The research status and development trends of brain-computer interfaces in medicine / 生物医学工程学杂志

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have become one of the cutting-edge technologies in the world, and have been mainly applicated in medicine. In this article, we sorted out the development history and important scenarios of BCIs in medical application, analyzed the research progress, technology development, clinical transformation and product market through qualitative and quantitative analysis, and looked forward to the future trends. The results showed that the research hotspots included the processing and interpretation of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, the development and application of machine learning algorithms, and the detection and treatment of neurological diseases. The technological key points included hardware development such as new electrodes, software development such as algorithms for EEG signal processing, and various medical applications such as rehabilitation and training in stroke patients. Currently, several invasive and non-invasive BCIs are in research. The R&D level of BCIs in China and the United State is leading the world, and have approved a number of non-invasive BCIs. In the future, BCIs will be applied to a wider range of medical fields. Related products will develop shift from a single mode to a combined mode. EEG signal acquisition devices will be miniaturized and wireless. The information flow and interaction between brain and machine will give birth to brain-machine fusion intelligence. Last but not least, the safety and ethical issues of BCIs will be taken seriously, and the relevant regulations and standards will be further improved.

Research progress on relationships of circadian rhythm with thyroid function and diseases / 环境与职业医学

Circadian rhythm is a phenomenon of diurnal changes in life activities formed by a transcription-translation feedback loop of biological clock genes affected by external environmental conditions. The circadian rhythm system controls almost all physiological processes in the organism, and these processes will change as the external environment changes. Previous studies have shown that the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in mammals is regulated by the central diurnal pacemaker of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, so part of the thyroid function is controlled by the biological clock, and the secretion of thyroid hormones in blood can present a circadian rhythm. However, the molecular mechanism of the biological clock's regulatory effect on thyroid is still unclear. Whether circadian rhythm interference is related to the disorder of thyroid function or the occurrence of thyroid diseases is worthy of attention. This paper focused on the research progress of biological clock, circadian rhythm, and thyroid function, specifically the characteristics of circadian rhythm of thyroid physiological function and the effects of sleep deprivation, light at night, and night shift work on thyroid function, elaborated the relationships of circadian rhythm disorder with thyroid function and thyroid diseases represented by thyroid malignant tumors. The review summarized that circadian rhythm disorder may disrupt the rhythmic secretion of thyroid hormones, but no clear conclusion is reached yet on any effect on thyroid diseases, especially thyroid malignant tumors, so it is necessary to further strengthen the relevant epidemiological and molecular mechanism research.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Controls Progression of Experimental Autoimmune Hepatitis in Mice by Modulating the TFR/TFH Immune Imbalance and Intestinal Microbiota Composition.

Intestinal microbiota (IM) dysbiosis contributes to the development of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in a murine model of experimental AIH (EAH), a condition more similar to that of AIH patients. Changes in the enteric microbiome were determined in AIH patients and EAH mice. Moreover, we established an experimental model of secondary EAH mice harboring dysbiosis (ABx) to analyze the effects of therapeutic FMT administration on follicular regulatory T (TFR) and helper T (TFH) cell imbalances and IM composition in vivo. Alterations of the IM composition and bacterial translocation occurred in AIH patients compared to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients and healthy controls (HCs). Therapeutic FMT significantly attenuated liver injury and bacterial translocation and improved the imbalance between splenic TFR cells and TFH cells in ABx EAH mice. Furthermore, therapeutic FMT also partially reversed the increasing trend in serum liver enzymes (ALT and AST) of CXCR5-/-EAH mice on the 28th day. Finally, therapeutic FMT could effectively restore antibiotic-induced IM dysbiosis in EAH mice. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that FMT was capable of controlling hepatitis progression in EAH mice, and the associated mechanism might be involved in the regulation of the TFR/TFH immune imbalance and the restoration of IM composition.

