Objective:To investigate the application of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) to liver transplant recipients.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 12 liver transplant recipients who underwent EUS-LB by the same endoscopist and specimens were diagnosed and reported by the same pathologist due to abnormal liver function or need to be evaluated for graft fibrosis in the Organ Transplantation Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled into the EUS-LB group from December 2021 to March 2022, meanwhile, a total of 23 patients whose PLB was completed by the same hepatologist and specimens were diagnosed by the same pathologist during the same period were enrolled in the PLB group. Acquisition of liver specimens and postoperative adverse events of the two groups were compared.Results:Patients in both groups were punctured 1-2 times on average, and the median total length of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was significantly longer than that in the PLB group (61 mm VS 17 mm, Z=11.362, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the length of the longest liver specimens between the two groups (17.6±6.9 mm VS 13.7±3.5 mm, t=2.382, P=0.086), while the number of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was more than that in the PLB group (4.8±2.1 VS 2.3±1.2, t=9.271, P=0.001). The number of complete portal tracts was 11.3±4.6 in the EUS-LB group and 6.2±3.3 in the PLB group ( t=8.457, P=0.003). Abdominal pain was the only postoperative adverse event, and only 1 patient in the EUS-LB group had postoperative abdominal pain, which was fewer than that in the PLB group [8.3% (1/12) VS 43.5% (10/23), χ2=4.893, P=0.036]. Conclusion:Compared with PLB, EUS-LB delivers longer liver biopsy specimens with more complete portal tracts in liver transplant recipients, and fewer recipients complain about postoperative pain in EUS-LB group. Therefore, EUS-LB is a safer, more effective and more comfortable liver biopsy method.

Objective:To explore the decision-making experience of patients undergoing abdominoplasty in our country.Methods:A semi-structured interview was conducted with patients suffering from postpartum abdominal wall laxity who were treated at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June to August 2023. The data were sort and analyzed using the Clolaizzi 7-step analysis method for thematic description.Results:A total of 15 patients, aged 29-53 years, were included in the study. 11 had a college education or higher, while 4 had less than a college education.Thirteen were married and two were divorced. According to the interview data, four themes were extracted: (1) negative perceptual experiences; (2) decision-making dilemmas; (3) peer support; (4) a physician-led decision-making model. According to the interview, the main decision-making dilemma faced by patients with postpartum abdominal wall laxity was lack of information and family support, and the support they get was mostly from information exchange among patients, and they had insufficient cognition of surgical knowledge, improvement degree and risk, and low participation in clinical decision making.Conclusion:Patients with postpartum abdominal wall laxity in China have an urgent psychological need for abdominoplasty, but there are many factors that have adverse effects on their decision-making experience.

Objective:To explore the value of 18F-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT in the assessment of early-stage graft fibrosis (S1-S2) after liver transplantation (LT). Methods:From November 2021 to April 2022, 17 adult liver transplant recipients (12 males and 5 females; age (52.6±7.9) years) in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled retrospectively in this study. All 17 patients received laboratory examinations, FibroScan, 18F-FAPI PET/CT and liver biopsy. According to the Scheuer scoring system, hepatic tissue was divided into no fibrosis (S0) and early fibrosis (S1-S2). Independent-sample t test was used to compare SUV max between two groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare liver stiffness measurement (LSM). ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of LSM and SUV max in the early fibrosis of liver grafts. Delong test was used to compare the difference of AUCs. Results:Among 17 adult LT recipients, 11 were in stage S0, 5 were in stage S1, and 1 was in stage S2. There were significant differences in LSM and SUV max between no fibrosis group and early fibrosis group (LSM: 5.4(4.7, 6.6) vs 12.9(5.6, 19.9) kPa, z=-2.01, P=0.044; SUV max: 1.7±0.8 vs 3.9±1.6, t=-3.14, P=0.019). The threshold value of LSM in predicting early-stage graft fibrosis was 8.2 kPa and the AUC was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.54-0.95), which was 2.0 and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.78-1.00) for SUV max respectively. There was no significant difference in AUC between the two tools ( z=0.80, P=0.421). Conclusion:18F-FAPI PET/CT can precisely evaluate the early fibrosis of allografts, with the similar diagnostic efficacy with FibroScan (LSM), which is expected to be a new non-invasive diagnostic tool for predicting the early-stage of graft liver fibrosis.

