As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of serum cystatin C (CysC) and C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9) levels for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 135 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 45-75 years, who were treated in Gansu Provincial Hospital from April 2021 to April 2022 were included.According to DR grading standard, patients were divided into non-DR (NDR) group, non-proliferative DR (NPDR) group and proliferative DR (PDR) group, with 45 patients in each group.The DR patients were subdivided into DME group (51 cases) and non-DME group (39 cases).A total of 45 healthy subjects were selected as the normal control group.Fasting peripheral venous blood was collected to detect serum glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, CysC and CTRP9 levels.The expression of CysC and CTRP9 levels among different groups were compared.The independent influencing factors of DR and DME were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis model.The diagnostic value of serum CysC and CTRP9 in DR and DME were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and the study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gansu Provincial Hospital (No.2021-301).All patients were informed about the purpose and methods of the study and signed an informed consent form.Results:Serum CysC levels in normal control group, NDR group, NPDR group and PDR group were 0.74(0.67, 0.83), 1.03(0.85, 1.22), 1.40(0.98, 1.63) and 1.66(1.31, 1.85)mg/L, respectively, showing a gradually increasing trend, and the serum CTRP9 levels were (136.90±14.95), (120.23±16.31), (109.50±14.71) and (90.99±13.88)pg/ml, respectively, showing a gradually decreasing trend, with statistically significant overall comparison differences among groups ( Z=89.430, P<0.001; F=74.242, P<0.001), the comparison within groups was statistically significant (all at P<0.05).Compared with non-DME group, the serum CysC level was significantly increased and serum CTRP9 level was significantly decreased in DME group (both P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum CysC (odds ratio [ OR]=19.742, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 4.515-86.316, P<0.001) was the independent risk influencing factors for the occurrence of DR, and CTRP9 ( OR=0.937, 95% CI: 0.908-0.966, P<0.001) was a protective factor for the occurrence of DR.Serum CTRP9 level ( OR=0.838, 95% CI: 0.778-0.903, P<0.001) was a protective factor for DME.The ROC curve showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) for serum CysC and CTRP9 levels alone and in combination for the diagnosis of DR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by DR were 0.798, 0.802 and 0.870, respectively.The cutoff values of serum CysC and CTRP9 levels to obtain the best diagnostic efficacy were 1.34 mg/L and 110.12 pg/ml, respectively.The AUC for serum CysC and CTRP9 level alone and in combination for the diagnosis of DME in DR patients were 0.682, 0.923 and 0.923, respectively.The cutoff value of serum CTRP9 level to obtain optimal diagnostic efficacy was 104.68 pg/ml. Conclusions:The enhanced expression of serum CysC level and reduced expression of serum CTRP9 level are the risk factors for the development of DR in type 2 diabetes patients.The decrease of serum CTRP9 level is one of the risk factors for the development of DME in DR patients.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of flumatinib conversion in chronic myelogenous leukemia-chronicphase(CML-CP)patients with suboptimal TKI response or intolerance.Methods Patients who did not have the best response or intolerance to first-line imatinib,dasatinib,and nilotinib and switched to flumatinib(600 mg/d)from February 2020 to August 2022 were collected from 5 hospitals from Chongqing and affiliated hospitals of North Sichuan Medical College.The efficacy and safety of flumatinib were observed.The optimal response rate,major molecular response(MMR),cumulative complete cytogenetic response(CCyR)rate,cumulative MMR rate,cumulative deep molecular response(DMR),progression-free survival(PFS),event-free survival(EFS)and adverse reactions in 3,6 and 12 months after treatment were observed and analyzed.Results A total of 100 patients with CML-CP were enrolled,with a median follow-up of 18(3～36)months.The optimal response rate was 92.6％(88/95),94.4％(85/90)and 92.9％(79/85)respectively,at 3,6 and 12 months after treatment.Till August 20,2023,the cumulative CCyR and MMR rate was 98.0％(98/100)and 81.9％(77/94),respectively,the median time to reach CCyR and MMR was 3 months,and cumulative DMR rate was 51.0％(51/100).PFS rate was 100.0％(100/100)and 1-year EFS rate was 85.6％(75/90).The most common non-hematologic adverse reactions of flumatinib were diarrhea and abdominal pain(7.0％),followed by renal dysfunction(6.0％)and musculoskeletal pain(2.0％).The main hematologic adverse reactions were thrombocytopenia(12.0％),anemia(6.0％)and leukopenia(2.0％).Conclusion Flumatinib has better MMR and DMR and is well tolerated in CML-CP patients with TKI resistance or intolerance.

