Objective : To investigate the diagnostic value of linear array endoscopic ultrasonography ( EUS) for common bile duct microlithiasis． Methods : Data of patients who attended in the hospital and diagnosed as common bile duct microlithiasis and biliary sludge by EUS were selected．A total of 85 patients with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography ( MRCP) examination and ERCP treatment during hospitalization were enrolled．The results of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography / endoscopic sphincterotomy ( ERCP / EST) were the gold standard for diagnosis．The results of EUS，MRCP，and diagnostic ERCP were compared with the gold standard， and the sensitivity，specificity，positive predictive value，negative predictive value，and diagnostic accuracy of the three methods were calculated，respectively．The chi-square test was used for comparison of the above indices． Results : Of all 85 patients，63 had positive EUS results，among whom 5 had false positive results; 22 had negative EUS results，among whom 1 had false negative results．Of all 85 patients，49 had positive MRCP results，among whom 4 had false positive results; 36 had negative MRCP results，among whom 14 had false negative results．Of all 85 patients，59 had positive diagnostic ERCP results，among whom 10 had false positive results; 26 had negative diagnostic ERCP results，among whom 10 had false negative results．The sensitivity，specificity，positive predictive value( PPV) ，negative predictive value ( NPV) ，and accuracy of EUS in diagnosing common bile duct microlithia- sis were 98. 3% ，80. 8% ，92. 1% ，95. 4% and 92. 9% ，respectively． For MRCP，these values were 76. 3% ， 84. 6% ，91. 8% ，61. 1% and 78. 8% ，respectively．For diagnostic ERCP，these values were 83. 1% ，61. 5% ， 83. 1% ，61. 5% and 76. 5% ，respectively．The EUS group had a significantly higher accuracy than the MRCP group ( χ2 = 6. 986，P ＜0. 05) and diagnostic ERCP group ( χ2 = 8. 900，P ＜0. 05) ．The areas under the ROC curves ( AUC) and 95% CI of EUS group，MRCP group and diagnostic ERCP were 0. 895 ( 95% CI: 0. 802 - 0. 988，P＜0. 001) ，0. 804 ( 95% CI: 0. 702 －0. 907，P ＜0. 001) and 0. 723 ( 95% CI: 0. 598 －0. 848，P = 0. 001) ，respectively． Conclusion EUS has a high diagnostic value in the diagnosis of common bile duct microli- thiasis and thus can be used as the preferred examination before therapeutic ERCP．

Objective:To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of HEMO-FISS-QoL(HF-QoL) questionnaire (HF-QoL-C) in the Chinese population with hemorrhoids.Methods:From November 2021 to November 2022, a self-constructed general information questionnaire, HF-QoL-C, and the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36), Goligher classification, and Giordano severity of hemorrhoid symptom questionnaire (GSQ) were used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 760 hemorrhoid patients in the anorectal department of six hospitals. The data was analyzed for reliability and validity using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 26.0 software.Results:The Cronbach's α coefficient of HF-QoL-C and its dimension ranged from 0.831 to 0.960, and the split coefficient was 0.832-0.915. Four common factors were extracted through principal component exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable structural validity( χ2/ df=8.152, RSMEA=0.097, CFI=0.881, IFI=0.881, NFI=0.867). HF-QoL-C was correlated with SF36 and GSQ( r=-0.694, 0.501, both P<0.01). There were differences in the total score and dimensional scores of HF-QoL-C between surgical and drug treated patients, different grades of Goligher classification for hemorrhoidal disease, and different ranges of hemorrhoid prolapse (all P<0.001). No ceiling effect was found in the total score and the scores of each dimension(0.3%-2.0%). There was a floor effect in both psychological function and sexual activity dimensions (16.7%, 35.1%). Conclusion:HF-QoL-C has good reliability and validity, which can be used to measure the quality of life of Chinese hemorrhoid patients.

