中文English
ISSN 1001-5256 (Print)
ISSN 2097-3497 (Online)
CN 22-1108/R

2017 No. 3

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Editorial
Pathogenesis and new therapeutic targets of liver fibrosis
Zhang Wei, Jia JiDong
2017, 33(3): 409-412. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.001
Abstract:
In recent years, the basic research on liver fibrosis has been progressed rapidly.This article briefly reviews the cellular and molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis, including the origin of myofibroblasts, immune regulation, autophagy, and epigenetic regulation, and introduces several new therapeutic targets.More and more evidences show that successful removal of causes is the most important antifibrotic therapy.At present, although the antifibrotic drugs acting on different targets have been emerging, most of them are still in the early stage of research and development, and well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm their clinical efficacy.
Therapeutic guidelines
An excerpt of Asian-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) consensus guidelines on invasive and non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis(2016)
Deng ChaoWen, Gong ZhengHua, Hu GuoXin
2017, 33(3): 413-416. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.002
Abstract:

WSES classification and guidelines for liver trauma (2016)


Jin QianWen, Shi YingHong, Tu ChuanTao
2017, 33(3): 417-421. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.003
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An excerpt of portal hypertensive bleeding in cirrhosis: risk stratification, diagnosis and management - 2016 practice guidance by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
Han Dan, Qi XingShun, Yu Yang, Zhu Qiang, Guo XiaoZhong
2017, 33(3): 422-427. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.004
Abstract:
An excerpt of consensus conference on TIPS management: techniques, indications, contraindications (Italy, 2016)
Zhang XinTong, Qi XingShun, Luo JianJun, Guo XiaoZhong
2017, 33(3): 428-431. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.005
Abstract:
An excerpt of the Japanese research group on IPH: diagnosis and treatment guidelines for aberrant portal hemodynamics (2017)
Bao WenChun, Qi XingShun, Tang ShanHong, Li HongYu
2017, 33(3): 432-434. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.006
Abstract:
Discussions by experts
Pathological assessment of liver fibrosis regression
Wang BingQiong, Sun YaMeng, You Hong, Shao Chen, Wang TaiLing
2017, 33(3): 435-437. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.007
Abstract:
Hepatic fibrosis is the common pathological outcome of chronic hepatic diseases.An accurate assessment of fibrosis degree provides an important reference for a definite diagnosis of diseases, treatment decision-making, treatment outcome monitoring, and prognostic evaluation.At present, many clinical studies have proven that regression of hepatic fibrosis and early-stage liver cirrhosis can be achieved by effective treatment, and a correct evaluation of fibrosis regression has become a hot topic in clinical research.Liver biopsy has long been regarded as the gold standard for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis, and thus it plays an important role in the evaluation of fibrosis regression.This article reviews the clinical application of current pathological staging systems in the evaluation of fibrosis regression from the perspectives of semi-quantitative scoring system, quantitative approach, and qualitative approach, in order to propose a better pathological evaluation system for the assessment of fibrosis regression.
Role of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells in the development and progression of liver fibrosis and related therapeutic strategy
Du YanQin, Wu Jun, Yang DongLiang
2017, 33(3): 438-444. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.008
Abstract:
Liver sinusoid endothelial cells are the first defense mechanism that protects the liver against various injuries, and they also play a significant role in the development of liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis caused by chronic liver injury.They are involved in liver fibrosis by mediating liver inflammation, participating in sinusoid capillarization and revascularization, activating hepatic stellate cells, secreting many proinflammatory cytokines, participating in extracellular matrix formation, and mediating liver microcirculation disturbance.Clarification of these mechanisms helps to identify new targets and develop new regimens for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Novel molecular diagnostic markers for liver fibrosis
Du JingHua, Nan YueMin
2017, 33(3): 445-450. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.009
Abstract:
Liver fibrosis is an important pathological stage for the progression of chronic liver diseases to liver cirrhosis.Timely and accurate assessment of fibrosis degree plays an important role in guiding the treatment of chronic liver diseases.With the development of molecular biology techniques and wide application of molecular diagnostic techniques, the measurement of novel serum molecular diagnostic markers may contribute to the early diagnosis and precise treatment of liver fibrosis.A number of novel serum molecular markers with a diagnostic value have been identified, including fibroblast factor, matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, extracellular matrix-related markers, and non-coding RNAs.In addition, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics also have certain diagnostic values.
Advances in mechanisms and treatment of portal vein thrombosis in patients with liver cirrhosis
Chen DongFeng, Xiong Ji
2017, 33(3): 451-453. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.010
Abstract:
Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) refers to thrombosis in the main portal vein and portal vein branches and is an important complication of liver cirrhosis.PVT can aggravate portal hypertension, increase the risk of bleeding, and lead to acute ischemic necrosis of the small intestine in case of shedding or retrograde movement.This article focuses on the new points of view on the mechanisms and treatment of PVT in cirrhotic patients and points out that treatment regimen should be selected based on patients' overall conditions.
Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of esophageal and gastric varices in patients with liver cirrhosis:from guidelines to clinical practice
Ding HuiGuo, Zhang ShiBin, Li Lei, Li Peng, Zhang YueNing, Wang ZhenBiao
2017, 33(3): 454-457. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.011
Abstract:
Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis is a common acute gastrointestinal disease in clinical practice with a high mortality rate, and endoscopy is a main method for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Timely diagnosis and effective treatment with appropriate endoscopic techniques are the key to reducing mortality rate.With reference to related diagnosis and treatment guidelines and the latest clinical evidence for cirrhotic portal hypertension in China, this article summarizes the role of endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal and gastric varices and bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis, including endoscopic screening and timing of treatment, selection of endoscopic sclerosing agents and endoscopic variceal ligation, salvage measures for endoscopic treatment failure, and complications and related treatment measures.Hepatic venous pressure gradient helps to improve the effect of endoscopy and/or drugs in the prevention and treatment of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.In a word, endoscopy is the main method for the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis, and the research and application of factors for early prediction of the effect of endoscopic therapy and standardization of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment techniques are of great significance in improving the effect and safety of endoscopic therapy.
Original articles_Viral hepatitis
Expression of dendritic cell subsets in patients with different stages of chronic HBV infection:a comparative analysis
Chen WeiXia, Wang Lei, Liu Yang, Ji Guang, Xing LianJun
2017, 33(3): 458-461. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.012
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the changes in peripheral blood dendritic cell (DC) subsets in patients with different stages of hepatitis B virus (HBV) -associated disease and related clinical significance.Methods A total of 20 HBV carriers (HBV carrier group) , 20 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients (CHB group) , 20 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients (cirrhosis group) , and 20 primary liver cancer patients (liver cancer group) , all of whom had HBV-associated disease and were selected from Department of Hepatology, Longhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditiond Chinese Medicine, as well as 20 healthy volunteers (normal group) , were included in this study flow cytometry was used to measure the changes in DC subsets.Comparison between multiple groups using Druskal-Wallis H test and further comparison using of Wilcoxon Rant test.Results According to the results of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in patients with different types of HBV infection and normal population, there was a significant difference in the number of m DC between patients with different typers of HBV infection and normal population (χ2=33.629, P<0.001) , and the cirrhosis group and the liver cancer group had significantly lower numbers of mDCs in peripheral blood than the normal group, CHB group, and HBV carrier group (all P<0.05) .There was a significant difference in the number of pDC between patients with different types of HBV infection and normal population (χ2=13.602, P <0.009) , and the liver cancer group had a significantly lower number of pDCs in peripheral blood than the normal group, CHB group, and HBV carrier group (all P<0.05) .The cirrhosis group had a significantly lower number of pDCs in peripheral blood than the CHB group (P<0.05) .Conclusion There are significant differences in the expression of DC subsets between patients with different HBV-associated diseases, and the number of DCs may be used as a reference for evaluating disease progression and prognosis.
Association between killer cell immunoglobulin- like receptor/human leukocyte antigen gene polymorphisms and sporadic acute hepatitis E
Chen Chong, Zhang ShuYe, Xun JingNa, Zhang YuLing, Li WeiXia, Lu Chuan, Chen Liang
2017, 33(3): 462-465. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.013
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the association between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) /human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene polymorphisms and sporadic acute hepatitis E (AHE) .Methods A total of 42 AHE patients who were hospitalized in First Department of Hepatitis, Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Fudan University, from August 2015 to September 2016 were enrolled, and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled as control group.Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood, and PCR/sequence specific primer was used for the amplification of KIR gene.Sanger sequencing was used to determine the genotype of HLA, and the association between KIR-HLA distribution and sporadic AHE was analyzed.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.Results A total of 16 KIR genes were detected in each group, including inhibitory receptor genes 2DL1-3, 2DL5, and 3DL1-3, activating receptor genes 2DS1-5 and 3DS1, the special inhibitory/activating receptor gene 2DL4, internal reference gene DRB1, and pseudogene 2DP1, as well as HLA-B (including HLA-Bw4, HLA-Bw6, and HLA-Bw4/Bw6) and HLA-C (including HLA-C1/C1, HLA-C1/C2, and HLA-C2/C2) , were also detected.Compared with the control group, the AHE group had significantly lower frequencies of inhibitory genes KIR 2DL3 (64.3% vs 93.3%, P<0.05) , 2DL5 (23.8% vs 56.7%, P<0.05) , 3DL2 (71.4% vs 100%, P<0.05) , and 3DL3 (69.0% vs 100%, P<0.05) , significantly lower frequencies of HLA-C1C2 (19.0% vs 40.0%, P<0.05) and 3DL1/HLA-Bw4 (45.2% vs 73.3%, P<0.05) , and a significantly higher frequency of HLA-C1/C1 gene (71.4% vs 46.7%, P<0.05) .Conclusion The difference in the distribution of inhibitory genes KIR 2DL3, 2DL5, 3DL2, and 3DL3, HLA-C1C1/C1C2, and 3DL1/HLA-Bw4 may be associated with sporadic AHE caused by hepatitis E virus infection.
