Background: Basketball involves repeated high-intensity, explosive movements that depend largely on anaerobic energy systems. Accordingly, anaerobic capacity and body-composition parameters such as skeletal muscle mass and fat distribution are key determinants of performance. However, data-driven studies integrating conditioning training, anaerobic performance, and body composition in Mongolian professional players are limited, and the application of machine-learning approaches in this context remains underexplored. Aim: To examine the relationships between conditioning training, anaerobic capacity, and body composition in professional basketball players and to develop a machine-learning model for injury-risk prediction. Materials and Methods: Eleven healthy professional male basketball players (21–28 years) from the Omni Erdenet Miners were evaluated. Body composition was measured using the InBody 970, and anaerobic performance was assessed by a 30-s Wingate test on a Monark 894E ergometer. Measurements were obtained at three time points. Changes were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, while associations were examined by Pearson correlation and multivariate regression. Injury-risk models were developed using Random Forest and regression-based machine-learning methods. Research Ethics Committee, approval number 24-25/04-01 Result: Phase angle increased from 6.8±0.5 to 7.3±0.6° (p =0.021), and body-fat percentage decreased from 20.5±3.2% to 16.2±2.0% (p =0.015), with no change in skeletal muscle mass. Visceral fat decreased and anaerobic peak and mean power improved (p <0.05). Fat percentage was negatively correlated with anaerobic performance. Heart-rate recovery improved, indicating enhanced exercise tolerance. Random Forest identified phase angle, visceral fat, fat percentage, and fatigue index as the strongest predictors of injury risk. Conclusion 1. The body composition of professional basketball players was closely associated with anaerobic performance and recovery indices, with higher body fat percentage and central adiposity tending to be linked to reduced anaerobic capacity. 2. Reducing fat mass while preserving muscle mass did not adversely affect anaerobic performance and demonstrated potential improvements in performance efficiency, load tolerance, and recovery regulation. 3. A Random Forest Regression model based on body composition and anaerobic capacity indicators demonstrated a high level of accuracy in predicting performance decline and injury risk.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system and a major cause of disability in young adults. MRI is essential for diagnosis and monitoring, while early evaluation of structural brain changes is important. Aim: To evaluate brain volumetric changes using automated MRI analysis in patients with MS. Materials and Methods: This case–control study included 50 MS case patients and 50 controls patients examined between 2020–2023 at the Third State Hospital. T1-MPRAGE images were analyzed using volBrain automated segmentation software. Result: The mean age of MS patients was 45.5±11.8 years. Compared with healthy controls, the MS group showed significantly lower total grey matter volume (p=0.002), cortical grey matter volume (p<0.001), subcortical grey matter volume (p=0.006), and cerebral volume (p=0.02). Significant volume reductions were also observed in the temporal (p=0.006) and occipital (p<0.001) lobes. Deep grey matter structures, including the thalamus (p=0.001), caudate nucleus (p=0.009), putamen (p=0.008), and nucleus accumbens (p<0.001), also showed significantly reduced volumes. Disease duration was negatively correlated with total grey matter volume (r=−0.30, p=0.02), thalamic volume (r=−0.28, p=0.04), and occipital lobe volume (r=−0.43, p=0.002). Disease duration was also significantly associated with spinal cord involvement (p=0.01) and grey matter volume (p=0.04). The number of relapses was negatively correlated with total brain volume (r=−0.28, p=0.046). Conclusion Patients with MS demonstrated decreased grey matter volume, particularly within deep grey matter structures, along with increased abnormal white matter volume, suggesting the coexistence of neurodegeneration and demyelination in MS. Brain volume loss in MS appeared to occur independently of aging. Automated quantitative MRI analysis may provide important diagnostic value in detecting structural brain changes associated with MS.

Background: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disorder characterized by the accumulation of surfactant within the alveoli, leading to impaired gas exchange and respiratory insufficiency. Although the disease is uncommon, it significantly affects patients’ quality of life and requires specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Whole lung lavage (WLL) is considered the standard treatment; however, it has not been widely implemented in Mongolia. We report the first successful case of WLL performed for PAP in Mongolia. Case Presentation: A 56-year-old male presented with dyspnea. Chest computed tomography demonstrated a bilateral “crazy paving” pattern. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was positive for periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining, and anti–GM-CSF antibodies were detected, confirming the diagnosis of PAP. WLL was performed under general anesthesia using a double-lumen endotracheal tube with bronchoscopic guidance. One lung was ventilated with 100% oxygen while the contralateral lung was sequentially lavaged with 800–1000 mL of warm (37°C) saline per cycle until the effluent became clear. A total of approximately 20 liters of saline was used. Result: The procedure was completed successfully without complications. Following treatment, the patient showed marked clinical improvement with reduced dyspnea and increased exercise tolerance. Oxygen saturation improved from 88% to 93%, and spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV₁) demonstrated improvement. Chest imaging revealed a reduction in pulmonary opacities. Conclusion This case demonstrates the successful implementation of whole lung lavage (WLL) in Mongolia and highlights its importance in improving the diagnostic and therapeutic capacity for rare pulmonary diseases such as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The procedure resulted in significant improvement in clinical, functional, and radiological parameters, consistent with findings from international studies. Early diagnosis of PAP and the adoption of standardized protocols in accordance with international guidelines are essential to optimize treatment outcomes and enhance patients’ quality of life.

