ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of entecavir （ETV） versus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate （TAF） on renal function in previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 167 previously untreated CHB patients who received ETV or TAF treatment for at least 48 weeks at the outpatient service of Department of Infectious Diseases in The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2019 to November 2023， and according to the antiviral drug used， they were divided into ETV group with 117 patients and TAF group with 50 patients. In order to balance baseline clinical data， propensity score matching （PSM） was used for matching and analysis at a ratio of 2∶1， and the two groups were compared in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） and the incidence rate of abnormal renal function at week 48. According to eGFR at week 48， the patients were divided into normal renal function group and abnormal renal function group. 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 or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for abnormal renal function， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the performance of each indicator in predicting abnormal renal function. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function， and the log-rank test was used for comparison. The analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare the dynamic changes of eGFR during antiviral therapy in CHB patients. ResultsAfter PSM matching， there were 100 patients in the ETV group and 50 patients in the TAF group. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical data between the ETV group and the TAF group （all P>0.05）， with an eGFR level of 112.29±9.92 mL/min/1.73 m² in the ETV group and 114.72±12.15 mL/min/1.73 m² in the TAF group. There was a reduction in eGFR from baseline to week 48 in both groups， and compared with the TAF group at week 48， the ETV group had a significantly lower eGFR （106.42±14.12 mL/min/1.73 m² vs 112.25±13.44 mL/min/1.73 m²， t=-2.422， P=0.017） and a significantly higher incidence rate of abnormal renal function （17.00% vs 4.00%， χ²=5.092， P=0.024）. After the patients were divided into normal renal function group with 131 patients and abnormal renal function group with 19 patients， the univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in age （Z=-2.039， P=0.041）， treatment drug （ETV/TAF） （χ²=5.092， P=0.024）， and baseline eGFR level （t=4.023， P<0.001）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline eGFR （odds ratio ［OR］=0.896， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.841 — 0.955， P<0.001） and treatment drug （OR=5.589， 95%CI： 1.136 — 27.492， P=0.034） were independent influencing factors for abnormal renal function. Baseline eGFR had an area under the ROC curve of 0.781 in predicting abnormal renal function in CHB patients， with a cut-off value of 105.24 mL/min/1.73 m²， a sensitivity of 73.68%， and a specificity of 82.44%. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients with baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than those with baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² （χ²=22.330， P<0.001）， and the ETV group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than the TAF group （χ²=4.961， P=0.026）. With the initiation of antiviral therapy， both the ETV group and the TAF group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.259， P<0.001）， but the ETV group only had a significant lower level of eGFR than the TAF group at week 48 （t=-2.422， P=0.017）； both the baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group and the baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.712， P<0.001）， and there was a significant difference in eGFR between the two groups at baseline and weeks 12， 24， 36， and 48 （t=-13.927， -9.780， -8.835， -9.489， and -8.953， all P<0.001）. ConclusionFor CHB patients initially treated with ETV or TAF， ETV antiviral therapy has a higher risk of renal injury than TAF therapy at week 48.

Objective:To observe the efficacy and factors influencing sequential or combined tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) after treatment with entecavir (ETV) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with low-level viremia (LLV).Methods:126 CHB cases treated with ETV antiviral therapy in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2020-September 2022 were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into a complete virologic response (CVR) group ( n = 84) and a low-level viremia (LLV) group ( n = 42) according to the HBV DNA level during treatment. Clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of the two groups at baseline and 48 weeks were analyzed by univariate analysis. Patients in the LLV group were divided into three groups according to their continued antiviral treatment regimen until 96 weeks: continued use of ETV as a control group; replacement of TAF as a sequential group; and combination of ETV and TAF as a combined group. The data of the three groups of patients were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance for 48 weeks. HBV DNA negative conversion rate, HBeAg negative conversion rate, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (Cr), and liver stiffness test (LSM) were compared among the three groups after 96 weeks of antiviral treatment. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent factors influencing the occurrence of HBV DNA non-negative conversion in LLV patients at 96 weeks. