Clinical features of critically ill pregnant and parturient women infected with chronic hepatitis B virus： An analysis of 41 cases / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and outcomes of critically ill pregnant and parturient women with chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection， and to provide clinical experience for the rescue of critically ill pregnant and parturient women and the prevention and treatment of the severe exacerbation of liver disease. MethodsA total of 41 pregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection who were admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine， Nanjing Second Hospital， from March 2013 to March 2023 were enrolled in this study， and their clinical data were collected through the electronic medical record system of hospital to summarize the main causes of transfer to the intensive care unit （ICU）， the causes of death， and treatment. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsAmong the 41 patients， 13 （31.71%） did not receive regular antenatal examination and 8 （19.51%） with a high viral load （HBV DNA ≥2×105 IU/mL） did not receive antiviral therapy. Cesarean section was the main mode of delivery in 32 patients （78.05%）； 23 patients （56.10%） had premature delivery， and 5 patients died （12.20%）. The top three causes of transfer to the ICU were liver failure， postpartum hemorrhage， and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Liver failure mainly occurred in late pregnancy， with hepatic encephalopathy as the most common complication （28.57%） and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy as the most common comorbidity （21.43%）； among the 14 patients with liver failure， 6 （42.86%） received regular antenatal examination， and 13 （92.86%） did not receive antiviral therapy before admission. The mean length of ICU stay was 3.31±1.65 days for the patients with postpartum hemorrhage， among whom the patients with severe liver disease had coagulation disorders before delivery， which were difficult to correct after 48 hours of treatment. ConclusionPregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection tend to have complex conditions and a relatively high mortality rate. For pregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection， assessment of liver status， regular antenatal examination， and timely antiviral therapy are of vital importance to reduce severe exacerbation and mortality rate.

Research advances in the association between liver failure and intestinal barrier injury / 临床肝胆病杂志

Liver failure and intestinal barrier injury, especially intestinal microflora imbalance, interacts as both the cause and effect of each other. Intestinal barrier injury is observed during liver failure, including the injuries of chemical, mechanical, immune, and microbial barriers, and meanwhile, gut dysbiosis, increased bacterial endotoxins, and abnormal bile acid metabolism may affect hepatocyte regeneration, increase complications, and aggravate the conditions of liver failure. The maintenance of intestinal barrier function should be taken seriously in the treatment of liver failure, and the treatment targeting intestinal barrier injury, especially microecological disturbance, is a promising method.

Relationship between serum galectin-3 levels and mortality of subacute on chronic liver failure / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the correlation between clinically detected serum galectin-3 levels and prognosis of liver failure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-five patients diagnosed with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. Fifty-five patients with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. In addition, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 30 healthy volunteers were matched for use as controls. Serum galectin-3 levels were detected at baseline and last follow-up visit and compared between groups by statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At baseline, the CHB group had a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the healthy control group (F=2.701, P less than 0.01). However, the galectin-3 level 5 of the liver failure group was significantly higher than that of both the CHB group (F=8.121, P less than 0.01) and the healthy control group (F=11.231, P less than 0.01). When patients within the liver failure group were divided by survival and death occurring during the 6-month follow-up period, the patients who died (n=28) were found to have a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the surviving patients (n=27) (P less than 0.01). The area under the curve of ROC curve is 0.766, and cut off value is 0.246 5 ng/ml.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The level of serum galectin-3 is positively correlated with risk of death in patients with liver failure. Up-regulation of galectin-3 may act as a protective factor in patients with severe liver injury.</p>