Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) is one of the most commonly occurring pathogens associated with genital tract infections in infertile males, but the impact of seminal UU infection in semen on intrauterine insemination (IUI) outcomes is poorly understood. We collected data from 245 infertile couples who underwent IUI at The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Hefei, China) between January 2021 and January 2023. The subjects were classified into two groups according to their UU infection status: the UU-positive group and the UU-negative group. We compared semen parameters, pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal birth outcomes to investigate the impact of UU infection on IUI outcomes. There were no significantly statistical differences in various semen parameters, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total and progressive motility, sperm morphology, leukocyte count, the presence of anti-sperm antibody, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups of male infertile patients (all P > 0.05). However, the high DNA stainability (HDS) status of sperm differed between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups, suggesting that seminal UU infection may affect sperm nuclear maturation ( P = 0.04). Additionally, there were no significant differences in pregnancy or neonatal birth outcomes between the two groups (all P > 0.05). These results suggest that IUI remains a viable and cost-effective option for infertile couples with UU infection who are facing infertility issues.
Humans ; Male ; Ureaplasma Infections/complications* ; Female ; Infertility, Male/therapy* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum/isolation & purification* ; Pregnancy ; Adult ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Semen Analysis ; Insemination, Artificial ; Semen/microbiology* ; China

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

With the rapid development of competitive sports, the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is on the rise. Such injuries may shorten athletes′ career and lead to other long-term adverse consequences. Although athletes generally recover well after ACL reconstruction, many still struggle to return to their pre-injury performance levels. Advances in the understanding of ACL anatomy and injury mechanisms, along with the evolution of surgical techniques and rehabilitation methods, have provided more individualized and tailored options for athletes following ACL injuries. However, there is currently no consensus in China regarding surgical and rehabilitation strategies for competitive athletes aiming to return to sports after ACL injuries. To this end, the Sports Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association and the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Trauma jointly formulated the Expert consensus on surgical treatment and rehabilitation for competitive sports athletes returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament injury ( version 2025), and presented 14 recommendations covering surgical indications, preoperative rehabilitation, surgical timing, surgical strategies and postoperative rehabilitation strategies, aiming to improve the surgical treatment and rehabilitation system for ACL injuries in competitive athletes and facilitate their return to high-level sports performance after injury.

Objective To compare the long-term survival outcomes of patients with T_1-2N₀M₀ duodenal neuroendocrine tumor (DNET) after endoscopic resection (ER) or surgical resection (SR). Methods Patients diagnosed with T_1-2N₀M₀ DNET between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2015, were extracted from the SEER database. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to compare overall survival (OS) rate and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate between patients undergoing ER or SR. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce grouping differences, and multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze factors affecting OS and CSS before and after PSM. Results A total of 656 patients were included, with 457 in ER group and 199 in SR group. Before PSM, there was no significant difference in the 5-year OS rate between the ER and SR groups (88.9% vs 89.6%), but there was a significant difference in the 5-year CSS rate (99.3% vs 96.9%, P＝0.017). Before PSM, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed advanced age was an independent risk factor for decreased OS (P＜0.001). After PSM, there was no significant difference between the ER group (n＝187) and SR group (n＝187) in 5-year OS rate (90.2% vs 88.9%) or CSS rate (98.9% vs 96.7%). After PSM, multivariate Cox regression also showed advanced age was an independent risk factor for decreased OS, while resection method was not an independent factor for OS or CSS. Conclusions There is no significant difference in OS or CSS after endoscopic treatment and surgical treatments for patients with T_1-2N₀M₀ DNET, and advanced age is an independent factor for OS.

Objective:This study aims to determine the risk perception, evacuation decision-making, and influencing factors related to typhoon disasters among public.Methods:A cross-sectional study will be conducted in residents of Hainan from September 2024 to January 2025. The study will employ chi-square tests, t-tests, and binary logistic regression analysis to examine factors influencing evacuation behavior decisions. Furthermore, structural equation modeling based on ordered choice model will be constructed to validate the mechanisms through which risk perception affects evacuation decision-making processes.Results:Among 517 respondents from 11 administrative districts (counties) in Hainan Province, 62.09% of the residents were willing to evacuate. The decision of public evacuation behavior was significantly related to disaster knowledge, official trust, risk perception, source of warning information and some demographic characteristics. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that warning information sources positively correlated with disaster knowledge and official trust (path coefficients: 0.363, 0.315, both P < 0.001). Both disaster knowledge and official trust showed positive correlations with risk perception (path coefficients: 0.157, 0.165, both P < 0.001), while risk perception positively influenced evacuation decisions (path coefficient: 0.137, P = 0.003). Moreover, source of warning information, disaster knowledge and official trust further positively affect evacuation behavior decision through risk perception, a key mediating variable. Conclusions:Disaster knowledge, official trust, risk perception and other factors can directly or indirectly affect the evacuation behavior of the public following the typhoon disaster. In typhoon-prone areas, it is recommended to enhance public risk perception through strategies such as authoritative training, diversified early warning channels, and improving government credibility, thereby promoting disaster preparedness and evacuation behaviors.

