Tolvaptan in Chinese cirrhotic patients with ascites: A randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial.

Objective: To evaluate tolvaptan as a novel therapeutic option for Chinese patients with liver cirrhosis-associated ascites in a phase 2 clinical trial.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial was conducted in patients with insufficient responses to combination therapies of an oral loop diuretic and an aldosterone antagonist. Reduction in body weight and abdominal circumference, increase in 24-h cumulative urine volume and improvement in serum sodium level from baseline to the end of treatment in the tolvaptan groups (15 mg/day or 30 mg/day orally) were compared with those in the placebo group.

CSH guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an important clinical problem, which has received more attention in recent decades. It can be induced by small chemical molecules, biological agents, traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), natural medicines (NM), health products (HP), and dietary supplements (DS). Idiosyncratic DILI is far more common than intrinsic DILI clinically and can be classified into hepatocellular injury, cholestatic injury, hepatocellular-cholestatic mixed injury, and vascular injury based on the types of injured target cells.

Gene-metabolite network analysis in different nonalcoholic fatty liver disease phenotypes.

We sought to identify common key regulators and build a gene-metabolite network in different nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) phenotypes. We used a high-fat diet (HFD), a methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCDD) and streptozocin (STZ) to establish nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and NAFL+type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rat models, respectively. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses were performed in rat livers and serum.

[Validation of transient elastography (Fibroscan) in assessment of hepatic fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis].

Objective: To validate transient elastography (Fibroscan) in assessment of hepatic fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Methods: Liver stiffness was assessed using Fibroscan in totally 30 patients with AIH. We compared the results of Fibroscan with the Scheuer fibrosis stage in liver biopsy in each patient.

[General characteristics and clinical practices of Chinese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease].

Objective: To assess the characteristics and daily treatment compliance of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients in China.

Methods: NAFLD adult patients from 21 clinics of 12 cities in China were enrolled in this registry. Physical examination such as demographic characteristics (height, weight, waist circumference measurement), blood pressure and clinical laboratory and ultrasonographic examination of liver were undertaken.

Simpler score of routine laboratory tests predicts liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background And Aim: In recent years, a great interest has been dedicated to the development of noninvasive predictive models to substitute liver biopsy for fibrosis assessment and follow-up. Our aim was to provide a simpler model consisting of routine laboratory markers for predicting liver fibrosis in patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in order to optimize their clinical management.

Methods: Liver fibrosis was staged in 386 chronic HBV carriers who underwent liver biopsy and routine laboratory testing.

[Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate in the treatment of chronic liver diseases: a randomized, double-blind, multi-doses, active drug controlled, multi-center study].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate in treatment of chronic liver diseases.

Methods: It is a randomized, double-blind, multi-doses, active drug controlled, multi-center study. 480 proper patients were randomly divided into group A (180 patients), group B (180 patients) or group C (120 patients).

Cholesterol metabolism and expression of its relevant genes in cultured steatotic hepatocytes.

Objective: To investigate the cholesterol metabolism and mRNA expression of the relevant genes in cholesterol synthesis of the cultured steatotic hepatocytes model.

Methods: A steatotic model of hepatocytes was constructed by adding palmitic acid to the growing L-02 cells. These cells were collected at day 3 and 6, respectively.

[Capsule metadoxine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Capsule metadoxine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

Methods: A randomized double blind multicenter placebo-controlled clinical study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of capsule metadoxine. Patients in metadoxine group received capsule metadoxine 500mg tid po.

[Assessment of the health-related quality of life of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy].

Objective: The Medical Outcome Study of 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a well-validated generic questionnaire widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) is a specific HRQOL assessment designed for patients with liver diseases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the HRQOL based on SF-36 and CLDQ (Chinese version) in patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis, especially in the status of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).

Methods: The SF-36 and CLDQ were answered by 160 healthy volunteers, 20 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 106 patients with cirrhosis.

Assessment of health-related quality of life in Chinese patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Aim: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) based on the Chinese version of SF-36 and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in subjects with chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, including patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).

Methods: The SF-36 and CLDQ were administered to 160 healthy volunteers, 20 subjects with chronic hepatitis B and 106 patients with cirrhosis (33 cases exhibited MHE). HRQOL scores were compared among the different study groups.

[The effect of ligand of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma 15d-PGJ2 on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells].

Objective: To observe the effect of ligand of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) 15d-PGJ2 on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and to study the role played by PPAR gamma during the process of HSC activation.

Methods: By using RT-PCR and cell culture, we investigated the effects of 5 micro mol/L and 10 micro mol/L 15d-PGJ2 on culture-activated HSC and on PDGF-induced HSC proliferation, production of extracellular matrix and expression of chemokines.

Results: The expression of alpha-SMA was significantly suppressed by 5mumol/L 15d-PGJ2, and the expression of PPAR gamma was significantly higher in the 15d-PGJ2 treated group than in the untreated group (0.

A double-blind randomized trial of adefovir dipivoxil in Chinese subjects with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.

Four hundred and eighty Chinese subjects with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were enrolled in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) 10 mg once daily. There was a significant difference in reduction of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA after 12 weeks between subjects who received ADV and those who received the placebo (3.4 and 0.

[A clinical and pathological study of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].

Objective: To study the pathological and clinical features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: Grades and stages of liver lesions in 41 patients with NAFLD were analyzed. The relationships between pathohistological features of the livers, serum biochemical parameters, ultrasound examination and other clinical data of the patients were studied.

[Effect of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate on the proliferation and oxidative stress of rat hepatic stellate cells in vitro].

Objectives: To investigate the effect of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate on the proliferation and oxidative stress of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

Methods: The effect of various concentrations of maganesium isoglycyrrhizinate on the proliferation of primary rat HSCs and HSCs strains were measured by making cell growth curves and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphennylterazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay. Morphological changes of the rat HSCs were also studied.

Correlation between ultrasonographic and pathologic diagnosis of liver fibrosis due to chronic virus hepatitis.

Aim: To evaluate the validity of ultrasonographic and pathologic diagnosis of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Methods: The liver fibrosis status in 324 patients was evaluated by both needle biopsy and ultrasonography. Liver fibrosis was divided into S0-S4 stages.

Prediction of significant fibrosis in HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B by a noninvasive model.

A model was constructed consisting of clinical and serum variables to discriminate between hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with and without significant fibrosis (stages 2-4 vs. stages 0-1). Consecutive treatment-naive CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy were divided into 2 sequential groups: a training group (n = 200) and a validation group (n = 172).