Objective To observe the therapeutic efficacy of atorvastatin in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus.Methods A total of 118 patients with type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus complicated by NAFLD, who visited the outpatient department of internal medicine or were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2010 to March 2012, were divided randomly into treatment group (n=61) and control group (n=57) .Both groups received liver protection therapy and blood glucose control, and atorvastatin (20 mg/d) was administered as an addition in the treatment group.The clinical symptoms, body mass index (BMI) , blood levels of total cholesterol (TC) , triglyceride (TG) , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , and liver B-mode ultrasound findings were evaluated before and after 6 months of treatment.The enumeration data were analysed by chi-square test, the indices before and after treatment were compared by t-test.Results After 6 months of treatment, the treatment group had a significantly decreased clinical symptom score (t=21.07, P=0.0000) , significantly decreased blood levels of TC ( (6.80±1.20) vs (5.24±0.67) mmol/L, t=8.87, P=0.000) , LDL-C ( (4.38±0.75) vs (3.45±0.68) mmol/L, t=7.17, P=0.0000) , TG ( (2.14±0.56) vs (1.69±0.34) mmol/L, t=5.36, P=0.0000) , ALT ( (61±11) vs (46±9) U/L, t=8.24, P=0.0000) , and AST ( (53±14) vs (41±12) U/L, t=5.08, P=0.0000) , and increased blood HDL-C level (t=1.95, P>0.05) , but there was no significant change in BMI (t=1.84, P=0.0683) .No significant changes in these indices were found in the control group (P>0.05) .Both groups showed changes in liver density as measured by B-mode ultrasound, but there was no significant difference between them (P>0.05) .No adverse events occurred in either group.Conclusion Atorvastatin can markedly relieve clinical symptoms and lower blood levels of TC, LDL-C, TG, ALT, and AST and is safe and effective in the treatment of NAFLD in patients with type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus.

Objective To determine the protein expression profiles of STAT3 and its activated form, p-STAT3, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigate the potential clinical significance.Methods The expressions of STAT3 and p-STAT3 were detected in 90 HCC tissues and patient-matched cancer-adjacent healthy tissues by immunohistochemistry.The significance of between-tissue differences in protein expression was assessed by Chi-squared test.The relations of significant differential expression with patients′ clinicopathological features and prognoses (based on 5-year follow-up) were assessed by Cox regression models.Five-year survival rates were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis with Log-rank test.Results In HCC tissues, STAT3 was mainly detected in the cytoplasm and p-STAT3 was mainly detected in the nucleus.The levels of both STAT3 and p-STAT3 were significantly higher in HCC than in adjacent non-cancer tissues.There was no significant relation for either STAT3 or p-STAT3 protein expression with satellite lesions, vascular invasion, AJCC stage of disease progression, sex, age, tumor size, tumor number, degree of differentiation, or alpha-fetoprotein expression.The 5-year survival rate of patients with high expressions of STAT3 and p-STAT3 in HCC tissues was significantly lower than patients with low expression.Conclusion STAT3 and p-STAT3 protein may contribute to the invasive and metastatic qualities of HCC, and represent a useful new prognosis reference index of this liver cancer.

Objective To investigate the differential expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) .Methods DNMT mRNA expression was measured by fluorescence quantitative-PCR in specimens of cancerous tissues (n=44) and case-matched cirrhotic (n=35) and non-cancerous, non-cirrhotic (normal;n=44) liver tissues from 44 HCC patients with different tumor stages.Results The mean mRNA levels of the four DNMT types tested (1, 2, 3A, 3B) were higher in cancerous and cirrhotic tissues than in adjacent normal tissues.The DNMT1 elevated expression reached statistical significance (vs.adjacent normal tissues, P<0.01 for cancerous tissue and P=0.02 for cirrhotic tissue) , unlike the DNMT2 elevated expression which did not reach statistical significance (vs.adjacent normal tissues, P=0.12 for cancerous and P=0.35 for cirrhotic tissues) .Both DNMT3 isoforms, A and B, were significantly higher than the levels detected in the adjacent healthy tissues (DNMT3A: P<0.01 for cancerous and P=0.01 for cirrhotic tissue;DNMT3B: P=0.03 for cancerous and P<0.05 for cirrhotic tissue) .Stratification analysis of the four DNMTs mRNA expression levels according to patient sex, tumor staging, and tumor differentiation revealed no correlations (DNMT1: P=0.23;DNMT2: P=0.45;DNMT3A: P=0.32;DNMT3B: P=0.36) .However, trends were found for increased DNMTs mRNA expression levels and male sex, poor tumor differentiation, and high tumor stage.Conclusion The mRNA expressions of DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B are higher in cancerous and cirrhotic tissues from HCC patients than in their adjacent non-cancerous, non-cirrhotic liver tissues.Expression of DNMTs may be associated with pathogenesis of HCC or HCC associated with cirrhosis.

