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Objective Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common and potentially life-threatening complication for individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The purpose of this study was to complete a systematic review and meta-analysis on prevalence and risk factors of SSc-ILD in East Asia. Methods Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched up to January 22, 2021. The Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement was applied to access the methodological quality of the eligible studies. Study characteristics and magnitude of effect sizes were extracted. Then, we calculated the pooled prevalence, weighted mean differences (WMDs), pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and performed subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias with Egger's test. Results Twenty-seven of 1584 articles were eligible and a total of 5250 patients with SSc were selected in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of SSc-ILD in East Asia was 56% (95% CI 49%-63%). The SSc-ILD prevalence was higher in China (72%) than in Japan (46%) and Korea (51%). Longer disease duration (WMD = 1.97, 95% CI 0.55-3.38), diffuse SSc (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.91-4.21), positive anti-topoisomerase I antibody (ATA) (OR = 4.92, 95% CI 2.74-8.84), positive anti-centromere body antibody (ACA) (OR = 0.14, 95% CI 0.08-0.25), positive anti-U3 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibody (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.66), and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (WMD = 6.62, 95% CI 1.19-12.05) were associated with SSc-ILD in East Asia. Conclusion Through this systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that ILD occurs in up to approximately 56% of patients with SSc in East Asia. Longer disease duration, diffuse SSc, positive ATA, negative ACA, negative anti-U3 RNP antibody, and higher ESR were risk factors for SSc-ILD.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the diagnosis and determination of the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.HE4 levels in peripheral blood (PB) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were determined via electrochemiluminescence immunoassays in 102 RA patients (46 patients with ILD and 56 patients without ILD) and 51 healthy controls (HCs).Serum HE4 levels were significantly higher in RA-ILD patients (141.8±65.92 pmol/l) than those in the RA-no ILD patients (82.67±26.17 pmol/l) and healthy controls (35.72±7.6 pmol/l) (p0.0001). Consistent with serum HE4 levels, BALF HE4 levels were significantly higher in RA-ILD patients (637.6±154.9 pmol/l) than those in the RA-no ILD patients (427.3±111.2 pmol/l) and healthy controls (206.9±30.46 pmol/l) (p0.0001). In RA-ILD patients, HE4 levels were positively correlated with HRCT (high-resolution computed tomography) fibrosis scores, whereas a significant inverse relationship was found between HE4 levels and lung function parameters (such as, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO)). The logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of BALF HE4 (≥595 pmol/l) were associated with RA-ILD (odds ratio [OR] =8.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.317-49.682; p=0.024).Serum and BALF HE4 levels were elevated in RA-ILD patients and strongly associated with the severity of ILD, thus supporting their potential clinical value as a new diagnostic aid for patients with RA-ILD.

This study aimed to reveal characteristics and clinical relevance of HBV intergenotypic recombinants. Serum samples of 516 patients from Northern China were collected, including 131 with acute hepatitis B (AHB), 239 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 146 with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Full-length HBV genomes were sequenced and HBV genotypes were analyzed. Genotypes C, B, D, and intergenotypic recombinants were detected in 71.12% (367/516), 19.96% (103/516), 0.78% (4/516), and 8.14% (42/516) of the patients. The latter comprised 21 with AHB, 10 with CHB, and 11 with ACLF; and the occupations of intergenotypic recombinants in AHB, CHB, and ACLF groups were 16.03%, 4.18%, and 7.53% (P 0.01), respectively. HBV B/C and C/D hybrids accounted for 85.71% (36/42) and 14.29% (6/42) of the intergenotypic recombinants. In AHB and CHB groups, serum HBV DNA levels were significantly lower in patients with intergenotypic recombinants than those without intergenotypic recombinants. Difference in basal core promoter A1762T/G1764A mutations and precore G1896A mutation incidences was not significant between B/C recombinant and genotypes B or C virus, although the significance was there between genotypes B and C viruses. Clonal sequence analysis showed that intergenotypic recombinant viral strains existed in single or in concomitance with other genotype virus. Phenotypic analysis showed that viral replication capacity was similar between recombinant and non-recombinant strains in tested samples. Taken together, the occurrence of intergenotypic recombinant HBV is relatively low in HBV-infected patients in Northern China, and intergenotypic recombinant HBV infection is likely favorable to induce an acute course of disease. J. Med. Virol. 89:139-145, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.