Interferon-α2b spray inhalation did not shorten virus shedding time of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients: a preliminary matched case-control study.

Background: Currently, there are no drugs that have been proven to be effective against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Because of its broad antiviral activity, interferon (IFN) should be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially while COVID-19-specific therapies are still under development.

Methods: Confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, from January 19 to February 19, 2020 were enrolled in a retrospective study.

Clinical characteristics of different subtypes and risk factors for the severity of illness in patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now becoming an enormous threat to public health. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 is extensive, of which critical cases are with rapid disease progression and high mortality. The aim of our study is to summarize the characteristics of different subtypes and explore risk factors of illness severity for early identification and prompt treatment.

Liver Enzyme Elevation in Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Elevated liver enzyme levels are observed in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, these features have not been characterized.

Methods: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province, China, from January 17 to February 12, 2020, were enrolled. Liver enzyme level elevation was defined as alanine aminotransferase level >35 U/L for men and 25 U/L for women at admission.

Switching Lamivudine with Adefovir Dipivoxil Combination Therapy to Entecavir Monotherapy Provides Better Viral Suppression and Kidney Safety.

Most chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in China are primitively treated with a combination of lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV). Although antiviral resistance can be avoided with this combination therapy, using it can have harmful side effects related to ADV, specifically kidney and bone injury. This study was designed to compare viral suppression and kidney safety when switching LAM and ADV combination therapy to entecavir (ETV) monotherapy in patients with CHB and compensated hepatic cirrhosis.

Dichloroacetate induces protective autophagy in esophageal squamous carcinoma cells.

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, which promotes the flux of carbohydrates into mitochondria and enhances the aerobic oxidation of glucose. DCA has previously been demonstrated to exhibit antitumor properties. The present study revealed that treatment with DCA induced increased levels of autophagy-associated proteins in esophageal squamous carcinoma cells while minimally affecting apoptosis.

Effect of low-to-moderate-dose corticosteroids on mortality of hospitalized adolescents and adults with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viral pneumonia.

Background: The effect of corticosteroids on influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viral pneumonia patients remains controversial, and the impact of dosage has never been studied.

Methods: Using data of hospitalized adolescent and adult patients with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viral pneumonia, prospectively collected from 407 hospitals in mainland China, the effects of low-to-moderate-dose (25-150 mg d ) and high-dose (>150 mg d ) corticosteroids on 30-day mortality, 60-day mortality, and nosocomial infection were assessed with multivariate Cox regression and propensity score-matched case-control analysis.

Results: In total, 2141 patients (median age: 34 years; morality rate: 15.

Comparison of two different size needles in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for diagnosing solid pancreatic lesions: A meta-analysis of prospective controlled trials.

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to provide a pooled analysis of prospective controlled trials comparing the diagnostic accuracy of 22-G and 25-G needles on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS-FNA) of the solid pancreatic mass.

Methods: We established a rigorous study protocol according to Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. We systematically searched the PubMed and Embase databases to identify articles to include in the meta-analysis.

[Clinical study of titanium mesh in conjunction with concentrate growth factors to rebuild severe bone defect of anterior maxilla].

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of overlaying titanium mesh with concentrate growth factors(CGF) for rebuilding severe buccal bone defect of anterior maxilla when used in association with dental implantation.

Methods: Twenty patients with severe buccal bone defect of maxilla were selected. A total of 25 dental implants were placed, including 5 cases in bilateral central incisor area and 15 cases in unilateral central incisor area.

A serum metabolomic analysis for diagnosis and biomarker discovery of primary biliary cirrhosis and autoimmune hepatitis.

Background: Because of the diversity of the clinical and laboratory manifestations, the diagnosis of autoimmune liver disease (AILD) remains a challenge in clinical practice. The value of metabolomics has been studied in the diagnosis of many diseases. The present study aimed to determine whether the metabolic profiles, based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), differed between autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), to identify specific metabolomic markers, and to establish a model for the diagnosis of AIH and PBC.

Early kidney injury during long-term adefovir dipivoxil therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To evaluate urine β2-microglobulin (β2-M), retinol-binding protein (RBP) excretion, and renal impairment with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) for chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: We enrolled 165 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection who were treated with ADV monotherapy (n = 90) or ADV plus lamivudine combination therapy (n = 75). An additional 165 chronic hepatitis B patients treated with entecavir were recruited as controls.

Hepatitis B surface antigen levels during natural history of chronic hepatitis B: a Chinese perspective study.

