As a common infectious disease in China， chronic hepatitis B is hepatocyte injury and inflammatory necrosis due to immune response caused by hepatitis B virus （HBV）. Helicobacter pylori （Hp） is a Gram-negative helicobacter that colonizes and persists in the human gastric mucosa. In recent years， an increasing number of studies have confirmed the close association between Hp infection and HBV-related liver diseases. This article reviews the articles on Hp infection and HBV-related liver diseases in recent years and discusses the association between Hp infection and HBV-related liver diseases， which shows the association between Hp infection and HBV-related liver diseases. The susceptibility to Hp in chronic hepatitis B patients increases with the progression of hepatitis B， and at the same time， Hp infection may increase the incidence rate of esophageal variceal rupture and hemorrhage and the risk of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. Therefore， the screening and treatment of Hp infection in patients with HBV-related liver diseases should be taken seriously in clinical practice.

Abiraterone is commonly used as a targeted drug for the treatment of prostate cancer， which commonly causes adverse drug reactions （ADR）， including abnormal liver function， fatigue， nausea and edema， etc. This study reports a 78-year-old man with a history of hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis after prostate cancer resection who was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine. The patient received abiraterone treatment 1 month before admission and developed gastrointestinal symptoms 3 weeks after the treatment and worsened at 4th week with yellowing of the skin， sclera and urine. Unfortunately， the patient died after 5 weeks of abiraterone treatment （1 week after admission）. Based on test and examination results， the patient was diagnosed with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. This paper analyzes the patient’s medical history and the relevant treatment in detail. It is evaluated that ACLF and abiraterone are “probably” related based on Naranjo ADR Probability Scale， suggesting abiraterone may induce severe ADR of liver failure in patients with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis. These patients should be monitored dynamically for changes in liver function and treated prophylactically with liver-protective drugs if necessary.

Objective:To analyze the fail mode of neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after long-term follow-up.Methods:Clinical data of consecutive 238 patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC who underwent neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from September 2012 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The failure mode in the whole cohort was analyzed after long-term follow-up. The overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Survival differences were determined by log-rank test.Results:The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 42.0% in 238 patients. After a median follow-up of 46.1 months, tumor progression occurred in 96 patients (40.3%), including 25 patients (10.5%) with local recurrence, 61 patients (25.6%) with distant metastases, and 10 patients (4.2%) with simultaneous local recurrence and distant metastases. The median OS and DFS were 64.7 months and 49.9 months. And the 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS and DFS rates were 70.0%, 52.8%, 36.4% and 63.5%, 42.5%, and 30.0%, respectively. The 3-, 5-, and 7-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rates and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 86.0%, 71.4%, 61.2% and 70.6%, 55.9%, 43.0%. Compared with non-pCR patients, the overall progression rate and distant metastasis rate of pCR patients were lower (26.0% vs. 50.7%, 16.0% vs. 32.6%, both P<0.05). And the 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS (83.0% vs. 60.2%, 69.7% vs. 41.7%, 50.4% vs. 27.7%, all P<0.001) and DFS rates (80.4% vs. 51.4%, 63.9% vs. 31.2%, 45.9% vs. 20.3%, all P<0.001) were significantly better in pCR patients. Conclusions:Distant metastasis is the main failure mode of patients with locally advanced ESCC after neoadjuvant therapy. Patients with postoperative pCR can achieve better long-term survival.

Objective:To analyze the failure patterns and survival after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with T 1-2N 0M 0 non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Methods:Clinical data of early-stage NSCLC patients who received SBRT at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from January 2012 to September 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary observed endpoint was the pattern of disease progression, which was divided into intra-field recurrence, regional lymph node recurrence and distant metastasis. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis was conducted by log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed by Cox's model.Results:A total of 147 patients with 156 lesions were included. The median follow-up time was 44.0 months (16.5-95.5 months). A total of 57 patients (38.8%) progressed: 14 patients (24.5%) had recurrence with the 1-, 3-, and 5-year local recurrence rates of 2.0%, 10.9%, and 14.3%, respectively; 36 patients (63.2%) had Distant metastasis with the 1-, 3- and 5-year distant metastasis rates of 12.2%, 22.4% and 28.6%, respectively; and 7 patients (12.3%) had recurrence complicated with distant metastasis. The 3-, 5- and 7-year OS rates were 80.5%, 64.2% and 49.9% for all patients, respectively. The median OS was 78.4 months. The 3-, 5- and 7-year PFS rates were 64.8%,49.5% and 41.5%, with a median PFS of 57.9 months (95% CI: 42.3-73.5 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that biologically equivalent dose and age were the factors affecting the efficacy of SBRT (both P<0.05). Conclusion:Distant metastasis is the main failure pattern in patients with T 1-2N 0M 0 NSCLC after SBRT. High-risk population should be selected for further systematic treatment to improve the efficacy.

