慢性乙型病毒性肝炎中医虚实辨证的分子生物学研究概述

中医药对慢性乙型病毒性肝炎（慢乙肝）治疗已积累了丰富的经验,而邪实正虚是中医临床慢性乙型病毒性肝炎基本病机特点,在传统中医四诊辨证的基础上,将现代分子生物学理论及技术与慢乙肝中医虚实辨证相结合,通过比较慢乙肝中医常见虚证与实证之间在乙肝病毒基因型及变异、人类白细胞抗原等位基因多态性、以及转录组、蛋白组学等系统生物学等方面分子生物学领域的差异性,揭示慢乙肝虚实证型之间分子生物学意义,为慢乙肝的中医临床辨证分型和个体化治疗提供新的参考依据,同时也为中医慢乙肝辨证客观化和药物作用机制研究奠定基础.     

套式聚合酶链反应及限制酶分析检测新生儿肝炎巨细胞病毒感染

在人巨细胞病毒（HCMV）AD169株直接早期蛋白EcoRIJDNA片段内，自行设计二对引物，建立套式PCR检测HCMVDNA。经实验证明有高度的特异性与敏感性，对其它疙疹类病毒和正常人基因组DNA无交叉反应。一次性PCR检测HCMVAD169株基因组的最小检出量为100fg，而套式PCR可达10fg，经PStI酶切后，得到的片段与设计相符。对23例新生儿肝炎临床标本进行病毒分离，一次性PCR，套式PCR检测，结果表明套式PCR能进一步提高一次性PCR的特异性与敏感性，适用于新生儿肝炎HCMV感染的临测。     

One-year efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide in patients with chronic hepatitis B: An observational study

Non-inferior antiviral efficacy and better renal safety have been reported in chronic hepatitis B patients with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) treatment. The experience in real-world clinical practice is limited.We aimed to explore the efficacy after 1-year TAF treatment.A total of 148 patients (42 HBeAg-positive and 106 HBeAg-negative) with TAF treatment ≥1 year were included. Virological suppression (<20 IU/mL or undetectable), HBsAg level, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization (≤36 U/L), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were analyzed at 1 year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associated factors for virological suppression and ALT normalization.Virological suppression was achieved in 83% and the 1-year median decline of hepatitis B virus DNA was 5.18 log IU/mL. ALT normalization occurred in 75.7%. HBsAg level decreased at a median of 0.27 log IU/mL with significant difference from baseline (P < .001). Baseline ALT (odds ratio [OR] 1.005, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.000–1.010, P = .036) and hepatitis B virus DNA (OR 0.222, 95% CI 0.079–0.621, P = .004) were significant factors for 1-year virological suppression. Age (OR 1.064, 95% CI 1.003–1.130, P = .041) was associated with ALT normalization. Significant changes were observed in creatinine (mean increase 0.03 mg/dL, P = .011) and eGFR (mean decrease 2.6 mL/min/1.73 m², P = .004) after 1-year TAF treatment.One-year TAF treatment came to good virological response, modest ALT normalization rate and significant HBsAg decline. The observation of significant changes in eGFR warranted further studies.     

Metronidazole-induced hepatotoxicity in a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum: A case report

Rationale:Whereas metronidazole-induced hepatotoxicity is quite rare in the general population, in individuals carrying a nucleotide excision repair disorder, namely Cockayne syndrome, there is a high risk of developing this complication.Patient concerns:We report the case of a 44-year-old man, affected by xeroderma pigmentosum, who was admitted to the hospital presenting aspiration pneumoniae caused by worsening dysphagia and with severe hepatotoxicity during the hospitalization.Diagnoses:Acute hepatitis, which was leading to acute liver failure, occurred during antibiotic treatment with metronidazole and ceftazidime with an elevation of liver enzymes consistent with hepatocellular damage pattern.Interventions:Hydration with glucose 5% solution, pantoprazole and vitamin K were administered, meanwhile other causes of hepatitis were ruled out and the ongoing antibiotic treatment was stopped suspecting a drug-induced liver injury.Outcomes:Liver function nearly completely recovered 1 month later with a first rapid improvement, within few days, of aminotransferases and coagulation studies, and slower of cholestatic enzymes.Lessons:We describe the first case available in the literature of hepatotoxicity associated with metronidazole treatment in a xeroderma pigmentosum patient. Clinicians therefore, based on this report and according to the possible underlying mechanism shared by other genetic diseases characterized by alterations in the pathway of DNA-repair, should consider such adverse event also in patients affected by this rare disease.     

Association of Pre-S/S and Polymerase Mutations with Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infections in Patients from Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Several hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related factors, including the viral load, genotype, and genomic mutations, have been linked to the development of liver diseases. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate the influence of HBV genetic variability during acute and chronic infection phases. A real-time nested PCR was used to detect HBV DNA in all samples (acute, n = 22; chronic, n = 49). All samples were sequenced for phylogenetic and mutation analyses. Genotype A, sub-genotype A1, was the most common genotype in the study population. A total of 190 mutations were found in the pre-S/S gene area and the acute profile revealed a greater number of nucleotide mutations (p < 0.05). However, both profiles contained nucleotide mutations linked to immune escape and an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinomas (acute, A7T; chronic, A7Q). Furthermore, 17 amino acid substitutions were identified in the viral polymerase region, including the drug resistance mutations lamivudine and entecavir (rtL180M), with statistically significant differences between the mutant and wild type strains. Owing to the natural occurrence of these mutations, it is important to screen for resistance mutations before beginning therapy.     