Research Status and Trends in Competitive Sports Biomechanics / 医用生物力学

Sports biomechanics is an interdisciplinary application science that studies human movement. The main purpose of sports biomechanical research is to improve competitive sports performance and prevent sports injuries. This review introduced methods commonly used in biomechanical research, and selected results in biomechanical research on sports performance, training method and sports equipment, so as to provide references for improving the quality of biomechanical research in China. It is hoped that more biomechanical studies will be conducted with the focus on sports performance improvement and injury prevention, using rigorous research design and new technologies to obtain more accurate biomechanical data in human movement, so as to increase the breadth and depth of sports biomechanical researches.

Research Progress of Molecular Regulatory Mechanism of Non-coding RNAs in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma / 肿瘤防治研究

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is one of the most common thyroid cancer subtypes. Although papillary thyroid carcinoma can be treated effectively with excision, microwave ablation, radioactive iodine and hormone replacement therapy, these ways are inefficient in reducing its morbidity, mortality and recurrence rates. Therefore, it is very important to seek the molecular mechanism of the occurrence and development of papillary thyroid carcinoma, to provide effectively early diagnosis, accurate treatment and better long-term prognosis for papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. This paper summarizes the molecular regulatory mechanisms of non-coding RNAs and their related signaling pathways in the occurrence and development of papillary thyroid carcinoma, in order to provide evidence for continued research of biomarkers for papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Research progress on risk predictors of refeeding syndrome in intensive care unit patients / 中华危重病急救医学

Refeeding syndrome (RFS) is a potentially fatal complication of clinical nutritional therapy. Patients in intensive care unit (ICU) consuming nutrients under high stress and high metabolism are more likely to develop RFS, which is closely related to the poor prognosis and higher mortality. However, due to the lack of characteristic clinical manifestations of RFS and the incomplete evaluation of risk factors, there are few reports on the related research of RFS risk prediction model, and it is easily ignored by clinicians. The key to prevention and treatment is to clarify the risk factors of RFS in ICU patients, early identify high-risk patients and initiate intervention. In this paper, the diagnostic criteria, current domestic and abroad situation, risk prediction indexes and preventive therapy of RFS are reviewed. It provides a reference for constructing an RFS risk prediction model that is in line with our national conditions, in order to improve the ability of medical staff to early identify RFS and improve the survival rate of ICU patients.

A case report of endoscopic resection for the treatment of duodenal Brunner's gland adenoma with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

RATIONALE: Gastrointestinal bleeding as the first sign of Brunner's gland adenoma (BGA) is an extremely rare, and its clinical features and treatment methods have not been well described. PATIENT CONCERNS: We described a 81-year-old female patient with coronary artery disease and chronic atrial fibrillation presenting with presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood transfusion. DIAGNOSES: The diagnosis of our case mainly refered to radiologic imaging and endoscopic examination. Histological result was compatible with BGA. INTERVENTIONS: This mass lesion (6 × 7 cm diameter) was successfully totally removed by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for more than three hours. OUTCOMES: The patient was followed up for 6 months to date without recurrence. LESSONS: Endoscopic removal is considered as a safe and low-risk treatment for elderly patients with severe underlying diseases presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of coexisting early esophageal carcinoma and leiomyoma: a case report and review of the literature.

The occurrence of early esophageal cancer located within an area of leiomyoma is extremely rare, and its clinical features and treatment methods have not been well described. We herein report the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment methods of early esophageal cancer that developed on top of a leiomyoma in the upper third of the esophagus in a 78-year-old woman. All tumor marker concentrations were normal. The leiomyoma was correctly diagnosed as a submucosal tumor by endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography. Endoscopic biopsy revealed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Both lesions were successfully treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection. The patient was followed up for 6 months without recurrence. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was a successful initial treatment method for esophageal carcinoma coexisting with esophageal leiomyoma in this case.

Dysregulated TFR and TFH cells correlate with B-cell differentiation and antibody production in autoimmune hepatitis.

