.90, P<0.001). The predictive value of pSOFA (AUC=0.82) and PCIS (AUC=0.78) for sepsis mortality was significantly higher than that of SIRS (AUC=0.56) ( Z=6.59, 4.23, both P<0.001). There was no significant difference between pSOFA and PCIS ( Z=1.35, P=0.176). Platelet count, procalcitonin, lactic acid, albumin, creatinine, total bilirubin, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were all able to predict mortality of sepsis to a certain degree (AUC=0.64, 0.68, 0.80, 0.64, 0.68, 0.60, 0.77, 0.75, 0.76, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with SIRS, both pSOFA and PCIS had better predictive value in the mortality of pediatric sepsis in PICU.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-related Fanconi syndrome (FS) in patients with HIV infection/AIDS (HIV/AIDS).Methods:The medical records of patients with HIV/AIDS who were hospitalized in Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Infectious Diseases from December 2017 to February 2021, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) containing TDF, and diagnosed as FS were collected by searching hospital information system. Information such as gender, age, body weight, body mass index (BMI), ART treatment regimen and period, time of FS diagnosis, main clinical characteristics, results of laboratory test at admission and discharge, dual energy X-ray bone mineral density (BMD) test results, and interventions and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 16 HIV/AIDS patients were diagnosed with TDF-related FS in the setting period, including 6 patients with complete FS and 10 with incomplete FS. FS were accompanied with chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, liver cancer, or depression in 7 patients. Sixteen patients received ART containing TDF for a minimum of 20 months and a maximum of 168 months with an average time of 68 months. The initial symptoms of FS were bone pain, fatigue, nausea, anorexia, polydipsia, polyuria, weight loss, etc. The time from initial symptoms to diagnosis of FS was 2 weeks at least, 24 weeks at most, with an average time of 7 weeks. Laboratory test results were as follows: all 16 patients had positive urine glucose under normoglycemic conditions and 14 patients had positive urine protein; 11, 11, 4, and 4 patients had low urine phosphorus, hypocalciuria, hypokalemia, and hyponatruria, respectively; 13, 12, 8, and 7 patients had hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and hyponatremia, respectively; 11 patients had serum creatinine increase; 10 patients had serum uric acid decrease; 1 patient had serum uric acid increase. Dual energy X-ray BMD detection was performed in 15 patients, of which 2, 2, and 11 patients had normal, reduced, and osteoporotic BMD, respectively. After diagnosis of TDF-related FS, 16 patients stopped using TDF immediately. After replacement of ART protocol without TDF and symptomatic treatment for an average time of 29 days, the above symptoms were alleviated, and some laboratory test indicators returned to the reference value range. The prognosis was good.Conclusions:TDF-related FS mostly occurs within 68 months of drug use. The clinical symptoms of FS are nonspecific. Laboratory tests show that urine glucose is positive under normal blood glucose. Most of the patients have low blood phosphorus, low urine phosphorus, hypocalciuria, and osteoporosis. The prognosis is better after discontinuing TDF, replacing therapy with ART regimen without TDF, and giving symptomatic treatments.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-related Fanconi syndrome (FS) in patients with HIV infection/AIDS (HIV/AIDS).Methods:The medical records of patients with HIV/AIDS who were hospitalized in Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Infectious Diseases from December 2017 to February 2021, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) containing TDF, and diagnosed as FS were collected by searching hospital information system. Information such as gender, age, body weight, body mass index (BMI), ART treatment regimen and period, time of FS diagnosis, main clinical characteristics, results of laboratory test at admission and discharge, dual energy X-ray bone mineral density (BMD) test results, and interventions and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 16 HIV/AIDS patients were diagnosed with TDF-related FS in the setting period, including 6 patients with complete FS and 10 with incomplete FS. FS were accompanied with chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, liver cancer, or depression in 7 patients. Sixteen patients received ART containing TDF for a minimum of 20 months and a maximum of 168 months with an average time of 68 months. The initial symptoms of FS were bone pain, fatigue, nausea, anorexia, polydipsia, polyuria, weight loss, etc. The time from initial symptoms to diagnosis of FS was 2 weeks at least, 24 weeks at most, with an average time of 7 weeks. Laboratory test results were as follows: all 16 patients had positive urine glucose under normoglycemic conditions and 14 patients had positive urine protein; 11, 11, 4, and 4 patients had low urine phosphorus, hypocalciuria, hypokalemia, and hyponatruria, respectively; 13, 12, 8, and 7 patients had hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and hyponatremia, respectively; 11 patients had serum creatinine increase; 10 patients had serum uric acid decrease; 1 patient had serum uric acid increase. Dual energy X-ray BMD detection was performed in 15 patients, of which 2, 2, and 11 patients had normal, reduced, and osteoporotic BMD, respectively. After diagnosis of TDF-related FS, 16 patients stopped using TDF immediately. After replacement of ART protocol without TDF and symptomatic treatment for an average time of 29 days, the above symptoms were alleviated, and some laboratory test indicators returned to the reference value range. The prognosis was good.Conclusions:TDF-related FS mostly occurs within 68 months of drug use. The clinical symptoms of FS are nonspecific. Laboratory tests show that urine glucose is positive under normal blood glucose. Most of the patients have low blood phosphorus, low urine phosphorus, hypocalciuria, and osteoporosis. The prognosis is better after discontinuing TDF, replacing therapy with ART regimen without TDF, and giving symptomatic treatments.

