Objective:To explore the current status of surgery for portal hypertension to grasp current status and future development of surgery in China.Methods:This study is jointly sponsored by China Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Specialist Alliance & Portal Hypertension Alliance in China (CHESS).Comprehensive surveying is conducted for basic domestic situations of surgery for portal hypertension, including case load, surgical approaches, management of postoperative complications, primary effects, existing confusion and obstacles, liver transplantation(LT), laparoscopic procedures and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS), etc.Results:A total of 8 512 cases of portal hypertension surgery are performed at 378 hospitals nationwide in 2021.Splenectomy plus devascularization predominated(53.0%)and laparoscopy accounted for 76.1%.Primary goal is preventing rebleeding(67.0%) and 72.8% of hospitals used preventive anticoagulants after conventional surgery.And 80.7% of teams believe that the formation of postoperative portal vein thrombosis is a surgical dilemma and 65.3% of hospitals practiced both laparoscopy and TIPS.The major reasons for patients with portal hypertension not receiving LT are due to a lack of qualifications for LT(69.3%)and economic factors(69.0%).Conclusions:Surgery is an integral part of management of portal hypertension in China.However, it is imperative to further standardize the grasp of surgical indications, the handling of surgical operation and the management of postoperative complications.Moreover, prospective, multi-center randomized controlled clinical studies should be performed.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is an emerging powerful cancer immunotherapy, which includes a complex process of genetic modification, stimulation and expansion. During these

Objective:To compare the performances of different time series models in predicting COVID-19 in different countries.Methods:We collected the daily confirmed case numbers of COVID-19 in the USA, India, and Brazil from April 1 to September 30, 2020, and then constructed an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and a recurrent neural network (RNN) model, respectively. We applied the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE) to compare the performances of the two models in predicting the case numbers from September 21 to September 30, 2020.Results:For the ARIMA models applied in the USA, India, and Brazil, the MAPEs were 13.18%, 9.18%, and 17.30%, respectively, and the RMSEs were 6 542.32, 8 069.50, and 3 954.59, respectively. For the RNN models applied in the USA, India, and Brazil, the MAPEs were 15.27%, 7.23% and 26.02%, respectively, and the RMSEs were 6 877.71, 6 457.07, and 5 950.88, respectively.Conclusions:The performance of the prediction models varied with country. The ARIMA model had a better prediction performance for COVID-19 in the USA and Brazil, while the RNN model was more suitable in India.

Livestock husbandry is vital to economy of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. However, there have been few surveys of the distribution of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens affecting domestic animals at these locations. In this study, 3,916 adult ixodid ticks infesting domestic animals were collected from 23 sampling sites during 2012-2016. Ticks were identified to species based on morphology, and the identification was confirmed based on mitochondrial 16S and 12S rRNA sequences. Ten tick species belonging to 4 genera were identified, including Rhipicephalus turanicus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Rh. bursa, H. asiaticum asiaticum, and Rh. sanguineus. DNA sequences of Rickettsia spp. (spotted fever group) and Anaplasma spp. were detected in these ticks. Phylogenetic analyses revealed possible existence of undescribed Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. This study illustrates potential threat to domestic animals and humans from tick-borne pathogens.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic features and mutational landscape of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)–related advanced hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Materials and Methods: From January 2017 to December 2018, 38 patients newly diagnosed with HBV-related advanced HCC were enrolled in the final analysis. Their pathological tissues and corresponding blood samples before TACE treatment were collected for whole-exome sequencing. Response to TACE was evaluated at 1-3 months after two consecutive use of TACE. Predictive factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses in a bivariate Logistic regression model. Enrichment of related pathways of all driver genes were acquired using the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results: Among 38 patients, 23 (60.5%) exhibited TACE failure/refractoriness. Patients with TACE failure/refractoriness showed higher frequency of TP53 mutation than their counterparts (p=0.020). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that only vascular invasion and TP53 mutation were significantly correlated with TACE failure/refractoriness in HBV-related advanced HCC. Of the 16 patients without vascular invasion, eight (50.0%) had TP53 mutations, and TP53 mutation was associated with TACE failure/refractoriness (p=0.041). Moreover, GSEA showed that mitogen-activated protein kinase and apoptosis pathways induced by TP53 mutation were possibly associated with TACE failure/refractoriness. Conclusion Our study suggested that TP53 mutation was independently related with TACE efficacy, which may work via mitogen-activated protein kinase and apoptosis pathways. These findings may provide evidence to help distinguish patients who will particularly benefit from TACE from those who require more personalized therapeutic regimens and rigorous surveillance in HBV-related advanced HCC.

Medical ethics has a long history and rich connotations.It has developed from the simple "medical morality" of ancient times to the modem medical ethics.The basic principles of medical ethics include autonomy,non-maleficence,beneficence,justice,and so on.Researchers often conduct clinical researches in the balance between achievements and ethical norms.Clinical researchers of surgery should have a deep understanding of medical ethical principles and strictly abide by medical ethics.Ethics committee should strictly perform their duties and play the role of inspection and supervision.Modem medical knowledges should be popularized throughout the society to make clinical research correctly understood.Adhering principles of ethics first,people orientation and cooperation practice,with patients' benefit as evaluation criteria,balance of surgical "Dao" and "Shu" can be achieved.

