Expression of neutrophil extracellular traps and phagocytic functions among patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and phagocytic function in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE), and to examine their correlations with clinical inflamma tory indicators and liver functions. Methods A total of 50 patients with HAE admitted to Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University from August 2022 to June 2023 were enrolled, while 50 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals from the Centre for Healthy Examinations of the hospital during the same period served as controls. The levels of NETs markers neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil elastase (NE) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated using density gradient centrifugation, stimulated in vitro using phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA), and the levels of MPO and citrullination histone H3 (CitH3) released by neutrophils were quantified using flow cytometry. The phagocytic functions of neutrophils were examined using flow cytometry. In addition, the correlations of MPO and NE levels with clinical inflammatory indicators and liver biochemical indicators were examined using Spearman correlation analysis among HAE patients. Results The peripheral blood plasma MPO［(417.15 ± 76.08) ng/mL vs. (255.70 ± 80.84) ng/mL; t = 10.28, P < 0.05］, NE［(23.16 ± 6.75) ng/mL vs. (11.92 ± 3.17) ng/mL; t = 10.65, P < 0.05］and CitH3 levels［(33.93 ± 18.93) ng/mL vs. (19.52 ± 13.89) ng/mL; t = 4.34, P < 0.05］were all significantly higher among HAE patients than among healthy controls, and a lower phagocytosis rate of neutrophils was detected among HAE patients than among healthy controls［(70.85 ± 7.32)% vs. (94.04 ± 3.90)%; t = 20.18, P < 0.05］, and the ability to produce NETs by neutrophils was higher among HAE patients than among healthy controls following in vitro PMA stimulation. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the phagocytosis rate of neutrophils correlated negatively with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), interleukin-6 (IL-6) level and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (rs = −0.515 to −0.392, all P values < 0.05), and the MPO and NE levels positively correlated with inflammatory markers NLR, PLR, CRP and IL-6 (rs = 0.333 to 0.445, all P values < 0.05) and clinical liver biochemical indicators aspartic transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin among HAE patients (rs = 0.290 to 0.628, all P values < 0.001). Conclusions Excessive formation of NETs is found among HAE patients, which affects the phagocytic ability of neutrophils and results in elevated levels of inflammatory indicators. NETs markers may be promising novel biomarkers for early diagnosis, monitoring, and severity assessment of liver disease.

Research advances in neutrophil extracellular traps and liver diseases / 临床肝胆病杂志

Neutrophils play an immune defense role by releasing the proteases such as neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase to form neutrophil extracellular trap （NET） and participate in the inflammatory response of various liver diseases， but the excessive release of NET may worsen liver tissue damage and has thus become one of the risk factors for liver diseases. In recent years， studies have shown that the excessive release of NET can promote the progression of liver diseases （such as viral hepatitis， nonalcoholic steatohepatitis， and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury） to liver cancer， and clarifying the mechanism of action of NET is of great importance for the diagnosis and progression of liver diseases. Therefore， this article elaborates on the latest research advances in NET in liver diseases， so as to provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases and the prevention of liver cancer.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 器官移植

Hepatic echinococcosis is a chronic parasitic disease, which is caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocularis. It has a high risk of disability and mortality, which is also known as "parasite cancer". In clinical practice, hepatic echinococcosis can be divided into hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and hepatic cystic echinococcosis. Hepatic echinococcosis is widely prevalent worldwide. It mainly occurs in the populations residing agricultural and pastoral areas in western China, posing significant threats to the quality of life of local residents. At present, surgery is the main treatment for hepatic echinococcosis in clinical settings. With rapid development of surgical diagnosis and treatment technology and deepening understanding of hepatic echinococcosis, diagnosis and treatment regimens have also been constantly improved. In this article, research progresses on the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for clinicians, deliver early diagnosis and treatment, mitigate adverse effects of this disease upon patients and improve clinical prognosis.