Objective:To explore the value of MRI features in predicting the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors and to develop a predicting model.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 30 cases of rectal neuroendocrine tumors confirmed by surgery and pathology between 2013 and 2019. All of them underwent plain rectal MRI, DWI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. The clinical features and MRI characteristics (ie. tumor location, maximum tumor diameter, boundary, growth pattern, enhancement of three-staged lesions, and the lymph node metastasis) were analyzed by statistical methods to evaluate the difference between different tumor pathologic grades (G1, G2 and G3). Characteristics with statistical significance were analyzed by collinearity diagnostics, and stepwise regression method was used to select independent predictors. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was then conducted to develop the predicting model.Results:Maximum tumor diameter, tumor boundary, growth pattern, mr-T, mr-N, EMVI, MRF, T2WI signal intensity, tumor enhancement degree in venous phase and distant metastasis were closely correlated with the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors ( P<0.001, 0.001, 0.001, <0.001, 0.001, 0.004, 0.024, 0.015, 0.001, and <0.001, respectively). The mr-T and tumor enhancement degree in venous phase were identified as the independent predictors to construct the prediction model. The model got ideal performance in predicting the grades, with the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) of 0.945, 0.624 and 0.896, the sensitivities were 75.0%, 85.7%, and 90.9% and corresponding specificities were 88.9%, 52.6% and 93.3% for G1, G2 and G3 rectal neuroendocrine tumors, respectively. Conclusion:The model based on mr-T and tumor enhancement degree in venous phase can serve as a clinical tool for predicting the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors.

Objective:To explore the value of MRI features in predicting the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors and to develop a predicting model.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 30 cases of rectal neuroendocrine tumors confirmed by surgery and pathology between 2013 and 2019. All of them underwent plain rectal MRI, DWI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. The clinical features and MRI characteristics (ie. tumor location, maximum tumor diameter, boundary, growth pattern, enhancement of three-staged lesions, and the lymph node metastasis) were analyzed by statistical methods to evaluate the difference between different tumor pathologic grades (G1, G2 and G3). Characteristics with statistical significance were analyzed by collinearity diagnostics, and stepwise regression method was used to select independent predictors. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was then conducted to develop the predicting model.Results:Maximum tumor diameter, tumor boundary, growth pattern, mr-T, mr-N, EMVI, MRF, T2WI signal intensity, tumor enhancement degree in venous phase and distant metastasis were closely correlated with the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors ( P<0.001, 0.001, 0.001, <0.001, 0.001, 0.004, 0.024, 0.015, 0.001, and <0.001, respectively). The mr-T and tumor enhancement degree in venous phase were identified as the independent predictors to construct the prediction model. The model got ideal performance in predicting the grades, with the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) of 0.945, 0.624 and 0.896, the sensitivities were 75.0%, 85.7%, and 90.9% and corresponding specificities were 88.9%, 52.6% and 93.3% for G1, G2 and G3 rectal neuroendocrine tumors, respectively. Conclusion:The model based on mr-T and tumor enhancement degree in venous phase can serve as a clinical tool for predicting the pathological grade of rectal neuroendocrine tumors.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic accuracy improved by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers for lymph node metastasis in T1-2 stage rectal cancer before treatment.Methods:Medical records of 327 patients with T1-2 rectal cancer who underwent pretreatment MRI and rectal tumor resection between January 2015 and November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-seven cases were divided into the lymph node metastasis group (N+ group) while other 270 cases in the non-lymph node metastasis group (N-group) according to the pathologic diagnosis. Two radiologist evaluated the tumor characteristics of MRI images. The relationship of the clinical and imaging characteristics of lymph node metastasis was assessed by using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic abilities for the differentiation of N- from N+ tumors.Results:Among the 327 patients, MR-N evaluation was positive in 67 cases, which was statistically different from the pathological diagnosis ( P<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI for lymph node metastasis were 45.6%, 84.8% and 78.0%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor morphology ( P=0.002), including mucus or not ( P<0.001), and MR-N evaluation ( P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for stage T1-2 rectal cancer with lymph node metastasis. The area under the ROC curve of rectal cancer with lymph node metastasis analyzed by the logistic regression model was 0.786 (95% CI: 0.720~0.852). Conclusions:Tumor morphology, including mucus or not, and MR-N evaluation can serve as independent biomarkers for differentiation of N- and N+ tumors. The model combined with these biomarkers facilitates to improve the diagnostic accuracy of lymph node metastasis in T1-2 rectal cancers by using MRI.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic accuracy improved by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers for lymph node metastasis in T1-2 stage rectal cancer before treatment.Methods:Medical records of 327 patients with T1-2 rectal cancer who underwent pretreatment MRI and rectal tumor resection between January 2015 and November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-seven cases were divided into the lymph node metastasis group (N+ group) while other 270 cases in the non-lymph node metastasis group (N-group) according to the pathologic diagnosis. Two radiologist evaluated the tumor characteristics of MRI images. The relationship of the clinical and imaging characteristics of lymph node metastasis was assessed by using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic abilities for the differentiation of N- from N+ tumors.Results:Among the 327 patients, MR-N evaluation was positive in 67 cases, which was statistically different from the pathological diagnosis ( P<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI for lymph node metastasis were 45.6%, 84.8% and 78.0%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor morphology ( P=0.002), including mucus or not ( P<0.001), and MR-N evaluation ( P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for stage T1-2 rectal cancer with lymph node metastasis. The area under the ROC curve of rectal cancer with lymph node metastasis analyzed by the logistic regression model was 0.786 (95% CI: 0.720~0.852). Conclusions:Tumor morphology, including mucus or not, and MR-N evaluation can serve as independent biomarkers for differentiation of N- and N+ tumors. The model combined with these biomarkers facilitates to improve the diagnostic accuracy of lymph node metastasis in T1-2 rectal cancers by using MRI.