Objective : To investigate the high-risk human papillomavirus ( HR-HPV) infection and its relationship with vaginal infectious diseases among women and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of cervical canc- er among women in this region． Methods: Uterine exfoliative cells and vaginal secretions were collected from women aged 25－64 years in the resident population ( ≥6 months of residence) who participated in cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus typing and vaginal microecology tests were performed to compare the status of HPV infections in different age groups．The study subjects were divided into HR-HPV-positive and HR-HPV-nega- tive groups according to whether HR-HPV infection was detected or not，and multifactorial Logistic regression anal- ysis was used to explore the relationship between HR-HPV and vaginal infectious diseases． Results : The HR-HPV infection rate of women in this study was 10. 43% ，and the HR-HPV infection rate of each age group was 14. 34% from 25 to 34 years old，10. 16% from 35 to 44 years old，8. 70% from 45 to 54 years old，and 11. 89% from 55 to 64 years old，and there were differences in the infection rate of HR-HPV among different age groups ( P < 0. 05) ．Among HR-HPV，HPV52，HPV16，HPV58，HPV51，HPV68 were the most common，with 76. 69% of sin- gle infections，18. 02% of dual infections，4. 46% of triple infections，and 0. 83% of quadruple infections．HR- HPV single infections and multiple infections were prevalent in the age group of 25－34 years old and 55－64 years old．HR-HPV mono-infection and multi-infection rates were statistically different between age groups ( P＜0. 05) ． The infection rates of bacterial vaginosis ( BV) and trichomoniasis vaginitis ( TV) were higher in HR-HPV-positive patients ( P ＜0. 05) ． Logistic regression analysis showed that the infection rates of BV ( OR = 1. 560，95% CI: 1. 195－2. 035 ) ，TV ( OR = 2. 208，95% CI: 1. 221 －3. 993 ) were risk factors for HR-HPV infection ( P < 0. 05) ． Conclusion In the screened population of the Fourth Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps，HR-HPV mono-infection is the most prevalent type．Women aged 25－34 and 55－64 years old show higher rates of HR-HPV infection．The most common HR-HPV genotypes，in descending order，are 52，16，58，51，and 68．BV and TV are the two major risk factors closely associated with HR-HPV infection．

OBJECTIVE: Xuebijing injection has been recommended as a therapeutic approach for individuals with severe and critical COVID-19. This study aims to explore the correlation of neutrophil to lymphocyte platelet ratio (NLPR) with the severity and prognosis of COVID-19, and the effect of XBJ on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 in different inflammatory states. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at Wuhan Union Hospital in China. COVID-19 patients admitted between November 1, 2022 and February 1, 2023 were included. In predicting prognosis for individuals with COVID-19, new inflammatory indicators were used, and their prognostic value was assessed by using Cox regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves. Furthermore, a calculation was made to determine the cutoff value for NLPR. Relative risk and Cox regression models were used to examine the effects of Xuebijing injection on prognosis in patient cohorts that had been stratified by the NLPR cutoff. RESULTS: This research included 455 participants with COVID-19, with a mean age of 72 years. Several inflammatory indicators were found to be strongly correlated with prognosis, and NLPR shows the greatest predictive power. Patients with NLPR > 3.29 exhibited a mortality rate of 17.3%, which was 6.2 times higher than in patients with NLPR ≤ 3.29. Importantly, providing Xuebijing injection to patients with NLPR > 3.29 was associated with a lower risk of 60-day all-cause mortality. However, there was no discernible improvement in survival among patients with NLPR ≤ 3.29 who received Xuebijing injection. CONCLUSION NLPR is the most reliable inflammatory marker for predicting prognosis among individuals with COVID-19, and can accurately identify individuals who may benefit from Xuebijing injection. Please cite this article as: Liao M, Zhang LT, Bai LJ, Wang RY, Liu Y, Han J, Liu LH, Qi BL. Xuebijing injection reduces COVID-19 patients mortality as influenced by the neutrophil to lymphocyte platelet ratio. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 282-288.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Neutrophils ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Lymphocytes ; Blood Platelets ; Platelet Count ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adult