Role of type 2 innate lymphoid cells in helminth infections: a review / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Helminth infections may trigger host innate and adaptive immune responses. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are an important factor involved in type 2 immune responses, and produce a large number of T helper 2 cell (Th2) cytokines following stimulation by interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which play a critical role in parasite clearance and tissue repair. Following helminth infections, autocrine factors, mast cells, enteric nervous system and Th2 cells have been recently found to be involved in regulation of ILC2. Unraveling the role of ILC2 in immune response against helminth infections is of great value for basic research and drug development. This review summarizes the research progress on ILC2 and its role in helminth infections.

Effect of exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis on macrophage polarization: A preliminary study / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis on macrophage polarization after treatment for different durations and concentrations. Methods A total of 60 BALB/c mice were used for modeling, among which 4 mice were selected to observe the growth of abdominal lesions on 7.0T MRI. The mice for modeling were dissected, and the protoscoleces was taken from the abdominal lesion and cultured in vitro ; ultracentrifugation was used to extract the exosomes from the supernatant, and transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting were used for the characterization of exosomes. The macrophages without exosome treatment were established as control group, and the macrophages co-cultured with different concentrations of exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis were established as experimental group (10 μg/mL group and 50 μg/mL group) and were cultured for 48 and 72 hours. The morphological changes of macrophages were observed under a microscope, and flow cytometry and ELISA were used to observe polarization state. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results The results of 7.0T MRI showed the formation of diffuse lesions with different sizes in the abdominal cavity of mice, and the exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis were approximately 100 nm in diameter and were cup-shaped or saucer-shaped, with the positive expression of the surface markers CD9, TSG101, and CD63. After co-culture, most of the cells in the experimental group were elongated with an irregular and polygonal shape. Flow cytometry showed that after 48 hours of co-culture, the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 in the control group were 99.53%±0.06%, 90.27%±0.21%, and 2.40%±0.20%, respectively; compared with the control group, except that the 10 μg/mL exosome group had a significant reduction in the positive rate of CD369 (0.80%±0.00%) ( P < 0.05), all the other groups had a significant increase in the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 (all P < 0.000 1); after 72 hours of co-culture, the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 in the control group were 99.67%±0.06%, 85.47%±0.55%, and 6.60%±0.20%, respectively, and compared with the control group, the experimental group had significant increases in the positive rates of CD16/32, CD206, and CD369 (all P < 0.05). ELISA showed that after 48 hours of co-culture, the levels of IL-6 and TNFα in the control group were 58.53±15.52 pg/mL and 320.70±5.30 pg/mL, respectively, and when the exosome concentration was 50 μg/mL, the level of IL-6 in the experimental group was 98.81±15.55 pg/mL, which was higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05); after 72 hours of co-culture, the levels of IL-6 and TNFα in the control group were 76.22±9.68 pg/mL and 323.90±87.37 pg/mL, respectively, and when the exosome concentration was 10 μg/mL, the level of TNFα was 164.20±14.17 pg/mL, which was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.05); when the exosome concentration was 50 μg/mL, the level of IL-6 was 99.52±8.35 pg/mL, which was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Exosomes derived from Echinococcus multilocularis can regulate macrophage polarization and induce M2-like polarization of macrophages after co-culture at a concentration of 10 μg /mL for 72 hours, and further studies are needed to clarify the specific method.

Prevalence and comorbidity of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Shanxi province from 2018 to 2021 / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To survey the prevalence and comorbidity of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in Shanxi province from 2018 to 2021.Methods:The data of patients with CTEPH from 2018 to 2021 were extracted from the Health Statistics Direct Reporting System of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission; the population data of Shanxi Province was obtained from the Statistical Yearbook of Shanxi Province. The prevalence rate of CTEPH in Shanxi Province in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 was calculated. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) was used to identity the specific Charlson comorbidity from other diagnosis on the medical record. The severity of the comorbidity scale was classified as mild (aCCI≤2 points), moderate (aCCI=3-5 points), moderate-severe (aCCI=6-8 points), and severe (aCCI≥9 points).Result:A total of 300 patients with CTEPH were identified in the whole province during the period with the mean age of(65.5±11.5)years, there were 31, 65, 83 and 121 cases in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the corresponding prevalence rates were 0.9/10 6, 1.9/10 6, 2.4/10 6 and 3.5/10 6, respectively showing an increasing trend. The patients with CTEPH in this study involved 14 Charlson comorbidities, among which the chronic lung disease was in the highest proportion (198/300, 66.0%), followed by peripheral vascular disease (126/300, 42.0%) and chronic congestive heart failure (121/300, 40.3%). There were 16.3% (49/300) of patients with mild comorbidity, 56.3% (169/300) with moderate comorbidity, 22.3% (67/300) with moderate-severity comorbidity, and 5.0% (15/300) with severity comorbidity. Conclusions:The prevalence of CTEPH in Shanxi province from 2018 to 2021 was 0.9-3.5/10 6 showing an upward trend. The chronic lung disease, peripheral vascular disease and chronic congestive heart failure are the main comorbidities of patients with CTEPH, and mostly with moderate comorbidity.

