As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

The liver regenerative capacity is crucial for patients with end-stage liver disease following partial hepatectomy (PHx). The specific bacteria and mechanisms regulating liver regeneration post-PHx remain unclear. This study demonstrated dynamic changes in the abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis (P. distasonis) post-PHx, correlating with hepatocyte proliferation. Treatment with live P. distasonis significantly promoted hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration after PHx. Targeted metabolomics revealed a significant positive correlation between P. distasonis and β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), as well as hyodeoxycholic acid and 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid in the gut after PHx. Notably, treatment with BHB, but not hyodeoxycholic acid or 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, significantly promoted hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration in mice after PHx. Moreover, STAT3 inhibitor Stattic attenuated the promotive effects of BHB on cell proliferation and liver regeneration both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, P. distasonis upregulated the expression of fatty acid oxidation-related proteins, and increased BHB levels in the liver, and then BHB activated the STAT3 signaling pathway to promote liver regeneration. This study, for the first time, identifies the involvement of P. distasonis and its associated metabolite BHB in promoting liver regeneration after PHx, providing new insights for considering P. distasonis and BHB as potential strategies for promoting hepatic regeneration.

Objective To explore the application values of different detection methods in monitoring the decline pattern of syphilis-spe-cific antibody in the non-congenital syphilis children.Methods A total of 80 non-congenital syphilis children were included in the study.The serum specimens were collected after birth,and the syphilis-specific antibodies were detected using electrochemilumines-cence immunoassay(ECLIA),western blotting(WB),treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay(TPPA),enzyme-linked im-munosorbent assay(ELISA),and toluidine red unheated serum test(TRUST).Follow-up was conducted every three months until the positive results of ELISA and TRUST turned to negative.Results The results of ECLIA showed that the syphilis-specific antibody lev-els in the non-congenital syphilis children declined to 25％of the level at birth within 2 to 3 months,and the rate of decline was inde-pendent of the initial concentration.WB analysis indicated that the specific IgG bands in non-congenital syphilis children at birth were consistent with those of their mother,and the sequence of specific antibodies decline was as follows:TPN47,TPN15,TPN45,and TPN17.Due to methodological limitations,the absorbance values of ELISA showed no significant change during the first three months after birth when high concentrations of antibodies were present in the samples,but it showed high sensitivity in the detection for the samples with low-concentration of syphilis antibodies.The detection rates of ECLIA,TPPA,and WB were compared by using ELISA as the reference method.At birth,the detection rates of syphilis antibodies were 100％,100％,and 90％,respectively.In 3 months after birth,the detection rates were 100％,100％,and 75％.In 6 months after birth,,they were 100％,46％,and 15％.In 9 months after birth,they were 83％,33％,and 0％.The positive rate of TRUST was 17.5％at birth.and turned to negative in 3 month of follow-up.Conclusion Syphilis specific IgG antibodies may fully transferred to the fetus and decline in a predictable pattern after birth.The comprehensive analysis for the results of the four methods suggested that dynamic detection using ECLIA method could be used to pre-dict the risk of non-congenital syphilis or terminate the follow-up at 3 months,while the seroconversion detected by WB was earlier than that by TPPA,while ELISA required the longest follow-up period.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of early bedside plasma adsorption (PA) combined with pulse high-volume hemofiltration (PHVHF) in patients with septic shock and acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling septic shock patients with AKI admitted to the intensive care unit of Linyi Central Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to either the Continuous Veno-Venous Hemofiltration (CVVH) group or the integrated treatment group (PHVHF+PA). Both groups received standard care following the 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Both groups received standard treatment according to the 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. The CVVH group received standard CVVH, while the integrated therapy group underwent PHVHF [substitution fluid rate: 85 mL/(kg·h)] combined with PA. Organ function indices, hemodynamic parameters, inflammatory markers, critical illness scores before treatment, at 24 h and 72 h after treatment, and 28-day survival outcomes were monitored. Categorical data were analyzed using the χ2 test, continuous variables were compared with independent samples t-test, repeated-measures data were analyzed by ANOVA, and 28-day survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves.Results:A total of 56 septic shock patients with AKI were enrolled and randomly divided into CVVH group ( n=27) and integrated therapy group ( n=29). The baseline characteristics including age, gender, and body mass index were comparable between groups (all P>0.05). No significant differences in organ function or hemodynamic parameters were observed before treatment (all P>0.05). At 24 h post-treatment, both groups showed significant improvements in serum creatinine (Scr), mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and lactate levels (all P<0.05), with reduced norepinephrine requirements ( P<0.05). The integrated treatment group demonstrated significant improvements in oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2), total bilirubin, APACHEⅡ and SOFA scores (all P<0.05). By 72 h, the integrated therapy group exhibited significantly higher PaO 2/FiO 2, platelet counts, and MAP, alongside lower total bilirubin, Scr, HR, norepinephrine dosage, and Lac (all P<0.05). Both groups showed reductions in APACHEⅡ, SOFA scores, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 (all P<0.05). The integrated treatment group had shorter ICU stays [(8.9±2.8) d vs. (11.2±3.6) d, P=0.005), and higher 28-day renal function recovery rates [15(51.7%) vs. 8(29.6%), P=0.033] than CVVH group, though no significant differences were observed in 7-day or 28-day survival rates between groups (both P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared to CVVH, the combined therapy of PHVHF and PA demonstrates superior efficacy in eliminating inflammatory mediators and enhancing organ function. However, this combination does not significantly influence 28-day survival outcomes in patients.

