Serum O-glycosylated HBsAg levels correlate with HBV RNA in HBeAg positive CHB patients during antiviral therapy.

Background: Recent evidence has indicated that the O-glycosylated PreS2 domain of the middle HBsAg is a distinguishing characteristic that allows the identification of HBsAg of HBV Dane particles and SVPs. This study's objective was to assess the changes in serum O-glycosylated HBsAg levels in CHB patients undergoing ETV or Peg-IFNα treatment.

Methods: Our retrospective study enrolled 86 patients with genotype C CHB.

Molecular networks via reduced reverse degree approach.

Porphyrazine and tetrakis porphyrazine are examples of organic compounds with complicated structures of rings. Physicists and chemical researchers have been interested in these structures because of their highly conjugated systems, which lead to peculiar optical and electrical characteristics. These structures are the fundamental components of molecular electronics, sensors, functional materials, and catalysis, among other scientific fields.

Chimeric antigen receptors of HBV envelope proteins inhibit hepatitis B surface antigen secretion.

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) caused by HBV infection greatly increases the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of CHB. HBsAg loss is the key indicator for cure of CHB, but is rarely achieved by current approved anti-HBV drugs.

Spatial transcriptomics reveals a low extent of transcriptionally active hepatitis B virus integration in patients with HBsAg loss.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can integrate into the chromosomes of infected hepatocytes, contributing to the production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and to hepatocarcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to explore whether transcriptionally active HBV integration events spread throughout the liver tissue in different phases of chronic HBV infection, especially in patients with HBsAg loss.

Design: We constructed high-resolution spatial transcriptomes of liver biopsies containing 13 059 tissue spots from 18 patients with chronic HBV infection to analyse the occurrence and relative distribution of transcriptionally active viral integration events.

New Spin-Polarized Electron Source Based on Alkali Antimonide Photocathode.

New spin-dependent photoemission properties of alkali antimonide semiconductor cathodes are predicted based on the detected optical spin orientation effect and DFT band structure calculations. Using these results, the Na_{2}KSb/Cs_{3}Sb heterostructure is designed as a spin-polarized electron source in combination with the Al_{0.11}Ga_{0.

A New Criterion for Shear Wave Elastometric Assessment Using Modulus of Stiffness Difference between Object and Environment.

Unlabelled: Ultrasound shear wave elastography is a modern method that is based on measuring the shear wave velocity making it possible to determine stiffness of soft biological tissues at an arbitrary point (point elastography) or to construct a two-dimensional color image with a subsequent point measurement of stiffness (two-dimensional elastography) and therefore to compare the stiffness of an object with a medium or objects with each other. is to develop a new criterion for the comparative assessment of objects with different stiffness during shear wave elastometry: modulus of stiffness difference between object and environment.

Materials And Methods: Using the original technology of building two-dimensional color elastogram, point and two-dimensional shear wave elastography were performed using linear sensors on commercial ultrasound scanners: Aixplorer (SuperSonic Imagine, France), Acuson S2000 (Siemens, Germany), and Verasonics acoustic system (Verasonics Inc.

Hepatitis B virus middle surface antigen loss promotes clinical variant persistence in mouse models.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) middle surface antigen (MHBs) mutation or deletion occurs in patients with chronic HBV infection. However, the functional role of MHBs in HBV infection is still an enigma. Here, we reported that 7.

Peg-interferon alpha add-on Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate achieved more HBsAg loss in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B naïve patients.

Several studies have showed that combining peg-interferon alpha (Peg-IFNα) with nucleotide analogues has complementary effects in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but the optimal regimen and potential mechanisms remain unclear. This was a prospective, longitudinal and multicentre clinical trial (NCT03013556). HBeAg-positive CHB naïve patients were randomly assigned to three groups: tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy for 96 weeks, TDF alone for 48 weeks and sequentially Peg-IFNα added for 48 weeks, TDF de novo combination with Peg-IFNα for 48 weeks then TDF alone for 48 weeks.

Serum Levels of ITGBL1 as an Early Diagnostic Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Purpose: Early diagnostic biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are needed to distinguish hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated HCC (HBV-HCC) patients from at-risk patients. We assessed the diagnostic values of serum Integrin beta-like 1 (ITGBL1) for early-stage HBV-HCC.

Patients And Methods: We recruited 716 participators including 299 in the training and 417 in the validation stage, (HBV-HCC, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC), and healthy controls) between 2017 and 2020 from three centers.

Viral quasispecies quantitative analysis: a novel approach for appraising the immune tolerant phase of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Few non-invasive models were established for precisely identifying the immune tolerant (IT) phase from chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to develop a novel approach that combined next-generation sequencing (NGS) and machine learning algorithms using our recently published viral quasispecies (QS) analysis package. 290 HBeAg positive patients from whom liver biopsies were taken were enrolled and divided into a training group ( = 148) and a validation group ( = 142).

Prognostic value of anti-HBc quantification in hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background And Aim: It has been reported that serum quantification of anti-HBc (qAnti-HBc) could predict antiviral response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, while its role in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) remains unclear. Its implication in HBV-ACLF was evaluated in this study.

Methods: Baseline serum qAnti-HBc levels were retrospectively detected in HBV-ACLF and CHB patients using recently developed double-sandwich immunoassay.

