End-stage liver disease: prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics in a cohort of HIV-HCV coinfected Han Chinese

A comparative analysis on characteristics and mortalities of four key transmission populations on antiretroviral therapy: a retrospective cohort study in Northwest China

Background

This study explored disparities in characteristics and mortalities among four major transmission groups on antiretroviral therapy in northwest China as well as the survival impact of each transmission route.

Methods

We first examined disparities in demographics and clinical characteristics of the four transmission populations. Kaplan Meier analysis was subsequently conducted to compare survival rates among all groups. At last, Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to analyze the survival impact of a transmission route among seven main categories of survival factors associated with all-cause mortalities.

Results

Survival analysis showed significant differences in all-cause, AIDS- and non-AIDS-related deaths among four HIV populations (all P < 0.05). Using homosexuals as the reference, Cox proportional hazards model further revealed that the risk of all-cause death for blood and plasma donors was significantly higher than that of the reference (aHR: 5.21, 95%CI: 1.54–17.67); the risk of non-AIDS-related death for heterosexuals (aHR: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.01–4.20) and that for blood and plasma donors (aHR: 19.81, 95%CI: 5.62–69.89) were both significantly higher than that of the reference.

Conclusions

Significant disparities were found in characteristics and mortalities among the four transmission groups where mortality disparities were mainly due to non-AIDS-related death. Suggestions are provided for each group to improve their survivorship.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-022-07281-x.

A synbiotic combination of Lactobacillus gasseri 505 and Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract prevents hepatic toxicity induced by colorectal cancer in mice

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known to be a life-threatening disease and commonly leads to metastasis in the liver. Fermented milk acts as an effective carrier for probiotic strains, whose consumption improves host health. Our previous study indicated that fermented milk that included a synbiotic combination of Lactobacillus gasseri 505 (505) and Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract (CT) resulted in significantly greater anti-oxidative effects than fermented milk without CT. Therefore, we hypothesized that fermented milk containing CT and 505 (FCT) could result in hepatoprotective effects against CRC-induced liver metastasis. Liver inflammation and CRC were induced in male C57BL/6J mice, using azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate, and 505, CT, and FCT were administered to the 3 sample-treated 505, CT, and FCT groups, respectively, for 10 wk. The results showed that FCT treatment significantly reduced serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations and elevated albumin concentrations. Moreover, the results of histological analysis showed that hepatic steatosis was notably reduced in the FCT group. Among the 3 sample-treated groups, the expression of mRNA associated with enzymes showing anti-oxidative activities, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, was the highest in the FCT-treated mice. In addition, FCT administration resulted in the greatest anti-inflammatory activity, as inflammatory marker levels (i.e., tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2, myeloperoxidase, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells) were significantly downregulated at the mRNA level and the expression of proteins associated with the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways was suppressed by FCT. Therefore, this study demonstrated that fermented milk containing novel synbiotics has the potential to prevent hepatic toxicity induced because of CRC owing to its enhanced anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Brown seaweeds protect against azoxymethane-induced hepatic repercussions through up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and attenuation of oxidative stress

CONTEXT

Seaweeds of the genera Turbinaria and Padina have long been used as food and in traditional medicine for treating several diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The current study determines the protective efficacy of the brown seaweeds Turbinaria ornata (Turner) J. Agardh (Sargassaceae) and Padina pavonia (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux (Dictyotaceae) against liver injury induced by azoxymethane (AOM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Swiss mice received 10 mg/kg AOM once a week for two consecutive weeks and then 100 mg/kg daily dose of either T. ornata or P. pavonia ethanolic extract. Thirteen weeks after the first AOM administration and 24 h after the last treatment, overnight fasted mice were sacrificed and samples collected.

RESULTS

Compared with the AOM group, both T. ornata and P. pavonia significantly decreased the activity of aminotransferases and the concentration of bilirubin while increased albumin levels in the serum. The antioxidative effect of both extracts was observed from the increased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver, both of which were decreased by AOM. Moreover, the levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide were reduced, and histological findings also confirmed the antihepatotoxic activity. In addition, treatment with T. ornata and P. pavonia significantly increased PPARγ and decreased NF-κB expression in the liver of AOM-administered mice.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that the protective function of T. ornata and P. pavonia on AOM-induced liver injury may be possibly exerted by multiple pathways including abolishment of inflammation and oxidative damage, and activation of PPARγ.