Impact of thrombocytopenia on failure of endoscopic variceal treatment in cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding.

Background: Acute variceal bleeding (AVB), a life-threatening complication of liver cirrhosis, can be effectively treated by endoscopy, but there is a risk of early rebleeding after endoscopic variceal treatment (EVT). Thrombocytopenia is the most common hemostatic abnormality in liver cirrhosis. However, it is still unclear about whether thrombocytopenia increases the failure of EVT in cirrhotic patients with AVB.

Tumor burden with AFP improves survival prediction for TACE-treated patients with HCC: An international observational study.

Background & Aims: Current prognostic models for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are not extensively validated and widely accepted. We aimed to develop and validate a continuous model incorporating tumor burden and biology for individual survival prediction and risk stratification.

Methods: Overall, 4,377 treatment-naive candidates for whom TACE was recommended, from 39 centers in five countries, were enrolled and divided into training, internal validation, and two external validation datasets.

Terahertz Wave Desensitizes Ferroptosis by Inhibiting the Binding of Ferric Ions to the Transferrin.

Ferroptosis is a classic type of programmed cell death characterized by iron dependence, which is closely associated with many diseases such as cancer, intestinal ischemic diseases, and nervous system diseases. Transferrin (Tf) is responsible for ferric-ion delivery owing to its natural Fe binding ability and plays a crucial role in ferroptosis. However, Tf is not considered as a classic druggable target for ferroptosis-associated diseases since systemic perturbation of Tf would dramatically disrupt blood iron homeostasis.

Percutaneous nephroscopy versus flexible ureteroscopy in the treatment of calyceal diverticulum calculi: a meta-analysis.

Background: There is still controversy about the best minimally invasive surgical method for the treatment of calyceal diverticulum calculi. We conducted meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PCNL and FURL in the treatment of calyceal diverticulum calculi.

Methods: We searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Clinical trial platform, CNKI, VIP until April 2024.

HMGCS2 and AMACR as potential targets linking mitochondrial dysfunction and ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterised notably by an imbalance in intestinal mucosal homeostasis. Although mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as a potential contributor to this imbalance, it remains an incomplete understanding. Consequently, further investigation into the role of mitochondria in UC is warranted.

[The distributions of serum HBsAg level in chronic hepatitis B patients based on the China Registry of Hepatitis B (CR-HepB)].

To determine the distributions of serum HBsAg level in treatment-naive or treatment-experienced chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Based on the China Registry of Hepatitis B (CR-HepB), a nationwide hospital-based electronic platform, treatment-naive or treatment-experienced CHB patients who receive nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy were enrolled in our study. We collected patients' clinical characteristics, including demographic, virological and biochemical data.

COLOR IV: a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing intracorporeal and extracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis after laparoscopic right colectomy for colon cancer.

Introduction: Right-sided colon cancer is a prevalent malignancy. The standard surgical treatment for this condition is laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, with ileocolic anastomosis being a crucial step in the procedure. Recently, intracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis has garnered attention for its minimally invasive benefits.

Associations between ABO, FUT2 and chronic pancreatitis: A comprehensive meta-analysis of multiple cohorts and public biobanks.

Objectives: Associations of ABO blood group specifying transferases A/B (ABO) and fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) with CP remain inconclusive. We aimed to comprehensively investigate the associations by Chinese sequencing cohorts and external cohorts.

Methods: First, we analyzed the distributions of ABO blood groups and FUT2 status, along with lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at ABO (rs8176693 C/T) and FUT2 (rs632111 A/G) gene loci in Chinese low-coverage whole-genome sequencing discovery cohort.

Comprehensive analysis of heterogeneity and cell-cell interactions in Crohn's disease reveals novel location-specific insights.

Introduction: In Crohn's disease (CD), lesions are mainly distributed in a segmental manner, with the primary sites of involvement being the ileum and colon. Heterogeneity in colon and ileum results in location-specific clinical presentations and therapeutic responses. Mucosal healing tends to be more readily and quickly achieved in the colon than in the ileum, where lesions are more likely to develop into complex behaviors.

Neutrophils in cancer drug resistance: Roles and therapeutic opportunities.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is closely associated with the therapeutic response and clinical outcome of cancer drug therapies, which mainly include immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Neutrophils that infiltrate tumors, also known as tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), constitute a primary part of the TME. However, the functional importance of TANs in cancer drug therapy has long been overlooked because of their relatively short life span.

Application of large language models in disease diagnosis and treatment.

Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, and Qwen are emerging as transformative technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. With their exceptional long-context reasoning capabilities, LLMs are proficient in clinically relevant tasks, particularly in medical text analysis and interactive dialogue. They can enhance diagnostic accuracy by processing vast amounts of patient data and medical literature and have demonstrated their utility in diagnosing common diseases and facilitating the identification of rare diseases by recognizing subtle patterns in symptoms and test results.

Clinical Application of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) in Patients with Early Pulmonary Infection After Liver Transplantation.

Purpose: To examine the clinical utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in individuals with early pulmonary infection following liver transplantation.