Original articles_Liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis
Impact of portal vein thrombosis on prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis
Tang Wen, Wang Yu, Zhao XinYan, Wang XiaoMing, Ou XiaoJuan, Jia JiDong
2017, 33(3): 466-471. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.014
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the impact of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) , a common complication of liver cirrhosis, on the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis via a prospective cohort study.Methods The patients who were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and hospitalized in Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, from June 2013 to June 2014 were enrolled.According to the presence or absence of PVT, they were divided into PVT group (22 patients) and non-PVT group (92 patients) .The patients were followed up regularly, and outcome events included variceal bleeding, refractory ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver disease-related death.The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for comparison of categorical data.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine risk factors.Results Compared with the non-PVT group, the PVT group had significantly higher cumulative incidence rates of decompensation event (χ2=7.539, P=0.006) , variceal rupture and bleeding (χ2=5.390, P=0.02) , and intractable ascites (χ2=19.360, P<0.001) , while there was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence rate of hepatic encephalopathy between the two groups (χ2=2.006, P=0.157) .PVT was an independent risk factor for decompensation event (HR=12.907, 95% CI:2.537-65.658, P=0.002) and intractable ascites (HR=27.055, 95% CI:3.191-229.414, P=0.002) .The PVT group had a lower cumulative survival rate than the non-PVT group (χ2=7.112, P=0.008) , while after the patients were stratified according to Child-Pugh class, there was no significant difference in cumulative survival rate between the two groups for patients with a Child-Pugh score of ≥10 (χ2=2.066, P=0.151) or the patients with Child-Pugh score of<10 (χ2=3.068, P=0.08) .Conclusion PVT is an independent risk factor for decompensation event and refractory ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis, but it is not an independent risk factor for death in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Clinical features of cirrhotic patients with different degrees of portal vein thrombosis and their clinical significance
Nie Wei, Lin Wei, Liang Shan, Fan ZuoPeng, Chou LiXia, Liu YiRong, Ma LiXia, Wei XinHuan, Hu ZhongJie, Zhang Jing
2017, 33(3): 472-475. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.015
Abstract:
Objective To investigate liver function and clinical features of portal hypertension complications in cirrhotic patients with different degrees of PVT, and to clarify the clinical significance of PVT.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 178 cirrhotic patients with PVT who were admitted to Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2014 to June 2015, and according to the severity of thrombosis, they were divided into single thrombosis group (109 patients) and multiple thrombosis group (69 patients) .The etiology, clinical manifestation, laboratory results, and gastroscopic findings were recorded.The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data, the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.Results Compared with the multiple thrombosis group, the single thrombosis group had a significantly lower proportion of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis than the multiple thrombosis group (50.5% vs 71.0%, χ2=7.350, P=0.008) and a significantly higher proportion of patients with autoimmune cirrhosis (11.0% vs0, χ2=8.145, P=0.004) .Compared with the multiple thrombosis group, the single thrombosis group had significantly lower prothrombin time activity (63.58%±21.12% vs 71.84%±16.68%, t=-2.701, P=0.008) and significantly lower proportions of patients with severe esophageal varices (57.7% vs 81.1%, χ2=8.921, P=0.012) and red-color sign of esophageal varices (64.1% vs 86.8%, χ2=8.298, P=0.005) .Conclusion Multiple PVT does not influence patients' liver function, and patients with multiple PVT have marked esophageal varices compared with those with single PVT.
Causes and clinical features of liver cirrhosis complicated by upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Tangshan, China
Yang MeiRong, Liu Bin, Zhang GuoShun, Shang Hua, Wu GuiKai, Gao BaoXia
2017, 33(3): 476-478. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.016
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the causes and clinical features of liver cirrhosis complicated by upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Tangshan, China in the past 5 years, and to provide a reference for clinical treatment.Methods A total of 462 patients with liver cirrhosis complicated by upper gastrointestinal bleeding who were hospitalized in The Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan Municipal Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Tangshan Workers' Hospital, and The Affiliated Hospital of Kailuan Group Limited Liability Corporation were enrolled, and all the patients underwent gastroscopy to clarify the cause of bleeding.The association between the cause of bleeding and Child-Pugh class was analyzed.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data.Results Among the causes of liver cirrhosis complicated by upper gastrointestinal bleeding, esophagogastric variceal bleeding, portal hypertensive gastropathy, hepatogenic ulcer, acute gastric mucosal lesion, and mixed type accounted for 52.16%, 27.71%, 11.04%, 4.11%, and 3.25%, respectively, and other causes accounted for 1.73%.There were significant differences in Child-Pugh class between the patients with different causes (χ2=30.12, P=0.007) .Conclusion Among the causes of liver cirrhosis complicated by upper gastrointestinal bleeding, esophagogastric variceal bleeding is the most common one, followed by portal hypertensive gastropathy.The cause of bleeding is associated with Child-Pugh class.
