KDM4C represses liver fibrosis by regulating H3K9me3 methylation of ALKBH5 and m6A methylation of snail1 mRNA.

Objective: We aimed to disclose the molecular mechanism of snail1 in liver fibrosis.

Methods: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl) was used to induce a liver fibrosis model in mice whereby serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were evaluated, and liver pathological alternations were assessed. Rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were irritated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, followed by assessment of cell viability and migration.

Hepatitis B virus infection in patients with Wilson disease: A large retrospective study.

Background: Wilson disease (WD) is the most common genetic metabolic liver disease. Some studies have shown that comorbidities may have important effects on WD. Data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with WD are limited.

Clustering Cases of Chlamydia psittaci Pneumonia in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Screening Ward Staff.

We describe 4 cases of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia among medical staff in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening ward, as well as the experience of dealing with this nosocomial infection event. Atypical pneumonia, in addition to COVID-19, should be considered when clustering cases occur, even during a COVID-19 pneumonia pandemic.

Population pharmacokinetics, safety and dosing optimization of voriconazole in patients with liver dysfunction: A prospective observational study.

Aims: Voriconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. There is limited information about the pharmacokinetics and appropriate dosage of voriconazole in patients with liver dysfunction. This study aimed to explore the relationship between voriconazole trough concentration (C ) and toxicity, identify the factors significantly associated with voriconazole pharmacokinetic parameters and propose an optimised voriconazole dosing regimen for patients with liver dysfunction.

Cefotiam Treatment in Children: Evidence of Subtherapeutic Levels.

Background: Cefotiam, a second-generation cephalosporin, is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with good antibacterial action against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. It is used widely in clinical practice, although bacterial drug resistance makes its clinical use problematic. The authors hypothesized that subtherapeutic concentrations of cefotiam leads to bacterial resistance.

Intravoxel incoherent motion derived liver perfusion/diffusion readouts can be reliable biomarker for the detection of viral hepatitis B induced liver fibrosis.

Background: Recent two studies reported that intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) analysis can separate healthy livers and viral hepatitis B (VHB) induced liver fibrosis. However, in these two studies the starting value for bi-exponential decay analysis was =10 and 15 s/mm respectively. The current study has two primary aims.

Screening of prognostic risk microRNAs for acute myeloid leukemia.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the risk miRNAs (microRNAs) for AML (acute myeloid leukemia) prognosis and related regulatory mechanisms. Methods MiRNA and gene expression data, as well as clinical data of 176 patients were first downloaded from TCGA. Then miRNAs and genes significantly affecting the survival time based on KM survival curve were identified using Log Rank test.

The optimal threshold of serum ceruloplasmin in the diagnosis of Wilson's disease: A large hospital-based study.

Background And Aims: A ceruloplasmin (CP) concentration <200 mg/L is conventionally considered as one of the major diagnostic criteria for Wilson's disease (WD). However, the diagnostic accuracy of this threshold has never been investigated in a sufficiently large group of patients. This study aims to present the results of serum CP measurements in various patients and to identify the optimal cutoff value of CP for the diagnosis of WD.

Recognition of the human antibody-mediated platelet destruction in adult ITP patients by C-reactive protein.

Immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) is characterized by destruction of circulating platelets and the presence of antiplatelet IgG antibodies, which opsonize platelets for splenic clearance resulting in low levels of circulating platelets, and the disease severity can be predicted neither by antibody isotype nor by titer, indicating that other factors also play a role. Although the main cause of ITP remains unclear, but its relationship with some infection was demonstrated, including viral or bacterial infections. C-reactive protein (CRP), a member of the pentraxin family, is a major acute-phase protein in humans and is a clinical marker of infection.

Molecular mechanisms of HBeAg in persistent HBV infection.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the T-lymphocyte subpopulation and expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), toll-like receptor (TLR)3, TLR4, and interferon (INF)-γ to illustrate the relationship between hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods: Blood was taken from normal subjects into anticoagulation tubes to separate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The PBMCs were divided into four groups and cultured with various concentrations of HBeAg for 72 h.

Suppression of HSP27 increases the anti‑tumor effects of quercetin in human leukemia U937 cells.

Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, inhibits the growth of leukemia cells and induces apoptosis. Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) has been reported to promote the development of leukemia by protecting tumor cells from apoptosis through various mechanisms. The present study investigated the effects of small hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated HSP27 knockdown on the anti‑cancer effects of quercetin in U937 human leukemia cells.