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of predicting the occurrence of HBV DNA non-negative conversion in LLV patients at 96 weeks. Kaplan-Meier was used to analyze the cumulative negative rate of DNA in LLV patients, and the Log-Rank test was used for comparison. HBV DNA and HBV DNA negative conversion rates during treatment were observed dynamically. Results:Univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in age, BMI, HBeAg positivity rate, HBV DNA, HBsAg, ALT, AST, and LSM at baseline between the CVR group and the LLV group ( P < 0.05). Univariate analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant difference among the three groups of LLV patients at 48 weeks ( P > 0.05). HBV-DNA negative conversion rate in the sequential group and the combination group was significantly higher than that in the control group after 96 weeks of treatment (88.89% vs. 41.18%, 85.71% vs. 41.18%, χ2 = 10.404, P = 0.006). HBeAg negative conversion rate was higher than that of the control group, with no statistically significant difference ( P > 0.05).Compared with the control group, ALT, Cr, and LSM in the sequential group and the combined group were equally improved to varying degrees, with a statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05). Subsequent use of ETV and HBV DNA at 48 weeks were independent risk factors for HBV DNA positivity at 96 weeks in LLV patients ( P < 0.05). The AUC of HBV DNA at 48 weeks was 0.735 (95% CI: 0.578 ~ 0.891), the cut-off value was 2.63 log 10 IU/ml, and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.90% and 72.40%, respectively. DNA conversion rate was significantly lower in LLV patients receiving 48-week ETV and 48-week HBV DNA&ge;2.63 log10 IU/mL than in patients receiving sequential or combined TAF and 48-week HBV DNA < 2.63 log 10 IU/mL. HBV DNA negative conversion rates in the sequential group and combined group at 72 weeks, 84 weeks, and 96 weeks were higher than those in the control group during the period from 48 weeks to 96 weeks of continuous treatment, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Sequential or combined TAF antiviral therapy could more effectively improve the 96-week CVR rate, as well as hepatic and renal function, and alleviate the degree of hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients with LLV following ETV treatment. Subsequent use of ETV and HBV DNA load at 48 weeks were independent predictors of HBV DNA positivity at 96 weeks in LLV patients.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for low-level viremia (LLV) and their dynamic changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) for the first time. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 78 CHB patients who attended Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, from November 2020 to March 2022 and received antiviral therapy with NAs for at least 12 months, and according to HBV DNA level during treatment, they were divided into sustained virologic response (SVR) group with 58 patients and LLV group with 20 patients. 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 or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent influencing factors for LLV and establish a predictive model, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of this model. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze cumulative HBV DNA negative conversion rate, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison. The analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to analyze the differences in HBV DNA and HBsAg between the two groups or within each group at weeks 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48. Results Compare with the SVR group, the LLV group had significantly higher HBeAg positive rate (90.0% vs 48.3%, χ 2 =10.701, P =0.001), log(HBV DNA) value (7.26±1.46 vs 5.65±1.70, t =-4.178, P < 0.001), and log(HBsAg) value (4.53±0.86 vs 3.44±0.93, t =-4.813, P < 0.001) and significantly lower age [29 (26-34) vs 33 (30-43), Z =-2.751, P =0.009], alanine aminotransferase (ALT) [67.0 (54.0-122.0)U/L vs 111.0 (47.0-406.0)U/L, Z =-2.203, P =0.028], aspartate aminotransferase [43.5 (32.8-62.8) U/L vs 77.5 (35.0-213.0)U/L, Z =-2.466, P =0.014], and liver stiffness measurement [7.7 (6.3-8.5)kPa vs 8.9 (7.2-11.4)kPa, Z =-2.022, P =0.043]. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that baseline HBV DNA (odds ratio [ OR ]=2.365, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.220-4.587, P =0.011), HBsAg ( OR =4.229, 95% CI : 1.098-16.287, P =0.036), and ALT ( OR =0.965, 95% CI : 0.937-0.994, P =0.018) were independent influencing factors for LLV in CHB patients, and the predictive model of Logit(MLLV)=-8.668+1.441×lgHBsAg+0.598×lgHBV DNA-0.016×ALT was established based on these factors, which had a larger area under the ROC curve than HBV DNA, HBsAg, and ALT (0.931 vs 0.774/0.856/0.666), with a sensitivity of 85.00% and a specificity of 93.10% at the optimal cut-off value of 0.44. The CHB patients with baseline HBV DNA > 7.29 lgIU/mL or HBsAg > 4.38 lgIU/mL had a significantly lower DNA negative conversion rate than those with DNA ≤7.29 lgIU/mL or HBsAg ≤4.38 lgIU/mL ( χ 2 =22.52 and 26.35, both P < 0.001). In the CHB patients, the highest reduction rates of HBV DNA and HBsAg were observed at weeks 12 and 24, respectively, and the LLV group had significantly higher levels of HBV DNA and HBsAg than the SVR group at weeks 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 (HBV DNA: t =-4.084, -4.526, -5.688, -7.123, and -6.266, all P < 0.001; HBsAg: t =-4.652, -4.691, -4.952, -4.804, and -4.407, all P < 0.001). Conclusion For the CHB patients treated with NAs for the first time, those with high HBV DNA load, high HBsAg quantification, and low ALT level at baseline are more likely to develop LLV, and dynamic monitoring of these indices is of great significance to observe the onset of LLV.