Objective To investigate the effects of Simo decoction on duodenal microinflammation and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1(Caspase-1)/gasdermin D(GSDMD)signaling pathway in rats with functional dyspepsia(FD).Methods The FD model was established by multifactorial method.SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group(FD model),positive control group(gavage administration of 0.305 mg·kg-1 mosapride injection)and experimental-H,-M,-L groups(gavage administration of 5.62,2.81,1.40 g·kg-1 Simo decoction).Small intestinal advancement rate and gastric emptying rate was determined;the levels of interleukin(IL)-1 β and IL-18 in serum were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA);the protein expression of NLRP3 and GSDMD in duodenal tissue was detected by Western blotting.Results The gastric emptying rates of normal,model,positive control and experimental-H,-M,-Lgroupswere(58.34±5.72)％,(29.16±8.37)％,(48.77±6.10)％,(48.35±6.04)％,(48.20±3.49)％and(39.24±4.20)％;the small intestinal propulsion rates were(82.01±7.55)％,(41.95±9.53)％,(64.61±10.18)％,(75.04±9.76)％,(60.58±7.13)％and(45.89±7.40)％;serum IL-1 β expression were(12.86±0.88),(43.73±4.60),(18.84±0.86),(24.61±1.57),(19.14±0.77)and(29.04±0.72)pg·mL-1;IL-18 expressions were(95.00±3.74),(170.60±8.78),(108.50±3.05),(118.90±3.45),(99.90±8.70)and(141.00±3.71)pg·mL-1;the relative expression levels of NLRP3 proteins were 0.32±0.02,0.84±0.05,0.42±0.03,0.48±0.02,0.61±0.04 and 0.62±0.05;the relative expression levels of GSDMD proteins were 0.34±0.05,0.93±0.06,0.35±0.03,0.52±0.02,0.53±0.06 and 0.55±0.05,respectively.Compared with the normal group,the above indexes in the model group have statistical significance;compared with the model group,the above indexes in the experimental-H group and the positive control group also have statistical significance(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05).Conclusion Simo decoction can effectively improve the general condition and duodenal microinflammation in FD rats,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of duodenal NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

Protein as the allergens could lead to allergy. In addition, a widespread class of allergens were known as glycans of N-glycoprotein. N-glycoprotein contained oligosaccharide linked by covalent bonds with protein. Recently,studies implicated that allergy was associated with glycans of heterologous N-glycoprotein found in food, inhalants, insect toxins, etc. The N-glycan structure of N-glycoprotein allergen has exerted an influence on the binding between allergens and IgE, while the recognition and presentation of allergens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) were also affected. Some researches showed thatN-glycan structure of allergen was remodeled by N-glycosidase, such as cFase I, gpcXylase, as binding of allergen and IgE partly decreased. Thus, allergic problems caused by N-glycoproteins could potentially be solved by modifying or altering the structure ofN-glycoprotein allergens, addressing the root of the issue. Mechanism of N-glycans associated allergy could also be elaborated through glycosylation enzymes, alterations of host glycosylation. This article hopes to provide a separate insight for glycoimmunology perspective, and an alternative strategy for clinical prevention or therapy of allergic diseases.