Prospective evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of hepatic copper content, as determined using the entire core of a liver biopsy sample.

Unlabelled: Hepatic copper determination is an important test for the diagnosis of Wilson's disease (WD). However, the method has not been standardized, the diagnostic accuracy has not been evaluated prospectively, and the optimal cut-off value remains controversial. Accordingly, we aimed to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of hepatic copper content, as determined using the entire core of a liver biopsy sample.

shRNA-mediated silencing of sorcin increases drug chemosensitivity in myeloma KM3/DDP and U266/ADM cell lines.

Sorcin is a penta-EF hand calcium binding protein, which is involved in the resistance to chemotherapeutics in cancer cells, and is overexpressed in various cancer cells. However, tumor relapse combined with the development of drug resistance remains a significant problem. Here, we demonstrated that silencing of Sorcin in chemotherapy resistance myeloma U266/ADM and KM3/DDP cell lines resulted in reduced cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis.

Role of Nrf2 in chronic liver disease.

Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a central regulator of antioxidative response elements-mediated gene expression. It has a significant role in adaptive responses to oxidative stress by interacting with the antioxidant response element, which induces the expression of a variety of downstream targets aimed at cytoprotection. Previous studies suggested oxidative stress and associated damage could represent a common link between different forms of diseases.

[A diagnostic model for alcoholic liver disease based on a generalized regression neural network].

Objective: To study the feasibility and rationale of using a generalized regression neural network model integrated with multiple disease indicators for diagnosing alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Methods: ALD indicators were identified by reviewing the clinical testing results of 40 ALD patients from the literature and 135 patients from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, who were also classified by physician experts upon clinical consultation. Seven indicators were selected as diagnosis indexes and applied to a general regression neural network diagnostic model.

[Dynamic changes in PD-1, TLR3, and TLR4 surface expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing peg-IFNalpha-2a plus ribavirin combination therapy].

Objective: To investigate the dynamic changes in expression of programmed death (PD)-1, Toll-like receptor (TLR)3, and TLR4 on the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) that occur in response to pegylated-interferon alpha-2a (peg-IFNalpha-2a) plus ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy, and to analyze the relation to achievement of sustained virological response (SVR). METHODS Twenty-three CHC patients and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. All CHC patients underwent 48 weeks of combination therapy with peg-IFNalpha-2a (180 microg, subcutaneous injection, once weekly) plus RBV (15 microg/kg, oral, once daily).

[Hepatitis C virus strain JFH1 down-regulates expression of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45a in human hepatoma Huh7.5.1 cells].

Objective: To investigate the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) strain JFH1 on expression of the human gene, growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45 alpha (GADD45a), in infected hepatoma cells.

Methods: HCV JFH1 RNA-containing supernatants were used to infect the human hepatoma cell line, Huh7.5.

[The therapeutic effect of Anluohuaxian capsule combined with adefovir dipivoxil on patients with chronic hepatitis B and influence on hepatic histology].

Unlabelled: To observe the efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil(ADV) in combination with Anluohuaxian capsule in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: 72 cases with CHB were randomly divided into two groups. 36 cases of treatment group were given ADV combined with Anluohuaxian capsule for 48 weeks.

[HCV NS5A protein down-regulates hepcidin gene expression and increases hepatic intracellular iron storage].

Objective: To investigate whether the nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) encoded by the hepatitis C virus RNA genome affects the expression of hepcidin gene.

Methods: HCV NS5A expression plasmid (pCN5A) and pRc/CMV were transfected into QSG7701 cells individually, RT-PCR was employed to detect the HCV NS5A and hepcidin mRNA transcription. Western blot was used for detection of HCV NS5A and hepcidin proteins.

The oncogenic role of NS5A of hepatitis C virus is mediated by up-regulation of survivin gene expression in the hepatocellular cell through p53 and NF-κB pathways.

Approx. 4% of patients experiencing chronic infection of human HCV (hepatitis C virus) ultimately develop HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma). The NS5A (non-structural protein 5A) encoded by HCV has been reported to have an oncogenic role during HCV infection, but the precise mechanism remains largely unclear.

Cationic liposome-mediated transfection of CD40 ligand gene inhibits hepatic tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of cationic liposome-mediated CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: 1x10(6) of parental H22 cells or H22 cells transfected with the expression vector containing murine CD40L cDNA encoding the entire coding region (pcDNA3.1(+)-mCD40L) were inoculated subcutaneously into the left flanks of syngenic BALB/C mice.