Follicular helper T (TFH) cell provides germinal centre (GC) B cell with critical signals for autoantibody production in the immunopathogenesis and progression of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, the immunoregulatory functions of follicular regulatory T (TFR) cell in AIH are still unclear. The numbers of circulating TFR/TFH cells were measured in AIH patients. Moreover, we established experimental autoimmune hepatitis (EAH) model to examine the function of TFR cells on B-cell differentiation and autoantibody production in vivo and vitro. AIH patients had significantly increased numbers of TFH cells and decreased numbers of TFR cells as well as imbalanced TFR/TFH-type cytokines (IL-10, TGF-ß1 and IL-21) compared with healthy controls (HCs). In addition, TFR cell numbers negatively correlated with TFH cell numbers. Also, serum hypergammaglobulinaemia (IgG and IgM) concentration negatively correlated the levels of serum IL-21, but positively correlated with the levels of serum IL-10 in AIH patients. Furthermore, in comparison with control group, significantly higher frequencies of spleen TFR cells but lower frequencies of spleen TFH cells were detected in the EAH group. Further analysis found that TFR cells simultaneously express the phenotypic characteristics of Treg and TFH cells, but exercise as negative regulators of autoantibody production in vitro culture. Our findings demonstrated that dysregulated between TFR and TFH cells might cause excessive production of autoantibodies and destruction of the immune homeostasis, leading to the immunopathological process in AIH.

Potential Factors for Prediction of Disease Severity of COVID-19 Patients

ObjectiveCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an escalating global epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, with a high mortality in critical patients. Effective indicators for predicting disease severity in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients are urgently needed. MethodsIn this study, 43 COVID-19 patients admitted in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center were involved. Demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory examinations were obtained through electronic medical records. Peripheral blood specimens were collected from COVID-19 patients and examined for lymphocyte subsets and cytokine profiles by flow cytometry. Potential contributing factors for prediction of disease severity were further analyzed. ResultsA total of 43 COVID-19 patients were included in this study, including 29 mild patients and 14 sever patients. Severe patients were significantly older (61.9{+/-}9.4 vs 44.4{+/-}15.9) and had higher incidence in co-infection with bacteria compared to mild group (85.7%vs27.6%). Significantly more severe patients had the clinical symptoms of anhelation (78.6%) and asthma (71.4%). For laboratory examination, 57.1% severe cases showed significant reduction in lymphocyte count. The levels of Interluekin-6 (IL6), IL10, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and D-Dimer (D-D) were significantly higher in severe patients than mild patients, while the level of albumin (ALB) was remarkably lower in severe patients. Further analysis demonstrated that ESR, D-D, age, ALB and IL6 were the major contributing factors for distinguishing severe patients from mild patients. Moreover, ESR was identified as the most powerful factor to predict disease progression of COVID-19 patients. ConclusionAge and the levels of ESR, D-D, ALB and IL6 are closely related to the disease severity of COVID-19 patients. ESR can be used as a valuable indicator for distinguishing severe COVID-19 patients in early stage, so as to increase the survival of severe patients.