Patients And Methods: mNGS and traditional detection results were retrospectively collected from 99 patients with pulmonary infection within one week following liver transplantation. These patients were admitted to the Department of Critical Liver Diseases at Beijing Friendship Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024, along with their general clinical data.

The gut microbiota mediates memory impairment under high-altitude hypoxia via the gut-brain axis in mice.

Hypoxia is a predominant risk factor at high altitudes, and evidence suggests that high-altitude hypoxia alters the gut microbiota, which plays an essential regulatory role in memory function. However, the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and memory impairment under hypoxic conditions remains unclear. In this study, we employed a high-altitude hypoxia model combined with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) approach in mice to explore the effects of the gut microbiota on memory impairment in a hypoxic environment.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of infection in community households in Lanzhou city.

Background: () infection exhibits a familial clustering phenomenon.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of infection, identify associated factors, and analyze patterns of transmission within families residing in the community.

Methods: From July 2021 to September 2021, a total of 191 families (519 people) in two randomly chosen community health service centers in the Chengguan District of Lanzhou in Gansu Province, were recruited to fill out questionnaires and tested for infection.

Tumor-derived exosomes: Unravelling the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer with liver metastases and exploring the potential for clinical translation.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most malignant solid cancers, and PC metastasis, particularly liver metastasis, is a major cause of cancer mortality. A key event in tumor metastasis is the formation of pre-metastatic niche (PMN), which provides a microenvironment conducive to tumor cells colonization and progression. Various molecules loaded in tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) contribute to PMN formation and distant tumor metastasis, by regulating immune and stromal cell function, inducing angiogenesis, and promoting metabolic reprogramming.

Exploring the Effect of Cheese Intake on Cholelithiasis Through Biomarkers: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

This study assesses the causal relationship between intake of cheese and cholelithiasis through the analysis of relevant biomarkers using Mendelian Randomization (MR). Genetic variants associated with cheese intake were employed as instrumental variables (IVs) to assess potential causal effects. Data from the Open GWAS project and FinnGen Biobank were used, including biomarkers related to blood cells, blood biochemistry, and blood pressure.

Causal relationship between immune cells, inflammatory cytokines, metabolites, and erectile dysfunction: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous studies have investigated the association between immune inflammation, metabolism and erectile dysfunction (ED). However, these studies are limited by biases, confounding factors, and reverse causality, failing to establish causality. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to elucidate the causal relationships between immune cells, inflammatory cytokines, plasma metabolites, and the risk of ED.

Relationship between the risk of intestinal mucosal Epstein-Barr virus and/or cytomegalovirus infection and peripheral blood NK cells numbers in patients with ulcerative colitis: a cross-sectional study in Chinese population.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the risk of common opportunistic pathogens Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in intestinal mucosal tissues of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients and the number of peripheral blood NK cells.

Methods: UC patients admitted to a third-grade class-A hospital from January 2018 to December 2023 were selected as research population. Clinical data of the patients were collected from the electronic medical record system.

Excess hospital length of stay and extra cost attributable to primary prolonged postoperative ileus in open alimentary tract surgery: a multicenter cohort analysis in China.

Background: Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) reportedly leads to compromised postoperative recovery and increased healthcare costs. However, the evidence for this claim was obtained from studies that included patients with both primary and secondary PPOI. How primary PPOI affects the hospital length of stay (LOS) and healthcare costs is not well documented.

Efficacy and Safety of Budesonide Orodispersible Tablets for Eosinophilic Esophagitis up to 3 Years: an Open-Label Extension Study.

Background And Aims: Budesonide orodispersible tablets (BOT) have been shown to be safe and effective in phase 3 double-blind trials of induction and 48-week maintenance therapy of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We now analyzed the long-term efficacy and safety of BOT in a 96-week open-label extension (OLE) study.

Methods: All EoE patients in the 48-week double-blind maintenance study were eligible to receive BOT treatment for up to 96 weeks.

Shifting Paradigms in Hemorrhoid Management: The Emergence and Impact of Cap-Assisted Endoscopic Sclerotherapy.

Hemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a prevalent proctological condition that has puzzled people since ancient times, and the most common symptom is painless bleeding. Traditional treatments include conservative treatment, nonsurgical office-based treatments, and surgery. Sclerotherapy is one of the oldest forms of nonoperative intervention and is widely used to treat internal hemorrhoids with the development of endoscopy technology.

Machine Learning-Engineered Nanozyme System for Synergistic Anti-Tumor Ferroptosis/Apoptosis Therapy.

Nanozymes with multienzyme-like activity have sparked significant interest in anti-tumor therapy via responding to the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the consequent induction of protective autophagy substantially compromises the therapeutic efficacy. Here, a targeted nanozyme system (Fe-Arg-CDs@ZIF-8/HAD, FZH) is shown, which enhances synergistic anti-tumor ferroptosis/apoptosis therapy by leveraging machine learning (ML).

Study of TRAF3IP3 for prognosis and immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3)-interacting protein 3 (TRAF3IP3) expressed in various tumor cell. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was unclear. We aimed to demonstrate the relationship between TRAF3IP3 and HCC and explore the potential role of TRAF3IP3 in HCC.