Giant cell hepatitis with autoimmune hemolytic anemia in a Korean infant

Giant cell hepatitis (GCH) with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA) is a very rare disease characterized by early onset and severe clinical manifestations, including immune hemolytic anemia and hepatitis with cholestasis. The prognosis is poor despite aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. We report here the first case of GCH with AHA in East Asia. A 2‐month‐old boy was admitted with jaundice. Blood test indicated abnormal liver function and low hemoglobin. Direct Coombs test and several autoantibodies associated with liver disease were positive, and liver biopsy was consistent with GCH. He was treated with prednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid, and at the time of writing was in clinical and biochemical remission after prednisolone was stopped.     

Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-associated grade 3 hepatotoxicity managed with enteric-coated budesonide monotherapy: A case report

Rationale:The introduction of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) in recent years has changed the natural course of many neoplasms. However, patients receiving these medications may present immune-mediated adverse events; management includes temporary or permanent cessation of treatment and corticosteroids, occasionally combined with other immunomodulators. Such immunosuppression, however, also has numerous adverse events and even if it is effective in controlling toxicity, it delays immunotherapy reinitiation, as current evidence requires dose tapering to ≤10 mg prednisolone equivalent before rechallenge. Enteric-coated budesonide is a corticosteroid formulation acting primarily to the intestine and liver, as a result of its extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism.Patient concerns:A 76-year-old woman treated with ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea for at least the previous 4 days. Laboratory tests, among others, revealed elevated aminotransferases and C-reactive protein. During hospitalization, the patient also developed fever.Diagnosis:The patient, after excluding alternative causes of aminotransferase elevation, was diagnosed with grade 3 ipilimumab-associated hepatotoxicity.Interventions:Budesonide monotherapy was administered; initial daily dose was 12 mg.Outcomes:Fever subsided after the first dose of budesonide. Aminotransferases returned to normal-near normal approximately 1 month after the first dose of budesonide. After this point, daily dose was reduced by 3 mg every 2 weeks, with no clinical or biochemical relapse.Conclusions:This case of ICPI hepatitis is, to our knowledge, the first in the literature managed with budesonide monotherapy. Therefore, budesonide may be a potentially attractive option for the management of ICPI-associated liver injury in cases where corticosteroid treatment is necessary due to its safety profile and the potential advantage of faster immunotherapy rechallenge in selected patients without requiring dose tapering, in contrast to systemically acting corticosteroids. Clinical trials should be conducted in the future in order to validate or refute these findings.     

郁金治疗淤胆型肝炎的研究

目的探讨郁金及其他中药治疗淤胆型肝炎的临床疗效。方法将90例入选患者随机分为6组,均给予复方丹参、门冬氨酸钾镁静滴。在此基础上,B组加其他中药,C组加常规量郁金,D组加常规量郁金和其他中药,E组加大量郁金,F组加大量郁金和其他中药。6组疗程均为21 d。结果LSD多重比较显示,使用大量郁金与使用常规量及不使用郁金间对降低血清总胆红素均有非常显著性差异(P=0.001,P=0.000)。血清总胆红素下降均值由高到低依次为使用大量((164.3±116.4)μmol/L)、使用常规量((101.3±72.0)μmol/L)和不用((72.3±73.8)μmol/L)。其他中药用与不用对降低血清总胆红素有非常显著性差异(F=46.823,P=0.000),血清总胆红素下降均值由高到低依次为用((164.2±93.6)μmol/L)和不用((61.1±69.0)μmol/L)。结论郁金与其他中药均可降低血清总胆红素水平,大剂量郁金较常规量效果好,大剂量郁金与其他中药合用疗效最好,而且两者有协同作用。     

骨形态发生蛋白7在慢性HBV感染者肝组织中的表达

[目的]通过对不同慢性乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）感染者肝组织中骨形态发生蛋白7（BMP-7）表达的分析,初步探讨BMP-7在肝脏炎症和肝细胞再生过程中可能发挥的作用。[方法]对56例慢性HBV感染者及5例正常对照肝组织进行常规组织学观察,按病理诊断分组。其中病毒性肝炎乙型慢性轻度12例,中度12例,重度6例,重型8例,乙肝肝硬化10例,肝癌8例。进行BMP-7的免疫组织化学染色,观察光镜下分布特点,取部分标本进行图像分析。取8例肝癌患者癌结节及3例癌旁组织进行实时荧光定量RT-PCR,检测BMP-7mRNA的表达。[结果]BMP-7阳性单位在正常人肝脏（7.27±2.88）、病毒性肝炎（乙型）慢性轻度（8.50±3.22）、中度（10.96±2.88）、重度（13.11±1.26）有逐渐增加趋势,重型肝炎（7.50±1.21）、肝硬化（8.24±1.79）较中度、重度低;进一步比较BMP-7阳性区灰度有相似结果（P值均小于0.01）。BMP-7在肝脏既有胞浆型表达,也有胞膜型表达。在慢性中度、重度患者及肝硬化结节内为弥漫性表达;但在重型肝炎患者,仅呈灶状表达;在癌周组织有弥漫或灶状表达,在癌结节表达极少。[结论]在慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织中BMP-7表达增多,但是在重型肝炎肝组织及肝癌结节中表达减少,值得进一步研究。