Design, sensitivity and validity of wrist patient self-evaluation instrument / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To design a patient self-rating wrist scale suitable for Chinese patients, and evaluate its reliability and validity.Methods:The primary entry pool was established by referring to the existing foreign scales and the opinions of domestic experts. Opinions of 11 hand surgeons and 10 patients with wrist diseases were referred to select better items into the primary scale. During September 2015 to November 2016, 100 inpatients with wrist diseases in the hand surgery department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were selected by convenient sampling method, and the primary scale was conducted on them. Eight indices including item response rate, item differentiation, item-dimension attribution, variability, responsiveness, overall item attribution, internal consistency and factor loading were summarized. All the 8 indices were evaluated to establish the wrist patient self-evaluation instrument for Chinese. Test-retest reliability, Cronbach coefficient, expert score, KMO value, explanatory power, χ 2/df, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and comparative fit index (CFI) were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale. Results:A total of 40 subjective items in the primary entry pool were selected to form the primary scale, including 32 items (A1-D4), and 4 dimensions (physiology, safety, pain and emotion). There were 92 valid scale results in 100 cases. All cases' response rate were over 90%. In terms of item differentiation, only the high grouping score [3.20±0.577 points (range, 1-3 points)] and the low grouping score [2.68±0.627 points (range, 2-5 points)] of item B10 had no statistical significance ( t=5.11, P=0.340). There were 17 items: A1, A2, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A11, A12, B4, B6, B7, C5, D1, D2, and D3 were considered to be deleted according to the result of item-dimension attribution. A total of 11 items had a variation less than 0.65: A4 (0.645), A7 (0.593), B1 (0.590), B5 (0.617), B8 (0.578), B9 (0.612), B10 (0.526), D1 (0.644), D2 (0.320), D3 (0.169), D4 (0.526). A2, A4, A6, A8, B4, B6, D1, D2, D3, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 did not meet the reactivity requirements. Items with factor loads less than 0.4: D2 (-0.051), D3 (-0.127), and D4 (0.267). C4 (0.026), C5 (0.023), D1 (0.103), D2 (0.434), D3 (0.387), D4 (0.062) did not meet the internal consistency requirements. In multiple linear regression analysis, 19 items were not included in the final regression equation. Based on the above analysis, D1, D2, and D3 were finally deleted and the rest 29 valid items were remained to form the wrist patient self-evaluation instrument for Chinese. Reliability and validity of the scale: the test-retest reliability of physiology, safety, pain, emotion dimensions were 0.984, 0.976, 0.985 and 0.802 ( P<0.001), respectively. Except for there was only one item in emotion dimension, the Cronbach coefficients of total score, physiology, safety and pain dimensions were 0.943, 0.973, 0.944 and 0.881, respectively. KMO was 0.894 ( P<0.001). Except for there was only one item in emotion dimension, whose validity could not be evaluated. The χ 2/df, CFI, RMSEA results were as follows, physiology: 5.152, 0.817, 0.022, respectively; safety: 5.378, 0.795, respectively; pain: 7.439, 0.865, 0.028, respectively. Conclusion:The wrist patient self-evaluation instrument for Chinese is consisted of 4 dimensions and 29 items. As a subjective wrist self-rating scale suitable for modern Chinese patients, the scale has good reliability and validity, and can be one of the choices of the subjective evaluation for Chinese patients with wrist diseases.

