Objective:To analyze the effect of mucosal ligament preservation on the outcome of arthroscopic repair of meniscus injury.Methods:A total of 77 patients with knee meniscus tears caused by sports injuries who underwent arthroscopic meniscus repair or suture in Zhengzhou Orthopaedic Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. Including 45 males and 32 females, aged 38.57±13.54 years (range, 52-87 years), body mass index 24.72±4.01 kg/m 2 (range, 34.14-13.61 kg/m 2). All patients complained of knee pain, limited activity and walking weakness. The symptoms were not relieved after 1 month of conservative treatment, which seriously affected daily work and life. According to the intraoperative treatment of mucosal ligament, the patients were divided into mucosal ligament preservation group and mucosal ligament removal group. The visual analogue score (VAS), Lysholm score, and total blood loss were compared between the two groups. Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for an average of 5.23±2.16 months (range, 3-9 months). The operation time was 47.59±16.81 min in mucosal ligament preservation group and 45.25±15.93 min in mucosal ligament removal group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( t=0.628, P=0.532). The total blood loss in the mucosal ligament preservation group was 246±193 ml, which was less than 343±211 ml in the mucosal ligament removal group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.095, P=0.040). None of the patients received allogeneic blood transfusion. The hematocrit of the mucosal ligament preservation group was 42.48%±4.57% before operation and 39.42%±4.65% on the third day after operation, while that of the mucosal ligament removal group was 41.24%±4.16% and 38.95%±3.80%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=0.016, P=0.004; t=0.004, P=0.016). There was no significant difference between the two groups before operation and on the third day after operation ( t=0.217, P=0.545; t=0.629, P=0.159). The preoperative VAS score of mucosal ligament preservation group was 7.25±1.10, which was higher than that of 3 months after operation (0.83±1.06), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=0.062, P<0.001). The preoperative VAS score of mucosal ligament removal group was 7.16±1.21, which was higher than that of 3 months after operation (1.05±1.13), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=0.017, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups before operation and at 3 months after operation ( t=0.144, P=0.740; t= 0.273, P=0.603). The preoperative Lysholm score of mucosal ligament preservation group was 31.76±7.54, which was significantly lower than that of 3 months after operation 87.30±4.12 ( t=-39.329, P<0.001); The Lysholm score of the mucosal ligament removal group was 34.13±7.32 before operation, which was lower than 89.05±4.45 at 3 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-40.172, P<0.001); There was no significant difference in Lysholm score between the two groups before operation and 3 months after operation ( t=1.395, P=0.167; t=1.766, P=0.081). Conclusion:The preservation of mucosal ligament in arthroscopic surgery for meniscus injury does not prolong the operation time. It can reduce the total intraoperative blood loss, and the postoperative knee function recovery is similar to that of mucosal ligament removal.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the influence of ceramic type and thickness on the masking abili-ty and final aesthetic effects of chairside machinable all-ceramic crowns.Methods Six kinds from three types chairside machinable ceramic materials(IPS e.max CAD HT/MT/LT,IPS Empress LT,and VITA Suprinity HT/T)in shade A2 were fabricated to slice specimens into 1.0,1.5,and 2.0 mm-thick sections(n=10).The color parameters of the speci-mens against black and white tiles and four resin substrates(A2,A4,B3,and C4 shade)were measured with a spectro-photometer.The translucency parameter(TP)was calculated using color parameters measured over standard white and black backgrounds.The color differences(ΔE)were cal-culated between there substrate shades(A4,B3,C4)and A2 shade(control group).Two-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was performed on the TP values.The two va-riables were ceramic type and ceramic thickness.Three-way ANOVA was used to determine the effects of ceramic materials,ceramic thickness,and substrate shades on the ΔE values,followed by Tukey test for multiple comparisons(α=0.05).Results Ceramic type,ceramic thickness,and sub-strate shade significantly affected the ΔE values(P<0.001).The L* and b* values of the specimens increased with in-creasing ceramic thickness,except in substrate A2,whereas the ΔE values decreased.The color difference of all 1.0 mm-thick specimens or all specimens over the substrates C4 shade exceeded the clinically acceptable threshold(ΔE>3.3).Conclusion The masking ability of chairside machinable all-ceramic crowns is influenced by ceramic type and thick-ness,and ceramic material.The thickness of ceramic less than 2.0 mm cannot mask the gray shade abutment.