Objective:To explore the decision-making experience of patients undergoing abdominoplasty in our country.Methods:A semi-structured interview was conducted with patients suffering from postpartum abdominal wall laxity who were treated at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June to August 2023. The data were sort and analyzed using the Clolaizzi 7-step analysis method for thematic description.Results:A total of 15 patients, aged 29-53 years, were included in the study. 11 had a college education or higher, while 4 had less than a college education.Thirteen were married and two were divorced. According to the interview data, four themes were extracted: (1) negative perceptual experiences; (2) decision-making dilemmas; (3) peer support; (4) a physician-led decision-making model. According to the interview, the main decision-making dilemma faced by patients with postpartum abdominal wall laxity was lack of information and family support, and the support they get was mostly from information exchange among patients, and they had insufficient cognition of surgical knowledge, improvement degree and risk, and low participation in clinical decision making.Conclusion:Patients with postpartum abdominal wall laxity in China have an urgent psychological need for abdominoplasty, but there are many factors that have adverse effects on their decision-making experience.

Objective:To evaluate the role of ferroptosis in lung injury in a rat model of autologous orthotopic liver transplantation.Methods:Twenty-four healthy adult SPF-grade male rats, aged 8-10 weeks, weighing 230-270 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=8 each) using the random number table method: sham operation group (S group), autologous in situ liver transplantation group (LT group) and ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostain-1 group (LT+ Fer-1 group). In LT group and LT+ Fer-1 group, an autologous in situ liver transplantation model was developed in anesthetized animals, and Ferrostain-1 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 30 min before surgery in LT+ Fer-1 group. The inferior vena cava blood samples were obtained at 6 h of reperfusion, then animals were sacrificed, and lung tissues were obtained. The morphology of lung tissues was examined, and the lung injury was scored. The serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and contents of MDA, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase4 (GPX4), and Fe 2+ in lung tissues were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 recombinant protein (SLC7A11) was determined by Western blot. Results:Compared with S group, the lung injury, serum MDA concentration, and contents of MDA and Fe 2+ were significantly increased, the contents of GSH and GPX4 were decreased, and the expression of FTH1 and SLC7A11 was down-regulated in LT group ( P<0.05). Compared with LT group, the lung injury, serum MDA concentration, and contents of MDA and Fe 2+ were significantly decreased, the contents of GSH and GPX4 were increased, and the expression of FTH1 and SLC7A11 was up-regulated in LT+ Fer-1 group ( P< 0.05). Conclusions:Ferroptosis is involved in the pathophysiology of lung injury in a rat model of autologous orthotopic liver transplantation.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with de-novo non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (de-novo NAFLD) and patients with de-novo NAFLD combined with metabolic syndrome (MS) after liver transplantation (LT) , and to determine the related risk factors.Methods:Patients who underwent LT at the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, from Jan. 2016 to Oc. 2020 and were monitored until Oct. 2021 were gathered. The recipients were divided into the group with/without de-novo NAFLD, and LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD were divided into the group with/without combined MS. Clinical characteristics of the LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD combined with MS were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD and those with combined MS.Results:A total of 324 LT recipients with a median follow-up of 2.9 years (range: 2.0-4.3 years) were included in the study. De-novo NAFLD was diagnosed in 21.0% (68/324) of the LT recipients, and MS was diagnosed in 44.1% (30/68) of these patients. Compared with LT recipients without de-novo NAFLD, those with de-novo NAFLD had higher preoperative body mass index (BMI) , blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels and lower platelet levels, and longer postoperative follow-up, higher BMI, waist circumference, albumin, triglycerides (TG) , low-density lipoprotein (LDL) , blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels, and the incidence of MS (all P<0.05) . Preoperative platelets, glucose, postoperative albumin, LDL and BMI were independent risk factors for predicting de-novo NAFLD after LT (all P<0.05) . Preoperative glucose performed well in predicting the occurrence of de-novo NAFLD (threshold: 5.5mmol/L, P<0.001, AUC=0.678) . The differences in Pre-LT blood glucose, post-LT BMI, waist circumference, prevalence of prediabetes or diabetes, fatty liver index (FLI) , and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) between de-novo NAFLD LT recipients with and without combined MS were significantly different (all P<0.05) . Conclusions:The incidence of de-novo NAFLD after LT is noteworthy, and LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD are more likely to have a combination with MS. In preoperative treatment, keeping blood glucose to 5.5 mmol/L or below trends helps to lower the risk of de-novo NAFLD following LT. LT recipients’ nutritional state and lipid levels require prompt care. High albumin levels might not be a desirable thing. De-novo NAFLD LT recipients with concomitant prediabetes or diabetes may imply an increased risk of developing comorbid MS during the post-LT follow-up. Controlling FLI levels in LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD may reduce the risk of developing comorbid MS.

