Changes in thyroid function in patients with liver failure and their clinical significance: A clinical study of non-thyroidal illness syndrome in patients with liver failure.

Background: Non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) develops in a large proportion of critically ill patients and is associated with high risk for death. We aimed to investigate the correlation between NTIS and liver failure, and the short-term mortality of patients with these conditions.

Methods: The clinical data of 87 patients with liver failure were collected retrospectively, 73 of them were randomly selected for an observational study and to establish prognostic models, and 14 for model validation.

Advances in psychometric tests for screening minimal hepatic encephalopathy: From paper-and-pencil to computer-aided assessment.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a major neuropsychiatric complication of liver cirrhosis and portosystemic shunting. Although MHE produces a spectrum of cognitive impairments in the domains of short-term attention, working memory, and executive function, it generally does not present with obvious clinical manifestation on conventional assessments. Paper-and-pencil psychometric tests, such as the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score and the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status, are recommended to diagnose MHE.

Inflammation: A novel target of current therapies for hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome that most commonly occurs in decompensated liver cirrhosis and incorporates a spectrum of manifestations that ranges from mild cognitive impairment to coma. Although the etiology of HE is not completely understood, it is believed that multiple underlying mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of HE, and one of the main factors is thought to be ammonia; however, the ammonia hypothesis in the pathogenesis of HE is incomplete. Recently, it has been increasingly demonstrated that inflammation, including systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation and endotoxemia, acts in concert with ammonia in the pathogenesis of HE in cirrhotic patients.

Indocyanine green clearance test combined with MELD score in predicting the short-term prognosis of patients with acute liver failure.

Background: Acute liver failure (ALF) is an acute severe deterioration of liver function with high mortality. Early and accurate prognostic assessment of patients with ALF is critically important. Although the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores and King's College Hospital (KCH) criteria are well-accepted as predictive tools, their accuracy is unsatisfactory.

Correlation between interleukin-6 and ammonia in patients with overt hepatic encephalopathy due to cirrhosis.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that elevated serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) correlate with the severity of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) in cirrhotic patients. However, the correlation between serum IL-6 levels and plasma ammonia levels in these patients remains unclear. Therefore, the present study investigated this correlation between both variables in cirrhotic patients with OHE.

[Induction of anti-hepatocellular carcinoma immunity by Hyper-IL-6 gene in vivo].

Aim: To prepare the mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells with the stable expression of Hyper-IL-6 and explore the possibility of inducing active anti-HCC immune response by Hyper-IL-6 gene.

Methods: Hyper-IL-6 gene was transfected into mouse HCC cells MM45T.Li using Lipofectamine(TM);2000.

Relationship between interleukin-6 and ammonia in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy due to liver cirrhosis.

Aim:   Previous studies have shown significantly elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-6 in cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), but the relationship between circulating levels of IL-6 and ammonia is unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between both variables in cirrhotic patients with MHE.

Methods:   Psychometric tests including number connection test part A (NCT-A) and digit symbol test (DST) were performed to diagnose MHE in 85 cirrhotic patients.

Clinical efficacy and safety of lactulose for minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of lactulose in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing lactulose with placebo or with no intervention in the management of MHE that were conducted from January 1990 to July 2011 were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCI, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and China Biological Medicine Database. Studies with a Jadad score higher than 3 were included in the meta-analysis and evaluated using RevMan5.

HIV/AIDS epidemiology and prevention in China.

Objective: To review HIV/AIDS epidemic history, current situation and prevention policy in China. Data sources Information included in this article was identified by searching PUBMED (1997 - 2006) online resources using the key terms "HIV/AIDS", "epidemic", "prevention", and "China". Study selection Original milestone articles and critical reviews written by major pioneer investigators of the field were selected.

Prognostic factors for chronic severe hepatitis and construction of a prognostic model.

Background: Chronic severe hepatitis is a serious illness with a high mortality rate. Discussion of prognostic judgment criteria for chronic severe hepatitis is of great value in clinical guidance. This study was designed to investigate the clinical and laboratory indices affecting the prognosis of chronic severe hepatitis and construct a prognostic model.

[The correlation of HBeAg expression and HBV-DNA in serum or peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To study the relationship between HBeAg expression and HBV-DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Methods: 208 patients with chronic hepatitis B were included in this present study. HBV-DNA in the PBMCs were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with the serum HBV-DNA level being determined by the way of fluoresces quantities PCR (FQ-PCR).