Chronic liver diseases are very common worldwide, particularly those linked to viral hepatitis and to alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Their natural history is variable and long-term evolution differs in indiv...Chronic liver diseases are very common worldwide, particularly those linked to viral hepatitis and to alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Their natural history is variable and long-term evolution differs in individual patients. Optimised clinical management of compensated chronic liver diseases requires precise definition of the stage of liver fibrosis, the main determinant of prognosis and of most therapeutic decisions. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessment of hepatic fibrosis. However, it is invasive with possible complications, costly and prone to sampling errors. Many non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been recently proposed and assessed in the clinical setting as surrogates of liver biopsy. Direct markers are based on biochemical parameters directly linked to fibrogenesis while indirect markers use simple or more sophisticated parameters that correlate with liver fibrosis stages. Non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been tested in different forms of chronic liver disease and showed variable diagnostic performance, but accuracy rarely was above 75%-80%. Better results were obtained when markers were combined. On this line, we have recently proposed a set of algorithms that combine sequentially indirect non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis, reaching 90%-95% diagnostic accuracy with significant reduction in the need for liver biopsy. Based on available evidence, it can be anticipated that non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis and their combined use will soon become a most useful tool in the clinical management of many forms of chronic liver disease. However, their implementation is expected to reduce, but not to completely eliminate, the need for liver biopsy.展开更多
AIM:It is known that toxoplasmosis rarely leads to various liver pathologies,most common of which is granulomatose hepatitis in patients having normal immune systems.Patients who have cirrhosis of the liver are subjec...AIM:It is known that toxoplasmosis rarely leads to various liver pathologies,most common of which is granulomatose hepatitis in patients having normal immune systems.Patients who have cirrhosis of the liver are subject to a variety of cellular as well as humoral immunity disorders.Therefore,it may be considered that toxoplasmosis can cause more frequent and more severe diseases in patients with cirrhosis and is capable of changing the course of the disease.The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of toxoplasmosis in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS:Serum samples were taken from 108 patients with cirrhosis under observation in the Hepatology Polyclinic of the Gastroenterology Clinic,and a control group made up of 50 healthy blood donors.IFAT and ELISA methods were used to investigate the IgG and IgM antibodies,which had developed from these sera. RESULTS:Toxoplasma IgG and IgN antibody positivity was found in 74 (68.5%) of the 108 cirrhotic patients and 24 (48%) of the 50 people in the control group.The difference between them was significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:In conclusion,it was found that the toxopiasma sero-prevalence in the cirrhotic patients in this study was higher.Cirrhotic patients are likely to form a toxoplasma risk group.More detailed studies are needed on this subject.展开更多
The tumor-promoting arm of transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)receptor signaling contributes to advanced cancer progression and is considered a master regulator of breast cancer metastasis.In mammals,there are six...The tumor-promoting arm of transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)receptor signaling contributes to advanced cancer progression and is considered a master regulator of breast cancer metastasis.In mammals,there are six distinct members in the tumor-necrosis factor receptor(TNFR)-associated factor(TRAF)family(TRAF1–TRAF6),with the function of TRAF4 not being extensively studied in the past decade.Although numerous studies have suggested that there is elevated TRAF4 expression in human cancer,it is still unknown in which oncogenic pathway TRAF4 is mainly implicated.This review highlights TGF-β-induced SMAD-dependent signaling and non-SMAD signaling as the major pathways regulated by TRAF4 involved in breast cancer metastasis.展开更多
Through an ethnographic study of the journal Friend Exchange that is part of the Health Prevention Project for Homosexuals in China's Mainland, this article explores the following two issues ： （ 1 ） Friend Exch...Through an ethnographic study of the journal Friend Exchange that is part of the Health Prevention Project for Homosexuals in China's Mainland, this article explores the following two issues ： （ 1 ） Friend Exchange is used as an example for studying the dynamic operation of alternative media by analysing its production and circulation with a vision of multiculturalist equality, （ 2 ） Friend Exchange is a media representation of the gay community, which can reflect the construction of the public sphere for the underprivileged in China. The examination of these two issues will help us critically review contemporary communication studies.展开更多