Chronic hepatitis C is a kind of viral hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus infection, which can further progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and even death. Presently, there is no preventive vaccine yet. Therefore, preventing infection and safe and effective drug treatment are currently the most effective strategies for dealing with hepatitis C virus infection. Since 2014, the clinical application of direct-acting antiviral drugs has brought revolutionary changes to the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Direct-acting antiviral drugs have an excellent hepatitis C virus clearance effect, are well tolerated, have a good safety profile, and can significantly improve liver function, metabolic disorders, immune dysfunction, etc. However, some studies have pointed out that even if the hepatitis C virus is cleared during the treatment of chronic hepatitis C-related cirrhosis with direct-acting antiviral drugs, a considerable proportion of patients still have severe liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and even liver disease-related death, so there are still some problems in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C- related cirrhosis with direct-acting antiviral drugs that need to be further explored. This article reviews the research progress of direct-acting antiviral drugs so as to provide meaningful references for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.

For the high-risk population, early screening and diagnosis are important measures to achieve good control of liver cancer and reduce the burden of liver cancer, and determining the high-risk population of liver cancer and formulating appropriate liver cancer screening strategies are the key to realizing the early screening and diagnosis of liver cancer. The risk assessment model for liver cancer is an important method for rapid and convenient identification of the high-risk population of liver cancer. Based on the risk stratification of liver cancer, the methods such as imaging technology, serological markers, liquid biopsy, metabolomics, and glycomics can be used for accurate early screening and diagnosis of liver cancer, so as to achieve the goal of early treatment.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is limited by its inherent invasiveness and possible sampling errors. Some studies have shown that cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) concentrations may be useful in diagnosing NASH, but results across studies have been inconsistent. We aimed to identify the utility of CK-18 M30 concentrations as an alternative to liver biopsy for non-invasive identification of NASH. METHODS: Individual data were collected from 14 registry centers on patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and in all patients, circulating CK-18 M30 levels were measured. Individuals with a NAFLD activity score (NAS) ≥5 with a score of ≥1 for each of steatosis, ballooning, and lobular inflammation were diagnosed as having definite NASH; individuals with a NAS ≤2 and no fibrosis were diagnosed as having non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). RESULTS: A total of 2571 participants were screened, and 1008 (153 with NAFL and 855 with NASH) were finally enrolled. Median CK-18 M30 levels were higher in patients with NASH than in those with NAFL (mean difference 177 U/L; standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.87 [0.69-1.04]). There was an interaction between CK-18 M30 levels and serum alanine aminotransferase, body mass index (BMI), and hypertension ( P  < 0.001, P  = 0.026 and P  = 0.049, respectively). CK-18 M30 levels were positively associated with histological NAS in most centers. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) for NASH was 0.750 (95% confidence intervals: 0.714-0.787), and CK-18 M30 at Youden's index maximum was 275.7 U/L. Both sensitivity (55% [52%-59%]) and positive predictive value (59%) were not ideal. CONCLUSION This large multicenter registry study shows that CK-18 M30 measurement in isolation is of limited value for non-invasively diagnosing NASH.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/diagnosis* ; Keratin-18 ; Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Hepatocytes/pathology* ; Apoptosis ; Liver/pathology*

OBJECTIVE Alzheimer's disease(AD)and vascular dementia(VD)are the primary causes of dementia in elderly individuals,and therapeutic options for both conditions are limited.Overactivation of N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptors,decreased cerebral blood flow,and subsequent pathological events,play signifi-cant roles in the progression of AD and VD.METHODS In this study,we investigated the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of MN-08,a novel memantine nitrate,in mouse models of AD and rats with VD.RESULTS MN-08 was found to inhibit Aβ accumulation,prevent neuronal and dendritic spine loss,and attenuate cognitive deficits in 2-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice(following a 6-month preventative course)and in 8-month-old triple-transgenic(3×Tg-AD)mice(following a 4-month therapeutic course),as well as in rat models of VD with preventive and therapeutic treatments.In vitro,MN-08 was shown to bind to and