Factors Associated with Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Kinetics and Responses in Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a Monotherapy for Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Objective Pegylated-interferon monotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B; however, the factors associated with its therapeutic effects remain unclear. Methods Patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with pegylated interferon α-2a for 48 weeks. We evaluated the kinetics of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during treatment and follow-up periods and the factors associated with an HBsAg response (defined as a change in HBsAg of ≥-1 log IU/mL from baseline). Results The study population comprised 50 patients. The median baseline levels of hepatitis B virus DNA and HBsAg were 5.00 and 3.40 log IU/mL. The median values of HBsAg reduction from baseline were -0.44 (n=48), -0.41 (n=40), and -0.68 (n=11) log IU/mL at the end of treatment and at 48 and 144 weeks post-treatment, respectively. The rates of HBsAg response were 24.0% and 22.5% at the end of treatment and at 48 weeks post-treatment, respectively. A multivariate analysis identified HBsAg <3.00 log IU/mL as an independent baseline factor contributing to the HBsAg response at the end of treatment and 48 weeks post-treatment (p=1.07×10^-2 and 4.42×10^-2, respectively). There were significant differences in the reduction of the HBsAg levels at 12 weeks of treatment and in the incidence of serum ALT increase during treatment between patients with and without an HBsAg response. Conclusion These findings suggest that the baseline HBsAg level, HBsAg kinetics at 12 weeks of treatment, and ALT increase during treatment are important factors contributing to the HBsAg response in pegylated interferon α-2a monotherapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B.     

Nasolabial appearance of bilateral cleft lip repair at five years of age. Comparing techniques of modified advancement-rotation (Delaire) with Manchester repair: a retrospective cohort study

The techniques used to repair bilateral cleft lip have evolved over time, yet little data exist to compare outcomes using the various techniques. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate and compare the aesthetic outcomes of two types of complete bilateral cleft repair: advancement rotation and a historic cohort repaired with the Manchester technique. A total of 32 consecutive patients who had complete repair of bilateral cleft lips were identified retrospectively from our centre using inpatient records. The first 16 (born between 1994 and 2005) underwent the Manchester repair, the second 16 (born between 2006 and 2010) a Delaire modified advancement rotation technique. Standardised photographs were taken at five years post repair and cropped to isolate the nasolabial component. Appearance outcomes were assessed by 20 members of the cleft and plastic surgery team, who were each asked to rate all 32 images using the Asher-McDade five-point scale. A chi squared test was used to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in cleft scores between the two approaches. There was a mean (SD) of 2.8 (1.02) in the advancement rotation group and a mean (SD) of 3.1 (1.07) in the Manchester group. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of scores in the advancement rotation group compared with the Manchester group, with lower scores (better results) in the advancement rotation group (p=0.003). This study demonstrates that the advancement rotation technique for the repair of bilateral cleft lip defects resulted in a superior nasolabial appearance when directly compared with the Manchester repair at 5 years of age.     

磁敏感加权成像黑质“燕尾征”在帕金森病中的诊断价值

目的:探讨3.0 T磁敏感加权成像(susceptibility weighted imaging,SWI)中"燕尾征"缺失在帕金森病(Parkinson's dis-ease,PD)的诊断价值并分析黑质小体-1 (nigrosome-1)可视化与PD患者临床资料的相关性.方法:收集2017年9月至2019年11月于重庆医科大学附属第一医院神经内科住院的50例PD患者及年龄、性别与之匹配的57例非PD患者.所有受试者均接受3.0 T头颅SWI检查.在获得的SWI图像上,由2名临床医师采用盲法独立对双侧"燕尾征"进行评估.一侧"燕尾征"缺失即判定为PD.计算"燕尾征"缺失诊断PD的灵敏度、特异度、预测值和准确度,并分析nigrosome-1可视化与PD患者临床资料的相关性.结果:以临床诊断作为金标准,45例PD患者判断正确,评估者之间的一致性很高(k=0.963,P=0.000)."燕尾征"缺失诊断PD的灵敏度为90.0％,特异度为91.2％,阳性预测值为90.0％,阴性预测值为91.2％,准确度为90.7％.44例PD患者临床症状不对称,其中32例患者nigrosome-1可视化不对称.PD患者nigrosome-1可视化偏侧和临床症状偏侧比较差异无统计学意义(x2=5.756,P=0.056).11例PD患者双侧nigrosome-1全部缺失,纳入全部缺失组,其余PD患者为非全部缺失组.全部缺失组和非全部缺失组患者的汉密尔顿抑郁量表评分差异有统计学意义(U=126.500,P=-0.038),而病程、帕金森病统一评定量表第Ⅲ部分、改良Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y)分级、简易智能状态量表和蒙特利尔认知评估量表评分差异均无统计学意义(P=0.768、0.140、0.839、0.054、0.067).结论:"燕尾征"缺失诊断PD的准确率较高,缺失程度可能与PD患者的抑郁程度有关,对PD的诊断有一定参考价值.     