Application of early exercise safety management in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early exercise safety management in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU).Methods:A prospective historical control observation was conducted. Forty-five patients with severe respiratory failure undergoing mechanical ventilation admitted to the ICU of Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from April to June in 2019 were enrolled in the observation group and implemented early exercise safety management, including establishing multidisciplinary safety management team with ICU doctors, ICU nurses, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation therapists, dietitians and psychological consultants to jointly develop early exercise plan; equipping with sports and safety protection equipment; assessing the early exercise risks, formulating early exercise prescriptions; formulating the nutritional and psychological prescriptions; carrying out the propaganda and education in the early exercise process of patients and communicating with patients timely; strengthening team training. Other 45 patients with severe respiratory failure admitted for mechanical ventilation from January to March in 2019 were enrolled in the control group, whose gender, age and artificial airway conditions were matched with those in the observation group. Routine mechanical ventilation nursing was performed, including condition monitoring, medication nursing, environmental management and routine examination assistance. The improvement of depression, anxiety, comfort, lung function, and quality of life before and after nursing intervention were observed, and the occurrence of complications was recorded.Results:There was no significant difference in gender, age or artificial airway conditions between the two groups. Before nursing intervention, there was no significant difference in depression, anxiety, comfort, lung function and quality of life between the two groups. After the intervention of different nursing programs, the above conditions of the two groups were significantly improved, and the improvement was more significant in the observation group, which showed that the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) score and forced vital capacity (FVC) of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group [HAD score: 10.80±2.54 vs. 17.51±3.66, FVC (L): 1.81±0.42 vs. 2.23±0.39, both P < 0.01], while the general comfort questionnaire (GCQ) score, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, FEV1 percentage of predicted (FEV1%) and each dimension score of 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) scale were significantly higher than those of the control group [GCQ score: 110.87±5.33 vs. 96.93±3.02, FEV1 (L): 1.99±0.37 vs. 1.71±0.15, FEV1/FVC ratio: 0.88±0.04 vs. 0.84±0.03, FEV1%: (88.98±8.57)% vs. (80.41±4.45)%, mental function score: 49.74±9.88 vs. 40.17±8.95, physical function score: 27.65±9.46 vs. 20.32±9.53, social relationship score: 62.14±6.33 vs. 50.28±8.76, general health score: 38.61±8.48 vs. 30.63±8.93, all P < 0.01]. The overall incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (24.44% vs. 57.78%, P < 0.01). Conclusions:Early exercise safety management scheme for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in ICU can improve clinical efficacy and reduce complications. At the same time, it can further standardize the behaviors of medical staff and ensure the early exercise.

A rare case report of fungal esophagitis combined with giant gastric ulcer in an immunocompetent patient.

RATIONALE: Fungal infection of gastrointestinal (GI) tract is usually seen in immunocompromised patients, but can rarely occur in immunocompetent people in whom no permissive factor is present. PATIENT CONCERNS: We describe a 68-year-old male immunocompetent patient presenting with simultaneous fungal esophagitis and giant gastric ulcer. DIAGNOSES: Repeated endoscopic biopsies were taken from the giant gastric ulcer edge and base and histology demonstrated granulation tissue and pseudohyphal fungal forms. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with fluconazole and omeprazole for 8 weeks. OUTCOMES: After antifungal treatment with fluconazole, the patient's clinical symptoms gradually disappeared with the healing of gastric ulcer, which never recurred in this patient until 3 months after follow-up. LESSONS: Nonhealing gastroesophageal ulcers highlights the importance of repeated endoscopies and biopsies.

A retrospective cohort study of long-term nitrogen dioxide exposure and incident hypertension / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the effect of long-term exposure of nitrogen dioxide on the incidence of hypertension.@*Methods@#From March to December 2009, 37 386 eligible residents from four cities in northern China (Tianjin, Shenyang, Taiyuan, and Rizhao) were enrolled in a follow-up study by using the random cluster sampling method. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle, history of diseases, and self-report situation of hypertension were collected by using questionnaire. Based on the average annual concentration of NO2 during the period from the cohort to the onset of hypertension as an estimate of exposure, the effect of NO2 exposure on hypertension was analyzed by employing Cox proportional hazards model. The interactions between NO2 exposure and different characteristics (age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, economy, exercise, and fruit intake) were also examined.@*Results@#The baseline age of residents was (43.74±13.78) years, and the body mass index (BMI) was (22.56±2.92) kg/m2. During an average follow-up time of 11.40 years, 2 619 (7.0%) new cases of hypertension were reported. The overall mean environmental pollution levels during the study period for the entire cohort was (40.74±17.07) μg/m3. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, family history of hypertension, socio-economic information, and lifestyle, the hazard ratio (HR) of incident hypertension with a 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2 was 1.21 (95%CI: 1.18-1.25). Compared with residents aged 60 years and over (HR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.14-1.26), former and current smoking (HR=1.20, 95%CI: 1.14-1.25), and high-frequency fruit consumption (HR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.13-1.21), residents younger than 60 years (HR=1.28, 95%CI: 1.25-1.32), non-smoker (HR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.19-1.27), and low-frequency fruit consumption (HR=1.27, 95%CI: 1.20-1.35) had stronger interaction effect with NO2 (all P values for interaction<0.05).@*Conclusion@#NO2 exposure may lead to the onset of hypertension, which has a stronger effect on people younger than 60 years old, without smoking history and with low-frequency fruit consumption.

