Background And Aims: The proposed cut-off values for the degree of fibrosis as assessed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) might not be applicable in severe acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to assess the effect of necroinflammatory activity on LSM in this condition.
Methods: We prospectively recruited consecutive patients with severe acute exacerbation of CHB (alanine aminotransferase or ALT > 10x upper limit of normal). The relationship of ALT levels and LSM were serially assessed and liver biopsy was carried out after ALT normalization.
Results: Eleven patients (10 male, median age 43 years) were followed up for 25 weeks; nine patients received antiviral therapy. Overall, LSM was positively correlated with ALT levels (r = 0.67, P < 0.001). At initial presentation, the median serum ALT and LSM was 1136 (581-2210) IU/L and 26.3 (11.1-33.3) kPa. A progressive reduction in LSM was observed during subsequent visits in parallel with the reduction of ALT levels. At the last visit, the median ALT was 27 (11-52) IU/L and LSM was 7.7 (4.7-10.8) kPa. Among the five patients who had liver biopsy carried out at week 25, four patients had F2 fibrosis (LSM 5.7-8.1 kPa) and one patient had F3 fibrosis (LSM 8.6 kPa).
Conclusions: LSM using transient elastography with the current proposed cut-off values might misdiagnose liver cirrhosis in patients suffering from severe acute exacerbation of CHB. LSM should be assessed after normalization of ALT levels in order to accurately assess the degree of fibrosis.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.05779.x | DOI Listing |
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Department of Gerontology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China.
20% acute pancreatitis (AP) develops into severe AP (SAP), a global health crisis, with an increased mortality rate to 30%-50%. Mitochondrial damage and immune disorders are direct factors, which exacerbate the occurrence and progression of AP. So far, mitochondrial and immunity injury in SAP remains largely elusive, with no established treatment options available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Orthop Relat Res
January 2025
Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Background: Rifampin therapy is indicated for the treatment of staphylococcal periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients who have undergone debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) or one-stage revision as per the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline. Given the well-established effectiveness of rifampin as adjunctive therapy in staphylococcal PJI, it is crucial to evaluate its utilization in practice and identify factors that contribute to its underuse or incomplete administration, as these deviations may undermine treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.
Questions/purposes: Among patients who met clear indications for rifampin use having undergone DAIR or one-stage revision for staphylococcal PJI, (1) what proportion of patients did not receive it? (2) What proportion of patients started it but did not complete the planned course? (3) Where documented in the medical record, what were the common reasons for not using it or prematurely discontinuing it, and in what percentage of the patients' charts was no reason given? (4) What proportion of patients were taking a medication that put them at risk for a drug-drug interaction (DDI)?
Methods: Using an institutional database, patients who underwent DAIR or revision arthroplasty for PJI from January 2013 to April 2023 were identified (n = 935).
Gut Microbes
December 2025
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Post-acute coronavirus disease 2019 syndrome (PACS), following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is typically characterized by long-term debilitating symptoms affecting multiple organs and systems. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of effective treatment strategies. Altered gut microbiome has been proposed as one of the plausible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PACS; extensive studies have emerged to bridge the gap between the persistent symptoms and the dysbiosis of gut microbiome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimal Model Exp Med
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Background: To investigate the toxicity of N-n-butyl haloperidol iodide (F2), a quaternary ammonium salt derivative of haloperidol, in mice for potential therapeutic purposes.
Methods: The acute median lethal dose (LD) of F2 was determined using the Bliss method following intravenous administration in mice. Routine surface electrocardiograms (ECGs) and arterial blood pressures (aBPs) were recorded under general anesthesia in untreated and pharmacologically vagotomized mice injected with F2.
Immun Inflamm Dis
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a major concern due to its astonishing prevalence and high fatality rate, especially among elderly people. Patients suffering from COVID-19 may exhibit immunosuppression in the initial stage of infection, while a cytokine storm can occur when the disease progresses to a severe stage. This inopportune immune rhythm not only makes patients more susceptible to the virus but also leads to numerous complications resulting from the excessive production of inflammatory factors.
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