ObjectiveTo establish and validate a new prediction model for the risk of death in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF） based on sarcopenia and other clinical indicators， and to improve the accuracy of prognostic assessment for ACLF patients. MethodsA total of 380 patients with ACLF who were admitted to Beijing YouAn Hospital， Capital Medical University， from January 2019 to January 2022 were enrolled， and they were divided into training group with 228 patients and testing group with 152 patients in a ratio of 6∶4 using the stratified random sampling method. For the training group， CT images were used to measure the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra （L3）， and L3 skeletal muscle index （L3-SMI） was calculated. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the previously established L3-SMI reference values for healthy adults in northern China. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to establish a sarcopenia-ACLF model which integrated sarcopenia and clinical risk factors， and a nomogram was developed for presentation. The area under the ROC curve （AUC） was used to assess the predictive performance of the model， the calibration curve was used to assess the degree of calibration， and a decision curve analysis was used to investigate the clinical application value of the model. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. The DeLong test was used for comparison of AUC between different models. ResultsThe multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.962， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.185‍ ‍—‍ ‍3.250， P=0.009）， total bilirubin （HR=1.003， 95%CI： 1.002‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.005， P<0.001）， international normalized ratio （HR=1.997， 95%CI： 1.674‍ ‍—‍ ‍2.382， P<0.001）， and lactic acid （HR=1.382， 95%CI： 1.170‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.632， P<0.001） were included in the sarcopenia-ACLF model. In the training cohort， the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a larger AUC than MELD-Na score in predicting 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF （0.80 vs 0.73， Z=1.97， P=0.049）. In the test cohort， the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a significantly larger AUC than MELD score （0.79 vs 0.69， Z=2.70， P=0.007） and MELD-Na score （0.79 vs 0.68， Z=2.92， P=0.004）. The calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ability， with a relatively good consistency between the predicted risk of mortality and the observed results. The DCA results showed that within a reasonable range of threshold probabilities， the sarcopenia-ACLF model showed a greater net benefit than MELD and MELD-Na scores in both the training cohort and the test cohort. ConclusionThe sarcopenia-ACLF model developed in this study provides a more accurate tool for predicting the risk of 90-day mortality in ACLF patients， which provides support for clinical decision-making and helps to optimize treatment strategies.

In 2025， Severe Liver Disease and Artificial Liver Group and Nutrition and Regeneration in End-Stage Liver Disease Group of Chinese Society of Hepatology， Chinese Medical Association， convened a panel of national experts to jointly develop China’s first guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. Based on the latest research findings and clinical practice in China and globally， this guideline establishes a standardized definition of ACLF and provide recommendations for its diagnosis， treatment， and clinical management. This article gives an interpretation of the key points in the guideline， in order to provide a reference for standardized diagnosis and treatment of ACLF.

Lipotoxicity is a pivotal factor that initiates and exacerbates liver injury and is involved in the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, there are few reported lipotoxicity inhibitors. Here, we identified a natural anti-lipotoxicity candidate, HN-001, from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. C1. HN-001 dose- and time- dependently reversed palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocyte death. This protection was associated with IRE-1α-mediated XBP-1 splicing inhibition, which resulted in suppression of XBP-1s nuclear translocation and transcriptional regulation. Knockdown of XBP-1s attenuated lipotoxicity, but no additional ameliorative effect of HN-001 on lipotoxicity was observed in XBP-1s knockdown hepatocytes. Notably, the ER stress and lipotoxicity amelioration was associated with PLA2. Both HN-001 and the PLA2 inhibitor MAFP inhibited PLA2 activity, reduced lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) level, subsequently ameliorated lipotoxicity. In contrast, overexpression of PLA2 caused exacerbation of lipotoxicity and weakened the anti-lipotoxic effects of HN-001. Additionally, HN-001 treatment suppressed the downstream pro-apoptotic JNK pathway. In vivo, chronic administration of HN-001 (i.p.) in mice alleviated all manifestations of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, liver injury, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. These effects were correlated with PLA2/IRE-1α/XBP-1s axis and JNK signaling suppression. These data indicate that HN-001 has therapeutic potential for MAFLD because it suppresses lipotoxicity, and provide a natural structural basis for developing anti-MAFLD candidates.

[Objective] To analyze the influence of the cycle length of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) double reagent positive samples collected from voluntary blood donors in Guangzhou on the detection results. [Methods] A total of 127 044 blood samples from voluntary blood donors at Guangzhou Blood Center from August 10 to December 9, 2023 were selected. Two ELISA reagents were used for HBsAg detection, and samples with HBsAg double reagent positive and S/CO values<10 were tested continuously for 7 days to observe the changes in their S/CO values. [Results] A total of 505 HBsAg double reagent positive samples were detected, of which 52 had S/CO values less than 10. After 7 consecutive days of uninterrupted testing, the S/CO values of Wantai (median 5 decreased to 3) and Xinchuang (median 5 decreased to 3) showed an overall downward trend, and the HBsAg missed detection rate showed an upward trend (from 0 on the first day to 1/10 000 on the seventh day). A total of 13 cases had negative double reagent test results within the 7-day testing cycle. [Conclusion] With the extension of the detection cycle, the S/CO value of HBsAg detection shows a downward trend, and the missed detection rate of HBsAg shows an upward trend. Samples used for HBsAg detection should be tested promptly after sampling to improve the quality of blood testing.