Research progress on evaluation tools for post-intensive care syndrome / 中华危重病急救医学

With advances in intensive care, more patients are surviving from critical illness, and post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) began to get people's attention. Early detection and intervention of PICS can improve the quality of life of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and reduce the rate of re-hospitalization. However, effective, reliable, and easy-to-use assessment tools are the basis for early detection and evaluation of intervention outcomes. Thus, we introduce the evaluation tools for PICS from the perspective of universality or specificity, aim to provide reference for doctors or nurses to choose suitable assessment tools for PICS, and to provide reference for the development of localized assessment tools for PICS in China, so as to promote the related research of PICS.

Economic evaluation of breast cancer screening for Chinese urban women / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To explore the effectiveness and cost of breast cancer screening strategy that is suitable for the current econom-ic conditions in China. Methods: We collected clinical and cost information of breast cancer screening for Chinese women based on previous screening programs conducted from February 2008 to December 2011 and collected the same information about breast can-cer cases diagnosed in hospitals at the same time. Markov models were developed to analyze the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) for 132 breast cancer screening strategies compared to no screening for Chinese women. Results: In 2010, as compared to no screening, the most cost-effective breast cancer screening strategy was biennial screening with clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast ultrasound, in parallel, for women aged between 40 to 64. This screening strategy could save 1,394 quality-adjusted life years (QALY) per 100,000 women, and the cost of saving breast-cancer related QALY would be 91,944 RMB. Sensitivity analysis indicated that in 2016, the most cost-effective breast cancer screening strategy was biennial screening with CBE and mammography (MAM), in parallel, for women aged 40 to 64, with ICER of 159,637 RMB per QALY. Conclusions: Population-based breast cancer screening would be acceptable in the current conditions in China. As the Chinese economy and level of medical care improve, breast cancer screening would be more cost-effective.

A case report of endoscopic therapy for radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis in patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

RATIONALE: Radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis is an infrequent cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and difficult to manage. The current standard treatment has not been well established. PATIENT CONCERNS: We described a 32-year-old male patient with hemorrhagic gastritis induced by external radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence. DIAGNOSES: The endoscopic examination showed a diffuse area of bleeding in the gastric antrum. INTERVENTIONS: After failure of conventional hemostasis treatment, we successfully stopped the hemorrhage with repeated endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) combined with low-dose polyglycerol sclerotherapy. OUTCOMES: The patient was followed up for 6 months to date without recurrence. LESSONS: Based on this case, we think that endoscopic APC combined with low-dose polidocanol sclerotherapy can be tried as a treatment for potentially life-threatening radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis.

A low abundance of Bifidobacterium but not Lactobacillius in the feces of Chinese children with wheezing diseases.

