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Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with liver cirrhosis and its medication characteristics. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 89 patients with liver cirrhosis and PVT who were hospitalized and treated in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and according to whether TCM treatment was applied in combination, they were divided into TCM group with 59 patients and control group with 30 patients. Related data were collected for the two groups, including demographic data, laboratory examination, radiological examination, gastroscopy, history of surgery, portal hypertension-related complications, medication, and follow-up data. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. An ordinal polytomous Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. TCM Inheritance Computing Platform (V3.0) was used to perform a drug effect cluster analysis of TCM prescriptions. Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that esophageal and gastric varices (odds ratio [ OR ]=3.144, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.221-8.094), PVT involving the portal vein (PV) and the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) ( OR =51.667, 95% CI : 3.536-754.859), PVT involving PV+spleen vein (SV)+SMV ( OR =13.271, 95% CI : 2.290-76.928), cavernous transformation of the portal vein ( OR =11.896, 95% CI : 1.172-120.696), and TCM intervention ( OR =0.348, 95% CI : 0.129-0.938) were influencing factors for the outcome of PVT in liver cirrhosis. Follow-up results showed that compared with the control group, the TCM group had a significantly lower progression rate (16.95% vs 56.67%, P < 0.001) and a significantly lower incidence rate of variceal rupture and bleeding (8.47% vs 33.33%, P < 0.001). Effective TCM drugs with a relatively high frequency of use included deficiency-tonifying drugs (359 times, 34.6%), blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs (202 times, 19.5%), and diuresis-inducing and dampness-draining drugs (180 times, 17.3%); the TCM drugs with a relatively high frequency of use included Astragalus membranaceus (57 times, 8.7%), Angelica sinensis (50 times, 7.6%), and leech (48 times, 7.3%); TCM drug combinations with a relatively high frequency of use included Astragalus membranaceus+Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus+leech, Angelica sinensis+leech, and Astragalus membranaceus+Angelica sinensis+leech. Conclusion Qi-tonifying, blood-activating, and stasis-breaking drugs, such as Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica sinensis, and leech, can promote the stabilization or recanalization of PVT in liver cirrhosis and reduce the incidence rate of bleeding events due to portal hypertension.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of Fuzheng Huayu tablets (FZHY) combined with entecavir (ETV) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) liver fibrosis. MethodsA total of 52 patients with CHB liver fibrosis with an Ishak stage of ≥F3 who were treated in Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2011 to January 2013 were enrolled and divided into FZHY combined with ETV group (combination group) and placebo combined with ETV group (control group), with 26 patients in each group, and the course of treatment was 48 weeks for both groups. Liver biopsy was performed before and after these treatment; clinical outcome was determined based on the reversal rate of Ishak stage for liver fibrosis and the improvement rate of histological activity index (HAI) for inflammation grade, and safety was evaluated based on electrocardiographic findings. Three datasets (full analysis set, per-protocol set, and safety dataset) were identified for analysis; the t-test or the Wilcoxon test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the CMH chi-square test, the chi-square test, or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsOf all 52 patients, 46 underwent the two liver biopsies before and after treatment, with 22 in the combination group and 24 in the control group. At week 48 of treatment, there was a significant difference in the proportion of patients with Ishak stage reduced by ≥1 stage between the combination group and the control group (81.8% vs 54.2%, χ2=5.297, P=0.021). There was also a significant difference in the improvement rate of HAI grade between the combination group and the control group were (59.1% vs 25.0%, χ2=6.822, P=0.009). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence rates of adverse events and serious adverse events, the safety analysis of vital signs, and laboratory safety indicators (all P>0.05). ConclusionFZHY combined with ETV has significant advantages over ETV alone in improving liver fibrosis and inflammation, and antiviral therapy combined with anti-fibrosis therapy can bring better hepatic histological improvement for CHB patients. FZHY combined with ETV has good safety in the treatment of patients with CHB liver fibrosis.
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ObjectiveTo compare the liver histopathological features of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by Chinese herbal medicine (HM) and that caused by Western medicine (WM), and to investigate the pathological features of HM-DILI. MethodsA total of 50 patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI) who were diagnosed and treated in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2014 to June 2019. All the patients with DILI were enrolled and divided into HM-DILI group and WM-DILI group. A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical features and the pathological features of the two groups, including the clinical type of DILI, severity of liver injury, and liver histopathological features, especially location and grade of liver inflammation, type and degree of steatosis, and iron deposition. The t test and Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of ranked data. ResultsOf all 50 patients, 20 (40.0%) had HM-DILI and 30 (60%) had WM-DILI. There were no significant differences in sex, age, course of disease, and biochemical parameters of liver function between the two groups (all P>0.05). The main clinical types of the two groups were hepatocellular injury type and the degree of injury which was mainly grade l, and there were no significant differences in the clinical type of DILI and the severity of liver injury between the two groups (both P>0.05). As for liver histopathological features, both groups had varying degrees of focal necrosis of hepatocytes, steatosis (microvesicular, macrovesicular, and mixed), and fibrous tissue proliferation at the portal area, and compared with the WM-DILI group, the HM-DILI group had significantly greater lymphocyte/plasma cell infiltration in the portal area (χ2=3.860, P<0.05) and iron deposition in Kupffer cells (χ2=4787, P<0.05). ConclusionThere are no significant differences in clinical manifestations between HM-DILI and WM-DILI, but patients with HM-DILI have more obvious inflammation in the portal area and iron deposition in Kupffer cells than those with WM-DILI.
