Characteristics analysis of hepatitis B core-related antigen in children with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic viral hepatitis B infection.

Background: The objective of antiviral therapy for chronic viral hepatitis B infection (CHB) is to achieve a functional cure. An important viral marker in the serum of patients with CHB is the serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg). However, there is limited research on HBcrAg in juvenile patients with CHB.

The Disassociation of the A20/HSP90 Complex Downregulation of HSP90 Restores the Effect of A20 Enhancing the Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to Molecular Targeted Agents.

NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) is a regulator of hepatocellular cancer (HCC)-related inflammation and enhances HCC cells' resistance to antitumor therapies by promoting cell survival and anti-apoptosis processes. In the present work, we demonstrate that A20, a dominant-negative regulator of NF-κB, forms a complex with HSP90 (heat-shock protein 90) and causes the disassociation of the A20/HSP90 complex downregulation of HSP90. This process restores the antitumor activation of A20.

Clinical Course and Outcome Patterns of Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background And Aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is acute decompensation of liver function in the setting of chronic liver disease, and characterized by high short-term mortality. In this study, we sought to investigate the clinical course of patients at specific time points, and to propose dynamic prognostic criteria.

Methods: We assessed the clinical course of 453 patients with ACLF during a 12-week follow-up period in this retrospective multicenter study.

Bioactivity of CD34+ cells in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Liver failure is a life-threatened serious disease with many complications and high mortality rate. Stem cells have been applied to replacement therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering for its capacity of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. To investigate the bioactivity of the peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells (PBHSC) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, we isolated CD34+ cells from peripheral blood of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure and healthy controls.

Clinical characteristics and corticosteroid therapy in patients with autoimmune-hepatitis-induced liver failure.

Aim: To investigate the clinical features, response to corticosteroids, and prognosis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)-induced liver failure in China.

Methods: A total of 22 patients (19 female and 3 male; average age 51 ± 15 years) with AIH-induced liver failure treated in our hospital from 2004 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical, biochemical and pathological characteristics of the 22 patients and responses to corticosteroid treatment in seven patients were examined retrospectively.

Cystatin C is a biomarker for predicting acute kidney injury in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Aim: To investigate serum cystatin C level as an early biomarker for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).

Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients with hepatitis B virus-related ACLF who had normal serum creatinine (Cr) level (< 1.2 mg/dL in men, or < 1.

[Orthogonal design based optimization of a mouse model of acute liver failure induced by D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide].

Objective: To apply an orthogonal design optimization strategy to a mouse model of acute liver failure induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure.

Methods: A four-level orthogonal array design (L16(45)) was constructed to test factors with potential impact on successful establishment of the model (D-GalN and LPS dosages, and dilution rate of the D-GalN/LPS mixture). The mortality rate of mice within 24 hours of D-GalN/LPS administration was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method.

[Clinical analysis of 134 cases of HEV-related liver failure].

Objective: To study the clinical features of hepatitis E virus-related liver failure.

Methods: 134 patients with HEV-related liver failure were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: HEV-related liver failure accounted for 8.

[Clinical and pathological analysis of 566 patients with cryptogenic liver diseases].

Objective: To investigate the etiology, pathology, and clinical characteristics of cryptogenic liver diseases in order to develop a pathogenic profile for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic design.

Methods: The data of the 566 patients diagnosed with abnormal liver function and who had undergone liver biopsy at our institute between January 2006 to March 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The Chi-squared (x²) test was used to assess disease correlation with sex and the rank sum test was used to assess disease correlation with continuous data since all data had asymmetric distribution.

[Clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure patients with familial aggregation].

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure patients with familial aggregation.

Methods: 275 patients with hepatitis B virus--related acute-on-chronic liver failure were investigated. The patients were divided into familial aggregation and non-familial aggregation group basis on their epidemiological features.

The rtL229 substitutions in the reverse transcriptase region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase are potentially associated with lamivudine resistance as a compensatory mutation.

Background: It remains unclear whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse-transcriptase (RT) rtL229 substitutions influence HBV drug resistance.

Objective: The study was to investigate the association of HBV rtL229 substitutions with viral resistance to lamivudine (LAM).