Background Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] exposure can cause structural disruption of intestinal flora and functional impairment. Vitamin C (VC) is one of the essential micronutrients, which plays an important role in promoting the growth of intestinal probiotics, improving the intestinal barrier, and maintaining the homeostasis of intestinal flora. However, the regulatory effect of VC on the intestinal flora disorders caused by Cr(VI) exposure remains to be investigated. Objective To investigate the effect of VC on intestinal flora disruption in mice due to Cr(VI) exposure. Methods Thirty-two SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice were acclimatized and fed for 3 d and randomly divided into control (Con), VC, potassium dichromate [K₂Cr₂O₇, Cr(VI)], and VC+K₂Cr₂O₇ [VC+Cr(VI)] groups. At 8:00 a.m. on day 4, the Con group (double-distilled water given by gavage and injected intraperitoneally), the VC group (VC given by gavage and double-distilled water injected intraperitoneally), the Cr(VI) group (double-distilled water given by gavage and K₂Cr₂O₇ solution injected intraperitoneally), and the VC+Cr(VI) group (VC given by gavage and K₂Cr₂O₇ solution injected intraperitoneally) were treated. The dose of VC was 200 mg·kg⁻¹, and the dose of K₂Cr₂O₇ was 1.25 mg·kg⁻¹. The mice were treated for 45 consecutive days and then executed, the contents of the colon were sampled in sterile freezing tubes, and three replicates were collected from each group. After labeling, the samples were immediately put into liquid nitrogen for rapid freezing. After all the samples were collected, they were transferred to a -80 ℃ ultra-low temperature refrigerator for storage. Samples of colon contents were analyzed for intestinal flora structure by high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics software. Results The Cr(VI) exposure resulted in reduced body weight gain values in mice compared to the Con group. Pathological changes occurred in the ileal tissue of mice, with significant inflammatory cell infiltration in the Cr(VI) group and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the VC+Cr(VI) group. The number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of intestinal flora was altered in the Cr(VI) group of mice. In the α diversity analysis, the mean Sobs index in the Cr(VI) group was 240.333±67.796, the Chao index was 258.173±64.813, and the Ace index was 259.481±66.891, which were significantly lower than those in the Con group (P<0.05), the PD whole tree index in the Cr(VI) group was 27.863±2.399, which was significantly higher than that in the Con group (P<0.05), and the VC intervention significantly reversed the changes of the above indexes due to Cr(VI) exposure (P<0.05). In the β diversity analysis, the principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) results showed a significant separation between the Cr(VI) group and the Con group, and after the VC intervention, there was a retraction of the separation trend and the difference was reduced. The multi-sample similarity dendrogram results showed that the control and the VC groups clustered together first, then with the VC+Cr(VI) group, and finally with the Cr(VI) group. The abundances of Bacteroidetes, Saccharibacteria, and Tenericutes in the intestine of mice in the Cr(VI) group were decreased, and the abundance of Firmicutes was increased; the abundances of Lactobacillus, Alistipes, Bacteroides, and Ruminiclostridium were also increased. Included among these, Bacteroides showed a significantly higher abundance compared to the control mice (P<0.05). Changes in the abundances of phyla and genera of the above mentioned gut microorganisms were reversed after the VC intervention. Conclusion Cr(VI) exposure can lead to intestinal damage and disorganization of the intestinal flora structure in mice, while VC intervention can ameliorate the above changes to a certain extent and normalize the intestinal flora structure.

Objective To investigate changes in the urinary metabolite profiles of children exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)during critical brain development and explore their potential link with the intestinal microbiota. Methods Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine ten hydroxyl metabolites of PAHs(OH-PAHs)in 36-month-old children.Subsequently,37 children were categorized into low-and high-exposure groups based on the sum of the ten OH-PAHs.Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to identify non-targeted metabolites in the urine samples.Furthermore,fecal flora abundance was assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Results The concentrations of 21 metabolites were significantly higher in the high exposure group than in the low exposure group(variable importance for projection>1,P<0.05).Most of these metabolites were positively correlated with the hydroxyl metabolites of naphthalene,fluorine,and phenanthrene(r=0.336-0.531).The identified differential metabolites primarily belonged to pathways associated with inflammation or proinflammatory states,including amino acid,lipid,and nucleotide metabolism.Additionally,these distinct metabolites were significantly associated with specific intestinal flora abundances(r=0.34-0.55),which were mainly involved in neurodevelopment. Conclusion Higher PAH exposure in young children affected metabolic homeostasis,particularly that of certain gut microbiota-derived metabolites.Further investigation is needed to explore the potential influence of PAHs on the gut microbiota and their possible association with neurodevelopmental outcomes.