Objective To construct the lentiviral vector carrying miR-122 (Lv-miR122) and investigate the function of stably expressed miR-122 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.Methods Pre-miR-122 was cloned into lentiviral vector pLUNIG to obtain the Lv-miR122 that had stable expression of miR-122;Lv-miR122 was packaged in 293T cells along with other three vectors pRRE, pRSV-REV, and pCMV-VSVG, and virus supernatant was obtained by concentration;the virus supernatant was used to infect HCC cell line HepG2.The expression of miR-122 was measured by Q-RT-PCR.The proliferation of HepG2 cells was analyzed by MTT assay and colony formation assay.Blank lentiviral vector (Lv-Ctrl) -infected HepG2 cells and uninfected HepG2 cells were used as controls.Results The expression of miR-122 was significantly higher in Lv-miR122-infected HepG2 cells than in Lv-Ctrl-infected HepG2 cells (t=10.745, P<0.01) .The Lv-miR122-infected HepG2 cells (with stable expression of miR-122) had significantly suppressed proliferation compared with Lv-Ctrl-infected and uninfected HepG2 cells (P<0.05 for both comparisons) ;moreover, miR-122 significantly inhibited the colony formation of HepG2 cells (t=5.256, P<0.01) .Conclusion The Lv-miR122 can be successfully constructed, and the carried miR-122 can be stably expressed and can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells.

Objective To observe the changes in blood glucose in patients with liver cirrhosis and investigate the relationship between glucose metabolism and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) .Methods Sixty patients with liver cirrhosis (cirrhosis group) and 30 patients without liver cirrhosis (control group) , who were hospitalized in Department of Gastroenterology, Jiading District Central Hospital from August 2008 to August 2010, were included in the study.The general data were collected;the consciousness of patients was observed;the physical examination was performed for detecting flapping tremors;blood samples were collected for measuring blood glucose.The cirrhosis group was further divided into flapping tremor subgroup and non-flapping tremor subgroup.The cirrhosis group and control group were compared in terms of the incidence rate of abnormal glucose metabolism.The patients were divided into normal glucose metabolism group and abnormal glucose metabolism group, and the two groups were compared in terms of the incidence rates of flapping tremors and HE.Results Of the 60 patients in cirrhosis group, 28 had no flapping tremors, and 32 had flapping tremors.The incidence rate of abnormal glucose metabolism was significantly lower in the control group than in the cirrhosis group (13.33% vs 26.67%;χ2=2.058, P<0.05) .the="" incidence="" rates="" of="" flapping="" tremors="" and="" he="" were="" in="" the="" normal="" glucose="" metabolism="" versus="" abnormal="" group="" p="">0.05) .Conclusion The patients with liver cirrhosis have abnormal glucose metabolism, but which is not necessarily associated with HE.It suggests that the patients with HE may have impaired glucose utilization in the brain.

