Research advances in tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment / 临床肝胆病杂志

Since there is a lack of obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), most patients have progressed to the advanced stage at the time of confirmed diagnosis. There are limited treatment options for HCC patients who miss the opportunity for surgery, so it is of great importance to find new therapeutic targets. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a group of macrophages existing in the tumor immune microenvironment and affect the malignant behaviors of HCC cells and the state of immune escape within the tumor. This article introduces the origin and classification of TAM, summarizes the role and mechanism of TAMs in vascular proliferation, invasion and metastasis, formation and maintenance of stemness, and anti-tumor immunity in HCC, and briefly describes the current research advances in therapeutic targets for TAM, and it is pointed out that targeting TAM may be a promising direction for clinical treatment.

Clinical features of Caroli disease: An analysis of 41 cases / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features of patients with Caroli disease. MethodsThe clinical data were collected from 41 patients who were diagnosed with Caroli disease in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from April 2015 to January 2020, and the patients were divided into type I group with 16 patients and type Ⅱ group with 25 patients. A retrospective analysis was performed for general information, laboratory markers, and clinical features. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data; a Spearman correlation analysis was also performed. ResultsThe type Ⅰ group had a significantly higher level of albumin (Alb) than the type Ⅱ group (t=0.976, P=0.048), and the type Ⅱ group had a significantly higher prothrombin time (PT) than the type I group (Z=3.115, P=0.001). Compared with the type I group, the type Ⅱ group had significantly higher incidence rates of esophageal and gastric varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and/or tarry stool, and portal hypertension (χ2=6.077, 5.468, and 2.403, P=0.002, 0.019, and 0.028). In the patients with type Ⅱ Caroli disease, the level of cholinesterase was negatively correlated with the incidence rates of esophageal and gastric varices and portal hypertension (r=-0.468 and -0.436, P=0.018 and 0.029); Alb level was negatively correlated with the incidence rate of esophageal and gastric varices (r=-0.561, P=0.004); red blood cell count was negatively correlated with the incidence rates of esophageal and gastric varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and/or tarry stool, and portal hypertension (r=-0.662, -0.566, and -0.436, P＜0.001, P=0.003, and P=0.029); hemoglobin count was negatively correlated with the incidence rates of esophageal and gastric varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and/or tarry stool, and portal hypertension (r=-0.605, -0.590, and -0.510, P=0.001, 0.002, and 0.009); PT was positively correlated with the incidence rates of esophageal varices and portal hypertension (r=0.488 and 0.520, P=0.013 and 0.008). ConclusionCompared with the patients with type I Caroli disease, the patients with type Ⅱ Caroli disease have a higher incidence rates of esophageal and gastric varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and/or tarry stool, and portal hypertension, with the changes in clinical indicators such as the decrease of Alb level and the increase of PT level, and they tend to have poor prognosis.

Clinical features and changing trend of elderly patients with drug-induced liver injury in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2009 to 2019 / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the features and changing trend of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in the elderly from 2009 to 2019, and to provide a reference for clinical prevention and treatment of DILI in the elderly. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 2107 elderly patients, aged ≥60 years, who were diagnosed with DILI in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2009 to December 2019, and they were divided into groups according to age. Related clinical data were analyzed, including age, sex, clinical features, prognosis, and regional distribution. The Chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsAmong the 2107 patients with DILI, there were 802 male patients and 1305 female patients, with a male/female ratio of 1∶1.63. Cholestasis type was the most common clinical type and was observed in 1439 patients (68.3%). There was the highest number of patients in the 60-64 years group (942 patients, 44.7%), among whom 618(65.6%) were female, 589(62.5%) had cholestasis type, 471(50.0%) had chronic DILI, 421(44.7%) had drug-induced liver cirrhosis, and 25(2.7%) had drug-induced liver failure. There were 187 patients in the 75-79 years group, among whom 110 (58.8%) patients were male, 137(73.3%) had cholestasis type, 114(60.9%) had liver cirrhosis, 4(2.1%) had drug-induced liver failure. The results showed that chronic DILI was more common in the 60-64 years group, and liver cirrhosis was more common in the 75-79 years group. As for prognosis, in the 60-64 years group, 27 patients (2.9%) were cured, 885 (93.9%) were improved, 30(32%) had no response or died; in the 65-69 years group, 16 (2.8%) were cured, 528 (92.0%) were improved, and 30(5.2%) had no response or died; in the 70-74 years group, 9(2.8%) were cured, 305(94.1%) were improved, and 10 (3.6%) had no response or died. The results showed that there was no significant difference in mortality rate between the different age groups (P＞0.05). The proportion of elderly DILI patients among hospitalized DILI patients increased from 15.90% in 2009 to 22.05% in 2013 and 27.51% in 2019, with a 1.73-fold increase in 11 years. As for regional distribution, the patients in North China accounted for the highest proportion of 47.08% (the patients from Hebei, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia accounted for 24.92%, 10.96%, and 10.25%, respectively), followed by those in Northeast China who accounted for 17.85%. The patients in Beijing accounted for 11.53%. ConclusionThe proportion of elderly DILI patients among hospitalized DILI patients tends to increase in these years. Cholestasis type is the most common clinical type, and most of the patients with this clinical type progress to chronic DILI and drug-induced liver cirrhosis. Early diagnosis, early intervention, and standardized treatment of elderly DILI should be taken seriously.

Research Progress in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Therapy for Treatment of Chronic Rhiosinusitis in Perioperation / 中国中医药信息杂志

For the perioperation of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), the local corticosteroid nasal spray, hormone and antibiotics oral treatment are mainly used in modern medicine. Oral treatment decoction, nasal spray and traditional Chinese medicine lavage and so on which are the combinations of internal and external treatment are used in TCM therapy. This article reviewed the use of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the perioperation of CRS, and provided references for standardization of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine therapy for treating CRS.

Construction and expression of cell-penetrating peptide CCL fusion protein expression vector / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To evaluate the construction of expression vector for fusion protein of cell-penetrating pep-tide CCL (PEP-CCL).Methods CCL6-PEP-6XHis was inserted into plasmid pABP,pABP-CCL6-PEP plasmid was extracted and then transfected into HEK293 cells,CCL6-PEP-6XHis was expressed and purified by chromatog-raphy and detected with Western Blot.Results PEP-CCL express vector was successfully constructed and purified. PCR product of CCL6-PEP-6XHis Tag was ligated with T vector,recombinant was transferred into the host cells, then host cells were cultured,plasmid was extracted and sequenced,the sequence was identical to targeted gene. CCL6-PEP-6XHis was successfully inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pABP,plasmid was extracted and digested,electrophoresis results revealed that a fragment with 430bp was digested by Hind Ⅲ+XbaⅠ,which was identical to the expected value.Western Blot revealed that CCL6-PEP fusion protein could be recognized by His monoclonal antibody.Conclusion PEP-CCL express vector can be constructed and expressed in eukaryotic cells.

The Study on Treatment of Laryngeal Cough with Yangyin Qingfei Decoction / 国际中医中药杂志

Objectjve To observe clinical efficacy of Yangyin Qingfei Decoction on laryngeal cough.Methods 127 cases with laryngeal cough were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group.The treatment group was treated with Yangyin Qingfei Decoction and the control group was treated with Lanqing oral solution.Both groups were treated for a course of treatment of 7 days.Results The total effective rate of was 87.69%and 58.46%in the treatment group and the control group respectively,showing significant difference(P＜0.05).Conclusion Yangyin Qingfei Decoction is effective in treating laryngeal cough.