Research progress on the formation mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignant disease in clinical practice, and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is one of the important factors affecting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. PVTT has strong oncologic characteristics and is highly susceptible to extrahepatic metastasis, complicating portal hypertension, leading to gastrointestinal bleeding or liver failure and causing death. In this paper, we review the formation mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with PVTT in terms of local anatomy, hemodynamics, molecular biology and tumor microenvironment to provide effective reference for clinical treatment.

Progress of researches on albendazole for treatment of alveolar echinococcosis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus multilocularis infection, is a highly deadly zoonotic parasitic disease. As a benzimidazole compound, albendazole has a strong and broad-spectrum anti-parasitic action. For alveolar echinococcosis patients that are unwilling to receive surgical treatment, lose the timing for surgery, or are intolerant to surgery due to poor physical status, administration of albendazole may delay disease progression. Recently, a large number of advances have been achieved in experimental studies on alveolar echinococcosis. In order to increase the understanding of the therapeutic efficacy of albendazole for alveolar echinococcosis, this review summarizes the advances in albendazole treatment for alveolar echinococcosis, so as to provide insights into the clinical treatment of alveolar echinococcosis with albendazole.

Advances in the application of three-dimensional visualization technique in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) is a parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis infection and has wide distribution and great harm in China. At present, ultrasound, CT, and MRI are the main radiological examination methods for HAE, with certain limitations in preoperative diagnosis and evaluation. This article introduces the guiding effect of three-dimensional visualization technique and its derivative technologies in the accurate diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of HAE, so as to provide help for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HAE in the future.

Preparation of 4-sulfonylcalix6arene-modified cotton for uranium contamination removal / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To prepare 4-sulfonylcalix[6]arene-modified cotton fibers for adsorption and removal of uranium based on the specific complexation of calix[6]arene with uranium (VI). Methods Chemical grafting was used for the modification of cotton, which reacted with α-bromoisobutyryl bromide, glycidyl methacrylate, and 4-sulfonylcalix[6]arene. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the structure of 4-sulfonylcalix[6]arene-modified cotton (Cotton S-C[6]a). A Franz diffusion cell was used to simulate uranium-contaminated skin. Laser fluorimetry was used to determine the uranium content. Results SEM, XPS, and FTIR showed that cotton fibers were successfully grafted with 4-sulfonylcalix[6]arene. The optimal conditions of Cotton S-C[6]a for the adsorption of uranium (VI) was pH 4.0, duration of 20 min, and 20 mg of adsorbent. The adsorption process fitted well with pseudo-secondary-order kinetics. The uranium removal efficiency of Cotton S-C[6]a was up to 78.46% in aqueous solution and 81.72% on skin. Conclusion The synthesized Cotton S-C[6]a is highly efficient in the removal of uranium (VI) in solution and on contaminated skin.

Advances in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with hepatic vein tumor thrombus / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors in China, which seriously threatens the life and health of the nation. Hepatic vein tumor thrombosis (HVTT) is one of the common clinical manifestations. The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with HVTT is extremely poor, and there is no unanimous opinion on its treatment in China and abroad. Currently, Asian guidelines recommend multidisciplinary treatment for patients with vascular invasion. This article reviewed the current progress in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with HVTT.

Role of complement in radiation-induced lung injury / 中国辐射卫生

@#<b>Objective</b> To investigate the role of complement in radiation-induced lung injury in mice after chest irradiation with ⁶⁰Co γ-rays at a single dose of 20 Gy. <b>Methods</b> C57BL/6 mice underwent chest irradiation with ⁶⁰Co γ-rays at a single dose of 20 Gy, followed by observation for the inflammatory reaction of the lung tissue in the early stage (within 15 d) and pulmonary fibrosis in the later stage (30 and 180 d). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of C2, C3a, C4, and C5b-9 in the lung tissues at 1, 3, 7, 15, 30, and 180 d after irradiation. The expression of complement mRNA in BEAS-2B cells after irradiation was determined using RT-PCR. <b>Results</b> Radiation-induced lung injury in micepresented as inflammatory response in the early stage and fibrosis in the late stage. Complement C2, C4, and C5b-9 complexes were increased in the early period (3 or 7 d) after irradiation (<i>P</i> < 0.05), which might be associated with the inflammatory response induced by irradiation. During 3 to 180 d, complement C3a was significantly higher in the irradiated mice than in the control mice, suggesting a close relationship between C3a and radiation-induced lung injury. The irradiated cells showed increased mRNA expression of C2 and C3, with no changes in the mRNA levels of C4 and C5. <b>Conclusion</b> Different complement proteins have varying responses to radiation-induced lung injury, among which C3a is closely related to radiation-induced lung injury, suggesting that regulating C3a and its receptors may be a new way to prevent and treat radiation-induced lung injury.