Objective:To explore the clinical applications and therapeutic outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)on liver transplantation(LT)recipients after tumor development.Methods:Eight databases including PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, CQVIP, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google scholar were accessed for searching the relevant literature articles in both Chinese and English from the establishment of databases to December 31, 2021. Disease response, adverse reactions and prognoses of patients with malignant tumors after LT and receiving ICIs were analyzed.Results:The patient was diagnosed as chronic rejection plus drug-induced liver injury by liver biopsy. After intermittent treatment with DPMAS plus plasma exchange and immunosuppressants, he finally died of tumor recurrence at 37 months after LT. After screening, a total of 28 articles on the application of ICIs after LT were retrieved. In these articles, there were 47 patients(37 males and 10 females)with a median age of 57(14-71)years and the predominant type of tumor after LT was hepatocellular carcinoma(28/47, 59.6%), followed by malignant melanoma in 11 cases (23.4%), non-small cell lung cancer in 3 cases(6.4%), colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and post transplant lymphoproliferative disease(PTLD) in 1 case(2.1%). The overall remission rate after ICI treatment was 29.8%(14/47)and the disease progression rate 68.1%(32/47). Among them, 31.9%(15/47)had immune rejection. Case fatality rate was 61.7%(29/47)and median survival time 6.5(0.3-48.0)months.Conclusions:Depending on existing publications, among those LT recipients with malignant tumors treated by ICIs, the rate of graft rejection and patient mortality are higher. ICIs should be carefully considered for LT patients and further researches are required.

Objective:To study the predictive value of total serum bilirubin (TSB) and the ratio of bilirubin to albumin (B/A) in neonatal acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE).Methods:Neonates with extremely severe hyperbilirubinemia (TSB≥425 μmol/L) treated in the Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Maternity and Child Health Care of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Northwest Women and Children's Hospital, Yinchuan Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Liaocheng People's Hospital from March 2018 to August 2019 were selected as prospective subjects for this study. According to the score of brain injury induced by bilirubin, the subjects were divided into ABE group and non-ABE group, and the predictive value of TSB peak and B/A for neonatal ABE were analyzed.Results:A total of 194 infants with extremely severe hyperbilirubinemia were recruited in this study, including 20 in ABE group and 174 in non-ABE group. The peak value of bilirubin ranged from 427 to 979 μmol/L. The optimal critical values of TSB peak value and B/A for ABE prediction were 530 μmol/L and 9.48, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of ABE prediction were 85.0% and 92.8% when combined with TSB peak and B/A values.Conclusions:TSB peak combined with B/A value can effectively identify neonatal ABE. When the TSB peak value was greater than 530 μmol/L and the B/A value was greater than 9.48, the neonates had a higher risk of neonatal ABE.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of de novo malignancies (DNMs) after liver transplantation (LT) and to study the clinical management strategies.Methods:Adult LT recipients who were regularly followed-up in the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2005 to April 2021 were enrolled in this study. The clinical characteristics of DNMs were retrospectively analyzed. Of 601 LT recipients, there were 105 females and 496 males, aged (51.4±9.6) years old. They were divided into the DNMs group ( n=26) and the non-DNMs group ( n=575) according to whether there were DNMs on followed-up. Clinical data including age, sex, basic diseases before LT and operation time were collected. These patients were follow-up in outpatient clinics. Results:Twenty-six patients were diagnosed to develop DNMs after LT, but there were 28 DNMs (of which 2 patients were diagnosed to have DNMs twice). The incidence of DNMs after LT was 4.3% (26/601), the median time from LT to DNMs was 42 (20, 70) months, and the cumulative incidence rates of DNMs were 0.5%, 2.0%, 6.3%, 21.0% and 34.5% at 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 years after LT, respectively. Among the 28 DNMs, digestive system tumors were most common, with 17 lesions (60.7%), followed by 3 lesions (11.1%) of lung cancer, 2 lesions (7.4%) of lymphoproliferative diseases, and 1 lesion (3.7%) of cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, soft palate cancer, eyelid cancer, laryngeal cancer, and prostate cancer. The follow-up time of 55.9 (36.6, 102.5) months in the DNMs group after LT was longer than the 33.4 (18.5, 58.9) months in the non-DNMs group ( P<0.001). The 1, 5, and 10 year survival rates of patients with DNMs after LT were 96.3%, 83.5%, and 49.8%, respectively. The 1, 5, and 10 year survival rates of patients with non-DNMs after LT were 94.5%, 77.7%, and 75.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the cumulative survival rates between the two groups (log rank=0.402, P=0.526). Conclusion:The incidence of DNMs in LT recipients was 4.3%. The majority of them were digestive system tumors. Early diagnosis and treatment of DNMs significantly improved the prognosis and quality of life of these patients.