Clinical significance of Th17/Treg and associated cytokines in peripheral blood in chronic hepatitis C patients with liver cirrhosis
Guo FeiBo, Wu JunZhu, Ai LiMing, Song Ying
2017, 33(3): 479-484. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.017
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the clinical significance of Th17/Treg imbalance and changes in associated cytokines in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with liver cirrhosis.Methods A total of 96 CHC patients who visited The First People's Hospital of Tianmen from May 2014 to May 2016 were enrolled and divided into CHC group with 54 CHC patients, LC group with 42 CHC patients with LC, and HC group with 40 healthy persons who underwent physical examination.Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood, ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) , interleukin-10 (IL-10) , interleukin-17 (IL-17) , and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) , and the levels of HCV RNA, aspartate transaminase (AST) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and total bilirubin (TBil) were also measured.An analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the SNK-q test was used for comparison between any two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups;Pearson correlation analysis was also performed.Results Compared with the HC group and the CHC group, the LC group had significantly higher percentages of Th17 cells (5.97%±0.84% vs 2.39%±0.46%/4.75%±0.67%, F=312.95, P<0.001) and Treg cells (3.14%±0.72% vs 1.72%±0.53%/2.81%±0.87%, F=47.21, P<0.001) in peripheral blood, as well as a significantly higher Th17/Treg ratio (1.90±0.52 vs 1.39±0.12/1.69±0.45, F=17.34, P<0.001) .The LC group also had significantly higher serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, IL-10, and TGF-β than the HC group and the CHC group (F=160.38, 574.11, 23.90, and 36.97, all P<0.001) .The percentages of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio, and levels of IL-17, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β were significantly positively correlated with ALT and AST levels (ALT:r=0.633, 0.525, 0.631, 0.931, 0.841, 0.372, and 0.343, all P<0.05;AST:r=0.597, 0.502, 0.564, 0.873, 0.813, 0.365, and 0.337, all P<0.05) , and the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells and levels of IL-6, IL-17, and TGFβ were also significantly positively correlated with TBil level (r=0.344, 0.231, 0.401, 0.339, and 0.307, all P<0.05) .Conclusion Th17 and Treg cells and associated cytokines may be closely associated with the development and progression of CHC and LC and have certain significance in the prevention and treatment of CHC patients with LC.
Inhibitory effect of carvedilol on human hepatic stellate cell activation and fibrosis induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB and related mechanisms of action
Ding Qian, Li Zhen, Liu Bin, Ling LiPing, Zhang ChunQing
2017, 33(3): 485-491. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.018
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effect of carvedilol on the migration, invasion and fibrosis of human hepatic stellate cells, as well as related signaling pathways and mechanisms.Methods Human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 was treated with different concentrations of carvedilol (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 μmol/L, and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) was added to activate the cells.CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell proliferation, wound healing assay was used to measure migration, Transwell chamber assay was used to measure invasion, and Western blot and real-time PCR were used to measure the protein and mRNA expression of fibrosis markers and pathway proteins.The cells were divided into blank control group, PDGF-BB group (only PDGF-BB was added) , and four carvedilol groups (with 1, 2, 5, or 10 μmol/L carvedilol, as well as PDGF-BB) .A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the Dunnett-t test was used for comparison between experimental groups and control group.Results Carvedilol inhibited the proliferation of LX-2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with a half-inhibitory concentration of28.42 μmol/L.Compared with the PDGF-BB group, the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group had significantly inhibited migration of LX-2 cells (59.780%±8.898% vs 17.270%±2.668%, t=4.576, P=0.010) .PDGF-BB increased the invasion of LX-2 cells, and carvedilol inhibited the invasion of LX-2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner;the invasion of LX-2 cells was reduced from 157.00%±10.52% to 85.15%±13.50% in the 2 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=4.198, P=0.014) , to 55.67%±9.54% in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=7.133, P<0.01) , and to 45.37%±10.70% in the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=7.438, P<0.01) .The mRNA expression of type I collagen was reduced from 1.068±0.128 to 0.453±0.085 in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=3.997, P<0.05) and to 0.151±0.019 in the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=7.091, P<0.01) .The mRNA expression of fibronectin was reduced from 1.285±0.042 to 0.879±0.063 in the 1 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=5.345, P<0.01) , to 0.768±0.010 in the 2 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=4.773, P<0.01) , to 0.742±0.117 in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=4.385, P=0.012) , and to 0.591±0.049 in the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=10.76, P<0.01) .The expression of fibronectin was reduced from 2.103±0.414 to 0.739±0.132 in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=3.137, P=0.035) and to 0.600±0.114 in the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=3.499, P=0.025) , and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin was reduced from 1.418±0.241 to 0.543±0.215 (t=2.710, P=0.035) and 0.343±0.118 (t=4.005, P <0.01) , respectively.Y751 phosphorylation was reduced from 2.309±0.181 to 1.278±0.304 in the 2 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=2.912, P=0.044) , to 0.555±0.038 in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=9.476, P<0.01) , and to 0.175±0.039 in the 10 μmol/L group (t=11.51, P<0.01) .Akt phosphorylation was reduced from 1.106±0.185 to 0.335±0.132 in the 5 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=3.386, P=0.015) and to 0.137±0.110 in the 10 μmol/L carvedilol group (t=4.494, P<0.01) .Conclusion Carvedilol can inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and fibrosis of LX-2 cells induced by PDGF-BB, mainly by blocking the PDGF-BB/PDGFR-β/Akt signaling pathway.