Aim: To determine the baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels during the different phases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in China.

Methods: Six hundred and twenty-three hepatitis B virus or un-infected patients not receiving antiviral therapy were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. The CHB patients were classified into five phases: immune-tolerant (IT, n = 108), immune-clearance (IC, n = 161), hepatitis B e antigen negative hepatitis (ENH, n = 149), low-replicative (LR, n = 135), and liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 70).

MicroRNA expression profiles related to early stage murine concanavalin A-induced hepatitis.

Background: Fulminant hepatitis is a severe liver disease characterized by massive hepatocyte necrosis and clinical signs of liver failure. This study explores the expression profile of microRNAs, which are regulators of a number of pathophysiological processes, during the early stage of concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis.

Methods: Balb/c mice were given ConA injections to induce fulminant hepatitis.

HBsAg levels in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with different immune conditions.

Aim: To investigate hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and different immune conditions.

Methods: HBeAg-positive CHB patients with different immune conditions were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. These patients were grouped according to the following criteria: immune-tolerant patients, IT group; patients with a mild immune response in the immune clearance phase, IC-Mild group; and patients with a dramatic immune response in the immune clearance phase and exhibiting acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), ACLF group.

De novo combined lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil therapy vs entecavir monotherapy for hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis.

Aim: To compare efficacy of combined lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) therapy with that of entecavir (ETV) monotherapy for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Methods: A total of 120 naïve patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis participated in this study. Sixty patients were treated with combined LAM and ADV therapy (LAM + ADV group), while the other 60 were treated with ETV monotherapy (ETV group) for two years.

Antiviral therapy and outcomes of patients with pneumonia caused by influenza A pandemic (H1N1) virus.

Background: There is limited data on the clinical outcome of patients with pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) pneumonia who received oseltamivir treatment, especially when the treatment was administered more than 48 hours after symptom onset.

Methods: During the pandemic in 2009, a cohort of pH1N1 influenza pneumonia was built in China, and their clinical information was collected systematically, and analyzed with Cox models.

Results: 920 adults and 541 children with pneumonia who didn't receive corticosteroids were analyzed.

[Efficacy of lamivudine monotherapy and combination therapy with adefovir dipivoxil for patients with hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis].

To compare the efficacy of Lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy and combination therapy with Adefovir Dipivoxil (ADV) for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related decompensated cirrhosis for 2 years. A total of 115 patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis were erolled in this study, among 60 patients were treated with LAM combined with ADV and 55 were treated with LAM. The liver and kidney functions, HBV DNA, HBV-M, AFP, Ultrasond or CT scan of liver were tested every 1-3months.

[Adjuvant effect of co-stimulatory molecule CD137L on cellular responses to HBsAg DNA vaccination in mice].

Objective: To investigate the adjuvant effect of co-stimulatory molecule CD137L on cellular responses to HBsAg DNA vaccination in mice.

Methods: Eukaryotic expression vector containing the full length of mouse CD137L cDNA sequence (pcD137L) was transfected into NIH3T3 cells, and then the expression of CD137L mRNA and protein in the transfected cells were detected by RT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence method, respectively. The BALB/c mice were co-immunized with pcD137L and HBsAg DNA vaccine (pcDS) by intramuscular injection.

[Current situation and impact factors of acid deposition in main cites of Shandong Province].

Based on the monitoring data for years in Shandong Province, current situation of acid rain in every city was assessed, and the temporal distribution of the dry, wet and total sulfur deposition in Jinan and Qingdao were studied. The results showed that Qingdao which had the largest precipitation acidity was the single city whose annul average precipitation pH was below 5. 60.

[Inhibition of binding peptides on replication of duck hepatitis B virus].

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of binding peptides on duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) replication in duck hepatocytes.

Methods: Specific binding peptides to duck hepatitis B virus polymerase (DHBVP) were screened by phage display technology (PDT), then were sequenced and synthesized. Binding peptides were added into primary culture of duck hepatocytes infected with DHBV in vitro.

The roles of serum IL-18, IL-10, TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: To identify the roles of serum IL-18, IL-10, TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C and the effects of interferon on the mentioned serum cytokines.

Methods: The levels of IL-18, IL-10, TNF-alpha and sIL-2R were detected in 10 healthy controls, 24 asymptomatic HCV carriers, and 27 patients with chronic hepatitis C (before and after IFN treatment) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: The levels of IL-18, IL-10, TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in the patients of chronic hepatitis C were higher than those in the healthy controls (P<0.