Oxygen delivery-guided perfusion for the prevention of acute kidney injury: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThe reduction of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery using an oxygen delivery-guided perfusion strategy (oxygen delivery strategy) for cardiopulmonary bypass management compared with a fixed flow perfusion (conventional strategy) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a oxygen delivery strategy would reduce the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.MethodsWe randomly enrolled 300 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to a oxygen delivery strategy (maintaining a oxygen delivery index value >300 mL/min/m² through pump flow adjustments during cardiopulmonary bypass) or a conventional strategy (a target pump flow was determined on the basis of the body surface area). The primary end point was the development of acute kidney injury. Secondary end points were the red blood cell transfusion rate and number of red blood cell units, intubation time, postoperative length of stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital, predischarge estimated glomerular filtration rate, and hospital mortality.ResultsAcute kidney injury occurred in 20 patients (14.6%) receiving the oxygen delivery strategy and in 42 patients (30.4%) receiving the conventional strategy (relative risk, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.77; P = .002). The secondary end points were not significantly different between strategies. In a prespecified subgroup analysis of patients who had nadir hematocrit less than 23% or body surface area less than 1.40 m², the oxygen delivery strategy seemed to be superior to the conventional strategy and the existence of quantitative interactions was suggested.ConclusionsAn oxygen delivery strategy for cardiopulmonary bypass management was superior to a conventional strategy with respect to preventing the development of acute kidney injury.     

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepatitis B virus vaccination and transmission among men who have sex with men: A mathematical modelling study

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccinations among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been considerably lower than before the pandemic. Moreover, less frequent HBV testing and a reduction in numbers of sex partners have been reported. We assessed the impact of these COVID-19-related changes on HBV transmission among MSM in the Netherlands.MethodsWe estimated the changes in sexual activity, HBV testing, and HBV vaccination among MSM during the pandemic from Dutch data. We used a deterministic compartmental model and investigated scenarios with small or large declines in sexual activity, testing, and vaccination for the current phase of the pandemic (without available data). We examined the increase in HBV vaccinations needed to prevent further increase in HBV incidence.ResultsWith a decrease in numbers of sex partners of 15–25% during the first lockdown and 5% during the second lockdown, we found a decline of 6.6% in HBV incidence in 2020, despite a >70% reduction in HBV testing and vaccination during the first lockdown. With numbers of sex partners rebounding close to pre-pandemic level in 2021, and a reduction of 15% in testing and 30% in vaccination in 2021, we found an increase of 1.4% in incidence in 2021 and 3.1% in 2026. With these changes, an increase of ≥60% in HBV vaccinations in 2022 would be needed to bring the HBV incidence in 2023 back to the level that it would have had if the COVID-19-related changes had not occurred.ConclusionsDespite reductions in sexual activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the decrease in HBV vaccinations may result in a small increase in HBV incidence after 2021, which may persist for years. It is important to restore the vaccination level and limit further increase in HBV transmission among MSM.     

A reappraisal of pediatric abdominal surface anatomy

Surface anatomy is fundamental to clinical and surgical practices. As the surface anatomy varies with age, the purpose of this study is to provide age-standardized surface markings for the abdomen in children. A total of 155 abdominal computed tomography scans of healthy children aged 0–18 years were categorized into six groups, and the surface anatomy of the major vascular structures, solid viscera, and anatomical planes in the abdomen was analyzed. The vertebral levels of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and hepatic portal vein formation were higher in the youngest age group, whereas the levels of the inferior mesenteric artery, formation of the inferior vena cava, and renal arteries did not differ with age. The right kidney lay between T12 and L3 and the left at T11-L3; however, both kidneys were in lower positions in younger children. The spleen was most commonly located between the 8th and 11th ribs except in toddlers. In all age groups, the hepatic portal vein formation was within the transpyloric plane and the aortic bifurcation was above the supracristal plane. In vivo reassessment of the surface anatomy enables the substantial variability of surface landmarks to be highlighted. This study demonstrates that taking account of age-related variations will increase the accuracy and therefore the clinical relevance of surface anatomy.     

Improvement of patient localization repeatability using a light-section based optical surface guidance system in a pre-positioning procedure

PurposeSurface-guided radiotherapy is useful for the pre-positioning and monitoring of radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of surface guidance on the repeatability of patient localization and to estimate the specific point at which high positional errors occur.Materials and methodsTen patients without the VOXELAN system (non-VXLN group) and 10 patients with the VOXELAN as the pre-positioning procedure (VXLN group) were included in this analysis. Twelve regions of interest (ROI) were defined in all the patients to verify any misalignment during radiotherapy. Thirteen ROIs were defined on the isocenter.ResultsCompared with the non-VXLN group, the translational positional errors of the VXLN group were the same for all the ROIs. The mean translational positional errors of the VXLN group in the longitudinal direction were approximately 0.1 mm, and the standard deviation was the largest among the three directions in all the ROIs. The magnitude of the standard deviation in the non-VXLN group varied independently of the ROI and direction. The standard deviations of the VXLN group in the longitudinal direction were large in all the ROIs, while the standard deviations in the vertical and lateral directions were small.ConclusionPre-positioning with a surface guidance system reduced the body twist and rotation, which could not be corrected by image-guided radiotherapy alone. Since the VOXELAN can detect positioning errors quickly and without additional radiation exposure to the patient, it can be used as a tool for pre-positioning in radiotherapy.