Original articles_Pancreatic diseases
Expression of long non-coding RNA H19 in serum in patients with acute pancreatitis and its clinical significance
Li BaoJun, Huang Lai, Sun YuanXin
2017, 33(3): 492-496. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.019
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the expression of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 in the serum of patients with acute pancreatitis and its clinical significance.Methods A total of 82 patients who were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in Emergency Department and Department of General Surgery in Shenyang Emergency Center from January 2013 to December 2015 were enrolled, and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled as normal controls.Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients with acute pancreatitis and healthy subjects, the serum was separated, and RNA was extracted.Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of lncRNA H19, and the correlation between the expression of H19 and other clinical and pathological parameters was analyzed.The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of lncRNA H19 in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.Results The acute pancreatitis group had a significantly higher H19 expression level in serum than the healthy control group (t=2.364, P=0.020) .The severe acute pancreatitis group had higher expression of lncRNA H19 than the mild acute pancreatitis group (t=2.111, P=0.037) , and the patients with a Balthazar CT grade above grade C had significantly higher relative expression of lncRNA H19 than those with CT grade ≤ C (t=2.312, P=0.022) .The ROC curve showed that H19 measurement helped with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis with an area under the ROC curve of 0.752 (95% CI:0.636-0.867, P<0.01) .Conclusion Patients with acute pancreatitis have increased expression of lncRNA H19 in serum, and therefore, H19 has certain clinical significance in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and the evaluation of disease severity.
Original articles_Others
Prognostic factors for patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure
Li Ying, Zhan Jing, Wang ZhongFeng
2017, 33(3): 497-501. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.020
Abstract:

Objective To investigate the prognostic factors for patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure, and to provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods A total of 172 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related acute-on-chronic liver failure who were admitted to The First Hospital of Jilin University from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2016 and had complete medical records and follow-up data were enrolled, and a retrospective analysis was performed for their clinical data and laboratory markers to determine prognostic factors.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for the indices determined to be statistically significant by the univariate analysis to screen out independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for the indices determined to be statistically significant by the univariate analysis, and the results showed that the prognostic factors were total bilirubin (TBil) , prothrombin time activity (PTA) , Na+, total cholesterol (TC) , Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score, age ≥50 years, the presence of liver cirrhosis, bilirubin-enzyme separation, and complications.The multivariate regression analysis was performed for the complications determined to affect prognosis by the univariate analysis, and the results showed that the complications as risk factors were hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, and infection.Conclusion TBil, PTA, Na+, TC, CTP score, age ≥50 years, the presence of liver cirrhosis, bilirubin-enzyme separation, and complications are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.Liver failure patients with hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, and infection tend to have poorer prognosis.Therefore, early judgment of the prognosis of patients with liver failure is of great importance in the prevention and treatment of related complications.

Clinical features of elderly patients with drug-induced liver injury
Ji ChenHua, Zhang ZhuQing, Wang XiaoYuan, Lu ShuMing
2017, 33(3): 502-506. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.021
Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical features of elderly patients with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) .Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of elderly and young and middle-aged patients with DILI who were hospitalized in Dalian Municipal Central Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from January 2010 to December 2015, including sex, age, underlying diseases, drugs causing liver injury, main clinical manifestations, liver function parameters [serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) , gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) , albumin, total bilirubin (TBil) , and direct bilirubin (DBil) ], clinical type, treatment, and prognosis.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups.Results Among the 350 patients with DILI, there were 98 elderly patients (elderly group) .The three most common underlying diseases in the elderly group were cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (31.6%) , osteoarthropathy (26.5%) , and malignant tumor (18.4%) , and the elderly group had significantly higher proportions of patients with these diseases than the young and middle-aged group (31.6%/26.5%/18.4% vs 5.6%/6.3%/4.8%, χ2=42.825, 27.214, and 16.667, all P<0.001) .Among the drugs causing liver injury, traditional Chinese medicine was applied most frequently in the elderly group and the young and middle-aged group (53.1% and44.4%, respectively) , and the elderly group had significantly higher proportions of patients using cardiovascular drugs or antitumor drugs than the young and middle-aged group (26.5%/9.2% vs 4.0%/3.2%, χ2=38.925 and 5.513, P<0.001 and P=0.026) .The elderly group had significantly higher proportions of patients with jaundice (53.1%) or pruritus (22.4%) than the young and middle-aged group (40.5%, 7.1%) (χ2=4.536 and 16.331, P=0.041 and P<0.001) .The most common clinical type in both groups was hepatocellular injury type;compared with the young and middle-aged group, the elderly group had a significantly lower proportion of hepatocellular injury type cases (60.2% vs 81.7%, χ2=17.807, P<0.001) and a significantly higher proportion of cholestasis type cases (28.6% vs 7.9%, χ2=25.389, P<0.001) .Compared with the young and middle-aged group, the elderly group had significantly lower levels of ALT and ALP and significantly higher levels of GGT, TBil, and DBil (Z=-3.141, -2.599, -7.449, -10.277, and-9.278, all P<0.01) .Three patients in the elderly group and one in the young and middle-aged group died during hospitalization.Conclusion Underlying diseases and drugs causing liver injury in elderly patients with DILI are different from those in young and middle-aged patients, and the elderly patients have a higher proportion of cholestasis type cases compared with the young and middle-aged patients.Therefore, prevention and treatment of DILI in elderly patients should be taken seriously.