ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yiqi Yangyin Jiedu Huayu prescription on minimal hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis based on intestinal metabolomics. MethodsA total of 11 patients with liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized in Beijing Ditan Hospital， Capital Medical University， from March to May 2024， and were diagnosed with MHE based on psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score were enrolled as subjects， and 11 healthy family members of the patients were enrolled as control group. Fecal samples were collected for metabolomics analysis from the control group and the patients with MHE before and after treatment with Yiqi Yangyin Jiedu Huayu prescription， and a population cohort study was conducted to investigate the effect of Yiqi Yangyin Jiedu Huayu prescription on intestinal metabolism of patients with MHE. The Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical data between two groups； the independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， the paired t-test was used for comparision before and after treatment within the same group， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. ResultsA total of 29 differentially expressed metabolites were detected between the MHE group and the control group， mainly amino acids， organic acids， organic amines， carbohydrates， fatty acids， and vitamins， and there were 12 upregulated metabolites and 17 downregulated metabolites in the MHE group， which were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of ornithine， branched-chain amino acid， and aromatic amino acid. After the treatment with Yiqi Yangyin Jiedu Huayu prescription， 80 differentially expressed metabolites were detected in the patients with MHE， mainly carbohydrates， organic acids， and amino acids， and there were 56 upregulated metabolites and 24 downregulated metabolites， which were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of ornithine， branched-chain amino acid， and aromatic amino acid. ConclusionYiqi Yangyin Jiedu Huayu prescription can exert a therapeutic effect on patients with MHE by regulating intestinal metabolism.

AIM:To investigate alterations in the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and subsets of CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR).METHODS:Retrospective study. A total of 40 patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to Xi'an People's Hospital(Xi'an Fourth Hospital)from April to July 2022 were recruited for this study and categorized into two groups: 20 cases in the simple type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM)group, and 20 cases in the DR group. Additionally, 20 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examinations served as the control group. The expression levels of cytokines, including interleukin(IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 in peripheral blood were quantified using ELISA. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the expression of programmed cell death-1(PD-1), T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein-3(TIM-3), CD28, and CD57 on CD8+ T cells.RESULTS:The peripheral blood expression of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in DR patients as detected by ELISA(all P<0.001); flow cytometry analysis showed that the expression of PD-1, TIM-3, and CD57 were elevated in peripheral blood CD8+ T cells of DR patients(all P<0.001), and the expression of CD28 was decreased(all P<0.001).CONCLUSION:In DR patients, CD8+ T cells may undergo depletion and senescence as a result of elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the clinical features and endoscopic ultrasound-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-PPG) in patients with cirrhosis.Methods:A total of 148 patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension who underwent EUS-PPG measurement at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from March 15, 2022 to June 20, 2023 were selected. The clinical data of patients collected before EUS-PPG measurement were analyzed. Variations in the EUS-PPG across different clinical data subgroups were analyzed. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to explore the independent factors influencing EUS-PPG.Results:The EUS-PPG was significantly elevated in patients exhibiting red signs (16.62±5.33 mmHg VS 13.44±5.34 mmHg, t=3.616, P<0.001), gastroesophageal varices (15.78±5.30 mmHg VS 9.70±4.77 mmHg, t=4.247, P<0.001), hepatic encephalopathy (20.83±7.52 mmHg VS 14.92±5.35 mmHg, t=2.606, P=0.010), thrombocytopenia (15.66±5.39 mmHg VS 13.29±5.83 mmHg, t=2.136, P=0.034), hypoproteinemia (16.13±5.86 mmHg VS 14.12±5.03 mmHg, t=2.230, P=0.027), and an increased international normalized ratio (16.25±6.00 mmHg VS 14.40±5.11 mmHg, t=2.022, P=0.045). Conversely, the EUS-PPG was significantly reduced in patients with a history of splenectomy and devascularization (13.17±5.88 mmHg VS 15.73±5.34 mmHg, t=-2.379, P=0.019). The EUS-PPG in patients with varying degrees of ascites (no VS slight VS moderate or severe: 13.40±5.48 mmHg VS 15.90±5.49 mmHg VS 16.69±5.17 mmHg, F=5.188, P=0.007) and different Child-Pugh classifications (A VS B VS C: 14.07±5.05 mmHg VS 15.69±5.74 mmHg VS 17.64±5.99 mmHg, F=3.066, P=0.049) increased gradually. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that red signs ( β=2.44, t=2.732, P=0.007), gastroesophageal varices ( β=4.45, t=2.990, P=0.003), ascites ( β=1.75, t=2.368, P=0.019), and hepatic encephalopathy ( β=5.82, t=2.644, P=0.009) were independent factors for the elevated EUS-PPG. Conclusion:There is a significant correlation between EUS-PPG and the clinical features related to the severity of cirrhotic portal hypertension, which indicates the feasibility of EUS-PPG in evaluating cirrhotic portal hypertension.