Objective : To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with abdominal type allergic purpura(HSP), to improve their diagnostic level, and to explore the risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding in HSP patients. Methods : A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations, laboratory data, imaging, endoscopic, and pathological characteristics of 98 patients with abdominal type HSP. Based on the occurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding, 98 patients were divided into a bleeding group and a non-bleeding group, and the risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding in HSP patients were analyzed. Results : Abdominal HSP often presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, vomiting blood, black stools, and bloody stools. Imaging often showed edema and thickening of the duodenum and jejunum, as well as enlargement of surrounding lymph nodes. Under endoscopy, the descending part of the duodenum and jejunum mucosa were commonly congested and edematous with erosion, and ulcers were seen in the distal ileum. Pathology commonly involved acute and chronic inflammation of the mucosa with congestion, edema, and local erosion. Patients with gastrointestinal bleeding had significantly higher levels of white blood cell count(WBC), neutrophil count(NEUT), C-reactive protein(CRP), D-dimer(D-D), and fibrinolytic products(FDP) compared to non-bleeding patients(P<0.05), while levels of red blood cell count(RBC), hemoglobin(HGB), and albumin(ALB) were significantly lower than those of non bleeding patients(P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased ALB and increased FDP were independent risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with abdominal HSP(P<0.05). The areas under the ROC curves of ALB and FDP were(AUC=0.877, 95%CI:0.794-0.960,P<0.01) and(AUC=0.806, 95%CI:0.722-0.890,P<0.01), respectively. The maximum value of the Jordan index for ALB was 0.734, with sensitivity and specificity of 89.6% and 83.9%, respectively, and had a critical value of 38.2 g/L. The maximum value of the Jordan index for FDP was 0.577, with sensitivity and specificity of 64.2% and 93.5%, respectively, and had a critical value of 18.14 μg/ml. There was no statistically significant difference in the ROC curves between ALB and FDP. Conclusion For HSP with abdominal pain as the initial symptom, imaging and endoscopic examination are helpful for early diagnosis. Decreased ALB and elevated FDP are independent risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding in adult patients with abdominal HSP.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance is vital for a functional cure of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the incidence and predictors of HBsAg seroclearance in patients co-infected with HBV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain largely unknown in Guangdong, China. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2019, patients co-infected with HBV/HIV undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University were retrospectively reviewed with the endpoint on December 31, 2020. The incidence and risk factors for HBsAg seroclearance were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1550 HBV/HIV co-infected patients were included in the study, with the median age of 42 years and 86.0% (1333/1550) males. Further, 98.3% (1524/1550) received ART containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plus lamivudine (3TC). HBV DNA was examined in 1283 cases at the last follow-up. Over the median 4.7 years of follow-up, 8.1% (126/1550) patients achieved HBsAg seroclearance, among whom 50.8% (64/126) obtained hepatitis B surface antibody, 28.1% (137/488) acquired hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion, and 95.9% (1231/1283) undetectable HBV DNA. Compared with patients who maintained HBsAg positive, cases achieving HBsAg seroclearance showed no differences in age, gender, CD4 + T cell count, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, or fibrosis status; however, they presented lower HBV DNA levels, lower HBsAg levels, and higher rates of HBV genotype B at the baseline. Multivariate analysis showed that baseline HBsAg <1500 cutoff index (COI) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.74, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.48-5.09), ALT elevation >2 × upper limit of normal during the first six months after receiving ART (aHR, 2.96, 95% CI: 1.53-5.77), and HBV genotype B (aHR, 3.73, 95% CI: 1.46-9.59) were independent predictors for HBsAg seroclearance (all P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS Long-term TDF-containing ART has high anti-HBV efficacy including relatively high overall HBsAg seroclearance in HBV/HIV co-infected patients. Lower baseline HBsAg levels, HBV genotype B, and elevated ALT levels during the first six months of ART are potential predictors of HBsAg seroclearance.
Male ; Humans ; Adult ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics* ; HIV Infections/drug therapy* ; HIV ; DNA, Viral ; Incidence ; Coinfection/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tenofovir/therapeutic use* ; Lamivudine/therapeutic use* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy*

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of low-level viremia (LLV) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients after combined anti-retroviral therapy (ART), and to provide evidence for reducing the risk of LLV.Methods:It was a cross-sectional observation study that enrolled HIV/AIDS patients with LLV (plasma HIV-1 RNA was 50 to 1 000 copies/mL) receiving ART over one year (LLV group) from January 2019 to December 2020 in Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University. Contemporaneous patients with ART over one year and successful viral suppression (plasma HIV-1 RNA<50 copies/mL) were randomly selected as the control group (suppression group) with a ratio of 1∶2.5, and the risk factors for LLV were analyzed by unconditional logistic regression.Results:A total of 128 and 297 patients were enrolled in LLV group and the suppression group, respectively.ART durations were 3.62(1.83, 4.89) years and 4.91(2.90, 5.88) years, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors associated with LLV included the age of initial ART treatment above 50 years old (odds ratio ( OR)=1.82, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.01 to 3.26, P=0.046), the baseline HIV-1 RNA over 1×10 5 copies/mL ( OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.30 to 3.68, P=0.003), using the simplified initial ART regimen ( OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.26, P=0.044), missing medication more than three times per year ( OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.55 to 4.01, P<0.001) and changing regimen during ART ( OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.14, P=0.013), while the duration of ART longer than five years could reduce the risk of LLV ( OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.64, P<0.001). In patients with simplified initial ART regimen, the baseline CD4 + T lymphocyte count of whom with LLV was lower than that of whom with viral suppression, and the difference was statistically significant (94.00 (24.00, 281.00)/μL vs 375.00 (310.00, 435.00)/μL, Z=-2.60, P<0.001). Conclusions:The occurrence of LLV is related to the age of initial ART treatment, the baseline HIV-1 RNA, the initial ART regimen, the medication adherence and the change of ART regimen during ART. Strategies may be beneficial to reducing the risk of LLV for HIV/AIDS patients, such as initiating ART as soon as possible, using simplified regimen as initial regimen with caution in patients with low baseline CD4 + T lymphocyte counts, strengthening compliance education, avoiding unnecessary ART regimen changes.

Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical bacterial isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2021.Methods:The clinical bacterial strains isolated from blood culture from member hospitals of Blood Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System (BRICS) were collected during January 2021 to December 2021. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). WHONET 5.6 was used to analyze data.Results:During the study period, 11 013 bacterial strains were collected from 51 hospitals, of which 2 782 (25.3%) were Gram-positive bacteria and 8 231 (74.7%) were Gram-negative bacteria. The top 10 bacterial species were Escherichia coli (37.6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.8%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (6.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.6%), Enterococcus faecium (3.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2.8%), Enterococcus faecalis (2.7%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.5%) and Klebsiella spp (2.1%). The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus were 25.3% and 76.8%, respectively. No glycopeptide- and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococci was detected; more than 95.0% of Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to ceftobiprole. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci strains were detected. The rates of extended spectrum B-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolated in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis were 49.6%, 25.5% and 39.0%, respectively. The prevalence rates of carbapenem-resistance in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were 2.2% and 15.8%, respectively; 7.9% of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam combination. Ceftobiprole demonstrated excellent activity against non-ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Aztreonam/avibactam was highly active against carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The prevalence rate of carbapenem-resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii was 60.0%, while polymyxin and tigecycline showed good activity against Acinetobacter baumannii (5.5% and 4.5%). The prevalence of carbapenem-resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 18.9%. Conclusions:The BRICS surveillance results in 2021 shows that the main pathogens of blood stream infection in China are gram-negative bacteria, in which Escherichia coli is the most common. The MRSA incidence shows a further decreasing trend in China and the overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is low. The prevalence of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is still on a high level, but the trend is downwards.

Immunotherapy emerged as a paradigm shift in cancer treatments, which can effectively inhibit cancer progression by activating the immune system. Remarkable clinical outcomes have been achieved through recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockades, adoptive cellular therapy, cancer vaccine, and tumor microenvironment modulation. However, extending the application of immunotherapy in cancer patients has been limited by the low response rate and side effects such as autoimmune toxicities. With great progress being made in nanotechnology, nanomedicine has been exploited to overcome biological barriers for drug delivery. Given the spatiotemporal control, light-responsive nanomedicine is of great interest in designing precise modality for cancer immunotherapy. Herein, we summarized current research utilizing light-responsive nanoplatforms to enhance checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, facilitate targeted delivery of cancer vaccines, activate immune cell functions, and modulate tumor microenvironment. The clinical translation potential of those designs is highlighted and challenges for the next breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy are discussed.

Background::Chronic liver disease has emerged as a leading cause of non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related mortality in hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients. The relationship between CD4 cell count and HIV-related opportunistic infections and tumors has been well characterized; however, it is unclear whether CD4 cell count is associated with HCV-related hepatic events.Methods::This observational cohort study enrolled HCV/HIV-coinfected patients from the National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program of China from 2004 to 2019 in Guangzhou. The primary outcome was a composite of hepatic events, including cirrhosis complications, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver-related mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.Results::Among the 793 patients, 43 developed hepatic events during a median follow-up of 6.7 years, including 35 cirrhosis complications, 13 HCC cases, and 14 cases of liver-related mortality. The 5-year and 10-year cumulative incidences of hepatic events were 4.2% and 9.3%, respectively. Patients who developed hepatic events had a less satisfactory increase in CD4 cell count, lower peak CD4 (354.5 cells/μL vs. 560.0 cells/μL, P < 0.001), and lower percentage of peak CD4 > 500 cells/μL (30.2% vs. 60.7%, P < 0.001) after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) than those who did not. The cumulative incidences of hepatic events were higher in patients with lower peak CD4 levels with adjusted odds ratios of 3.