Objective:To analysis the clinical and follow-up data of the early colorectal carcinoma (ECC) after endoscopic resection, and explore the long-term outcome of patients who underwent the endoscopic resection.Methods:During June 2008 to June 2016, data of endoscopic resection for 550 cases of ECC were collected, including general information and follow-up data. The influence factors of disease-free survival rate of ECC after endoscopic resection were analyzed and the risk factors on long-term outcomes such as submucosa invasion depth, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, vascular invasion and positive vertical margin were investigated.Results:The mean follow-up time of 550 patients treated with endoscopy was (60.7±36.8) months. Among them, 433 cases were high-level intra-mucosal neoplasia, 117 cases were submucosa invasion carcinoma (the invasion depth <1 000 μm were 33 cases, ≥1 000 μm were 84 cases), 461 cases were curative resection, while 89 cases were non-curative resection. During the follow-up, 6 patients occurred recurrence or metastasis, including 2 patients with local recurrence (1 patient accompanied by lymph node metastasis) and 4 patients with lymph node metastasis (2 patients accompanied by distant metastasis). The overall 5-years disease-free survival rate was 98.8%, the 5-years disease-free survival rate was 100.0% for patients with curative resection and 93.3% for patients with non-curative resection. A total of 89 cases underwent non-curative resection were accompanied with invasion depth ≥1 000 μm, vascular invasion, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and positive vertical margin. Among them, 62 cases were accompanied with 1 risk factor, 23 cases with 2 risk factors and 4 cases with 3 risk factors. The risks of lymph nodes and distant metastasis raised with the increase of risk factors.Conclusions:The incidence of lymph node metastasis in ECC is extremely low. Endoscopic treatment can achieve a good long-term outcome. Close follow-up should be conducted after endoscopic treatment, and additional treatment should be selected reasonably for the early colorectal carcinoma after endoscopic non-curative resection to improve the therapeutic efficacy of endoscopic resection.

Objective:To compare the rates of acceptance of colonoscopy, fecal immunochemical test (FIT), or a novel risk-adapted screening approach in the colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program. Related risk factors were also studied.Methods:The study has been based on an ongoing randomized controlled trial on colorectal cancer screening programs in six centers of research since May 2018. The involved participants were those who presented at the baseline screening phase. All the participants were randomly allocated into one of the following three intervention arms in a 1∶2∶2 ratio: colonoscopy group, FIT group, and a novel risk-adapted screening group. All the participants underwent risk assessment on CRC by an established risk score system. The subjects with high-risk were recommended to undertake the colonoscopy while the low-risk ones were receiving the FIT. Detailed epidemiological data was collected through questionnaires and clinical examinations. Rates of participation and compliance in all three groups were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the potential associated factors related to the acceptance of screening.Results:There were 19 546 eligible participants involved in the study, including 3 916 in the colonoscopy group, 7 854 in the FIT group, and 7 776 in the novel risk-adapted screening group, respectively. Among the 19 546 participants, the mean age was 60.5 years ( SD=6.5), and 8 154 (41.7 %) were males. The rates of participation in the colonoscopy, FIT and the novel risk-adapted screening groups were 42.5 %, 94.0 % and 85.2 %, respectively. In the novel risk-adapted screening group, the participation rate was 49.2 % for the high-risk participants who need to undertake colonoscopy and was 94.0 % for the low-risk ones who need to undertake FIT. Results from the multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that there were several factors associated with the rates of participation in CRC screening, including age, background of education, history of smoking cigarettes, previous history of bowel examination, chronic inflammatory bowel disease and family history of CRC among the 1 st-degree relatives. Conclusions:FIT and the novel risk-adapted screening approach showed superior participation rates to the colonoscopy. Further efforts including health promotion campaign for specific target population are needed to improve the engagement which ensures the effectiveness of CRC screening programs.