Introduction: Researchers have found that people living in polluted areas have a lower ability to resist skin bacteria and increase the number of skin microflora. Decreased immune function increases the risk of sore throat, influenza, respiratory infections, pneumonia and gastrointestinal diseases. One of the main indicators of the human immune system is the normal microflora. Goal: To study the relationship between normal human microflora and specific immunity. Material and Methods: This study was conducted within the framework of the project “Effects of non-specific immune factors on injectable infectious disease immune system”. The survey sampled 10 households from Dornod aimag, 8th khoroo of Chingeltei district, Ulaanbaatar city, and 3rd khoroo of Baganuur district. A total of 176 people aged 6 months to 50 years were involved. A total of 528 swab samples and 31 blood samples were collected from the throat, tonsils, skin and mucous membranes to study the relationship between normal human microflora and specific immunity.
The research methodology was discussed at the meeting of the Academic Council of the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Medical Ethics Review Committee under the Ministry of Health (January 5, 2018, Resolution 646) and the research was approved. Results: The total number of normal microorganisms in the skin and mucous membranes of the study participants changed, and the number of hemolytic strains and fungi increased. 58%-67% of the participants had normal and long-term immunity against diphtheria and tetanus, while 5% -14% were not. This result was as high as in urban and rural areas. Conclusion This result was as high as in urban and rural areas. As the age group increases, the level of the body’s specific immunity decreases, the structure of the normal microflora changes, and the number of fungi and hemolytic bacteria increases. Furthermore, it is necessary to study specific and nonspecific immunity in detail in relation to environmental pollution indicators.

Background and Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of cancer related death in Mongolia. Early diagnosis is the very important management to increase successful treatment and survival rate. Glypican-3 (GPC3) protein is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and in serum of HCC patients. Recent studies have been conducted and suggested as a diagnostic biomarker for detecting HCC in the early stage. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic value of the serum GPC3 level and compared it to the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level as a diagnostic biomarker of HCC. Methods: We enrolled a total of 90 participants and divided into 3 groups with HCC (30), with liver cirrhosis (LC/30) and healthy (30) as the control group (30). GPC3 and AFP serum (sGPC-3, sAFP) levels were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The diagnostic accuracy was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and estimated sensitivity and specificity of each biomarker. Results: sGPC3 was significantly elevated in the HCC group as compared to liver cirrhosis and healthy subjects (658±138.2 pg/ml, 378±25.5 pg/ml, 356.3±29 pg/ml) respectively. sGPC-3 sensitivity was 96.6% and specificity was 100%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for GPC3 was 0.999 (0.996- 1.0).
In comparison, the mean of AFP was significantly higher in HCC (16.9±11.7 ng/ml) than in LC (6.7±7.6 ng/ml) and in healthy subject (3.3±2.1 ng/ml) and AFP sensitivity was 43,3 %, specificity was 95 % with an AUC of 0.808 (0.696- 0.921).
The combination of GPC-3 with AFP achieved the highest sensitivity (97.1%) and specificity (97%). Conclusion Serum GPC3 has a higher sensitivity than AFP for the early diagnosis of HCC. Combination of two markers showed greatest diagnostic accuracy.