Antigen presentation and T cell activation by dendritic cells in radiation damage / 中国辐射卫生

@#<b>Objective</b> To explore dendritic cells (DCs)-mediated antigen presentation for radiation-injured cells by using the <i>in vitro</i> cell co-culture technology to simulate the <i>in vivo </i>microenvironment of the lung tissue. <b>Methods</b> ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiated mouse lung epithelial cells (MLE-12) were cultured with bone marrow-derived DCs and/or splenic T lymphocytes for 48 hours. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression levels of costimulatory molecules (CD80/86) and antigenic peptide recognition complexes (the major histocompatibility complex [MHC] class Ⅰ/Ⅱ) on DCs and T cell activation markers (CD69/28/152) as well as the numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. <b>Results</b> ⁶⁰Co γ irradiation significantly increased the apoptosis rate of MLE-12 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and significantly stimulated the expression of CD80/86 and MHC Ⅱ on DCs, without direct activation of T cells. After γ (6 Gy)-irradiated MLE-12 cells were co-cultured with DCs and T lymphocytes for 48 h, there were significant increases in the expression of CD69 and CD28 on T cells, the numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, and the expression of CD86 and MHC I on DCs, as compared with the control groups. <b>Conclusion</b> Radiation-injured cells can stimulate antigen presentation by DCs and activate T cells.

Research advances in the role of lymphocyte activation gene-3 in liver-related diseases / 临床肝胆病杂志

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy has shown broad prospects in the treatment of malignant tumors and infectious diseases, but problems encountered during application drive researchers to explore potential immune checkpoints. This article summarizes the research advances in the role of the new immune checkpoint lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) in liver-related diseases, aiming to provide a reference for subsequent research. LAG-3 is expected to become the classic target of next-generation ICIs therapy and play a key role in immunotherapy for liver-related diseases.

Correlation between systemic immune-inflammation index and prognosis in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and prognosis in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 242 patients who were admitted to Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital, from January 2015 to December 2018 and underwent surgery for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, and SII was calculated. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups, and a Spearman correlation analysis was performed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of SII; the Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves and analyze overall survival time in the two groups, and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rates between the two groups; univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. ResultsThe Spearman correlation analysis showed that SII was positively correlated with the postoperative fatality rate of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (r=0.267, P＜0.001). The ROC curve showed that the optimal cut-off value of SII before surgery was 758.92, and based on this, 242 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis were divided into low SII (SII ≤758.92) group with 126 patients and high SII (SII ＞758.92) group with 116 patients. The low SII group had 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 98.20%, 88.47%, and 6610%, respectively, and the high SII group had 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 90.80%, 53.05%, and 27.40%, respectively. The low SII group had a cumulative survival rate of ＞50% and a mean survival time of 55.584 months (95% confidence interval［CI］: 53550-57.617), while the high SII group had a cumulative survival rate of ＜50%, a mean survival time of 39.384 months (95% CI: 35.070-43.698), and a median survival time of 43 months (95% CI: 34.694-51.306). The low SII group had a significantly better survival rate than the high SII group, and there was a significant difference in overall survival rate between the two groups (χ2=46.979, P＜005). The univariate analysis showed that SII ＞758.92 (hazard ratio ［HR］=5.907, 95% CI: 3.386-10.306, P=0.001) was an influencing factor for the overall survival time of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, and the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that preoperative peripheral blood SII (HR=3.507, 95% CI: 1.911-6.435, P=0.001) was an independent risk factor for the overall survival rate of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. ConclusionPreoperative SII level is clearly correlated with the prognosis of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and can thus be used as a clinical indicator to evaluate the prognosis of patients. The higher the peripheral blood SII before surgery, the worse the prognosis of patients.

