RNA Sequencing Analysis of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Treated Using PEGylated Interferon.

Purpose: Worldwide, chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is a public health concern, ultimately leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, patients with CHB can be treated using polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated interferon (PEG-IFN) antiviral therapy, which has both immune modulatory and antiviral properties. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism underlying the effect of PEG-IFN therapy, to rationally optimize this therapeutic option.

Expression Pattern of Cytokines in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Receiving PEGinterferon Therapy.

Purpose: Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is a worldwide health problem. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated interferon (PEG-IFN) is an available therapy for CHB that has antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. However, PEG-IFN therapy is limited by the fact that only a subset of patients show a sustained response, its severe side effects, and high cost.

RON in hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers: Pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.

The receptor protein tyrosine kinase RON belongs to the c-MET proto-oncogene family. Research has shown that RON has a role in cancer pathogenesis, which places RON on the frontline of the development of novel cancer therapeutic strategies. Hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HBP) cancers have a poor prognosis, being reported as having higher rates of cancer-related death.

Precision Calculation of Hyperfine Structure and the Zemach Radii of ^{6,7}Li^{+} Ions.

The hyperfine structures of the 2^{3}S_{1} states of the ^{6}Li^{+} and ^{7}Li^{+} ions are investigated theoretically to extract the Zemach radii of the ^{6}Li and ^{7}Li nuclei by comparing with precision measurements. The obtained Zemach radii are larger than the previous values of Puchalski and Pachucki [Phys. Rev.

Histological outcome for chronic hepatitis B patients treated with entecavir vs lamivudine-based therapy.

Aim: To compare the histological outcome of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with entecavir (ETV) or lamivudine (LAM)-based therapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 42 CHB patients with advanced fibrosis (baseline Ishak score ≥ 2) or cirrhosis who were treated with ETV or LAM-based therapy in Beilun People's Hospital, Ningbo between January 2005 and May 2012. The patients enrolled were more than 16 years of age and underwent a minimum of 12 mo of antiviral therapy.

ERK5 signalling pathway is essential for fluid shear stress-induced COX-2 gene expression in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast.

Bone cells respond to various mechanical stimuli including fluid shear stress (FSS) in vitro. Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is thought to be important for the anabolic effects of mechanical loading. Recently, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) has been found to be involved in multiple cellular processes.

Sequential combination therapy with pegylated interferon leads to loss of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving long-term entecavir treatment.

Nucleos(t)ide analogues rarely result in a durable off-treatment response in chronic hepatitis B infection, whereas pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) induces a long-lasting response only in a subset of patients. We assessed the effect of sequential combination therapy with Peg-IFN-α2a and entecavir in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with prior long-term entecavir therapy and investigated the predictors of response to treatment. HBeAg-positive individuals who did not achieve HBeAg seroconversion during previous long-term entecavir therapy, receiving Peg-IFN-α2a added to ongoing entecavir therapy (sequential combination [S-C] therapy; n = 81) for 48 weeks or remaining on entecavir monotherapy (n = 116), were retrospectively included.

LPS pretreatment ameliorates D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver failure in rat.

Acute liver failure (ALF) remains an extremely poor prognosis and high mortality; with no effective treatments. The endotoxin tolerance (ET) phenotype has been reported to exhibit protective activities in several sepsis models. We now investigated the effects and underlying intraperitoneal injection of the same volume of pyrogen-free 0.

The MEK5/ERK5 pathway mediates fluid shear stress promoted osteoblast differentiation.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 5/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 5 pathway in osteoblast differentiation promoted by intermittent fluid shear stress (FSS). MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were subjected to 12 dyn/cm(2) intermittent FSS, and the phenotypic markers for osteoblast differentiation, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and expression of osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN), were then examined. The results showed that intermittent FSS could stimulate ERK5 phosphorylation, ALP activity and the expression of OPN and OCN.

Secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding for cirrhotic patients: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate comprehensively the effects of 12 prophylaxis interventions for secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding using multiple-treatments meta-analysis.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched prior to November 2011. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the interventions for secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding.

A new strategy for treatment of liver fibrosis: letting MicroRNAs do the job.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at a post-translational level. MiRNAs have been recognized in the regulation of physiological conditions. Moreover, awareness of the association between dysregulated miRNAs and human diseases is increasing, which consequently brings miRNAs to the frontline in the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Bone morphogenetic protein 7 suppresses the progression of hepatic fibrosis and regulates the expression of gremlin and transforming growth factor β1.

Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7), a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily, counteracts the effect of TGF-β through different signaling pathways, and gremlin is considered as one of the antagonists of BMP-7. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifibrotic effect of BMP-7, and to clarify the expression patterns of gremlin and TGF-β1 in the progression of hepatic fibrosis after treatment with BMP-7. A mouse liver fibrosis model was induced by hypodermic injection of CCL4 and all the liver and blood samples were preserved for further study.

An unprecedented double-bridging interpenetrating α-Po network based on a new heterometallic cluster {Cu4Mo6}.

A new coordination polymer of polyoxomolybdate, {[Cu(4)(bbp)(5)Mo(6)O(22)]·(H(2)O)(4)}(∞) (bbp = 1,4-bis(benzoimidazol-1-yl)phenyl), has been synthesized under solvothermal reaction, which represents a double-bridging interpenetrating α-Po network based on the bimetallic cluster {Cu(4)Mo(6)}. The thermogravimetric and electrochemical behaviors have also been studied.