Introduction: Air pollution has become one of the major problems in socio-economic and health issues in Mongolia. Among the various hazards of particulate matter (PM) pollutants, microorganisms in PM2.5 and PM10 are thought to be responsible for various allergies and for the spread of respiratory diseases. Recent studies have shown that PM2.5 particles can cause chronic heart failure, heart arrhythmias, and strokes, as well as lung damage, cirrhosis, inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. Furthermore, some studies have concluded that PM2.5 particles in the environment are a risk factor for gastrointestinal, liver, colon, and lung cancer as well as it affects the growth and metastasis of various cancer cells caused by other factors. In our country, the health effects of air pollution and the relationship between the pathogenesis of cancer research are scarce. Therefore, the study of the effects of PM2.5 particles on cancer cell proliferation, migration (metastasis) can provide a significant role for cancer treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. Purpose: Determining the effects of PM2.5 particles on cancer cell proliferation, migration (metastasis) in in-vitro Material and Methods: A human liver cancer cell line (HepG2), human gastric cancer cell line (AGS) were obtained from the central scientific research laboratory in the Institute of medical sciences. HepG2, AGS cells were seeded at a concentration of 1*105 cells/mL in a culture flask and cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% FBS, 1% antibiotic mix (penicillin, streptomycin) in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 at 37 °C. The cytotoxic effect of PM 2.5 in AGS, HepG2 cells were evaluated by MTT, CCK8 assays. AGS, HepG2 cells were incubated in 96 well plates for 24h then treated with different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 μg ) of Bayankhoshuu, Buhiin urguu, and Zaisan samples for 24h, respectively. Results: Concentrations of 10, 25, and 50 μg/ml of samples collected from the Bukhiin urguu and Zaisan in March increased HepG2 cell growth, while doses of 25, 50 μg/ml of samples collected from Bayankhoshuu in March and December increased HepG2 cell growth. Therefore, concentrations of 25 and 50 μg/ml of samples collected from Bayankhoshuu in March increased AGS cell growth, while concentrations of 25, 100 and μg/ml of samples collected in December increased AGS cell growth. However, no cytotoxic effect was observed in the sample collected from Zaisan in March, whereas the PM2.5 sample enhanced AGS cell growth in dose dependent manner in December.(p <0.05) Conclusion High levels of heavy metals were detected in samples collected in December from Bayankhoshuu, Bukhiin urguu and Zaisan of Ulaanbaatar. Concentration of 25 μg/ml of samples collected from the Bukhiin urguu and Zaisan in March increased HepG2 cell growth. Concentrations of 25 μg/ml of PM2.5 collected from three regions around Ulaanbaatar increased HepG2 and AGS cell migration.

Research of function of vitamin D on immune system has been studying since the study revealed that vitamin D receptor is expressed on the surface of the immune cells. 1,2-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D], physiologically active form, can be generated through hydroxylation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D], inactive form of vitamin D, in a liver, connecting with specific VDR make biological action. Vitamin D make different biological actions depends on connecting with different immunological cells. Some studies indicated that Vitamin D plays pivotal role in antibacterial innate immune responses through regulating reaction of the main cells as macrophages and dendritic cells. Moreover, calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is connected with VDRE, modulates the innate immune response through directly inducing expression of catelicithin and β-defensin as antimicrobial peptides, reducing secretion of IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a, RANKL, COX-2 as proinflammatory cytokines and increasing production of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Vitamin D plays in proliferation and differentiation of T and B cells and regulates the activities of over 500 genes. Vitamin D differently impacts on per se stages of T cells’ proliferation. Vitamin D indirectly mitigates the differentiation from immature B cells to plasma B cells while it directly impacts on regulation of overloaded production of antibodies in plasma B cells. In conclusion, vitamin D modulates the innate- and adaptive immune response through regulation on activation of APCells, proliferation and differentiation of immune cells, secretion of some antibacterial peptides.

Introduction: Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) belongs to the family of Urticaceae. Three species of Urticaceae (Urtica cannabina, Urtica angustifolia, Urtica dioica L) was grown in Mongolia. U. dioica has recently been shown to have antibacterial, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-colitis, anticancer and antiAlzheimer activities. Flavonoids, tannins, scopoletin, sterols, fatty acids, polysaccharides, isolectins and sterols are phytochemicals which are reported from this plant. But effect of hair growth is unclear yet. Goal: We investigated the effect of Urtica dioica L extracts on hair growth by using in-vitro and ex-vivo study methods. Materials and Methods: Human single hair follicle and dermal papilla cells obtained from scalp skin samples of healthy volunteers. We evaluated the effect of Urtica Dioica L on hDPCs and on ex-vivo hair follicle organ culture. Hair follicle matrix cell’s proliferation marker Ki-67 identified by immunoflurescence staining. Result: Urtica Dioica L ethanol extracts promoted elongation of the hair shaft and reduced catagen transition of human hair follicles in organ culture model. E.extract of Urtica Dioica L increased Ki-67 positive matrix keratinocytes. Conclusion Urtica Dioica L ethanol extract enhanced human hair growth in ex-vivo organ culture model. Needed future study to investigate the related mechanism of hair growth.