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on liver function, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress in patients undergoing hepatolobectomy
Zhang Ning, Guo ZhenZhong, Cheng Yan
2017, 33(3): 507-511. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.022
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Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on liver function, plasma cytokine levels, and oxidative stress due to ischemia/reperfusion injury in patients undergoing hepatolobectomy.Methods A total of 106 patients who underwent hepatolobectomy in General Hospital of Jizhong Energy Fengfeng Group Co., Ltd.from January 2014 to January 2016 were enrolled and randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 53 patients in each group.The patients in the observation group were given 1 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine within 10 minutes, followed by continuous intravenous infusion of 0.5 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine, and those in the control group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride.The two groups were compared in terms of liver function parameters, plasma cytokine levels, and oxidative stress due to ischemia/reperfusion injury after anesthesia (T1) , before abdominal closure (T2) , and at 1, 4, and 8hours after surgery (T3, T4, and T5, respectively) .The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups;the t-test was used for comparison of indices between groups, the sphericity test was used for comparison of indices at different time points, and an analysis of variance was performed for repeated measurement data with P<0.05.Results The two groups had significantly higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels at T2, T3, T4, and T5 than at T1 (ALT:F=43.72 and 44.16, both P<0.001;AST:F=53.87 and 65.44, both P<0.001) , and the observation group had significantly lower levels than the control group at T2, T3, T4, and T5 (ALT:t=20.54, 22.01, 36.68, and 38.15, all P<0.001;AST:t=32.27, 41.08, 52.82, and 71.89, all P<0.001) .The two groups had significantly higher levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) at T3, T4, and T5 than at T1 (TNFα:F=54.37 and 24.75, both P<0.001;IL-8:F=47.24 and 27.39, both P<0.001) , and the observation group had significantly lower levels than the control group at T3, T4, and T5 (TNFα:t=59.39, 86.32, and 83.16, all P<0.001;IL-8:t=74.47, 72.29, and 76.67, all P<0.001) .The two groups had a significantly higher level of malondialdehyde at T3, T4, and T5 than at T1 (F=37.65 and 17.44, both P<0.001) , and the observation group had a significantly lower level than the control group at T3, T4, and T5 (t=17.35, 19.11, and 24.12, all P<0.001) .The two groups had a significantly lower level of superoxide dismutase at T3, T4, and T5 than at T1 (F=36.54 and 33.65, both P<0.001) , and the observation group had a significantly higher level than the control group at T3, T4, and T5 (t=68.64, 66.35, and 59.48, all P<0.001) .Conclusion Dexmedetomidine can effectively inhibit liver injury, reduce the levels of cytokines, and alleviate ischemia/reperfusion injury in patients undergoing hepatectomy.

Expression of glucose transporter 2 in liver tissue in patients with hepatogenous diabetes and its significance
He YuLan, Sun Lin, Yu HongWei, Meng QingHua
2017, 33(3): 512-515. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.023
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Objective To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) in patients with hepatogenous diabetes and its significance.Methods A total of 40 liver tissue samples were collected from patients who were treated in Department of Severe Liver Disease and Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery in Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, from June 2012 to July 2014.Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of GLUT2 in liver tissue in all four groups (normal group, chronic hepatitis B group, liver cirrhosis group, and hepatogenous diabetes group) .A one-way analysis of variance was used for the comparison of continuous data between groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between any two groups;the Fisher's exact test was used for the comparison of categorical data between groups.Results There were significant differences in fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glycosylated serum albumin, body mass index, and proportion of liver tissue with steatosis between the hepatogenous diabetes group and the other three groups (all P<0.05) .Immunohistochemistry showed that GLUT2 was mainly expressed in the liver cell membrane, especially the cell membrane near the sinus cavity.In the patients with normal liver tissue, chronic hepatitis B, or liver cirrhosis, the expression of GLUT2 in liver tissue tended to gradually decrease from the central vein to the portal area, and one patient with liver cirrhosis had enhanced expression of GLUT2 in the regenerative nodules of hepatocytes.In the 10 patients with hepatogenous diabetes, 6 had significant steatosis of the liver tissue and strongly positive and relatively even expression of GLUT2 at the site of steatosis, as well as the cytoplasm around steatotic hepatocytes, with no significant difference from the expression of GLUT2 in the sinus cavity.Conclusion Patients with hepatogenous diabetes tend to have steatosis in the liver tissue and a significant increase in the expression of GLUT2, which may be the pathogenesis of abnormal glucose metabolism.

