Liver fibrosis is a pathological change characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix caused by chronic liver injury, and the mechanisms underlying its development are associated with endothelial cell injury, inflammatory immune cell activation, and HSC activation. Furthermore, hepatic macrophages exhibit remarkable heterogeneity and hold central functions in the evolution of liver fibrosis, with different subgroups exerting dual effects of promotion and regression. Currently, targeted macrophage therapy for reversing hepatic fibrosis has been extensively studied and has shown promising prospects. In this review, we will discuss the dual role of macrophages in liver fibrosis and provide new insights into reversing liver fibrosis based on macrophages.

COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic, challenging the world’s economic and health systems. Human oral microbiota comprises the second largest microbial community after the gut microbiota and is closely related to respiratory tract infections; however, oral microbiomes of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have not yet been thoroughly studied. Herein, we compared the oral bacterial and fungal microbiota after clearance of SARS-CoV-2 in 23 COVID-19 recovered patients to those of 29 healthy individuals. Our results showed that both bacterial and fungal diversity were nearly normalized in recovered patients. The relative abundance of some specific bacteria and fungi, primarily opportunistic pathogens, decreased in recovered patients (RPs), while the abundance of butyrate-producing organisms increased in these patients. Moreover, these differences were still present for some organisms at 12 months after recovery, indicating the need for long-term monitoring of COVID-19 patients after virus clearance.

Objective: In recent years, the anti-programmed cell death protein-1 and its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) or combination therapies have been recommended as an alternative emerging choice of treatment for oncology patients. However, the efficacy and adverse events of different combination strategies for the treatment of tumors remain controversial. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the European Society of Medicine Oncology (ESMO) were searched from database inception until 16 February 2022. The endpoints of objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed from different treatment schemes and tumor types. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022328927). Results: This meta-analysis included forty-eight eligible studies. Combination therapy has improved ORR (RR = 1.40, p < 0.001), DCR (RR = 1.22, p < 0.001), and PFS (the median survival ratio (MSR) was estimated to be 1.475 p < 0.001) compared to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 but had no significant benefit on OS (MSR was estimated to be 1.086 p = 0.117). Besides, combination treatment strategies are more toxic in any grade AEs (RR = 1.13, p < 0.001) and grade 3–5 AEs (RR = 1.81, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in combination with other antitumor therapies improve patients’ ORR, DCR, and PFS compared to anti-PD-1/PD-L1. However, it is regrettable that there is no benefit to OS and an increased risk of AEs in combinatorial therapies.

Sporotrichosis is a subacute and chronic infectious disease caused by the infection of the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and nearby lymphatic vessels by the sporotrichosis complex. In this study, we report an immunocompetent case of disseminated subcutaneous sporotrichosis and provide a literature review of all case reports of disseminated subcutaneous sporotrichosis for which species identification was performed. A 74-year-old male patient with normal immune function was diagnosed with disseminated subcutaneous sporotrichosis. Sporadic red masses of varying sizes with local ulceration were observed on his right forearm, wrist, and little finger. Pathology of the mass in the right upper extremity indicated chronic suppurative inflammation of the subcutaneous soft tissue. The mNGS results indicated the presence of Sporothrix schenckii. Following the standard treatment with itraconazole, the patient's skin lesions healed without scarring or pigmentation. Disseminated subcutaneous sporotrichosis is less common in patients with a normal immune function. mNGS testing aids in the clear diagnosis of sporotrichosis and guides antifungal drug selection during treatment.