Wu Zhang’s scientific contributions

Background & Aims Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a common and potentially life-threatening condition. Over-the-scope clips (OTSCs) have emerged as a promising endoscopic treatment option for NVUGIB. We aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of OTSCs compared to standard endoscopic treatments (ST) in patients with NVUGIB. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to June 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing OTSCs with ST for NVUGIB. The primary outcomes were initial hemostasis and persistent bleeding. Secondary outcomes included rebleeding rates, mortality, hospital stays and others. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random/fixed-effects models. Results Six RCTs involving 621 patients were included in the meta-analysis. OTSCs demonstrated significantly higher initial hemostasis (OR 4.80, 95% CI 1.78–12.96; P = 0.002) and lower persistent bleeding rates (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05–0.56; P = 0.003) compared to ST group. The rebleeding rate was significantly lower in the OTSC group 7-days re-bleeding (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.14–0.53; P = 0.001); 30-days rebleeding (OR 0.40, 95%CI 0.22, 0.70; P = 0.002). No significant differences were observed in mortality (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.31–1.33; P = 0.38) and hospital stay (mean difference 0.79 days 95%CI -0.57, 2.15) between the two groups. Conclusions OTSCs are more effective than ST for achieving hemostasis and preventing rebleeding in patients with NVUGIB, without increasing mortality. Key message What is Already Known Previous studies have shown that nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a serious medical condition that needs effective endoscopic interventions. The success rates of standard treatments for achieving hemostasis and preventing rebleeding are not consistent. What This Study Adds According to this study, over-the-scope clips (OTSCs) have the same mortality rate as standard endoscopic treatments, but they significantly improve initial hemostasis and lower rebleeding rates. Impact on Research, Practice, or Policy The findings support the use of OTSCs as a preferred intervention for NVUGIB, which could affect clinical guidelines and encourage additional research focused on improving endoscopic techniques and patient outcomes in the management of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background The prognosis of primary liver cancer (PLC) was influenced by death due to non-cancer causes, particularly death related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to analyze mortality of non-cancer causes and identify the independent risk factors associated with CVD-related deaths in PLC patients. Methods In total, 112140 patients were enrolled from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2000–2019). Independent risk factors for death from CVD in patients with PLC were identified by Cox proportional hazards model. Results The median follow-up time of all PLC patients was 76 months (interquartile range (IQR): 36–129). The median overall survival (OS) was 12 months (IQR: 3–40). Patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) had shorter OS than patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (8 vs. 14 months; P < 0.001). A total of 87299 deaths were observed, among which 61477 (70.42 % of all deaths) were from PLC, and 12727 (14.58 % of all deaths) were from other cancers. Of all non-cancer deaths (9276, 10.63 %), 2860(30.86 %) were results of CVD. PLC patients had higher risks on CVD-related deaths, compared with general population (standard mortality ratio, SMR, 2.20; 95 % confidence interval, CI, 2.12–2.28). Typically, the highest SMRs appeared in the first year following cancer diagnosis. The multivariable analysis revealed the characteristics listed as followed to be independently risk factors of CVD: age, male (hazard ratio, HR: 1.248, 95%CI: 1.147–1.359), black race (HR: 1.334, 95%CI: 1.195–1.490), year 2016–2019 of diagnosis (HR 0.758, 95%CI: 0.671–0.856), ICC (HR: 1.202, 95%CI: 1.086–1.330), without surgery (HR: 2.479, 95%CI: 2.266–2.711) and without chemotherapy (HR: 2.211, 95%CI: 2.033–2.403). Conclusion It is essential to take cardiovascular health into consideration at the time of diagnosis for PLC patients as the risk of CVD mortality is significantly higher than that of general population.

Background/Aims Acute pancreatitis is a common condition of the digestive system, but sometimes it develops into severe cases. In about 10–20% of patients, necrosis of the pancreas or its periphery occurs. Although most have aseptic necrosis, 30% of cases will develop infectious necrotizing pancreatitis. Infected necrotizing pancreatitis (INP) requires a critical treatment approach. Minimally invasive surgical approach (MIS) and endoscopy are the management methods. This meta-analysis compares the outcomes of MIS and endoscopic treatments. Methods We searched a medical database until December 2022 to compare the results of endoscopic and MIS procedures for INP. We selected eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported treatment complications for the meta-analysis. Results Five RCTs comparing a total of 284 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Among them, 139 patients underwent MIS, while 145 underwent endoscopic procedures. The results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the risk ratios (RRs) for major complications (RR: 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49–0.97), new onset of organ failure (RR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.11–0.82), surgical site infection (RR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.07–0.92), fistula or perforation (RR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.12–0.64), and pancreatic fistula (RR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.05–0.45). The hospital stay was significantly shorter for the endoscopic group compared to the MIS group, with a mean difference of 6.74 days (95% CI: −12.94 to −0.54). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the RR for death, bleeding, incisional hernia, percutaneous drainage, pancreatic endocrine deficiency, pancreatic exocrine deficiency, or the need for enzyme use. Conclusions Endoscopic management of INP performs better compared to surgical treatment due to its lower complication rate and higher patient life quality.