Objective:To elucidate the relationship between HLA-DQB1 allele polymorphism as well as the expression level of Th1/Th2 cytokines with familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) to provide some evidence for the seeking susceptibility gene or resistant gene of HCC in Guangxi yao,China.Methods:With the same sexuality,age ±5 year,40 members whose families have had two or more HCC patients( high-occurrence families) were selected as the case group,and 40 members whose families have no any cancer patient were selected as the controls.Peripheral blood samples were collected to extract DNA,PCR-SSP was used to detect HLA-DQB1 alleles and ELISA was used to detect IL-2,IL-4 and IL-10.Results:(1) The gene frequency of the HLA-DQB1*02/09 alleles in the case group was higher than that in the controls(P<0.05);but the gene frequency of the HLA-DQB1*04/05/06/07/08 alleles were never significant difference between two groups ( P>0.05 ).( 2 ) The gene frequency of alleles HLA-DQB1 in HBsAg positive group and HBsAg negative group were never significant difference (P>0.05).(3)The expression levels of IL-4,IL-10 in the case group was higher than that in the control ( P<0.05 ).( 4 ) The expression level of IL-10 in the positive group of the HLA-DQB1*02 allele was higher than that in the negative group of the HLA-DQB1*02 allele ( P<0.05 ).( 5 ) The expression level of IL-4 in the positive group of the HLA-DQB1*09 allele was higher than that in the negative group of the HLA-DQB1*09 allele( P<0.05) .Con-clusion:(1) HLA-DQB1*02/09 seem to be susceptibility genes of hepatocellular carcinoma in high HCC incidence areas of Guangxi yao.(2) There may be not significant correlation bewteen HLA-DQB1 alleles and the susceptibility of HBV infection in high HCC incidence areas of Guangxi yao.( 3 ) The imbalance of IL-4, IL-10 might be associated with familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma in Guangxi yao.(4)The imbalance of IL-10 might be due to the carrying of HLA-DQB1*02;the imbalance of IL-4 might be due to the carrying of HLA-DQB1*09.Through the same approaches,these might lead to the phenomenon of familial aggregation of HCC in Guangxiyao.

Objective To explore the distribution and characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype in the region in Guangxi with high incidence of primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods 103 pairs of samples from the sex- and age-matched members with HBsAg-positive from PLC-clustering families (the experimental group) and carcinoma-free families (control group) were collected. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing methods were applied for the analysis of HBV genotype. Results Four HBV genotypes: B, C, B/C and D, were detected, the percentages of them in the two groups were 31.1%, 63.1%, 1.9%, 1.9% and 30.1%, 55.3%, 6.8%, 2.9%, respectively, showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). HBeAg positive rates were significantly different between genotype C and B (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were showed in such factors as gender, age, ethnic group and HBV DNA level in them (P > 0.05). Conclusions The main genotypes were types B and C besides a small number of combined genotypes B/C and D in the regions of Guangxi with a high incidence of PLC. There may be few relationships between HBV genotypes and the high incidence of PLC for familial clustering in Guangxi.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of plasma exchange with non-bioartificial liver support system on serum manganese levels in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and its clinical significance. MethodsA total of 22 inpatients with hepatic encephalopathy who were admitted to our hospital from October 2007 to July 2011 were treated with plasma exchange, and were divided into improvement group and aggravation group based on prognosis. The serum manganese level was dynamically determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and the changes in manganese levels after treatment and relief or worsening of disease were analyzed. Comparison between the two groups was made using t test. ResultsAfter treatment, the 22 patients all showed significantly reduced manganese levels (22.6±6.9 μg/L vs 36.4±10.6 μg/L, t=4.789, P=0.000). After treatment, 8 cases improved and 14 cases aggravated, and the improvement group showed a significantly lower manganese level than the aggravation group (18.9±6.3 μg/L vs 39.2±9.8 μg/L, t=4.816, P=0000). ConclusionNon-bioartificial liver support system can reduce serum manganese levels in patients with hepatic encephalopathy, and the serum manganese level may influence the disease progression.

Objective To explore the effect of aluminum phosphate gel and Kangfuxin on esophageal pathology and expressions of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in rats with reflux esophagitis and explore the possible mechanisms. Method Sixty SD rats were randomized into aluminum phosphate gel group (n=10), Kangfuxin group (n=10), aluminum phosphate gel+Kangfuxin group (n=10), model group (n=20), and control group (n=10). Except for those in the control group, all the rats were subjected to infusion of diluted lysolecithin with hydrochloric acid in the esophagus for 14 days. Ten rats in the model group and those in the control group were sacrificed to examine the pathological changes and contents of IL-8 and PGE2 in the esophagus using optical and electron microscopes and radioimmunoassay. The next day the rest rats were given corresponding treatments (saline in model group) administered into the esophagus on a daily basis for 14 days, after which esophageal pathologies and IL-8 and PGE2 contents were examined. Results The model rats showed obvious esophageal pathologies including inflammatory cell infiltration, vacuolar degeneration of the epithelial cells, esophageal erosion and even ulceration, with severe detachment of the epithelial cells. The rats in all the intervention groups showed lessened esophageal pathologies and lowered esophageal IL-8 and PGE2 contents compared with those in the model group. Esophageal mucosal injury index and IL-8 and PGE2 contents were all significantly lower in rats receiving combined treatment with aluminum phosphate and Kangfuxin than in those receiving either of the treatments (P<0.05). Conclusion Both Kangfuxin and aluminum phosphate gel are effective in the treatment for reflux esophagitis induced by lysolecithin and hydrochloric acid, and their therapeutic effects are achieved possibly by reducing IL-8 and PGE2 levels in the esophagus.