Variations in SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Cell Epitopes and Glycosylation Profiles During Global Transmission Course of COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to an outbreak of a pandemic worldwide. For better understanding the viral spike (S) protein variations and its potential effects on the interaction with the host immune system and also in vaccine development, the cell epitopes, glycosylation profile and their changes during the global transmission course were characterized and compared with SARS-CoV for their glycosylation profile. We analyzed totally 7,813 sequences screened from 8,897 whole genome sequences on GISAID database up to April 26, and 18 S protein amino acid variations with relatively high frequency (≥10) were identified.

Comparison of Serum Hepatitis B Virus RNA Levels and Quasispecies Evolution Patterns between Entecavir and Pegylated-Interferon Mono-treatment in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA may independently predict virological and serological response. This study aimed to compare dynamic changes in serum HBV RNA levels and HBV quasispecies evolution patterns between entecavir and pegylated-interferon mono-treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients and to determine the clinical significance during treatment. TaqMan real-time PCR was used for quantitative analysis.

ITGBL1 promotes cell migration and invasion through stimulating the TGF-β signalling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives: Integrin beta-like 1 (ITGBL1) is involved in the migration and invasion of several cancers; however, its roles in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown.

Materials And Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining was used to investigate the expression pattern of ITGBL1 and its prognostic values in HCC patients. The transwell, wound-healing assays, xenograft and orthotopic mouse models were employed to determine the effects of ITGBL1 on HCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo.

An integrated software for virus community sequencing data analysis.

Background: A virus community is the spectrum of viral strains populating an infected host, which plays a key role in pathogenesis and therapy response in viral infectious diseases. However automatic and dedicated pipeline for interpreting virus community sequencing data has not been developed yet.

Results: We developed Quasispecies Analysis Package (QAP), an integrated software platform to address the problems associated with making biological interpretations from massive viral population sequencing data.

Liraglutide prevents β-cell apoptosis via inactivation of NOX2 and its related signaling pathway.

Aims: High glucose (HG)-induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis may be a major contributor to the progression of diabetes mellitus (DM). NADPH oxidase (NOX2) has been considered a crucial regulator in β-cell apoptosis. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1Ra) liraglutide on pancreatic β-cell apoptosis in diabetes and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Comparison of Naturally Occurring Resistance-Associated Substitutions Between 2008 and 2016 in Chinese Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

The presence of pre-existing hepatitis C virus (HCV) resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) could attenuate viral susceptibility to direct-acting antiviral agents. The aim of this study was to better understand the differences among HCV RASs over time. We compared the prevalence and characteristics of naturally occurring HCV RASs in the NS3, NS5A, and NS5B genes between 2008 and 2016 in Chinese patients chronically infected with HCV genotypes (GT) 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, and 6a.

Protective Effects of Reduced Beta 2 Glycoprotein I on Liver Injury in Streptozotocin (STZ)-Diabetic Rats by Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase.

BACKGROUND Protective effects of reduced beta 2 glycoprotein I (Rb2GPI) against vascular injury of diabetes mellitus have been extensively investigated. However, the effects of Rb2GPI on liver injury in diabetic animals have not been reported. MATERIAL AND METHODS A diabetic rat model of was produced by systemic injection of streptozotocin (STZ).

Serum M2BPGi level is a novel predictive biomarker for the responses to pegylated interferon-α treatment in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.

Serum Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) level was found to be a useful prognostic marker for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NUCs) therapy, and the aim of our study is to evaluate the clinical implementation of M2BPGi level in the prediction of antiviral responses to pegylated-interferon-α (PEG-IFN-α) treatment in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. Ninety-six CHB patients who received PEG-IFN-α treatment for at least 48 weeks were recruited. The serum M2BPGi, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg, and HBV DNA levels at baseline, weeks 4, 12, and 24 after PEG-IFN-α treatment were determined and their associations with antiviral responses were evaluated and the virological response (VR) rate and serological response (SR) rate after 48 weeks of treatment were 65.

Saxagliptin Induces β-Cell Proliferation through Increasing Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1α and .

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, such as saxagliptin, have been reported to have beneficial effects on β-cell function, but the specific underlying mechanism remains unclear. Stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), a chemokine produced in multiple organs, has been considered as a crucial regulator in promoting β-cell survival. Here, we speculate that SDF-1α might mediate the effect of saxagliptin on improving β-cell function.

A comparative study on the characterization of hepatitis B virus quasispecies by clone-based sequencing and third-generation sequencing.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a high mutation rate due to the extremely high replication rate and the proofreading deficiency during reverse transcription. The generated variants with genetic heterogeneity are described as viral quasispecies (QS). Clone-based sequencing (CBS) is thought to be the 'gold standard' for assessing QS complexity and diversity of HBV, but an important issue about CBS is cost-effectiveness and laborious.

Reduced beta 2 glycoprotein I prevents high glucose-induced cell death in HUVECs through miR-21/PTEN.

High serum beta 2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is associated with complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and especially microvascular disorders. In contrast, reduced β2GPI (Rβ2GPI) can prevent diabetic vascular injury. This study aimed to investigate the protective function of Rβ2GPI in DM vascular disorders, and to assess the under lying mechanisms.

Effects of reduced β2 glycoprotein I on high glucose‑induced cell death in HUVECs.

Reduced β2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) has been demonstrated to exhibit a beneficial effect in diabetic atherosclerosis and retinal neovascularization. However, the effect of reduced β2GPI on vascular disorders in diabetic mellitus (DM) remains to be elucidated. The present study established a high glucose‑induced injury model using human umbilical cords veins (HUVECs) and evaluated the protective effects of reduced β2GPI against the injury.

Association of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels with Microvascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is typically featured by elevated serum concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). This study aimed to determine the relationship between TSH levels and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 860 type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.