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.51-10.40), 2.25 (95% CI: 0.87-5.86), and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.35-2.74) for patients with peak CD4 at <200 cells/μL, 200-350 cells/μL, and 351 to 500 cells/μL, respectively, relative to those with peak CD4 > 500 cells/μL. Peak CD4 was negatively associated with the risk of hepatic events in a dose-response manner ( P-value for trend = 0.004). Conclusion::Persistently low CD4 cell counts after ART are independently associated with a high risk of hepatic events in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients, highlighting the important role of immune reconstitution in improving liver outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the effects of different donor types on the prognosis of pediatric liver transplant recipients with low-body-weight (≤6 kg).Methods:The clinical data of low-body-weight pediatric liver transplant recipients from the Department of Pediatric Organ Transplantation, Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2013 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The recipients were divided into living donor group, split donor group and whole liver group according to the donor type.The basic information of donors and grafts, preoperative and intraoperative information of recipients, major postoperative complications and survival rates of recipients and grafts were compared.Results:A total of 244 recipients were enrolled in this study, including 183 cases in the living donor group, 18 cases in the split donor group and 43 cases in the whole liver group.There were no statistical differences in the preoperative data of the three groups, including gender, age, body weight, blood type matching, primary disease, Child-pugh grading, and pediatric end-stage liver disease score (PELD). The incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) in the three groups was 2.2%, 16.7% and 25.6%, respectively, the difference was statistically significant between the living donor group and the split donor group ( P=0.017) as well as the whole liver group ( P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the latter two groups ( P=0.525). The median follow-up time was 37, 31 and 47 months, respectively.The 1-year and 3-year cumulative graft survival rates were 92.9%, 91.3%, 83.3% and 83.3% 76.7%, 76.7% ( P=0.016), respectively.There was statistical difference between the living donor group and the whole liver group ( P=0.004), and no statistical difference between the split donor group and the living donor group ( P=0.212) as well as the whole liver group ( P=0.610). The 1-year and 3-year cumulative recipient survival rates in the three groups were 92.9%, 91.3%, 94.4% and 94.4%, 86.0%, 86.0%, respectively, and there was no statistical difference among the three groups ( P=0.463). Multivariate analysis suggested that donor age and anhepatic phase were independent risk factors for HAT.Cold ischemia time, volume of intraoperative blood transfusion and HAT were independent risk factors for early graft loss (within 3 months). The volume of intraoperative blood transfusion and the duration of anhepatic phase were independent risk factors for recipient death. Conclusions:Living donor liver transplantation is more effective than whole liver transplantation for children with low body weight (≤6 kg). Due to the small sample size and the early exploration stage of split liver transplantation in children, the efficacy of split liver transplantation remains to be explored in clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of biliary complications(BCS)after pediatric living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).Methods:From January 2016 to December 2020, retrospective review of clinical data was performed for 681 children aged <18 years undergoing LDLT.There were 324 boys and 357 girls with a median age of 7.4 months and a median weight of 7.0 kg.Among 61 BCS patients(9.0%), there were biliary stricture(n=34, 5.0%), bile leakage(n=21, 3.1%)and bile leakage combined with biliary stricture(n=6, 0.9%). According to the absence or presence of BCS after LT, the recipients were divided into two groups of BCS(n=61)and non-BCS(n=620). The incidence and risk factors of BCS were analyzed.T-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Chi square or Fisher exact test was employed for univariate statistical analysis and Logistic regression for multivariate statistical analysis.Results:The median follow-up period was 35.5 months.Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant inter-group differences( P=0.005, 0.046, 0.009, 0.011, 0.024, 0.023, 0.004, 0.038, 0.002, 0.029, 0.023, 0.002, 0.011)in donor age[(31.4±5.7)vs.(34.3±7.5)years], time of anhepatic phase[43(37.0, 53.0)vs.47(38.8, 56.0)min], time from portal vein opening to hepatic artery opening[35(30.0, 41.0)vs. 38(30.8, 47.8)min], type of perfusion fluid, number of donor bile ducts, intestinal loop length[40(30.0, 40.0)vs.40(25.0, 40.0)cm], mode of biliary reconstruction, whether or not placing a support tube, incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis[1.6%(10/620)vs.9.8%(6/61)], incidence of abdominal infection[4.5%(28/620)vs.11.5%(7/61)], incidence of cytomegalovirus(CMV)infection[55.3%(343/620)vs.70.5%(43/61)], incidence of portal vein thrombosis[1.1%(7/620)vs.8.2%(5/61)]and incidence of pulmonary infection[19.0%(118/620)vs.32.8%(20/61)]. Multivariate analysis indicated that independent risk factors of BCS included donor age( P=0.023), number of donor bile ducts( P=0.017), time from portal vein opening to hepatic artery opening( P=0.010), hepatic artery thrombosis( P=0.004), abdominal infection( P=0.019), CMV infection( P=0.022), portal vein thrombosis( P=0.003), pulmonary infection( P=0.021)and short intestinal loop length( P=0.012). Conclusions:Biliary complications are common after pediatric LDLT.Independent risk factors are donor age, number of donor bile ducts, time from portal vein opening to hepatic artery opening, hepatic artery thrombosis, abdominal infection, CMV infection, portal vein thrombosis, pulmonary infection and short length of intestinal loop.