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 α (HNF-1α) and the occurrence and development of liver inflammation and fibrosis in liver tissues of patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods:Sixty-four patients with chronic hepatitis B who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2011 to 2018 were selected. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided aspiration liver biopsy. The pathological results of liver biopsy were collected for inflammation grading and fibrosis staging. The liver puncture biopsies was collected by paraffin sectioning. The expression of HNF1α in the liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test was used for bidirectional ordered grouping data, and Spearman’s rank-correlation test was used for rank correlation analysis. Results:There were varying degrees of inflammatory necrosis and fibrosis in the liver tissues of patients with chronic hepatitis B. There was a linear relationship between the expression of HNF1α and the level of inflammation in liver tissues ( χ2MH = 40.70, P < 0.05). The expression of HNF1α in liver tissues of patients with chronic hepatitis B was decreased with the increase of liver inflammation. The expression intensity of HNF1α was negatively correlated with the inflammation grade ( rs = -0.815, P < 0.05). There was a linear relationship between the expressions of HNF1α and the degree and stage of liver fibrosis ( χ2MH = 31.95, P < 0.05). The expression level of HNF1α in liver tissue was gradually decreased with the aggravation of liver fibrosis. The expression intensity of HNF1α was negatively correlated with fibrosis stage ( rs = -0.713, P < 0.05). Conclusion:HNF1α is closely related to the occurrence and development of liver tissue inflammation and fibrosis, and is expected to be a sensitive indicator for evaluating the level of liver tissue inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In addition, its down-regulation may be involved in the process of occurrence and development of liver inflammation and liver fibrosis, and may become a new target for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury caused by various etiologies and a complex pathological change with the activation of hepatic stellate cells as the central link, and various signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of such complex lesions. It has the dual nature of repair and damage and may eventually progress to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer. In recent years, rapid progress has been made in the basic research on the cell signal transduction pathways associated with liver fibrosis, and some achievements have been made in the research on the treatment strategy of liver fibrosis. This article briefly reviews the cell signaling pathways associated with the development of liver fibrosis, including the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, the NF-κB signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, the TGF-signaling 1/Smad signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, the Hedgehog signaling pathway, and the Notch signaling pathway, and also introduces the potential therapeutic strategies for liver fibrosis at present.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of ritonavir-boosted danoprevir (DNVr) combined with daclatasvir (DCV) in the treatment of patients with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C (CHC).Methods Thirty-three patients with genotype 1b CHC admitted in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from August 2018 to February 2019 were enrolled.All the patients received DNVr +DCV antiviral treatment.HCV RNA levels were detected before and 2, 4, 12 weeks after treatment, and after drug withdrawal , respectively.Indicators of liver and kidney function and adverse events were observed.ANOVAV of repeated measurement was used to analyze the data. Results The baseline viral loads of 33 patients ranged from 1.12×104 to 1.76×107 IU／mL.Two weeks after treatment the viral loads of all patients were down to the lowest limit of detection (＜500 IU／mL). Serum ALT, AST and TBil levels returned to norml ( F＝58.26, 14.49 and 20.16, all P＜0.05) and sustained virologic response reached 100%12 weeks after drug withdrawal.Three cases had minor adverse reactions during the treatment.Conclusion DNVr combined with DCV can achieve a rapid and strong virological response in the treatment of patients with genotype 1b CHC with good safety.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and the effectiveness and safety of voriconazole (VCZ) in preventing pulmonary Aspergillus infection in HBV-ACLF patients treated with GC. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-two patients with HBV-ACLF were enrolled from January 2016 to December 2018 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. They were divided into non-GC group (104 cases), GC group (74 cases), and GC+ VCZ group (54 cases). The observation period was four months. The baseline liver function, the incidence of pulmonary Aspergillus infection, the survival rate during observation period, and the incidence of complications were compared among the three groups. The adverse reactions of VCZ were observed to identify the best dose for prevention. Quantitative data were analyzed by analysis of variance or rank sum test. Count data were analyzed by chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results: The baseline liver functions were not significantly different among the three groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of pulmonary Aspergillus infection in the GC group (22.97%(17/74)) was both higher than that in the non-GC group (5.77%(6/104)) and GC+ VCZ group (1.85%(1/54)), the differences were both statistically signifrcant (χ²=11.373 and 9.843, respectively, both P<0.01). The overall mortality rate of HBV-ACLF patients with pulmonary Aspergillus infection was 79.2%(19/24). The survival rate in non-GC group (37.5%(39/104)) showed no statistical difference with that in GC group (39.19%(29/74), χ²=0.052, P=0.819). The survival rate of GC+ VCZ group (66.67%(36/54)) was significantly higher than that in GC group and non-GC group (χ² =12.126 and 9.431, respectively, both P<0.01). The blood concentrations of VCZ were randomly measured in 16 patients from the GC+ VCZ group, and the range was 0.82-5.38 mg/L, with no evident adverse reactions. Conclusions The GC treatment is effective in HBV-ACLF patients in early stage. The VCZ treatment effectively reduces the incidence of pulmonary Aspergillus infection in HBV-ACLF patients receiving GC treatment and increases the survival rate. Oral VCZ (200 mg/d) treatment has a stable blood concentration in HBV-ACLF patients, with rare adverse reactions and good safety.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of combination of Tongxiening granule and Mesalazine on treating mild and moderate ulcerative colitis(UC) .Methods Totally 380 patients with mild‐to‐moderate UC diagnosed through endoscopy were allocated to the control group (n=190) and observation group(n=190) .For the observation group ,patients were remedied with the combination of Tongxiening Granules and the Mesalazine by oral administration for eight weeks ,meanwhile the control group only received the Mesalazine for eight weeks .The total effective rate of the two groups were statistically analyzed ,and the levels of ser‐um MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 before and after treatment in the two groups were measured .The expression of S100A12 and RAGE were detected by immunohistochemistry SP method .Results The total effective rate of the observation group and the control group was 94 .74% and 89 .47% respectively ,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0 .01) .After treatment ,the expression levels of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in the two groups were decreased ,additionally the expression levels in the observation group was lower than those in the control group ,and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0 .01) .After treatment ,the expression levels of RAGE and S100A12 in the observation group were decreased ,and there was a significant difference when compared with the control group(P<0 .01) .Conclusion Combined application of Tongxiening Granules and Mesalazine in treating patients with mild‐to‐mod‐erate UC could better improve clinical symptoms and bring better therapeutic effect than single use of Mesalazine .

Objective To investigate the role of Th17/Treg balance in immune mechanism in severe exacerbation of hepatitis B.Methods The clinical data of 41 patients with chronic hepatitis B were collected,and according to the conditions during hospitalization,these patients were divided into exacerbation group (19 patients) and improvement group (22 patients).On admission,at weeks 1 and 2 of treatment,and at the end of treatment,flow cytometry was used to measure the frequencies of Th 17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the serum levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17),interleukin-10 (IL-10),and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β).The dynamic changes in the frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells were compared between the two groups,and the correlation between clinical indices for hepatitis and cytokines was analyzed.The t-test was used for comparison between groups,a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison within one group across different time points,and Pearson correlation analysis was performed.Results With disease progression,the exacerbation group showed an increase in the frequency of Th 17 cells and a relatively low frequency of Treg cells;compared with the improvement group,the exacerbation group had a higher frequency of Th 17 cells and a lower frequency of Treg cells.Th1 7/Treg ratio gradually increased with exacerbation and decreased with improvement in conditions;in the exacerbation group and the improvement group,Th17/Treg ratio was positively correlated with total bilirubin and negatively correlated with prothrombin activity.In the exacerbation group and the improvement group,Th 17 cells were positively correlated with IL-17,and Treg cells were positively correlated with IL-10 and TGF-β.Conclusion Th1 7 and Treg cells play important roles in severe exacerbation of hepatitis B,and Th1 7/Treg ratio may be used as an immunobiological marker for the judgment of severity during severe exacerbation of hepatitis B.