Objective To investigate the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types and elements in liver cirrhosis patients with dysplastic nodules (DN), and to provide a basis for exploring the connotation and pattern of TCM syndrome types of DN in liver cirrhosis. Methods A total of 138 patients who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from March 2013 to January 2021 and were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and DN were enrolled. General data such as age of onset and sex were collected, as well as the data on etiology, TCM syndrome types, and Child-Pugh class for liver function, and the distribution characteristics of TCM syndrome types and elements were summarized. The chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results The liver and the spleen were the main syndrome elements of disease location in liver cirrhosis patients with DN, accounting for 97.83% and 94.93%, respectively, followed by the kidney (23.91%); Qi deficiency and Qi stagnation were the main syndrome elements reflecting the nature of disease, accounting for 73.91% and 58.70%, respectively, followed by dampness (34.78%). The main TCM syndrome types included stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency, damp-heat internal excess syndrome, blood stasis and toxin accumulation syndrome, and water-dampness retention syndrome, among which stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency was more common and accounted for 58.70% ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in TCM syndrome types between the patients with different sexes, ages, and etiologies (all P > 0.05). There was a significant difference in Child-Pugh class between the liver cirrhosis DN patients with different TCM syndrome types ( χ 2 =34.320, P < 0.05), and Child-Pugh class A was more common in the patients with stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency (59.8%), while Child-Pugh class C was more common in the patients with damp-heat internal excess syndrome (39.1%). Conclusion This article summarizes the distribution characteristics of common TCM syndrome types and elements of DN in liver cirrhosis, which provides a reference for the syndrome differentiation-based TCM treatment of DN in liver cirrhosis.

There is still a lack of effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer, and a deep understanding of its pathogenesis may help to develop new treatment methods. Due to the abnormal changes of lipid metabolism in the development and progression of liver cancer, such process is closely associated with the "phlegm-turbidity" theory in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Starting from the changes of lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment, this article discusses the association of the abnormal changes of lipid metabolism in tumor cells and immune cells with the "phlegm-turbidity" theory and the clinical efficacy of phlegm-eliminating therapies in clinical practice. Since the "phlegm-turbidity" theory in TCM plays an important role in the pathogenesis and pathological changes of liver cancer, the analysis of its theoretical connotation helps to clarify pathological mechanism, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the role of TCM in the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of amygdalin on liver fibrosis in a liver fibrosis mouse model, and the underlying mechanisms were partly dissected in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Thirty-two male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, including control, model, low- and high-dose amygdalin-treated groups, 8 mice in each group. Except the control group, mice in the other groups were injected intraperitoneally with 10% carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-olive oil solution 3 times a week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. At the first 3 weeks, amygdalin (1.35 and 2.7 mg/kg body weight) were administered by gavage once a day. Mice in the control group received equal quantities of subcutaneous olive oil and intragastric water from the fourth week. At the end of 6 weeks, liver tissue samples were harvested to detect the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp). Hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius red staining were used to observe the inflammation and fibrosis of liver tissue. The expressions of collagen I (Col-I), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CD31 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway were observed by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The activation models of hepatic stellate cells, JS-1 and LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1 were used in vitro with or without different concentrations of amygdalin (0.1, 1, 10 µmol/L). LSECs. The effect of different concentrations of amygdalin on the expressions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) dedifferentiation markers CD31 and CD44 were observed. RESULTS: High-dose of amygdalin significantly reduced the Hyp content and percentage of collagen positive area, and decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of Col-I, α-SMA, CD31 and p-Smad2/3 in liver tissues of mice compared to the model group (P<0.01). Amygdalin down-regulated the expressions of Col-I and α-SMA in JS-1 and LX-2 cells, and TGFβ R1, TGFβ R2 and p-Smad2/3 in LX-2 cells compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, 1 and 10 µmol/L amygdalin inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of CD31 in LSECs and increased CD44 expression compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Amygdalin can dramatically alleviate liver fibrosis induced by CCl₄ in mice and inhibit TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, consequently suppressing HSCs activation and LSECs dedifferentiation to improve angiogenesis.
Rats ; Male ; Mice ; Animals ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Amygdalin/therapeutic use* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Olive Oil/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Wistar ; Smad Proteins/metabolism* ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Liver ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Collagen Type I/metabolism* ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Hepatic Stellate Cells