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Objective@#To investigate the correlation of liver stiffness measured by FibroTouch (FT) and FibroScan (FS) with Ishak fibrosis score in patients with chronic hepatitis B.@*Methods@#A total of 313 patients with chronic hepatitis B who visited Department of Liver Cirrhosis in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2014 to May 2016 were enrolled. All the patients underwent liver biopsy, and FT and FS were used to determine liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Serum biochemical parameters were measured, and the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) in a multi-parameter model of liver fibrosis and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index were calculated. The consistency between the results of four noninvasive examinations and Ishak fibrosis score was compared. The t-test was used for comparison of LSM determined by FT and FS. Pearson correlation analysis was used investigate the correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS; Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and Knodell score with LSM determined by FT and FS; the correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS and fibrosis stage was analyzed by partial correlation analysis adjusted by Knodell score for liver inflammatory activity; Spearman correlation analysis was used for APRI, FIB-4, and fibrosis stage. Based on the Ishak fibrosis score, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the values of four noninvasive methods in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in LSM measured by FT and FS in all patients (15.75±9.42 kPa vs 15.42±10.52 kPa, P > 0.05) and Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between them (r = 0.858, P < 0.01); serum ALT and AST levels and liver inflammatory activity were correlated with LSM determined by FT and FS. There was a significant positive correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS and fibrosis stage (r = 0.501 and 0.526, both P < 0.001), and APRI and FIB-4 were also positively correlated with fibrosis stage (r = 0.236 and 0.218, both P < 0.001). Based on the Ishak fibrosis score, in the diagnosis of fibrosis stages F3, F4, F5, and F6, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.915/0.856/0.839/0.816 for FT, 0.933/0.883/0.849/0.856 for FS, 0.618/0.630/0.608/0.638 for APRI, and 0.614/0.624/0.595/0.649 for FIB-4, and FT and FS had a significantly larger areas under the ROC curve than APRI and FIB-4.@*Conclusion@#LSM determined by FT or FS has a good correlation with the Ishak fibrosis score, so FT and FS have a significantly better diagnostic performance for liver fibrosis than APRI and FIB-4.
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OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Jianpi Huoxue Decoction, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on Kupffer cell signal pathway activation in rats with liver injury induced by Lieber-Decarli liquid diet and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: SD rats were divided into normal, control liquid diet, ethanol liquid diet and ethanol liquid diet plus Jianpi Huoxue Decoction group. Rats were administrated with Jianpi Huoxue Decoction or distilled water via gastrogavage for 4 weeks after administration with ethanol or control liquid diet for 2 weeks respectively. After that, rats in each group were stimulated with LPS via gastrogavage for 3.5 h and harvested. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum and triglyceride (TG) in liver were analyzed. Pathological changes in liver tissues were observed in HE staining section. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) in portal vein plasma was assayed by ELISA. The protein expressions of CD68, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), phosphorylation-I kappa B (P-I kappa B) and TNF-alpha in liver were evaluated with Western-blotting. RESULTS: After the treatment with Jianpi Huoxue Decoction, the pathologic changes in liver tissue were lightened, levels of ALT in serum, TG in liver and TNF-alpha in portal vein plasma were decreased, and the protein expressions of CD68, TLR4, P-IkappaB and TNF-alpha in liver were reduced. CONCLUSION: Jianpi Huoxue Decoction can inhibit Kupffer cell signal pathway activation in rats with liver injury induced by Lieber-Decarli liquid diet and LPS.
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ObjectiveTo compare the liver histopathological features of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by Chinese herbal medicine (HM) and that caused by Western medicine (WM), and to investigate the pathological features of HM-DILI. MethodsA total of 50 patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI) who were diagnosed and treated in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2014 to June 2019. All the patients with DILI were enrolled and divided into HM-DILI group and WM-DILI group. A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical features and the pathological features of the two groups, including the clinical type of DILI, severity of liver injury, and liver histopathological features, especially location and grade of liver inflammation, type and degree of steatosis, and iron deposition. The t test and Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of ranked data. ResultsOf all 50 patients, 20 (40.0%) had HM-DILI and 30 (60%) had WM-DILI. There were no significant differences in sex, age, course of disease, and biochemical parameters of liver function between the two groups (all P>0.05). The main clinical types of the two groups were hepatocellular injury type and the degree of injury which was mainly grade l, and there were no significant differences in the clinical type of DILI and the severity of liver injury between the two groups (both P>0.05). As for liver histopathological features, both groups had varying degrees of focal necrosis of hepatocytes, steatosis (microvesicular, macrovesicular, and mixed), and fibrous tissue proliferation at the portal area, and compared with the WM-DILI group, the HM-DILI group had significantly greater lymphocyte/plasma cell infiltration in the portal area (χ2=3.860, P<0.05) and iron deposition in Kupffer cells (χ2=4787, P<0.05). ConclusionThere are no significant differences in clinical manifestations between HM-DILI and WM-DILI, but patients with HM-DILI have more obvious inflammation in the portal area and iron deposition in Kupffer cells than those with WM-DILI.