Radiation protection drugs are often accompanied by toxicity, even amifostine, which has been the dominant radio-protecting drug for nearly 30 years. Furthermore, there is no therapeutic drug for radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII). This paper intends to find a safe and effective radio-protecting ingredient from natural sources. The radio-protecting effect of Ecliptae Herba (EHE) was discovered preliminarily by antioxidant experiments and the mouse survival rate after ¹³⁷Cs irradiation. EHE components and blood substances in vivo were identified through UPLC‒Q-TOF. The correlation network of "natural components in EHE-constituents migrating to blood-targets-pathways" was established to predict the active components and pathways. The binding force between potential active components and targets was studied by molecular docking, and the mechanism was further analyzed by Western blotting, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and ChIP. Additionally, the expression levels of Lgr5, Axin2, Ki67, lysozyme, caspase-3, caspase-8,8-OHdG, and p53 in the small intestine of mice were detected. It was found for the first time that EHE is active in radiation protection and that luteolin is the material basis of this protection. Luteolin is a promising candidate for RⅢ. Luteolin can inhibit the p53 signaling pathway and regulate the BAX/BCL2 ratio in the process of apoptosis. Luteolin could also regulate the expression of multitarget proteins related to the same cell cycle.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.09.003.].

Bone homeostasis is a relative balance between bone formation and resorption. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is closely related to bone homeostasis, takes part in multiple intracellular and extracellular signal pathways. STAT3 participates in the process of osteoblast differentiation regulated by several factors. It can also maintain bone homeostasis by regulating the recruitment, differentiation and activation of osteoclasts. In addition, STAT3 is involved in the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Patients with STAT3 mutations can have several inherited bone metabolism diseases. Furthermore, STAT3 plays a critical role in load-driven bone remodeling. Mechanical stimulation promotes osteoblast differentiation and bone formation through activating or enhancing STAT3 expression during bone remodeling process. This review summarizes the participation of STAT3 in maintaining bone homeostasis together with its possible mechanisms and discusses the connection between STAT3 and mechanical stimulation in bone remodeling, so as to provide a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of bone diseases.

Background/Aims: Studies have shown that nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, but it is unclear which NA is most effective. We performed a meta-analysis and systematic review comparing the efficacies of NAs in CHB patients. Methods: We searched literature databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that analyzed the hepatic biochemical response, virological response, seroconversion rate, drug resistance rate, and HCC incidence rate in CHB patients treated with NAs. Meta-analyses were performed with RevMan and Stata/SE software. Results: Twelve cohort studies and one RCT were selected, in which entecavir (ETV), lamivudine (LAM), telbivudine (LdT), and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were evaluated in CHB patients. The meta-analysis showed that ETV was superior to LAM with regard to the HCC incidence (p<0.001), biochemical response (p=0.001), virological response (p=0.02), and drug resistance (p<0.001), and ETV was superior to LdT with regard to the virological response (p<0.001) and drug resistance (p<0.001). We found no significant difference between ETV and TDF with regard to the HCC incidence (p=0.08), biochemical response (p=0.39), virological response (p=0.31), serological conversion (p=0.38), or drug resistance (p=0.95). NA-treated patients with pre-existing cirrhosis had a 5.49 times greater incidence of HCC than those without cirrhosis (p<0.001). Conclusions ETV or TDF should be used for long-term first-line monotherapy in CHB patients according to the current guidelines. Standardized protocols are needed for future studies of ETV and TDF to facilitate conclusive comparisons. Patients with cirrhosis are at significantly elevated risk for HCC, despite the benefits of NA treatment.