Objective To explore the correlation between thyroid hormone (TH) sensitivity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in euthyroid patients. Methods The euthyroid patients hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from January 2016 to December 2020 were enrolled. All patients were evaluated for free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The FT3/FT4 ratio, thyroid-stimulating hormone index (TSHI), FT3 feedback quantile index (TFQIFT3), and FT4 feedback quantile index (TFIQFT4) were calculated. Hepatic controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were assessed by FibroScan. Results A total of 4 869 participants were enrolled, 3 485 (71.58%) were diagnosed with MASLD. Compared with non-MASLD group of patients, MASLD group had significantly higher levels of serum FT3 and thyroid sensitivity-related parameters, including FT3/FT4, TSHI, TFQIFT3, and TFIQFT4 (P＜0.05). After multivariate adjustment for potential confounders, serum FT3, FT3/FT4, TFQIFT4, TFQIFT3, and TSHI remained positively correlated with the risk of MASLD (P＜0.05). Further analysis revealed that, after adjustment for confounders, FT3, FT3/FT4, TFQIFT4, TFQIFT3, and TSHI were positively correlated with CAP, and TFQIFT4, TFQIFT3, and TSHI were also positively correlated with LSM (P＜0.05). Conclusions Reduced thyroid hormone sensitivity are independently associated with MASLD. Moreover, higher levels of FT3 and decreased thyroid hormone sensitivity are correlated with the progression of MASLD.

Aim To explore the mechanism of the syn-ergistic effect of the ferroptosis inducer erastin com-bined with shikonin in promoting ferroptosis in human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts(HSFBs).Methods Hypertrophic scar tissues provided by the General Hos-pital of Ningxia Medical University were collected,and HSFBs were extracted.HSFBs were identified by HE staining and immunofluorescence.The inhibitory rates of Era and SHK on HSFBs at different concentrations were detected by CCK-8 assay,and the IC50 value was calculated.CompuSyn software was used to calculate the co-use index(CI).Control group,Erastin(Era)group,shikonin(SHK)group and Era+SHK group were set up,and the number and morphological chan-ges of cells were observed after 24 hours of interven-tion.The ability of cell migration and invasion was de-tected by scratch test and Transwell test.The changes of malondialdehyde(MDA),total iron ion and reactive oxygen species(ROS)were detected by corresponding biochemical kits.The expressions of collagen I,α-SMA and GOT1,SLC7A11,GPX4 and FTH1 were detected by Western blot.Results The IC50 value of Era and SHK of primary HSFBs was 2.22 μmol·L-1 and 3.94μmol·L-1 respectively,which was used as the single drug concentration for subsequent experiments.The CompuSyn software was employed to calculate the CI value when the two drugs were used in combination,and the concentrations corresponding to CI=0.39597(Era:1.2 μmol·L-1+SHK:1.5 μmol·L-1)were selected as subsequent combination concentrations(Because when CI was equal to 0.395 97,the concen-tration of each drug was lower than the concentration of single drug,and the inhibition rate of combined drug was greater than 50％).Compared with the monother-apy group,the number of HSFBs in the SHK+Era group was significantly reduced,cell membrane showed breakage and vesiculation,cell wrinkling became smal-ler,and cytoplasm was concentrated.The migration and invasion ability of HSFBs in the SHK+Era group were obviously weakened(P＜0.05),and the expres-sion of fibrosis-related proteins collagen Ⅰ and α-SMA was reduced(P＜0.05);the contents of MDA,total i-ron ions,and ROS in HSFBs of the SHK+Era group increased(P＜0.05),and the protein expression lev-els of SLC7A11,GOT1,GPX4,and FTH1 further de-creased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Erastin in combi-nation with shikonin can synergistically inhibit the pro-liferation,migration and fibrosis levels of HSFBs.The mechanism may be that erastin enhances the inhibition of shikotin on GOT1,increases the levels of cellular i-ron ions,ROS,and lipid peroxides,thereby promoting ferroptosis in HSFBs.

Objective To systematically explore the prescription source,prescription composition,drug origin and processing,functional indications and clinical application of the classic Tibetan medicine Sanwei Qiangwei Powder,so as to provide scientific basis for its in-depth development,rational utilization and follow-up research.Methods By using methods of literature review,the ancient and modern Tibetan medical classics and modern literature such as'Ocha Jinmai' sporadic secret collection 'Zhigong Yi Suan Ji' were retrieved,and the prescription origin,medicinal material origin,processing technology,prescription solution,usage and dosage were studied and analyzed.Results The Sanwei Qiangwei Powder originated from the 'Ocha Jinmai'(《()》)written by Qiangba Minimatongwatundan in the 15th century.The book was written much earlier than the literature included in the 'Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions(Second Batch)'-the 'Selection of Tibetan Medicine Prescriptions·Longevity Baoru' in the 19th century.The prescription consists of 15 copies of Rosa rugosa,7 copies of Herpetospermum caudigerum,and 3 copies of Terminalia chebula Retz.It plays a significant effect on hepatobiliary diseases such as biliary fever,liver fever,primary headache,and headache after drinking in clinical practice.It is the core prescription for the treatment of Chiba-type diseases and has high development value.There are differences in the use site,dosage ratio,usage and dosage of medicinal materials in different literatures,and the dosage has been clarified by textual research and expert consultation.Conclusion This study sorted out and clarified the key information of Sanwei Qiangwei Powder,which laid a theoretical foundation for the inheritance and development,innovative application and modernization research of the prescription.