OBJECTIVE To evaluate the value of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)in direct identification of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae positive for blood culture.METHODS The blood culture bottles that were positive for E.coli or K.pneumoniae were collected from the patients with bloodstream infection who were treated in Zhongshan Hospi-tal,Fudan University from Jul.2021 to Jun.2023.The isolates were collected by using a gel-contact clotting tube,then the tested strains were respectively mixed with 4 μg/ml of imipenem,4 μg/ml of meropenem and 2 μg/ml of ertapenem for coculture and were incubated at 35 ℃ for 4 and 5 hours,finally,the strains were i-dentified by using the mass spectrum.The minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs)of the three types of drugs were tested by microbroth dilution method and were set as the golden standards for the test.RESULTS Totally 31 strains of E.coli and 28 strains of K.pneumoniae that were positive in blood culture bottles were collected,both of the effective rates of controlled growth of the E.coli strains were 100.00％after the incuba-tion for 4 and 5 hours,and the effective rates of controlled growth of the K.pneumoniae strains were 9 6.43％and 100.00％after the incubation for 4 and hours,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the K.pneumoniae strains against the three types of drugs were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours.The specificity and positive predictive value of the E.coli strains against imipenem,meropenem and ertapenem were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours;the sensitivities were 73.58％,78.93％and 78.93％,respectively;the negative predictive values were 70.60％,75.00％and 75.00％,respectively.CONCLUSIONS MALDI-TOF MS is rapid and accurate for direct identification of the carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae strains positive in blood culture bottles,and the accuracy reaches at 100.00％for the test of drug-resistant K.pneumoniae strains after the incubation for 5 hours.The method may provide evidence for clinical treatment of bloodstream infections induced by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective To establish and validate a method for simultaneous analysis of fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole and cont-ezolid by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,and conduct preliminary assessment its value of application value in clinical therapeutic drug monitoring.Methods Using an isotopic internal standard method,the serum samples were pretreated with protein precipitation.The supernatant was diluted after centrifugation,and detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer.Refer-ring to the Recommendations for Clinical Application of Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(LC-MS)and Clinical and Labora-tory Standards Instituhe(CLSI)C62A,the performance of the LC-MS method was verified,including quantitation limits,linearity,trueness,precision,matrix effect,carry-over,interference,dilution consistency and stability.The blood samples from patients who were treated with fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole,and contezolid were collected and measured for trough or peak concentrations.Results The quantitation limits of fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole and contezolid by this method were 1 μg/mL,0.25 μg/mL,0.25 μg/mL and 0.1 μg/mL,respectively.The linear ranges were 1-100 μg/mL,0.25-25 μg/mL,0.25-25 μg/mL,and 0.1-10μg/mL,respectively.The recovery rates were 103.0％-105.7％,103.1％-108％,102.4％-106.2％and 101.0％-109.9％,respectively.The precisions,expressed as coefficient of variation(CV),were 1.7％-3.4％,2.1％-4.8％,1.9％-3.1％,and 3.1％-6.8％,respective-ly.No obvious matrix effect,carry-over contamination and interference were found.The dilution consistency and stability were satisfac-tory.The concentrations of fluconazole,linezolid and voriconazole within the reference interval accounted for 49.1％,52.5％and 80.7％of the total samples,respectively.The peak concentration of contezolamide was(14.02±4.94)μg/mL(n=4),and the trough concen-tration was(0.34±0.20)μg/mL(n=5).Conclusion In this study,a method for simultaneous analysis of the concentrations of flu-conazole,linezolid,voriconazole and contezolid was successfully established and verified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spec-trometry.This method is simple,rapid,and suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring,and providing a basis for the optimization of drug regimens.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the value of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)in direct identification of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae positive for blood culture.METHODS The blood culture bottles that were positive for E.coli or K.pneumoniae were collected from the patients with bloodstream infection who were treated in Zhongshan Hospi-tal,Fudan University from Jul.2021 to Jun.2023.The isolates were collected by using a gel-contact clotting tube,then the tested strains were respectively mixed with 4 μg/ml of imipenem,4 μg/ml of meropenem and 2 μg/ml of ertapenem for coculture and were incubated at 35 ℃ for 4 and 5 hours,finally,the strains were i-dentified by using the mass spectrum.The minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs)of the three types of drugs were tested by microbroth dilution method and were set as the golden standards for the test.RESULTS Totally 31 strains of E.coli and 28 strains of K.pneumoniae that were positive in blood culture bottles were collected,both of the effective rates of controlled growth of the E.coli strains were 100.00％after the incuba-tion for 4 and 5 hours,and the effective rates of controlled growth of the K.pneumoniae strains