The rate of functional cure (HBsAg loss) remains unsatisfactory following pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) treatment in chronic hepatitis B. To optimize PEG-IFN administration, this study aimed to evaluate virological markers to predict functional cure and/or hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) loss.

Relevant studies assessing virologic markers for predicting functional cure and HBeAg loss after PEG-IFN therapy were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to November 2023. Predictive effectiveness was evaluated via the summary receiver operating characteristic curve.

We analyzed 38 studies (6,179 patients). HBsAg decline at week 24 had the greatest discriminative ability according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) (0.89) and sensitivity (0.88) for predicting functional cure, whereas baseline HBsAg had a comparable AUROC (0.86) and highest specificity (0.79), with both being significantly better than baseline hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA (all P < 0.001). For HBeAg loss or seroconversion, HBV RNA, HBV DNA, HBeAg, and HBeAg decline at week 12, as well as HBV DNA and HBeAg decline at week 24, all exhibited comparable predictive values (AUROC = 0.75–0.78). HBV RNA and HBeAg levels at week 24 showed optimal sensitivity (0.87), and HBeAg decline at week 12 had the highest specificity (0.83).

HBsAg decline at week 24 and baseline HBsAg levels are better predictors of functional cure than novel virologic markers, while on-treatment HBV RNA and HBeAg levels and dynamic changes are the most reliable indicators for HBeAg loss.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a double-stranded circular DNA virus with a genome of approximately 7–8 kb. This study aimed to establish an overlapping extension polymerase chain reaction method for the amplification of the entire genome of HPV16.

The HPV16 genome was divided into two larger fragments (with lengths of 3.9 kilobases and 5.3 kilobases, respectively), each of which had overlapping regions of more than 500 base pairs. A nested primer (outer primer: Fout/Rout; inner primer: Fin/Rin) was used to amplify each fragment. The key reaction parameters were optimized, including the selection of two highly accurate DNA polymerases; and a series of diluted samples (initial concentration of 2,000 copies/microliter, diluted to 2, 20, 200, and 2,000 copies/microliter) were used for amplification tests to evaluate the sensitivity of this method.

This study demonstrated high sensitivity for HPV16 detection, with effective amplification of samples as low as 2 copies/µL. For low-concentration samples (<200 copies/µL), the Thermo Fisher enzyme showed 50% and 75% effective amplification success rates at 2 copies/µL and 20 copies/µL, respectively, while the Vazyme enzyme achieved 0% success at both concentrations. Both enzymes enabled stable amplification of high-concentration samples (≥200 copies/µL). The amplified products matched the theoretical size, and Illumina sequencing confirmed Q30 ≥ 96% and >98% identity with the HPV16 reference sequence (K02718.1).

This study provides a highly sensitive and specific method for the full-genome sequence analysis of HPV16, which is applicable to HPV16 full-genome sequencing, variation analysis, and other research.

Cirrhotic ascites develops when portal hypertension and arterial under-filling chronically activate neuro-hormonal pathways that drive renal sodium-water retention. Augmented proximal tubular sodium reabsorption, predominantly mediated by the apical sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3), plays a fundamental role in this process. Given the spatial coupling of NHE3 and the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), selective SGLT2 inhibition reduces NHE3 activity via functional suppression within the apical microdomain. The increased sodium chloride delivery to the macula densa augments tubuloglomerular feedback and modulates the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. Early clinical investigations, ranging from case reports and retrospective analyses to pilot randomized trials, indicated potential benefits in controlling ascites and reducing decompensation events. However, their limited sample size, heterogeneous endpoints, and predominantly observational design constrain the generalizability of the findings. This review concentrates on the molecular mechanisms and emerging clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of SGLT2 inhibitors in the management of cirrhotic ascites.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, in which immune evasion mechanisms play a crucial role in its progression and treatment. Natural killer group 2D ligands (NKG2DL), as key molecules activating immune cells, significantly influence the immune evasion of liver cancer through their regulatory mechanisms. This review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of NKG2DL expression, including genetic, signaling pathway, non-coding RNA, and stress response modulation, and discusses their expression patterns and clinical relevance in HCC. Studies have shown that the expression status of NKG2DL not only impacts patient prognosis and therapeutic response but also provides potential targets for HCC immunotherapy. Future research should focus on the molecular networks regulating their expression and their synergy with immunotherapy to provide a theoretical basis for developing more precise diagnostic and personalized treatment strategies for HCC.