文摘Chronic liver diseases are very common worldwide, particularly those linked to viral hepatitis and to alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Their natural history is variable and long-term evolution differs in individual patients. Optimised clinical management of compensated chronic liver diseases requires precise definition of the stage of liver fibrosis, the main determinant of prognosis and of most therapeutic decisions. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessment of hepatic fibrosis. However, it is invasive with possible complications, costly and prone to sampling errors. Many non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been recently proposed and assessed in the clinical setting as surrogates of liver biopsy. Direct markers are based on biochemical parameters directly linked to fibrogenesis while indirect markers use simple or more sophisticated parameters that correlate with liver fibrosis stages. Non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been tested in different forms of chronic liver disease and showed variable diagnostic performance, but accuracy rarely was above 75%-80%. Better results were obtained when markers were combined. On this line, we have recently proposed a set of algorithms that combine sequentially indirect non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis, reaching 90%-95% diagnostic accuracy with significant reduction in the need for liver biopsy. Based on available evidence, it can be anticipated that non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis and their combined use will soon become a most useful tool in the clinical management of many forms of chronic liver disease. However, their implementation is expected to reduce, but not to completely eliminate, the need for liver biopsy.
文摘AIM:It is known that toxoplasmosis rarely leads to various liver pathologies,most common of which is granulomatose hepatitis in patients having normal immune systems.Patients who have cirrhosis of the liver are subject to a variety of cellular as well as humoral immunity disorders.Therefore,it may be considered that toxoplasmosis can cause more frequent and more severe diseases in patients with cirrhosis and is capable of changing the course of the disease.The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of toxoplasmosis in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS:Serum samples were taken from 108 patients with cirrhosis under observation in the Hepatology Polyclinic of the Gastroenterology Clinic,and a control group made up of 50 healthy blood donors.IFAT and ELISA methods were used to investigate the IgG and IgM antibodies,which had developed from these sera. RESULTS:Toxoplasma IgG and IgN antibody positivity was found in 74 (68.5%) of the 108 cirrhotic patients and 24 (48%) of the 50 people in the control group.The difference between them was significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:In conclusion,it was found that the toxopiasma sero-prevalence in the cirrhotic patients in this study was higher.Cirrhotic patients are likely to form a toxoplasma risk group.More detailed studies are needed on this subject.
基金supported by the Zhejiang University Special Fund for Fundamental Researchthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(R14C070002)the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research grant(MW-NWO 918.66.606),from the Cancer Genomics Centre Netherlands and the Centre for Biomedical Genetics
文摘The tumor-promoting arm of transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)receptor signaling contributes to advanced cancer progression and is considered a master regulator of breast cancer metastasis.In mammals,there are six distinct members in the tumor-necrosis factor receptor(TNFR)-associated factor(TRAF)family(TRAF1–TRAF6),with the function of TRAF4 not being extensively studied in the past decade.Although numerous studies have suggested that there is elevated TRAF4 expression in human cancer,it is still unknown in which oncogenic pathway TRAF4 is mainly implicated.This review highlights TGF-β-induced SMAD-dependent signaling and non-SMAD signaling as the major pathways regulated by TRAF4 involved in breast cancer metastasis.
文摘Through an ethnographic study of the journal Friend Exchange that is part of the Health Prevention Project for Homosexuals in China's Mainland, this article explores the following two issues ： （ 1 ） Friend Exchange is used as an example for studying the dynamic operation of alternative media by analysing its production and circulation with a vision of multiculturalist equality, （ 2 ） Friend Exchange is a media representation of the gay community, which can reflect the construction of the public sphere for the underprivileged in China. The examination of these two issues will help us critically review contemporary communication studies.
