Honglai Xu’s research while affiliated with Guangxi Medical University and other places

Background Branched-chain amino acid metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. In this study, we investigate the potential role of branched-chain amino acid metabolism-related genes in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia reperfusion (HIRI). Methods The gene Expression profiles of HIRI were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibu database. To determine the differential expression of branched-chain amino acid metabolism-related genes between HIRI and normal tissues. Then, the GO and KEGG analyses were performed, and the protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Next, the random forest and LASSO algorithms were used to screen hub genes, and machine learning techniques were used to build diagnostic models. immunoinfiltration was analyzed in both HIRI patients and controls and the ceRNA network was established. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR was used to verify the expression of hub gene. Results Based on data set GSE23649, three central DEGs (SLC7A5, SLC1A5, SLC43A2) were determined by the intersection of three machine learning algorithms and used to establish a nomogram that yielded a high predictive performance (area under the curve 0.733−0.922). In the external GSE15480 dataset, AUC value for three key genes is as high as 1.000. Further analysis of nomogram, decision curve and calibration curve also confirme the predictive efficacy of diagnosis. GSEA and GSVA suggest that these three marker genes were involved in multiple pathways associated with HIRI progression. Immunoinfiltration analysis suggest that the proportion of macrophages, neutrophils, aDCs, Treg, and Th1 cells in HIRI group is higher than that in control group, with statistical significance(P<0.05). The ceRNA network demonstrates the complex regulatory relationships among the three hub genes and these mRNA levels were further confirmed in mouse HIRI liver samples. Conclusions Our study have provided a comprehensive understanding of the association between branched-chain amino acid and HIRI, may provide potential target for HIRI treatment and diagnosis. And provide new insights into the mechanisms of HIRI. Graphical Abstract

Background: Hepatitis is a major public health challenge and a leading cause of death worldwide. We aimed to study the cause-specific incidence and temporal trends of acute viral hepatitis(AVH). Methods: Data on AVH etiologies were available from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to quantify temporal trend in AVH age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) by region, sex, and etiology. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the global incidence of AVH increased by 8.02%, from 244,350,063 in 1990 to 263,951,645 in 2019, with an average decreasing ASIR of 0.52% (95%CI -0.58% to -0.45%) annually. The ASIR of AVH due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) decreased, while those of hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis C (HCV), and hepatitis E (HEV) remained stable, with EAPCs(95%CI) of -1.47 (-1.58 to -1.36), 0 (-0.09 to 0.09), -0.35(-0.83 to -0.13), and -0.16(-0.41 to 0.09), respectively. Although the number of new AVH cases increased in the Low sociodemographic index (SDI), Low-middle SDI regions, the ASIRs decreased in all 5 SDI regions. Globally, HAV and HBV are the leading causes of acute hepatitis. The EAPC is significantly associated with a baseline ASIR of less than 5,500 per 100,000 population (ρ=-0.44), and with the 2019 human development index(HDI) (ρ=0.16) for AVH. Conclusions: Although the ASIR of AVH showed a generally decreasing trend, the burden of AVH remains a major public health challenge globally. The findings may be helpful for policymakers in establishing appropriate policies to reduce the viral hepatitis burden.

Background Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. We aimed to report the burden of liver cancer at the global, regional, and national levels in 204 countries from 1990 to 2019, stratified by etiology, sex, age, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Methods Data of mortality, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of liver cancer and its etiology were available from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study 2019. The trends in the liver cancer burden were assessed by the annual percentage change. All estimates are presented as numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) per 100,000 population, with uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results Globally, 484,577 (95% UI 444,091–525,798) mortalities, 534,364 (486,550–588,639) incident cases, and 12,528,422 (11,400,671–13,687,675) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to liver cancer occurred in 2019. The ASRs were 5.95 (5.44–6.44), 6.51 (5.95–7.16), and 151.08 (137.53–164.8) per 100,000 population for the mortalities, incidences, and DALYs, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the numbers increased, whereas the ASRs decreased. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are the major causes of liver cancer mortality. The liver cancer mortality in 2019 increased with age, peaking at 65–69 and 70–74 age group in males and females, respectively, and the number was higher in males than in females. Generally, there were nonlinear associations between the ASR and SDIs values at the regional and national levels. China had the highest numbers of mortalities, incident cases, and DALYs, whereas Mongolia has the highest ASR in 2019. Conclusion Liver cancer remains a major public health issue worldwide, but etiological and geographical variations exist. It is necessary to increase awareness of the population regarding liver cancer, its etiologies and the importance of early detection, and diagnosis and treatment.

Background and aim: The clinical utility of sorafenib plus hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (SoraHAIC) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains unclear. We, therefore, conducted the current meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of SoraHAIC therapy on major outcomes with advanced HCC patients. Methods: A systematic search of The Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases was performed. The major outcomes in patients with advanced HCC were divided into SoraHAIC group and sorafenib group, which included overall response rate, overall survival, progressive disease, and adverse events. Results: Involving a total of 726 patients from 5 included studies, our meta-analysis demonstrated that SoraHAIC showed significantly more improvement than sorafenib alone in overall response rate [risk ratio=3.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.38-6.89; P=0.006] and complete response (risk ratio=5.84; 95% CI, 1.85-18.45; P=0.003). With regard to survival outcome, the combination therapy also significantly prolongs the median overall survival than sorafenib monotherapy (hazard ratio=0.59; 95% CI, 0.35-1.00; P=0.05). In addition, the risk of adverse events such as anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia was significantly greater in the combination group than in the sorafenib group (P<0.05 for all). Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that SoraHAIC seems to be efficient and safe for advanced HCC patients. However, additional large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to further investigate the clinical benefit.

Background : Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is ranked as the sixth most common solid cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Sorafenib is the first line systematic treatment for patients with advanced HCC. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy（HAIC）has been proved to be an effective treatment for advanced HCC. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to compared the efficacy of HAIC versus sorafenib of advanced HCC patients with PVTT. Methods : The databases of MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched for retrieving the relevant publications before 31 July 2019. The endpoint included overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), partial response rate (PRR), complete response rate (CRR), objective response rate (ORR), stable disease rate (SDR). Results : A total of three studies involving 214 advanced HCC patients with PVTT enrolled in this meta-analysis. HAIC significantly improved TTP (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.39-0.82; P = 0.003), PRR (odds ratio (OR) = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.46-7.50; P = 0.004), ORR (OR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.68-8.50; P = 0.001) compared to sorafenib. However, no significant difference was found in OS (HR=0.77, 95%CI: 0.56-1.06, p=0.11), CRR (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 0.39-16.47; P = 0.33), SDR (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 0.43-5.08; P = 0.001). Conclusions : This meta-analysis suggested that HAIC provides better TTP, PRR, ORR than sorafenib for patients of advanced HCC with PVTT. Therefore, we recommend HAIC as a potential therapy for advanced HCC patients with PVTT. However, owing to the above limitations, more high-quality studies are warranted to evaluate this finding.