Thalassemia is a group of anemias that result from inherited defects in the production of the beta chain of hemoglobin. It is stabilized by gamma globin, which combines to form fetal hemoglobin. One therapeutic approach is to target histone deacetylase (HDAC), which plays an important role in controlling beta thalassemia. This study sought to identify a natural inducer for treating this disease.

Twenty-five Andrographis paniculata compounds were screened using Schrödinger Suite 2020 (Maestro 12.3) for ligand preparation, grid generation, glide extra precision docking and molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area scoring. The HDAC2 crystal structure (Protein Data Bank ID: 4LXZ) was prepared by removing crystallographic water molecules and performing restrained minimization. Top-scoring complexes were subjected to 5-ns molecular dynamics simulations in GROMACS 2019 using the optimized potentials for liquid simulations force field, three interaction site point charge solvation, and standard neutralization and equilibration protocols. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties were predicted using QikProp.

Among the twenty five screened compounds, SRJ09 derivative of andrographolide, ranked among the top candidates based on glide extra precision docking and molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area scores and was therefore selected for further analysis. SRJ09 showed favorable binding to the HDAC2 active site, with interactions comparable to the reference inhibitor 20Y. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion predictions indicated acceptable drug-likeness, and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated stable SRJ09–HDAC2 complex behavior over 5 ns.

We concluded that beta thalassemia may benefit from the use of andrographolide, and SRJ 09 as prospective HDAC2 inhibitor drugs that are favourable and efficacious and that generate fetal hemoglobin. Therefore, this bioactive compound is worth further investigation using in vitro and in vivo studies.

Metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a disease of hepatic fat accumulation resulting from metabolic disorders. Currently, MAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents. No effective or safe drugs for treating children with MAFLD are available. The traditional Chinese medicine used for treating MAFLD in children is characterized by being holistically regulated, multileveled, multi-targeting, and very safe. In this paper, the progress in research involving treatment using traditional Chinese medicine for MAFLD in children is reviewed.

Invasive pituitary adenomas with infrasellar extension can present with symptoms such as epistaxis and nasal obstruction, closely mimicking the clinical and radiological characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which frequently leads to misdiagnosis. This report discusses the case of a 32-year-old male who was initially misdiagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma for approximately one month and subsequently underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, a multidisciplinary assessment at our institution, incorporating magnetic resonance imaging findings of an invasive sellar mass, serum prolactin levels exceeding 2,000 ng/mL, and positive immunohistochemistry for PIT-1 and prolactin, established the diagnosis of an invasive prolactinoma. Treatment with bromocriptine led to significant tumor reduction. However, this was complicated by cerebrospinal fluid leakage, which subsequently resulted in an intracranial infection. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor and repair of the cerebrospinal fluid leak, with postoperative pathology confirming a PIT1-lineage, densely granulated, prolactin-secreting adenoma. The patient experienced a favorable recovery, with prolactin levels normalizing under continued bromocriptine therapy. This case highlights the critical importance of routine hormonal screening, thorough evaluation of nasopharyngeal mucosal integrity, and multidisciplinary collaboration in the diagnostic process.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major global health problem. The main treatments are surgery and chemoradiotherapy. A drawback of the latter is that repeated treatments are likely to lead to cancer cells developing resistance to the drug, resulting in recurrence, development of metastases, and poor prognosis for patients. Consequently, there is interest in combining chemoradiotherapy with treatment using active components extracted from natural products. One such component is resveratrol (RVT), which is a natural anti-tumor ingredient extracted from plants. Although there are many reviews on the biological activity of RVT, only a few studies have been performed to investigate the diversity of protein binding of RVT with OC and the application of various novel drug formulations containing RVT to treat OC. The review presented here may provide some ideas for the prevention and treatment of OC.