were 9 6.43％and 100.00％after the incubation for 4 and hours,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the K.pneumoniae strains against the three types of drugs were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours.The specificity and positive predictive value of the E.coli strains against imipenem,meropenem and ertapenem were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours;the sensitivities were 73.58％,78.93％and 78.93％,respectively;the negative predictive values were 70.60％,75.00％and 75.00％,respectively.CONCLUSIONS MALDI-TOF MS is rapid and accurate for direct identification of the carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae strains positive in blood culture bottles,and the accuracy reaches at 100.00％for the test of drug-resistant K.pneumoniae strains after the incubation for 5 hours.The method may provide evidence for clinical treatment of bloodstream infections induced by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective To establish and validate a method for simultaneous analysis of fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole and cont-ezolid by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,and conduct preliminary assessment its value of application value in clinical therapeutic drug monitoring.Methods Using an isotopic internal standard method,the serum samples were pretreated with protein precipitation.The supernatant was diluted after centrifugation,and detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer.Refer-ring to the Recommendations for Clinical Application of Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(LC-MS)and Clinical and Labora-tory Standards Instituhe(CLSI)C62A,the performance of the LC-MS method was verified,including quantitation limits,linearity,trueness,precision,matrix effect,carry-over,interference,dilution consistency and stability.The blood samples from patients who were treated with fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole,and contezolid were collected and measured for trough or peak concentrations.Results The quantitation limits of fluconazole,linezolid,voriconazole and contezolid by this method were 1 μg/mL,0.25 μg/mL,0.25 μg/mL and 0.1 μg/mL,respectively.The linear ranges were 1-100 μg/mL,0.25-25 μg/mL,0.25-25 μg/mL,and 0.1-10μg/mL,respectively.The recovery rates were 103.0％-105.7％,103.1％-108％,102.4％-106.2％and 101.0％-109.9％,respectively.The precisions,expressed as coefficient of variation(CV),were 1.7％-3.4％,2.1％-4.8％,1.9％-3.1％,and 3.1％-6.8％,respective-ly.No obvious matrix effect,carry-over contamination and interference were found.The dilution consistency and stability were satisfac-tory.The concentrations of fluconazole,linezolid and voriconazole within the reference interval accounted for 49.1％,52.5％and 80.7％of the total samples,respectively.The peak concentration of contezolamide was(14.02±4.94)μg/mL(n=4),and the trough concen-tration was(0.34±0.20)μg/mL(n=5).Conclusion In this study,a method for simultaneous analysis of the concentrations of flu-conazole,linezolid,voriconazole and contezolid was successfully established and verified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spec-trometry.This method is simple,rapid,and suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring,and providing a basis for the optimization of drug regimens.

Objective:To investigate the embryo development and clinical pregnancy outcomes in patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on data from 4 080 cycles of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer treatments performed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from August 2019 to August 2021. Patients were divided into OHSS group ( n=524) and non-OHSS group (control group, n=3 556) based on whether OHSS occurred, and the OHSS group was further divided into OHSS combined with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) subgroup ( n=231) and OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup ( n=293) based on the presence of PCOS. General information, embryo developmental data and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results:1) Patients in the OHSS group [(30.7±3.6) years] were younger than those in control group [(31.5±4.8) years, P<0.001], and the number of retrieved oocytes (28.2±5.7), rates of high-quality embryos [52.7% (4 982/9 463)], blastocyst formation [54.0% (5 059/9 371)], biochemical pregnancy [75.0% (393/524)], clinical pregnancy [69.5% (364/524)], and live birth [58.0% (304/524)] were significantly higher in the OHSS group than in control group [12.5±6.7, 49.8% (14 042/28 204), 51.4% (14 279/27 797), 59.5% (2 115/3 556), 54.1% (1 924/3 556), 43.6% (1 550/3 556), respectively; all P<0.001]. 2) Patients in the OHSS combined with PCOS subgroup [(30.2±3.1) years] were younger than those in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [(31.1±4.0) years, P=0.009], and the estradiol level [165.0 (101.0, 222.5) pmol/L] was higher than that in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [141.0 (81.0,202.0) pmol/L, P=0.005]; rates of high-quality embryos [56.3% (2 413/4 284)], blastocyst formation [67.1% (2 846/4 239)], and high-quality blastocysts [57.7% (2 445/4 239)] were also significantly higher in the OHSS combined with PCOS subgroup than in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [49.6% (2 569/5 179), 60.3% (3 092/5 132), 50.9% (2 614/5 132), respectively; all P<0.001]. Conclusion:There is a certain correlation between OHSS and female age. The occurrence of OHSS does not affect embryo development and does not increase adverse pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients. The presence of PCOS does not affect the pregnancy outcomes of OHSS patients. However, in ART, we still strive to avoid the occurrence of adverse events such as OHSS as much as possible.