Association between serum macrophage polarization-related factors and liver fibrosis in echinococcosis multilocularis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the association between serum macrophage polarization-related factors and liver fibrosis in patients with alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Methods A total of 120 patients with AE who attended Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery in The Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University from September 2018 to October 2020 were enrolled as AE group, and 33 healthy controls were enrolled as normal control group. The two groups and the patients with varying degrees of liver fibrosis were compared in terms of the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups was made by the independent samples t -test, while comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data was made by the Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis H test. Comparison of categorical data between groups was made by the chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between serum macrophage polarization-related factors and liver fibrosis in patients with AE, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of serological examination in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in patients with AE. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of each index with HAI score and Metavir score. Results Compared with the normal control group, the AE group had significant increases in the serum levels of IL-6 [13.97 (9.64-23.62) pg/mL vs 1.30 (0.35-2.71) pg/mL, Z =-5.980, P < 0.001], TNF-α [2.26 (1.65-4.13) pg/mL vs 1.40 (1.04-2.10) pg/mL, Z =-3.114, P < 0.01], and TGF-β1 [3.64(2.71-5.72) pg/mL vs 2.91(2.20-3.35) pg/mL, Z =-2.594, P < 0.05], and increases in the serum levels of IL-6 (hazard ratio [ HR ]=2.721, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.730-4.280, P < 0.05) and TNF-α( HR =3.527, 95% CI : 1.158-10.747, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for the onset of liver fibrosis in AE patients. The ROC curve analysis showed that hydatid IgG combined with the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α had a sensitivity of 88.4%, a specificity of 95.8%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.951(95% CI : 0.937-0.964) in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis, which were significantly higher than those of IL-6, TNF-α, or hydatid IgG alone ( Z =-3.458, -4.011, and 2.379, all P < 0.05). The Spearman analysis showed that the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 were positively correlated with HAI score ( r =0.560, 0.644, and 0.465, all P < 0.001) and Metavir fibrosis score ( r =0.530, 0.758, and 0.567, all P < 0.001), and the serum level of IL-10 was negatively correlated with HAI score ( r =-0.232, P =0.011) and Metavir fibrosis score ( r =-0.288, P =0.001). Conclusion Macrophage polarization is often observed in patients with hepatic AE, and the levels of the macrophage polarization-related factors IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 are associated with the development and progression of liver fibrosis, which can provide certain reference information for predicting the onset of liver fibrosis.

Current status of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of benign biliary stricture / 临床肝胆病杂志

Benign biliary stricture (BBS) refers to complete or incomplete stricture of the biliary tract caused by a series of non-malignant diseases. BBS often has complex and diverse etiologies, and severe complications may occur if it is not adequately treated. Diagnostic methods currently used in clinical practice include imaging, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasonography, and choledochoscopy, and treatment methods include balloon dilatation, stent implantation, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, and surgical treatment. At present, endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of BBS has become the preferred method. However, there is still no clear classification of BBS, which needs further investigation. By consulting related literature in China and globally, this article summarizes the issues associated with the endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of BBS.

Diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis with intraperitoneal implantable metastasis / 中华消化外科杂志

Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by echinococcus multilocularis infection. The growth pattern of the lesions of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is similar to that of liver malignant tumor showing invasive growth. Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis can not only directly invade the adjacent tissue structure, but also metastasize through the lymphatic tracts and blood vessels. Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis with intraperitoneal implantable metastasis is extremely rare. The authors introduce the diagnosis and treatment of 1 patient who had hepatic alveolar echinococcosis with intraperitoneal implantable metastasis.

Clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is an autoimmune-mediated abnormal chronic inflammatory disorder and is often misdiagnosed as pancreatic neoplastic lesions. With in-depth studies of this disease in recent years, it has been taken seriously by hepatobiliary physicians and surgeons. This article summarizes the clinical features, diagnostic criteria, and treatment methods for autoimmune pancreatitis at the present stage, so as to provide clinicians with diagnosis and treatment experience to reduce clinical misdiagnosis.