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

Objective:To analyze the medication rule of TCM compound prescription in the treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (PLC) in the National Patent Database by the method of data mining.Methods:By searching for the compound prescriptions of TCM which were included in the National Patent Retrieval Platform for the treatment of PLC, and analyzing the frequency, association and cluster of those included compound prescriptions through the inheritance and assistance platform of TCM.Results:A total of 350 patent prescriptions for the treatment of PLC were included, involving 425 Chinese medicines; the top 10 frequently appeared herbal medicines were Hedyotis diffusa, Radix Astragali, Scutellaria barbata, Atractylodes macrocephala, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ginseng, Radix Bupleuri, Rhizoma Curcumae, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis; according to the function of those medicines, the top three frequently appeared herbal medicines were those with deficiency-tonifying heat-clearing and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis functions; the property of the medicine were mainly cold, warm and mild; the taste of the medicine were mainly bitter, sweet and acrid; the meridians of the medicines mainly belong to liver, spleen and lung. It was found that there were 12 association rules, and the medicine pair that were closely correlated was " Hedyotis diffusa- Scutellaria barbata", and the most frequently appeared medicines could be grouped into 8 groups. Conclusions:The TCM patent compound prescriptions mainly play the role of replenishing qi and invigorating the spleen, supplemented by the products of clearing heat and detoxification, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, which is consistent with the basic treatment principle of PLC "invigorate the upright and dispel the evil, attack the evil and tonify the body". This study explores the basic medication rules of TCM patent compound prescription in the treatment of PLC, in order to provide guidance for clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the intervention effect of GDC-0449, a hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor, on rats with liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) combined with 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF). Methods A total of 18 female Fisher344 rats were randomly divided into normal group, CCl 4 /2-AAF group, and GDC-0449 group, with 6 rats in each group. The rats in the CCl 4 /2-AAF group and the GDC-0449 group were given subcutaneously injected 30% CCl 4 -olive oil solution at a dose of 2 mL/kg twice a week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis; since week 7, in addition to the injection of CCl 4 -olive oil solution, the rats in these two groups were given 2-AAF (100 mg/kg/d) by gavage, and the rats in the GDC-0449 group were given GDC-0449 (25 mg/kg/d) by gavage, while those in the normal group were given an equal volume of olive oil solution by injection and normal saline by gavage. All rats were sacrificed at the end of week 9, and related samples were collected. HE staining and sirius red (SR) staining were used to observe the changes in liver histopathology and collagen deposition, and the semi-quantitative analysis of SR-positive area and Ishak score were used to evaluate fibrosis degree; the alkaline hydrolysis method was used to measure the level of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in liver tissue; immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen (Col-Ⅰ), type Ⅳ collagen (Col-Ⅳ), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), the epithelial cell adhesion molecule Epcam, and the hedgehog signaling pathway in liver tissue; double immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the colocalization of CK19 and the oval cell marker OV6. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the normal group, the CCl 4 /2-AAF group had marked inflammatory cell aggregation and collagen deposition in liver tissue, with the formation of a pseudolobular structure, as well as significant increases in Hyp level and collagen positive area ratio in liver tissue ( P < 0.05), Ishak score ( P < 0.05), and the expression of α-SMA, Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅳ, Epcam, CK19, CK7, the transmembrane transporter Smoothened (Smo), Hedgehog ligand Desert Hedgehog (Dhh), the Indian Hedgehog membrane-binding receptor Patched (Ptch2), and glioma-related oncogenes Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3 (all P < 0.05); double immunofluorescence staining showed that CK19-positive cells also expressed OV6 in the liver tissue of rats in the CCl 4 /2-AAF group, with a significant increase compared with the normal group. Compared with the CCl 4 /2-AAF group, the GDC-0449 group had significant reductions in inflammatory cell aggregation and collagen deposition in liver tissue, Hyp level and collagen positive area ratio in liver tissue ( P < 0.05), Ishak score ( P < 0.05), and the expression of α-SMA, Epcam, CK19, CK7, Smo, Ptch2, Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3 (all P < 0.05); double immunofluorescence staining showed a significant reduction in the number of cells with co-expression of OV6 and CK19 in liver tissue. Conclusion The Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor GDC-0449 can significantly inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis induced by CCl 4 /2-AAF in rats, possibly by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation, collagen deposition, activation and proliferation of hepatic progenitor cells, and differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells into biliary epithelial cells.