Objective:To elucidate the epidemiological characteristics and changing trends of liver failure in order to provide evidence-based strategies for prevention and treatment.Methods:The epidemiological information of inpatients with liver failure admitted and treated at Beijing You'an Hospital from 2012 to 2021 was retrospectively collected. The trend test was used to analyze age, gender, as well as the year-by-year changes in the underlying acute and chronic etiology of acute liver failure (ALF), sub-acute liver failure (SALF), acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and chronic liver failure (CLF).Results:During the study period, information on a total of 8512 inpatients, aged 51.3±13.5 years and mainly male (71.9%) with liver failure, was collected. The highest to lowest proportions of liver failure types were ACLF 4 023 (47.3%), CLF 3 571(42.0%), SALF 670 (7.9%), and ALF 248 (2.9%). The top five causes of liver failure in the overall population, accounting for 87.6% of the total, were hepatitis B 3 199 (37.58%), alcoholic liver disease 2 237 (26.28%), cryptogenic liver disease 906(10.61%), hepatitis B + alcoholic liver disease 603 (7.08%), drugs 488 (5.73%), The top three etiologies of patients with different types of liver failure were acute etiologies for acute liver failure (ALF), followed by drugs 107 (43.1%), hepatitis B 47(19.0%), and unknown etiology 36 (14.5%); sub-acute liver failure (SALF), followed by drugs 381(56.9%), unknown etiology 106 (15.8%), and sepsis 56 (8.4%); and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), followed by drugs 2 092(52.0%), alcoholic liver disease 813(20.2%), and cryptogenic liver disease 398(9.9%); and chronic etiologies for chronic liver failure (CLF), followed by alcoholic liver disease 1 410(39.5%), hepatitis B 1 028(28.8%), and cryptogenic liver disease 364(10.2%). Longitudinal analysis showed that the average age of patients with liver failure increased year by year, but the sex ratio trend did not change significantly, with male patients predominating throughout. The proportion of drug-induced liver failure in patients with ALF and SALF increased year by year, and the difference in the trend test was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with chronic etiologies of ACLF and CLF decreased year by year among hepatitis B, while the proportion of alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, and cryptogenic liver disease increased year by year (the difference was statistically significant, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The etiological spectrum of liver failure is changing in our country. Although hepatitis B is still the main cause of liver failure, its proportion shows a decreasing trend year by year, with the exception of ACLF, which is no longer the primary etiology of other types of liver failure, while drug-induced liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, and cryptogenic liver disease are increasing year by year and will become the focus of liver disease prevention and treatment in the future.

Objective:To analyze the curative effect of sandwich cheiloplasty for the treatment of macrocheilia secondary to port-wine stain (PWS).Methods:A total of 43 patients, including 20 males and 23 females, aged 37.0 years (ranged from 4 to 69 years), who underwent sandwich cheiloplasty for the treatment of macrocheilia secondary to PWS from March 2008 to March 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. According to the location of the lesions, they were divided into two groups: upper lip group (21 cases) and lower lip group (22 cases). Pathological examinations were performed in all excised specimens. Postoperative attentions should be paid to keeping incisions locally clean, observing the blood supplying, and taking care of fluid accumulation or incision split. After discharge, the lip appearance and function were evaluated every six months in the outpatient department, and the long-term efficacy was further divided into three levels: grade Ⅰ (poor), grade Ⅱ (moderate), and grade Ⅲ (good). The comparison of grade data named long-term efficacy between the two groups was conducted by Mann-Whitney U test.Results:All 43 patients underwent sandwich cheiloplasty, of which 40 patients received one operation, whereas the other 3 received two due to recurrences. One-stage incision healing was achieved in 43 cases, whereas partial mucosal necrosis appeared in 2 cases, and slight incision dehiscence occurred in 1 case, which healed well after local dressing change. The pathological examination results of 43 excised tissue specimens all showed capillary malformations. After follow-up for 1 to 10 years, long-term efficacy evaluation was made up as follows: 36 cases were evaluated as grade Ⅲ, 7 cases as grade Ⅱ, and 0 case as grade Ⅰ. There were 18 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 3 cases of grade Ⅱ in group A, compared to 18 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 4 cases of grade Ⅱ in group B. By rank sum test, there was no significant difference in overal efficacy between the two groups ( Z=0.342, P>0.05). Conclusions:Sandwich cheiloplasty for the treatment of macrocheilia secondary to PWS effectively removes malformed vascular lesions, and consequently, it can achieve a good long-term therapeutic effect.