antagonize NMDA receptors,inhibit calcium influx,and reverse dysregula-tions of the ERK and PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway,subse-quently preventing glutamate-induced neuronal loss.Additionally,MN-08 exhibited favorable pharmacokinet-ics,blood-brain barrier penetration,and safety profiles in rats and beagle dogs.CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the novel memantine nitrate MN-08 may be a useful therapeutic agent for AD and VD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not a benign condition, especially in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) combined with liver fibrosis grades F2-4, who have a higher risk of liver-related events and mortality. Thus, this population is considered "at-risk" for developing NASH. China has a large NAFLD patient population, so how to screen for those with liver fibrosis is an important socio-economic concern. At the moment, serological models, liver stiffness detection based on vibration-controlled transient elastography, and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) are the only non-invasive tests (NITs) for liver fibrosis. The prevention and treatment guidelines for NAFLD at home and abroad are reviewed here, based on the research progress of NITs in recent years, so as to suggest screening, evaluation pathways, and management for liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis and outcome of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) related cirrhosis after achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) treated with direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA).Methods:Ninety-five patients diagnosed with CHC related cirrhosis who had complete data in Tianjin Second People′s Hospital from January 2014 to June 2017 were retrospectively followed up. Among them, 72 patients were treated with DAA and all of them achieved SVR, and the other 23 patients did not receive any antiviral therapy. The differences of mortality and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between DAA treatment group and non-antiviral treatment group were compared. Statistical analysis was performed by independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test. Results:At the end of follow-up for three to 71 months, patients in DAA treatment group had a significant improvements in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin and liver stiffness measurement compared with those before treatment (42(23, 61) U/L vs 18(13, 28) U/L, 54(37, 75) U/L vs 23(18, 28) U/L, 39(33, 42) g/L vs 45(41, 48) g/L, 26(18, 37) kPa vs 15(11, 26) kPa, respectively, Z=-6.005, -7.008, -6.057 and -3.162, respectively, all P<0.01). However, there were no significant differences in incidence of HCC (12%(9/72) vs 17%(4/23)) and mortality (3%(2/72) vs 13%(3/23)) between the DAA treatment group and non-antiviral treatment group (both P>0.05). There was no significant difference of cumulative incidence of HCC in DAA treatment group compared with non-antiviral treatment group ( P=0.609). The age of patients progressed to HCC was older than those without HCC ((60.3±3.6) years vs (54.4±9.9) years, t=-3.948, P<0.01). In subgroup analysis, among the six patients with HCC, four had diabetes, the prevalence of diabetes in the patients without HCC was 17%(7/42); the level of fasting blood glucose (FBG) ((7.3±1.9) mmol/L vs (5.9±1.1) mmol/L) were higher in patients progressed to HCC than those without HCC in DAA treatment group with compensated cirrhosis ( χ2=7.430 and t=-2.442, respectively, both P=0.019). Conclusions:DAA treatment could notably improve liver function and alleviate liver fibrosis, but could not reduce the mortality and incidence of HCC in patients with CHC related cirrhosis significantly. Diabetes and high level FBG may be the risk factors for occurrence of HCC in patients with CHC related compensated cirrhosis.

Chronic HBV infection (CBI) overlapping with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming more and more common. Most studies about the influence of overlapping with NAFLD on the natural history of CBI have shown that overlapping with NAFLD promotes not only the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, but also all-cause mortality including death due to liver disease; however, some studies have reported different outcomes. The etiological diagnosis of liver injury in patients with CBI overlapping with NAFLD is a difficult issue in clinical practice, and liver histopathology is still the gold standard, while it is very important to explore noninvasive diagnostic methods. For patients with CBI overlapping with NAFLD, anti-HBV therapy should be given according to current diagnosis and treatment guidelines for CBI in addition to active prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) concurrent with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:Those who underwent liver pathological examination and confirmed diagnosis of CHB and NAFLD in Tianjin Second People′s Hospital from August 2014 to September 2017 were enrolled. Data regarding their demographic information, laboratory tests results, and liver pathology results were analyzed. The latter results were used to categorize the patients either in non-significant liver fibrosis group (Metavir stage