Objective To investigate the relationship between changes in serum cytokine levels at 72 h after artificial liver therapy (plasma exchange, PE) and clinical prognosis in patients with liver failure.Methods Fifty-eight patients with liver failure, who received PE in Department of Infectious Diseases, The No.2 People′s Hospital of Lanzhou from April 2011 to April 2012, were included in the investigation;they were divided into improved group and uncured group according to their treatment outcomes.The serum interleukin (IL) -4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, and interferon (IFN) γ levels before and 72 h after therapy were measured, and the relationship between the changes in these indices and prognosis was observed.The data were expressed in the form of mean ± standard deviation.The baseline values and values after therapy were compared by paired t-test, and the differences between two groups were determined by the t-test for comparison between groups.Results After PE therapy, 67.24% of all patients (39/58) showed an improvement, while 32.75% (19/58) were not cured.At 72 h after therapy, the improved group had significant changes in serum IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα, and IFNγ levels (t=2.048-5.163, P<0.05) , and had more decrease in serum IL-4, IL-6, TNFα, and IFNγ and more increase in serum IL-10 level compared with the uncured group.Before therapy, the serum IL-6 and TNFα levels were significantly higher in the uncured group than in the improved group (t=2.024-2.174, P<0.05) .Conclusion Artificial liver therapy can decrease TNFα, IL-4, IL-6, and IFNγ and increase IL-10 in serum and thus is an effective treatment for liver failure.It seems that IL-6 and TNFα play a more important role than other cytokines in immune injury in patients with liver failure.

Objective To clinically analyze the hepatobiliary disease caused by the liver fluke and to increase the knowledge of this disease and reduce misdiagnosis.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 22 patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of clonorchiasis after being admitted to our hospital due to hepatobiliary disease over the past 20 years.Results Of the 22 patients, who had a mean age of 45.41 years, 19 were males, and 3 were females.When admitted to the hospital, 8 cases were diagnosed with cholecystitis or gallstones, 7 cases with clonorchiasis, and 7 cases with other diseases.Alanine aminotransferase elevation was found in 14 cases (63.63%) , aspartate aminotransferase elevation in 16 cases (72.72%) , total bilirubin elevation in 11 cases (50.00%) , gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase elevation in 17 cases (77.27%) , and increased eosinophils in 14 cases (63.63%) .Ten cases (45.45%) were diagnosed by fecal examination, 7 cases (31.82%) by bile smears, 2 cases (9.09%) by liver fluke antibody detection, and 3 cases (13.64%) according to the history of clonorchiasis.Deworming and comprehensive treatment produced a good outcome in these patients.Conclusion Clonorchiasis is endemic and clinically rare, without specific clinical features, and it is easily confused with other hepatobiliary diseases, resulting in a high rate of misdiagnosis.Therefore, for the patients with abdominal pain, jaundice, and liver damage of unknown causes, we should inquire whether they or their family have a special dietary history and need to perform relevant examinations to confirm the diagnosis, so as to provide timely treatment.

Pancreatic fistula, a common complication after pancreaticojejunostomy, is a deadly disease with high fatality.Thus, early detection of this condition, as well as effective prevention and treatment, is essential.Gives a further review of the diagnostic criteria for pancreatic fistula, the risk factors for this disease, and research advances in the prevention and treatment of pancreatic fistula.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a pathological condition characterized by the homeostasis imbalance and physiological dysfunction of endoplasmic reticulum.It is summarized from existing articles and reports that the various factors that lead to physical dysfunction can cause ERS and unfolded protein response.Recent studies have shown that ERS is involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury and plays an important role in the process.

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is considered an important influential factor for postoperative recurrence and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) .Little attention has been given to the treatment targeting MVI, and the preoperative identification of MVI remains an unsolved challenge.This paper reviews the research progress in related clinical factors and molecular biomarkers for MVI in HCC and summarizes the confirmed factors closely associated with MVI, such as tumor size, tumor number, tumor differentiation, des-γ-carboxy prothrombin, and alpha-fetal protein.Seeking a new specific serum marker for MVI is still the research orientation in this area.

With the development of nanotechnology, its application in medical fields has attracted increasing attention from medical workers.Reviews the application of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases in recent years, and expounds the advantages of nanotechnology in clinical application from the aspects of imaging diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, thermotherapy, gene therapy, and so on, with an emphasis on its application in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer and viral hepatitis.The article indicates that joint use of nanotechnology and various examinations, tests, or clinical medications will greatly improve the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment of diseases.However, because of the immaturity of nanotechnology and the shortage of medical knowledge, the development of nanotechnology is still restricted at present.