Comparison of clinical and para-clinical characteristics between children and adults with the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant is associated with higher transmissibility, but lower disease severity, compared to some other variants. However, its exact pathogenicity among children is still largely unknown. This study was conducted to determine the differences in clinical characteristics between children and adults infected with this variant.

Establishing a predictive nomogram for 21‑day transplant-free survival in drug-induced liver failure.

Background: The high prevalence of drug-induced liver failure (DILF) have drawn great attention from clinicians.

Aim: To further delineate the clinical features of DILF and develop an easily applicable nomogram, based on readily-discernable clinical data, to predict transplant-free survival (TFS) at different time points.

Methods: 202 DILF patients were enrolled between January 2016 and December 2022, and were followed up from DILF diagnosis to death, liver transplantation, or 91 days afterward, whichever came first.

Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in optimizing the diagnosis of ascitic infection in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an emerging technique for the clinical diagnosis of infectious disease that has rarely been used for the diagnosis of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis. This study compared mNGS detection with conventional culture methods for the on etiological diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites and evaluated the clinical effect of mNGS.

Methods: A total of 109 patients with ascites due to cirrhosis were included in the study.

Avicularin alleviates acute liver failure by regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 pathways to reduce inflammation and ferroptosis.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is an inflammation-mediated hepatocyte death process associated with ferroptosis. Avicularin (AL), a Chinese herbal medicine, exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. However, the protective effect of AL and the mechanism on ALF have not been reported.

Development and application of a novel model to predict the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among lean pre-diabetics with normal blood lipid levels.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with type 2 diabetes, but its relationship with pre-diabetes is still unknown. This study aims to determine whether pre-diabetes is associated with NAFLD, followed by establishing a NAFLD predictive nomogram for lean Chinese pre-diabetics with normal blood lipids.

Methods: Datasets from 3 previous studies, 1 (2774 pre-diabetics with normal blood lipids for training, 925 for validation), 2 (546 for longitudinal internal validation, post-5-year follow-up), and 3 (501 from another institution for external validation), were used.

The combination of serum oligosaccharide chain (G-test), alpha-fetoprotein, and aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio provides the optimal diagnostic value for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of serum oligosaccharide chain (G-test), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and aspartic aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratios (AAR), both alone and in combination, for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) onset.

Methods: Between Januarys 2020-2022, 152 subjects admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University was enrolled in this study, of which 77 had HCC, 18 chronic hepatitis (CH), 37 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 20 were healthy. Data for patient characteristics were collected, and differences between groups were analyzed by either Mann-Whitney U or χ2 tests.

Higher serum uric acid to HDL-cholesterol ratio is associated with onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a non-obese Chinese population with normal blood lipid levels.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of associations between metabolic syndrome and the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Metabolic syndrome, in turn, has been found to be linked to high serum uric acid to HDL-cholesterol ratios (UHR). However, the relationship between UHR values and the occurrence of NAFLD in non-obese individuals remains unknown.

[Application of propofol sedation in patients undergoing continuous venous-venous haemodiafiltration].

Objective: To study the use of propofol sedation in patients undergoing continuous venous-venous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) and assess the curative effects.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Data from 74 patients with continuous sedation of propofol in emergency intensive care unit (ICU) from April 2009 to June 2011 were analyzed.