Study Design: Entire HBV RT genes were amplified by nested PCR and sequenced from sera of 6000 nucleos(t)ide analog-experienced patients with chronic HBV infection.

Characterization of hepatitis B virus genotypes/subgenotypes in 1,301 patients with chronic hepatitis B in North China.

Background: There is still a paucity of data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) subgenotype prevalence in North China based on sequencing of large-size samples. In addition, whether HBV genotypes impact drug-resistance-associated and HBV e antigen (HBeAg)-loss-associated mutations in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is still under investigation. This study aimed to disclose clinical prevalence of HBV genotypes/subgenotypes in North China and the clinical implications of HBV genotype classification in respect to HBeAg loss and drug-resistant occurrence.

[Clinical study on hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system for acute on chronic liver failure patients].

Objective: To construct an hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system, and observe its effectiveness and safety on patients with acute on chronic liver failure.

Methods: Hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system (HBALSS) was constructed using bioreactor with HepG2 cells transfected with human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) gene. 12 acute on chronic liver failure patients were divided into 2 groups randomly.

[Distribution and clinical significance of HBV genotypes in patients with HBV infection in 30 regions of China].

Objective: To explore the distribution and clinical significance of HBV genotypes in patients with HBV infection in China.

Method: Serum samples were collected from 2922 patients with HBV infection. HBV genotyping was performed with type-specific primers polymerase chain reaction, and the virological and biochemical markers were detected, which differences in the genotypes distribution between various regions and liver function and virological markers between various HBV genotyping were analyzed.

[Construction and experimental study on off-line hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system with human liver cell line].

Objective: To construct an off-line hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system with human liver cell line, and study it's effect on the plasma from patients with liver failure.

Methods: We established the bioreactor using Psu-2s (Fresenius) cultured with Hep G2 cell transfected with human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) gene, then constructed a hybrid bioartificial liver supporting system, at last using the bioartificial liver support system to purify the plasma treated 2 hours with serum bilirubin absorbent, separated from acute on chronic liver failure patients infected by hepatitis B virus.

Results: Bioreactor was successful constructed.

Variable influence of mutational patterns in reverse-transcriptase domain on replication capacity of hepatitis B virus isolates from antiviral-experienced patients.

Background: Various mutations in reverse-transcriptase domain (RT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase may develop during antiviral therapy. The influence of these mutational patterns on HBV replication capacity remains to be fully clarified.

Methods: Nine clones containing complete HBV genomes were isolated from 5 patients with chronic hepatitis B who had received antiviral treatment.

[Immune effects of mutated hepatitis B virus precore-core DNA vaccines in mice].

Objective: To observe the immune effect of DNA vaccines encoding mutated HBV pre-c/c gene (VE2,VE4) in mice.

Methods: Three kinds of plasmid VEC(DNA vaccines encoding HBV pre-c/c gene), VE2 and VE4 were injected into the thigh muscles of different group of BALB/c mice.Blood and splenocytes from mice were isolated at 4 weeks after immunization.

[Primry research of separation and culture of adult hepatocytes].

Objective: To explore the separation and culture method of adult hepatocytes.

Methods: The isolated adult hepatocytes were cultivated by RPMI 1640 medium at 37 degrees C in vitro. The characteristics of the growing hepatocytes were observed.

[Primary application of identification-aided system for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of emerging infectious diseases].

Objective: To verify the rate of diagnostic fitting between the clinic and the indentification-aided for diagnosis and differential diagnosis system, for emerging infections diseases (EID) established.

Methods: 314 cases of 49 kinds of contagious diseases diagnosed and another 186 patients with fever who not diagnosed were tested by the system.

Results: Preliminary verification was made in 314 cases diagnosed which classified to 49 kinds of contagious diseases of infectious diseases and the results showed that the coincidence rate of clinical diagnosis and first diagnosis of this system was 61.

[Estimation of liver inflammation and necrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B through different biochemical items].

Objectives: To establish a new grading system to evaluate liver inflammation and necrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B through clinical biochemical assays.

Methods: Clinical and pathological data were collected from 255 cases with chronic hepatitis B. 19 biochemical items were analyzed and 5 items were selected for our grading system.