Objective Infertility affects approximately one-sixth of the people of childbearing age worldwide,causing not only economic burdens of treatment for families with fertility problems but also psychological stress for patients and presenting challenges to societal and economic development.Premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)refers to the loss of ovarian function in women before the age of 40 due to the depletion of follicles or decreased quality of remaining follicles,constituting a significant cause of female infertility.In recent years,with the help of the rapid development in genetic sequencing technology,it has been demonstrated that genetic factors play a crucial role in the onset of POI.Among the population suffering from POI,genetic studies have revealed that genes involved in processes such as meiosis,DNA damage repair,and mitosis account for approximately 37.4% of all pathogenic and potentially pathogenic genes identified.FA complementation group M(FANCM)is a group of genes involved in the damage repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks(ICLs),including FANCA-FANCW.Abnormalities in the FANCM genes are associated with female infertility and FANCM gene knockout mice also exhibit phenotypes similar to those of POI.During the genetic screening of POI patients,this study identified a suspicious variant in FANCM.This study aims to explore the pathogenic mechanisms of the FANCM genes of the FA pathway and their variants in the development of POI.We hope to help shed light on potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the affected individuals.Methods One POI patient was included in the study.The inclusion criteria for POI patients were as follows:women under 40 years old exhibiting two or more instances of basal serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels>25 IU/L(with a minimum interval of 4 weeks inbetween tests),alongside clinical symptoms of menstrual disorders,normal chromosomal karyotype analysis results,and exclusion of other known diseases that can lead to ovarian dysfunction.We conducted whole-exome sequencing for the POI patient and identified pathogenic genes by classifying variants according to the standards and guidelines established by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics(ACMG).Subsequently,the identified variants were validated through Sanger sequencing and subjected to bioinformatics analysis.Plasmids containing wild-type and mutant FANCM genes were constructed and introduced into 293T cells.The 293T cells transfected with wild-type and mutant human FANCM plasmids and pEGFP-C1 empty vector plasmids were designated as the EGFP FANCM-WT group,the EGFP FANCM-MUT group,and the EGFP group,respectively.To validate the production of truncated proteins,cell proteins were extracted 48 hours post-transfection from the three groups and confirmed using GFP antibody.In order to investigate the impact on DNA damage repair,immunofluorescence experiments were conducted 48 hours post-transfection in the EGFP FANCM-WT group and the EGFP FANCM-MUT group to examine whether the variant affected FANCM's ability to localize on chromatin.Mitomycin C was used to induce ICLs damage in vitro in both the EGFP FANCM-WT group and the EGFP FANCM-MUT group,which was followed by verification of its effect on ICLs damage repair using γ-H2AX antibody.Results In a POI patient from a consanguineous family,we identified a homozygous variant in the FANCM gene,c.1152-1155del:p.Leu386Valfs*10.The patient presented with primary infertility,experiencing irregular menstruation since menarche at the age of 16.Hormonal evaluation revealed an FSH level of 26.79 IU/L and an anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)level of 0.07 ng/mL.Vaginal ultrasound indicated unsatisfactory visualization of the ovaries on both sides and uterine dysplasia.The patient's parents were a consanguineous couple,with the mother having regular menstrual cycles.The patient had two sisters,one of whom passed away due to osteosarcoma,while the other exhibited irregular menstruation,had been diagnosed with ovarian insufficiency,and remained childless.Bioinformatics analysis revealed a deletion of four nucleotides(c.1152-1155del)in the exon 6 of the patient's FANCM gene.This variant resulted in a frameshift at codon 386,introducing a premature stop codon at codon 396,which ultimately led to the production of a truncated protein consisting of 395 amino acids.In vitro experiments demonstrated that this variant led to the production of a truncated FANCM protein of approximately 43 kDa and caused a defect in its nuclear localization,with the protein being present only in the cytoplasm.Following treatment with mitomycin C,there was a significant increase in γ-H2AX levels in 293T cells transfected with the mutant plasmid(P<0.01),indicating a statistically significant impairment of DNA damage repair capability caused by this variant.Conclusions The homozygous variant in the FANCM gene,c.1152-1155del:p.Leu386Valfs*10,results in the production of a truncated FANCM protein.This truncation leads to the loss of its interaction site with the MHF1-MHF2 complex,preventing its entry into the nucleus and the subsequent recognition of DNA damage.Consequently,the localization of the FA core complex on chromatin is disrupted,impeding the normal activation of the FA pathway and reducing the cell's ability to repair damaged ICLs.By disrupting the rapid proliferation and meiotic division processes of primordial germ cells,the reserve of oocytes is depleted,thereby triggering premature ovarian insufficiency in females.