Objective To explore the application values of different detection methods in monitoring the decline pattern of syphilis-spe-cific antibody in the non-congenital syphilis children.Methods A total of 80 non-congenital syphilis children were included in the study.The serum specimens were collected after birth,and the syphilis-specific antibodies were detected using electrochemilumines-cence immunoassay(ECLIA),western blotting(WB),treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay(TPPA),enzyme-linked im-munosorbent assay(ELISA),and toluidine red unheated serum test(TRUST).Follow-up was conducted every three months until the positive results of ELISA and TRUST turned to negative.Results The results of ECLIA showed that the syphilis-specific antibody lev-els in the non-congenital syphilis children declined to 25％of the level at birth within 2 to 3 months,and the rate of decline was inde-pendent of the initial concentration.WB analysis indicated that the specific IgG bands in non-congenital syphilis children at birth were consistent with those of their mother,and the sequence of specific antibodies decline was as follows:TPN47,TPN15,TPN45,and TPN17.Due to methodological limitations,the absorbance values of ELISA showed no significant change during the first three months after birth when high concentrations of antibodies were present in the samples,but it showed high sensitivity in the detection for the samples with low-concentration of syphilis antibodies.The detection rates of ECLIA,TPPA,and WB were compared by using ELISA as the reference method.At birth,the detection rates of syphilis antibodies were 100％,100％,and 90％,respectively.In 3 months after birth,the detection rates were 100％,100％,and 75％.In 6 months after birth,,they were 100％,46％,and 15％.In 9 months after birth,they were 83％,33％,and 0％.The positive rate of TRUST was 17.5％at birth.and turned to negative in 3 month of follow-up.Conclusion Syphilis specific IgG antibodies may fully transferred to the fetus and decline in a predictable pattern after birth.The comprehensive analysis for the results of the four methods suggested that dynamic detection using ECLIA method could be used to pre-dict the risk of non-congenital syphilis or terminate the follow-up at 3 months,while the seroconversion detected by WB was earlier than that by TPPA,while ELISA required the longest follow-up period.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of thrombocytopenia in elderly patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury(SA-AKI), and to further evaluate whether the degree of thrombocytopenia is related to the increased risk of death on day 28.Methods:Elderly patients with SA-AKI admitted to ICU of our hospital from June 2017 to June 2020 were selected.The patients were divided into normal platelet group(56 cases)and thrombocytopenia group(72 cases)according to the platelet(PLT)count, and according to the degree of thrombocytopenia, they were further divided into three groups: PLT<20×10 9/L(group A, 22 cases), 20×10 9/L≤ PLT<50×10 9/L(group B, 27 cases), 50×10 9/L≤ PLT<100×10 9/L(group C, 23 cases).The general data, clinical baseline indicators and prognostic indicators of each group were compared to evaluate the risk factors of thrombocytopenia.At the same time, the impact of platelet count on the prognosis of elderly patients with SA-AKI was evaluated according to the length of stay in ICU, total length of stay and whether the patient died, and the correlation between the degree of thrombocytopenia and survival was analyzed. Results:A total of 128 elderly patients with SA-AKI were enrolled, including 73 males and 55 females.59.4 % of the patients were hospitalized in the department of internal medicine.The APACHEⅡ score was(15.5 ± 3.3)points, invasive mechanical ventilation accounted for 78.9%, positive inotropic therapy accounted for 12.8%, and 56 patients had normal platelet count.Thrombocytopenia occurred in 72 patients, including 22 patients with PLT<20×10 9/L, 27 patients with platelet count in 20-50×10 9/L, and 23 patients with platelet count in 50-100×10 9/L.There were significant differences in bloodstream infection, Gram-negative bacteria, APACHEⅡ score and procalcitonin(PCT)among the four groups( P<0.05).Further multivariate logistic regression showed that PCT was an independent risk factor for thrombocytopenia in elderly patients with SA-AKI( OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10, P=0.042).Compared with the normal platelet group, the 28-day mortality rate of the thrombocytopenia group was significantly higher than that of the normal platelet group, while the length of stay in ICU and the total length of stay were prolonged( P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate of thrombocytopenia group was lower than that of normal platelet group, and the risk of death increased with the degree of thrombocytopenia( χ2=31.479, P<0.001).Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that thrombocytopenia, bloodstream infection, APACHEⅡ score and PCT were risk factors for 28-day death in elderly patients with SA-AKI.Multivariate Cox analysis showed that bloodstream infection and APACHEⅡ score were independent risk factors for 28-day death.After adjusting these confounding factors, thrombocytopenia was an independent risk factor for death, and the degree of thrombocytopenia was related to the increased risk of death. Conclusions:Thrombocytopenia is common in elderly patients with SA-AKI, and elevated PCT levels increase the risk of thrombocytopenia.The degree of thrombocytopenia is an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality in such patients.

Since the discovery of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B in 1996, a growing number of studies have focused on clarifying the biological characteristics and clinical application value of serum HBV RNA. This consensus mainly summarizes the research progress of serum HBV RNA existing profiles, quantitative detection methods, and current clinical applications. In order to better apply this indicator for the clinical management of patients with chronic HBV infection, recommendations on quantitative detection target regions, detection results, and clinical applications are put forward.

Administration, Intravenous ; Ascorbic Acid/therapeutic use* ; COVID-19 ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; SARS-CoV-2