Impact of baseline hepatitis B virus viral load on the long-term prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy

BACKGROUND Although the combination of lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors has become the standard regimen for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),real data on the impact of baseline hepatitis B virus(HBV)-DNA levels on the clinical efficacy of this regimen is still limited.AIM To evaluate the effectiveness of camrelizumab combined with lenvatinib in patients with HCC at varying levels of HBV-DNA.METHODS One hundred and twenty patients with HCC who received camrelizumab and lenvatinib treatment were categorized into two cohorts:HBV-DNA≤2000(n=66)and HBV-DNA>2000(n=54).The main outcomes measured were overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS),while additional outcomes included the rate of objective response rate(ORR),disease control rate(DCR),and any negative events.Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed independent predictors of OS,leading to the creation of a nomogram incorporating these variables.RESULTS The median PFS was 8.32 months for the HBV-DNA≤2000 group,which was similar to the 7.80 months observed for the HBV DNA>2000 group(P=0.88).Likewise,there was no notable variation in the median OS between the two groups,with durations of 13.30 and 14.20 months respectively(P=0.14).The ORR and DCR were compared between the two groups,showing ORR of 19.70%vs 33.33%(P=0.09)and DCR of 72.73%vs 74.07%(P=0.87).The nomogram emphasized the importance of antiviral treatment as the main predictor of patient results,with portal vein tumor thrombus and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging following closely behind.CONCLUSION The clinical outcomes of patients with HBV-associated HCC treated with camrelizumab in combination with lenvatinib are not significantly affected by HBV viral load.

Regression of East Tethys resulted in a center of biodiversity: A study of Mysmenidae spiders from the Gaoligong Mountains, China

DEAR EDITOR,This research involved the study of 31 species from the spider family Mysmenidae Petrunkevitch,1928,found in the Gaoligong Mountains of China,including one new genus and 13 new species.Our results suggested that regression of East Tethys contributed to the appearance of a center of biodiversity.The Tethys,a classical and hot topic in geology.It has undergone a succession of significant geodynamic transformations,transitioning from an ancient ocean to the current Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt.Notably,the East Tethys,serving as an invaluable lens through which to study continental geology and geodynamics,has played a pivotal role in triggering the major geological reconstructions of the entire Tethys(Pan et al.,1997).

Tip of the iceberg:species diversity of Pholcus spiders(Araneae,Pholcidae)in the Changbai Mountains,Northeast China

Despite 250 years of taxonomic classification and over 1.2 million species already catalogued,known species diversity is only a small part of true species diversity on Earth,and thus,the known species are only the tip of iceberg.Here,we investigated the genus Pholcus Walckenaer,1805 of the family Pholcidae C.L.Koch,1850 in the Changbai Mountains,Northeast China,which provides an excellent case of high species diversity.Previously,only 14 endemic Pholcus spiders,all belonging to the P.phungiformes species group,and two introduced species P.manueli Gertsch,1937 and P.zichyi Kulczyński,1901 from the P.crypticolens species group,have been recorded from this area.Our study confirmed 11 new species of the P.phungiformes species group based on morphology and three methods of molecular species delimitation:P.gaizhou Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.guanshui Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.jiguanshan Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.longxigu Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.luoquanbei Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.shenshi Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.tianmenshan Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.wangjiang Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.xingqi Yao&Li,sp.nov.,P.yaoshan Yao&Li,sp.nov.,and P.yuhuangshan Yao&Li,sp.nov.This study brings the fauna of the P.phungiformes species group from the Changbai Mountains to 25 species,approximately two times more than previously known,which could indicate that species diversity in the area is underestimated for all arthropod fauna.

Europe vs.China:Pholcus(Araneae,Pholcidae)from Yanshan-Taihang Mountains confirms uneven distribution of spiders in Eurasia

DEAR EDITOR,Morphological and molecular data were used to study 35 species of the Pholcus phungiformes species group from the Yanshan-Taihang Mountains in China.The uneven distribution pattern of spiders in Eurasia is discussed,with a focus on Europe and China.Europe covers approximately 10.18 million km2 in western Eurasia,while China covers about 9.6 million km2 in the east.Due to their relative positions to each other and similar land areas,spider species richness in Europe and China is comparable(Li,2020).

Advance in application of dermoscopy for onychomycosis diagnosis

IntroductionOnychomycosis refers to all kinds of fumgal infections of nail plate and nail bed,including those caused by dermatophytes,non-dermatophytes,and Candida species[1].Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease in adults,accounting for 10%-30% of all infectious diseases,and 50% of all nail disorders[2-5].The most common tests used to diagnose onychomycosis are direct microscopic examination,mycological culture,histopathologic examination,and polymerase chain reaction-based tests[2,6].Because of the special structure of the sampling area,patients often experience pain during nail abrasion for the collection of samples.Furthermore,the sensitivity of onychomycosis diagnosis is not satisfied.