Who can benefit more from its twelve-week treatment: A prospective cohort study of blonanserin for patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Blonanserin (BNS) is a well-tolerated and effective drug for treating schizophrenia.

Aim: To investigate which types of patients would obtain the most benefit from BNS treatment.

Methods: A total of 3306 participants were evaluated in a 12-week, prospective, multicenter, open-label post-marketing surveillance study of BNS.

The epigenetic mechanism of metabolic risk in bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex and severe mental illness that causes significant suffering to patients. In addition to the burden of depressive and manic symptoms, patients with BD are at an increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS includes factors associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which may increase the mortality rate of patients with BD.

Alternations of vitamin D and cognitive function in first-diagnosed and drug-naïve BD patients: Physical activity as a moderator.

Background: The pathophysiological mechanism of cognitive impairments of bipolar disorder (BD) has not yet been completely revealed. It is well known that Vitamin D and physical activity (PA) are associated with BD. However, specific links between Vitamin D and cognitive deficits in BD are still unclear.

COVID-19 vaccination coverage among patients with psychiatric disorders in China during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: To investigate the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination coverage and the influential factors of vaccination among patients with mental disorders, we conducted a cross-sectional study in China.

Method: The anonymous questionnaires including demographic data, vaccination status, intention to be vaccinated and its reasons were collected in the Second Xiangya Hospital, one of the biggest four psychiatric centers in China. Mental health of these participants were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items (GAD-7).

Analysis of ancient and modern horse genomes reveals the critical impact of lncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation on horse domestication.

The domestication of horses has played critical roles in human civilizations. The excavation of ancient horse DNA provides crucial data for studying horse domestication. Studies of horse domestication can shed light on the general mechanisms of animal domestication.

Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation Increased the Risk of Developing Hepatic Failure and Mortality in Cirrhosis With Acute Exacerbation.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a serious condition and has been extensively described in chemotherapeutic immunosuppressive population. However, little is known about HBV reactivation in immunocompetent patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In this study, we evaluated the prevalence and the clinical significance of HBV reactivation in CHB patients with acute exacerbations.

enables fast and accurate genome-wide lncRNA/DNA binding prediction.

Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can bind to DNA sequences proximal and distal to abundant genes, thereby regulating gene expression by recruiting epigenomic modification enzymes to binding sites. Because a lncRNA's target genes scattering in a genome have correlated functions, epigenetic analyses should often be genome-wide on both genome and transcriptome levels. Multiple tools have been developed for predicting lncRNA/DNA binding, but fast and accurate genome-wide prediction remains a challenge.

Research on biochemical indexes of bone metabolism in bipolar disorder: A cross-sectional study with newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients.

Background: In recent years, the metabolic abnormalities associated with bipolar disorder (BD) have attracted people's attention. However, clinical studies on bone metabolism in individuals with BD are unavailable. This study was designed to assess biochemical indexes of bone metabolism and related influencing factors.

Plasma Exchange-Based Non-bioartificial Liver Support System Improves the Short-Term Outcomes of Patients With Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

Hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a complicated syndrome with extremely high short-term mortality. Whether plasma exchange (PE) improves HBV-ACLF outcomes remains controversial. Here, PE-based non-bioartificial liver support system (NB-ALSS) effects on short-term HBV-ACLF patient outcomes were investigated.

Testosterone and Estradiol as Novel Prognostic Indicators for HBV-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) has a high short-term mortality and urgently needs an early warning system with simplicity and high accuracy. Previous studies show that sex hormones play potential roles in the progression of HBV-related liver diseases. To explore the effect of testosterone and estradiol on the occurrence and prognosis of HBV-ACLF.

SIX1/EYA1 are novel liver damage biomarkers in chronic hepatitis B and other liver diseases.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological significance of sine oculis homeobox homolog 1 (SIX1) and eyes absent 1 (EYA1) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and other liver diseases.

Methods: SIX1 and EYA1 levels were detected in human serum and liver tissues by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescent staining method, respectively.

Results: The serum SIX1 and EYA1 levels in 313 CHB patients were 7.