Recently, malaria incidence has sharply resurgence in the border area of northern Myanmar, with the parasite incidence rate in 2023 being 21.47 times (95% CI: 18.84-24.48) that of 2019 in Kachin State's Razan and nearby areas. This resurgence caused the number of imported malaria cases to increase from 188 in 2019 to 398 in 2023 in Yunnan Province. In addition to the impact of military conflict, the border malaria joint prevention and control cooperation mechanism and malaria control measures established between China and Myanmar have failed to be implemented effectively due to the impact of the international COVID-19 epidemic. Hence, it is recommended that relevant departments evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the current cross-border transmission measures for malaria in the China-Myanmar border area from a technical perspective, and provide a large demand for primaquine, which can block the spread of malaria and cure vivax malaria, in response to the current prevalent characteristics of vivax malaria predominating in northern Myanmar. Moreover, to effectively reduce the mortality of imported malaria patients and prevent re-importation and transmission, it is necessary to enhance clinical physicians' knowledge, awareness, and vigilance regarding malaria diagnosis and treatment in the Yunnan border region, as well as China's ability and quality of appropriate response to imported malaria.

Objective To explore the predictive value of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, energy metabolism and serum thyroid hormone levels on the severity and prognosis of patients with liver failure and their correlation. Methods This study collected clinicopathological data from 60 liver failure patients, e.g., end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, energy metabolism, and serum thyroid hormone levels. The χ 2 test was performed to analyze the categorical variables, while the Mann-Whitney U test and independent sample t test were performed to assess the continuous variables between the two groups. Spearman correlation coefficient test was used to evaluate correlation of each index. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the optimal cut-off points of serum total triiodothyronine (TT3) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels in predicting prognosis of the patients. Results The rates of low TT3 and FT3 levels in liver failure patients were 78.2% and 69.1%, respectively, whereas the low TT3 rates were 95.2% and 67.6% and the low FT3 rates were 90.5% and 55.9% in survival and non-survival groups of patients, respectively (both P < 0.05). Moreover, the MELD score was significantly higher in the non-survival patients than in survival patients [26.0(21.0-29.0) vs 21.0 (19.0-24.0), Z =-3.396, P =0.001], while TT3 and FT3 levels were significantly lower in the non-survival patients than in the survival patients [0.69(0.62-0.73) vs 0.83(0.69-0.94) and 2.17(1.99-2.31) vs 2.54(2.12-2.86), respectively; Z =-2.884、-2.876, all P < 0.01]. The MELD score was negatively associated with serum TT3, FT3, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and the respiratory quotient (RQ) ( r =-0.487、-0.329、-0.422、-0.350, all P < 0.01), whereas the RQ was associated with serum TT3 and FT3 levels ( r =0.271、0.265, all P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff values in predicting the severity and survival of patients was 0.75 nmol/L and 2.37pmol/L with the sensitivity values of 67.6% and 64.7% and the specificity of 90.5% and 81.0%, respectively. Conclusion Abnormal thyroid hormone levels and low respiratory quotient could be used to predict the severity and prognosis of patients with liver failure.

Chinese Society of Hepatology and Chinese Society of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Medical Association update the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (version 2022) in 2022. The latest guidelines recommend more extensive screening and more active antiviral treating for hepatitis B virus infection. This article interprets the essential updates in the guidelines to help deepen understanding and better guide the clinical practice.
Humans ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis B/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis B virus ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Gastroenterology

Objective To evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on early prognosis of the recipients after lung transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 307 lung transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed. According to preoperative BMI, all recipients were divided into the low (BMI <18.5 kg/m², n=114), normal (18.5 kg/m²≤BMI <24 kg/m², n=145) and high (BMI≥24.0 kg/m², n=48) BMI groups, respectively. Baseline data including age, sex, blood type, BMI, preoperative complications, preoperative pulmonary hypertension, and intraoperative use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) of all recipients were compared among three groups. The survival rate of all recipients was estimated by Kaplan-Meier curve and the survival curve was delineated. The differences of survival rate were analyzed by log-rank test. The 30-, 90- and 180-d mortality risk of all recipients after lung transplantation in different BMI groups was compared by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results There were significant differences in age and sex of recipients among three groups (both P<0.05). There was a significant difference regarding the 180-d survival rate after lung transplantation among different BMI groups (P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 90-d mortality risk after lung transplantation in the high BMI group was 2.295 times higher than that in the normal BMI group [hazard ratio (HR) 2.295, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.064-4.947, P=0.034]. In the high BMI group, the 180-d mortality risk after lung transplantation was 2.783 times higher compared with that in the normal BMI group (HR 2.783, 95%CI 1.333-5.810, P=0.006), and the 180-d mortality risk in the low BMI group was 2.181 times higher than that in the normal BMI group (HR 2.181, 95%CI 1.124-4.232, P=0.021). Conclusions Compared with the recipients with normal BMI, their counterparts with high and low preoperative BMI have higher mortality risk early after lung transplantation. Adjusting preoperative BMI to normal range contributes to improving early prognosis of lung transplant recipients.