Objective:To investigate the effect of fluid resuscitation and circulatory support, directed by different target mean arterial pressure (MAP), on abdominal blood flow, gastrointestinal function and inflammatory response in septic shock patients with hypertension.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Hypertensive patients with septic shock admitted to the department of intensive care unit (ICU) of Liuzhou People's Hospital from January 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020 were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into the low MAP groups (low standard group, LS group) or high MAP group (high standard group, HS group). According to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines in 2016 and the updated guideline in 2018, all patients were given treatment of primary disease, fluid resuscitation, supportive management. The target MAP was 65-70 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) in LS group, and was 75-80 mmHg in HS group. Acute gastrointestinal function injury (AGI) classification was performed on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day. The mean flow rate (Vm) and resistance index (RI) of superior mesenteric artery were evaluated using ultrasound, and the gastrointestinal function was dynamically evaluated using the modified single section ultrasonic gastric antrum method. The gastric antrum movement index (MI) and gastric empaging time (GET) were recorded. The levels of inflammatory markers in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The target MAP, the days of use of vasopressors and the amount of fluid resuscitation were recorded.Results:A total of 208 hypertensive patients with septic shock were enrolled, including 109 in the LS group and 99 in the HS group. There were no significant differences in gender, age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ (APACHEⅡ) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score between the two groups when diagnosed. After treatment, there was no significant difference in AGI classification between the LS group and HS group on the 1st day. On the 3rd and 7th day, there were statistical differences between the two groups (3rd day: proportion of Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ grades were 25.69%, 56.88%, 11.93%, 5.50% in LS group, 15.15%, 54.55%, 25.25%, 5.05% in HS group, respectively, χ 2 = 7.900, P = 0.048; 7rd day: proportion of Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ grades were 44.96%, 49.54%, 3.67%, 1.83% in LS group, 31.31%, 52.53%, 11.11%, 5.05% in HS group, respectively, χ 2 = 8.178, P = 0.042). The Vm of superior mesenteric artery was higher and the RI was lower in the LS group than those in the HS group on day 1, 3 and 7 [Vm (cm/s): 21.72±3.02 vs. 19.50±2.83, 20.42±2.62 vs. 17.02±1.99, 26.52±2.70 vs. 22.47±4.03; RI: 0.86±0.05 vs. 0.92±0.04, 0.87±0.05 vs. 0.95±0.05, 0.81±0.03 vs. 0.85±0.03, all P < 0.01]. The MI was higher and the GET was shorter in the LS group than those in the HS group on day 3 and day 7 [MI: 3.00±0.33 vs. 2.60±0.29, 4.50±0.51 vs. 3.90±0.33; GET (minutes): 86.01±19.78 vs. 100.99±25.01, 71.00±16.37 vs. 84.98±20.18, all P < 0.01]. In addition, the levels of serum TNF-α, IL-6, PCT, VEGF were lower in the LS group than those in the HS group after 3 days of treatment [TNF-α (ng/L): 147.05±28.32 vs. 256.99±27.04, IL-6 (ng/L): 762.99±57.83 vs. 1 112.30±118.32, PCT (μg/L): 37.00±5.58 vs. 56.00±12.36, VEGF (ng/L): 123.00±19.78 vs. 167.01±21.55, all P < 0.05]. The target MAP was maintained at (68.02±4.71) mmHg in LS group, and (79.04±3.04) mmHg in HS group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.01). Compared with the HS group, the days of using vasopressors was shorter in LS group (days: 3.50±1.27 vs. 4.55±1.47), and the amountof fluid was reduced significantly (mL: 1 602.29±275.49 vs. 2 000.30±272.59, both P < 0.01). Conclusion:Maintaining a low target mean arterial pressure (65-70 mmHg) in hypertensive patients with septic shock can improve blood supply of superior mesenteric artery, protect the gastrointestinal function, reduce the level of inflammatory factors, and diminish the duration of using vasopressors and the amount of fluid.