Rifampicin induces clathrin-dependent endocytosis and ubiquitin-proteasome degradation of MRP2 via oxidative stress-activated PKC-ERK/JNK/p38 and PI3K signaling pathways in HepG2 cells.

It was reported that antituberculosis medicines could induce liver damage via oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the effects of rifampicin (RFP) on the membrane expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and the relationship between oxidative stress and RFP-induced endocytosis of MRP2 in HepG2 cells. We found that RFP (12.

Analysis of T cell receptor repertoire in monozygotic twins concordant and discordant for chronic hepatitis B infection.

Due to their identical inheritance and shared surroundings, identical twins have been the recommended group for studying the susceptibility and prognosis of diseases. Here, CD8 T cell receptor beta (TCRβ) chains were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing in three pairs of healthy identical twins and chronic hepatitis B patients. The data showed a high level of similarity in the TCR repertoire of each pair in terms of average TCR Vβ segment expression and frequency of the complementary determining region 3 (CDR3) pattern and skewed or oligoclonal clonotypes.

Genome-wide microarray-based analysis of miRNAs expression in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a severe clinical syndrome that may cause a high mortality. However, the mechanism is still not clear. Characterization of the microRNA (miRNA) profiles in ACLF patients may provide new clues to the pathogenesis and management of this syndrome.

Hybrid DNA virus in Chinese patients with seronegative hepatitis discovered by deep sequencing.

Seronegative hepatitis--non-A, non-B, non-C, non-D, non-E hepatitis--is poorly characterized but strongly associated with serious complications. We collected 92 sera specimens from patients with non-A-E hepatitis in Chongqing, China between 1999 and 2007. Ten sera pools were screened by Solexa deep sequencing.

Molecular characterization of the newly identified human parvovirus 4 in the family Parvoviridae.

Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is an emerging human virus, and little is known about the molecular aspects of PARV4 apart from its incomplete genome sequence, which lacks information of the termini. We analyzed the gene expression profile of PARV4 using a nearly full-length HPV4 genome in a replication competent system in 293 cells. We found that PARV4 utilizes two promoters to transcribe non-structural protein- and structural protein-encoding mRNAs, respectively, which were polyadenylated at the right end of the genome.

A cis-acting regulatory variation of the estrogen receptor α (ESR1) gene is associated with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis.

The hepatic fibrogenesis and sexual dimorphism of hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC) are related to estrogen and its receptors. Abnormal expression of estrogen receptor α (ESR1) is implicated in the development of cirrhosis in both animal models and humans. Here, we examine whether the ESR1 polymorphisms are related to HBV-LC risk among chronic HBV carriers, and we investigate the functional significance of positively associated polymorphisms.

Comparison of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) alone versus TIPS combined with embolotherapy in advanced cirrhosis: a retrospective study.

Objective: This study was designed to determine whether a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) combined with embolotherapy was superior to TIPS alone.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study (43 in the TIPS and embolotherapy group and 36 in the TIPS alone group). Embolotherapy was performed after TIPS using coils and a tissue adhesive agent.

Efficacy of short-term dexamethasone therapy in acute-on-chronic pre-liver failure.

Aim:   Acute-on-chronic pre-liver failure (pre-ACLF) is defined as a severe acute episode of chronic hepatitis B characterized by serum bilirubin of 171 µmol/L or more, alanine aminotransferase of five times or more the upper limit of normal and prothrombin activity of more than 40%, having a potential for progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). This study is to evaluate the efficacy of short-term dexamethasone in pre-ACLF.

Methods:   One hundred and seventy patients were assigned to dexamethasone therapy and control group at a ratio of 1:2.

Association of TBX21 T-1993C polymorphism with viral persistence but not disease progression in hepatitis B virus carriers.

Aim: Transcription factor T-bet is responsible for the differentiation of naive T lymphocytes, and its expression level is linked with different responses to some viral infections, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this report we examine whether promoter polymorphisms of the TBX21 gene (encoding T-bet) are associated with susceptibility to HBV persistence or disease progression in chronic HBV carriers.

Methods: Three previously reported promoter polymorphisms, T-1993C, T-1514C and G-1499A, were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.