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the molybdenum target imaging features and clinical signs of mammography,and the expression of HER-2 receptor in breast cancer patients with positive receptors of estrogen and progesterone. Methods One hundred and eleven patients with estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive breast canc-er who were admitted to our hospital from July to September 2017 were examined with mammography before operation. Immunohisto-chemical analysis was performed on breast cancer tissues. Pathological features and features related to mammography were analyzed af-ter operation. The relationship between clinicopathological features and mammography-related signs,and HER-2 expression was al-so analyzed statistically. Results Of the 111 patients,34 were HER-2 positive patients. There were significant difference between the observed indicators and the over-expression of HER-2(P<0. 05). These indicators included lymph node metastasis,calcifica-tion of the mass,margin of the mass,the shape of calcification,and the blood status of vessels. The mammography of patients with tri-ple positive breast cancer is more likely to manifest as lymph node enlargement,mass with calcification or simple calcification,margin-al burrs,granular calcification,and vascular thickening. Conclusion The expression of HER-2 in breast cancer patients with posi-tive estrogen and progesterone receptors can be reflected to some extent by lymph node metastasis,tumor with calcification,tumor mar-gin,calcification,calcification morphology and peripheral blood vessel thickening. In terms of clinical conditions,The biological behav-ior and characteristics of tumor can be inferred based on the clinicopathological features of the patient and the imaging findings of the mammography,providing a direction for the treatment and evaluation of prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Objective Dual-source CT(DSCT) energy imaging was used to analyze the difference of energy spectrum pa-rameters and energy spectrum curves between mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes and non-metastatic lymph nodes in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). The relationship between DSCT standardized iodine concentration and energy spectrum curve with medias-tinal lymph node metastasis was discussed. Methods A total of 113 patients with NSCLC underwent DSCT energy imaging scans. Io-dine images were obtained at the processing workstation. The normalized iodine concentrations of all mediastinal lymph nodes and en-ergy spectrum curves at different energy levels were measured. According to the pathological results,the patients were divided into lymph node metastasis group and non-lymph node metastasis group. The normalized iodine concentration and energy spectrum curve slope of the two groups were analyzed by t-test. The best threshold of standardized working iodine concentration was calculated by re-ceiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)to diagnose the mediastinal lymph node metastasis of NSCLC. Results There was a sig-nificant difference in the normalized iodine concentration between the two groups of mediastinal lymph nodes in NSCLC(P<0. 05);The ROC curve was used to calculate the standardized iodine concentration for the diagnosis of NSCLC. The optimal threshold for lymph node metastasis was 52. 45% ;The energy spectrum curve of mediastinal lymph nodes in NSCLC was gradually decreasing. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the range of 40~110 keV interval(P<0. 05). Conclusion The quanti-tative analysis of DSCT energy imaging parameters is of great significance in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC. It can be used as an important index for preoperative judgment of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC.

Objective To compare the clinical effects of RPH combined with Milligan and PPH in the treatment of severe mixed hemorrhoids. Methods 168 patients with severe mixed hemorrhoids were assigned to a study group or a control group,84 patients for each group. The control group received PPH therapy,while the study group received RPH combined with Milligan procedure. Results The procedures were completed successfully in all the patients. The postoperative hospital stay and surgical duration were shorter and the amount of bleeding was smaller in the study group than in the control group(P<0.05). Three months after surgery,the rate of compli-cations including urinary retention,anal incontinence,anorectal stenosis,and secondary anal fissure was lower in the study group than in the control group(P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 97.6% in the study group and 85.7% in the control group,with a higher rate in the study group(P<0.05). Anal PSV and EDV values were lower in both groups three months after the procedures as compared with one day before the procedures(P<0.05),and the values were smaller in the study group than in the control group(P<0.05). Conclusions Milligan combined with RPH in the treatment of severe mixed hemorrhoids can reduce hemorrhoids blood flow. This procedure is mini-mally invasive and it can reduce the development of postoperative complications and improve efficacy.