Case reports
Wang GaiHao, Liu KaiHui, Zhai WeiChun, Yu XiaoHui
2017, 33(3): 516-518. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.024
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Liver metastasis of small intestinal stromal tumor misdiagnosed as liver cancer: a case report  
Zhang CongGui, Liu ShouLing, Zhou JianPeng, Wei Feng, Wang GuangYi
2017, 33(3): 519-520. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.025
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Liu Feng, Xuan ZhiLu, Liu Kai, Han KaiZe, Yang Fan, Liu YaHui
2017, 33(3): 521-522. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.026
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A case of pseudomyxoma peritonei and literature review 
Pan Meng, Wang Le, Li Xu, Gao PuJun
2017, 33(3): 523-525. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.027
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Combined neuroendocrine carcinoma and stones of the gallbladder:a case report
Ye FeiFei, Ma ZhiGang, Zhao MeiFen
2017, 33(3): 526-527. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.028
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Primary sclerosing cholangitis with dermatomyositis:a case report
Zhu ChunWu, Yuan JiLi, Liu ChengHai
2017, 33(3): 528-531. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.029
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3D laparoscopic partial splenectomy for large mesothelial cyst:a case report
Shi XiaoJu, Song ShiFei, Qin Ying, Tao WeiJie, Zhang Ping
2017, 33(3): 532-534. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.030
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A case of primary single splenic hydatid cyst
Liu Hong, Gan XueMei, Xiong Jie, Zhang YongChuan, Yu Hua, Liu MingZhong
2017, 33(3): 535-537. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.031
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Reviews
Research advances in chronic hepatitis B complicated by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Liu LuLu, Ren Yi, He YiHuai, Lin ShiDe
2017, 33(3): 538-542. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.032
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In recent years, with the improvement in quality of life, the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been gradually increasing, and NAFLD has become a common liver disease with an incidence rate second only to viral hepatitis.Therefore, the number of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) complicated by NAFLD has also been increasing.This article reviews the research advances in the role of hepatitis B virus in promoting NAFLD and the influence of NAFLD on the course of disease and the antiviral effect in CHB patients.
Research advances in risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virologic response
Yang LuXuan, Zhang Xin
2017, 33(3): 543-547. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.033
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Nowadays it is generally believed that chronic hepatitis C patients who are treated with interferon combined with ribavirin and achieve sustained virologic response are considered cured, but in clinical practice, some patients develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after achieving sustained virologic response.This article summarizes and analyzes the studies on chronic hepatitis C patients who developed HCC after achieving sustained virologic response and identifies the risk factors for the development of HCC.It has been proved that some of the risk factors, such as male sex, age, liver cirrhosis, and diabetes, may be related to the development of HCC, but a lot of risk factors still await for further investigation.
Association between γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio and hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Dong JingJing, Guo HongHua
2017, 33(3): 548-552. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.034
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Early and accurate diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and application of antiviral therapy are the key to improving the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) .Liver biopsy and transient elastography cannot be widely used for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in clinical practice, and therefore, the serological diagnostic model has become a hot research topic in recent years.This article introduces a new serological diagnostic model, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio (GPR) , which has a high value in the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients;however, the accuracy of GPR varies between different populations and different areas.GPR is also an excellent predictor for the prognosis of hepatitis B-associated liver cancer.It is pointed out that GPR has a promising future in the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients, but due to a lack of clinical research data on GPR, further studies are needed to support its application in China.
Pathogenesis of congenital hepatic fibrosis and current status of its diagnosis and treatment
Feng MaoSen, Ma WenBin, Tang ShanHong, Wu XiaoLing, Qin JianPing, Ceng WeiZheng
2017, 33(3): 553-557. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.035
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Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF) is a rare disease commonly seen in children and might be caused by ductal plate malformation associated with congenital gene defect.So far, the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear, and present studies have reported that polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 gene mutation may be one of the most important reasons for the development of CHF.Patients are mainly manifested as portal hypertension and recurrent cholangitis, often complicated by renal diseases.The therapeutic principle mainly focuses on controlling portal hypertension and related complications and slowing down the progression of CHF.Timely treatment helps patients to achieve a relatively good prognosis.However, there are still no effective therapies for ductal plate malformation.This article reviews the pathogenesis and current status of treatment of CHF in China and foreign countries to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of CHF.
Regulatory effect of natural killer cells on hepatic stellate cells and their role in liver fibrosis
Li TianYang, Tu ZhengKun, Su LiShan
2017, 33(3): 558-562. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.036
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Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is closely associated with the progression of liver fibrosis.As an important component of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells are enriched in the liver and play a key role in host defense against viral infection and tumor, and their anti-fibrotic effect has also been confirmed.NK cells can reduce liver fibrosis by killing early-activated or senescent HSCs or secreting interferon-γ.This article summarizes related research advances in recent years, and introduces the molecular immunological mechanism of NK cells in regulating HSCs and their potential anti-fibrotic effect based on the function and phenotype of NK cells and HSCs.