BACKGROUND: The intestinal microbiota is linked with allergic reaction diseases. However, the difference in the fecal microbiota composition between sensitized wheezy and nonsensitized subjects in Chinese children remains unknown. The aim of this study was to quantitate the amounts of fecal microbiota in wheezy children, and to explore the correlation between fecal microbiota and serum Th1/Th2/Th17-type cytokines and total IgE in these patients. METHODS: The amounts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were determined using a 16S-RNA real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in wheezy children (cases) and nonwheezy controls. Serum Th1/Th2/Th17-type cytokines levels were measured using flow a cytometric bead array assay. In addition, the concentrations of total serum IgE was also determined. RESULTS: In comparison with that in the healthy control (HC), significantly lower abundance of Bifidobacterium and lower levels of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α), but higher levels of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4, IL-5) and Th17-type (IL-17A) cytokine were detected in children with bronchiolitis and asthma. But there was no significant difference in the amounts of Lactobacillus. Interestingly, the amounts of fecal Bifidobacterium were correlated positively with serum Th1 cytokines IFN-γ, and correlated negatively with serum Th17 cytokines IL-17A, Th2 cytokines IL-4 and serum total IgE in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that lower quantity of Bifidobacterium, but not Lactobacillus, may be correlated with asthma and bronchiolitis in chinese children. These results also may provide guidance in choosing the proper probiotics for wheezing children.

The Imbalance between Foxp3+Tregs and Th1/Th17/Th22 Cells in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Autoimmune Hepatitis.

This study is aimed at examining the potential role of regulatory T- (Treg-) Th1-Th17-Th22 cells in the pathogenic process of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The numbers of Foxp3+Tregs and Th1, Th17, and Th22 cells were measured in 32 AIH patients using flow cytometry. Moreover, a murine model of experimental autoimmune hepatitis (EAH) was also established and used to investigate the function of Treg-Th1-Th17-Th22 cells in disease progression. AIH patients undergoing an active state had significantly decreased numbers of CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs and increased numbers of CD3+CD4+CD25-Foxp3+T, CD3+CD4+IFN-γ+Th1, CD3+CD4+IL-17+Th17, and CD3+CD4+IL-2+Th22 cells as well as higher levels of Th1/Th17/Th22-type cytokines compared to AIH patients in remission and HC. Additionally, the numbers of CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs were negatively correlated with the numbers of Th1-Th17-Th22 cells. Also, the serum levels of IL-17A and IL-22 were correlated positively with liver injury (ALT/AST), whereas the serum levels of IL-10 were correlated negatively with hypergammaglobulinaemia (IgG, IgM) in AIH patients. Interestingly, the percentages of spleen Tregs, expression of Foxp3 mRNA, and liver IL-10 levels decreased, whereas the percentages of spleen Th1-Th17-Th22 cells, expression of T-bet/AHR/RORγt mRNA, and liver IFN-γ, IL-17, and IL-22 levels increased in the murine model of EAH. Our findings demonstrated that an imbalance between Tregs and Th1-Th17-Th22 cells might contribute to the pathogenic process of AIH.

Serum Levels of IL-33 and Correlation with IL-4, IL-17A, and Hypergammaglobulinemia in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis.

This study investigated the role of IL-33 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The levels of IL-33/sST2 and Th1/Th2/Th17-type cytokines were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum samples obtained from 30 AIH patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs). In addition, a murine model of experimental AIH (EAIH) was established to investigate the role of IL-33 in disease progression. The serum levels of IL-33, sST2, Th17 cytokines (IL-17A), Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α), and Th2 cytokines (IL-4) were significantly elevated in AIH patients compared to HCs. Following immunosuppression therapy, serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 were significantly decreased. Additionally, the serum levels of IL-33 in AIH patients were correlated positively with markers of hypergammaglobulinemia (IgG, IgM, and IgA) and liver injury (γ-GT/ALP). Also, the serum levels of IL-33 in AIH patients were correlated positively with proinflammatory cytokine levels (IL-17A and IL-4). Interestingly, treatment of EAIH mice with a specific IL-33 neutralizing antibody significantly reversed the increasing trend in serum ALT/AST and inhibited the production of the type 2 (IL-4) and type 17 cytokines (IL-17) but not the type 1 cytokine (IFN-γ). Our findings highlight the possible role of the IL-33/sST2 axis in the progression of AIH, opening a new door for developing a novel therapeutic strategy for AIH.