Research advances in association between matrix metalloproteinases and liver fibrosis
Ge HongYan, Zhang ShiHua
2017, 33(3): 563-566. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.037
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Liver injury caused by various reasons can lead to the occurrence of liver fibrosis, which is the pathological process from chronic liver disease to liver cirrhosis.Liver fibrosis is caused by the increased synthesis and reduced degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) .ECM is mainly degraded by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) , and therefore, MMP play an important role in the progression and diagnosis/treatment of liver fibrosis.This article reviews the research advances in the association between MMP and liver fibrosis.
Application of antibacterial agents in patients with liver cirrhosis
Han Dan, Qi XingShun, Guo XiaoZhong
2017, 33(3): 567-571. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.038
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Bacterial infection is frequently seen in patients with liver cirrhosis, and the most common type of bacterial infection is spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) .In clinical practice, antibacterial agents are widely used in the treatment of SBP.In addition, antibacterial agents can reduce rebleeding and mortality rates in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.However, in order to avoid bacterial resistance, the appropriate use of antibacterial agents is very important.This article reviews the indications and resistance of antibacterial agents in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Advances in diagnosis and treatment of hepatorenal syndrome type of acute kidney injury in patients with liver cirrhosis
Song TingXue, Qi XingShun, Gao Fan, Guo XiaoZhong
2017, 33(3): 572-576. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.039
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of liver cirrhosis and mainly manifests as a rapidly elevated serum creatinine level, a reduced glomerular filtration rate, and oliguria or anuria.Type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS-1) is a special type of AKI, and patients with untreated HRS-1 have an extremely high risk of death.Early diagnosis and treatment are of great importance.This paper summarizes the latest diagnostic criteria for hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) type of AKI and research advances in the treatment of HRS-1.
Selective portal vein embolization:theoretical basis and clinical application
ALIMU Abudurexiti, Shao YingMei
2017, 33(3): 577-581. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.040
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At present, partial hepatolobectomy remains the preferred and most effective treatment method for primary or metastatic malignant liver tumors, but a low future liver remnant (FLR) volume after surgery is the main risk factor for liver failure and may affect patients' prognosis.Through the embolization of the tumor-bearing portal vein branch, selective portal vein embolization (PVE) redistributes the portal vein blood flow and increases portal vein blood flow in the contralateral liver tissue to increase the FLR volume.This article reviews the theoretical basis and clinical application of selective PVE.As an adjuvant therapy before hepatectomy, selective PVE can reduce the incidence rate of postoperative liver failure, increase tumor resection rate and surgical safety, and create the chance for surgery in patients who cannot undergo surgical treatment.
New strategies for diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B virus-related liver failure
Yang FangJi, Peng Liang, Gao ZhiLiang
2017, 33(3): 582-587. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.041
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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related liver failure has an extremely high mortality rate and a complex pathogenesis, and since related mechanisms are not fully understood, it has been very difficult to diagnose and treat this disease in clinical practice.Apart from liver transplantation, there is still a lack of specific and effective drugs and therapies for the medical treatment of HBV-related liver failure.This article summarizes our experience and research achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-related liver failure, explores the association between host's genetic background and development and aggravation of chronic hepatitis B, and elaborates on the phenomenon of“three attacks”and the concept of“four time phases”.In the aspect of treatment, this article focuses on the clinical application of antiviral therapy, anti-infective therapy, glucocorticoids, and stem cell transplantation;for the evaluation of patients' condition, this article establishes a suitable system for evaluating the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure.
Advances in the application of anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting drugs in treatment of autoimmune hepatitis
Zhang HongXia, Zhou Lu, Wang BangMao
2017, 33(3): 588-592. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.042
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Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is the first liver disease which has proved responsive to glucocorticoids, and the standard therapeutic method is hormone combined with azathioprine.Given that some patients fail to reach the standard of immunosuppressive therapy, and the long-term use of immunosuppressive therapy has many adverse effects, it is necessary to reasonably use anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting drugs to minimize the dose of immunosuppressants, control liver inflammation, reduce the damage of liver cells, and delay the progression of the disease.This paper reviews the advances in the application of anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting drugs in the treatment of AIH, in order to help clinicians make rational decisions.
Application of spectral computed tomography in diagnosis of liver and gallbladder diseases
Li BoLong, Peng XinYu, Qiao Fei, Xu Qiang, Zhao BoWen
2017, 33(3): 593-598. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2017.03.043
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Spectral computed tomography (CT) is a perfect combination of diamond probe and strong computer processing technology and a technological revolution of traditional CT.This article reviews the application of spectral CT in the diagnosis of liver and gallbladder diseases.It summarizes the application value of monochromatic spectral CT imaging, spectral curve, material separation and quantitation, and effective atomic number in the diagnosis and differentiation of liver and gallbladder diseases and analyze the advantages of energy spectrum in identification of small lesions, low dose, and judgment of homology.It is pointed out that the application of spectral CT can be further explored in the aspects of early identification, differentiation, and prognosis of tumors.