Objective:To investigate the embryo development and clinical pregnancy outcomes in patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on data from 4 080 cycles of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer treatments performed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from August 2019 to August 2021. Patients were divided into OHSS group ( n=524) and non-OHSS group (control group, n=3 556) based on whether OHSS occurred, and the OHSS group was further divided into OHSS combined with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) subgroup ( n=231) and OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup ( n=293) based on the presence of PCOS. General information, embryo developmental data and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results:1) Patients in the OHSS group [(30.7±3.6) years] were younger than those in control group [(31.5±4.8) years, P<0.001], and the number of retrieved oocytes (28.2±5.7), rates of high-quality embryos [52.7% (4 982/9 463)], blastocyst formation [54.0% (5 059/9 371)], biochemical pregnancy [75.0% (393/524)], clinical pregnancy [69.5% (364/524)], and live birth [58.0% (304/524)] were significantly higher in the OHSS group than in control group [12.5±6.7, 49.8% (14 042/28 204), 51.4% (14 279/27 797), 59.5% (2 115/3 556), 54.1% (1 924/3 556), 43.6% (1 550/3 556), respectively; all P<0.001]. 2) Patients in the OHSS combined with PCOS subgroup [(30.2±3.1) years] were younger than those in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [(31.1±4.0) years, P=0.009], and the estradiol level [165.0 (101.0, 222.5) pmol/L] was higher than that in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [141.0 (81.0,202.0) pmol/L, P=0.005]; rates of high-quality embryos [56.3% (2 413/4 284)], blastocyst formation [67.1% (2 846/4 239)], and high-quality blastocysts [57.7% (2 445/4 239)] were also significantly higher in the OHSS combined with PCOS subgroup than in the OHSS combined with non-PCOS subgroup [49.6% (2 569/5 179), 60.3% (3 092/5 132), 50.9% (2 614/5 132), respectively; all P<0.001]. Conclusion:There is a certain correlation between OHSS and female age. The occurrence of OHSS does not affect embryo development and does not increase adverse pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients. The presence of PCOS does not affect the pregnancy outcomes of OHSS patients. However, in ART, we still strive to avoid the occurrence of adverse events such as OHSS as much as possible.

Cell Cycle Checkpoints/genetics* ; Checkpoint Kinase 1/metabolism* ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Mitosis/genetics* ; Mutation ; Zygote/metabolism*

Objective : To investigate whether the application of melatonin (MT) in embryo culture in vitro can improve the treatment effect of in vitro fertilization embryo transfer(IVF⁃ET) in patients with decreasing ovarian reserve (DOR) . Methods : 128 DOR patients receiving assisted reproductive therapy were collected. All patients were treated with an antagonist scheme of super⁃ovulation. Patients were divided into melatonin group (n = 56) and control group (n = 72) according to whether melatonin ( melatonin concentration 10 - 9 mol/L) was added into embryo culture medium. Results : There was no statistically significant difference in oocytes fertilization rate and cleavage rate between the two groups during later embryo culture , but blastocyst formation rate ( 65. 22% vs 56. 16% ) and high⁃quality blastocyst rate (52. 96% vs 40. 94% ) in the melatonin group were higher than those in the control group , and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0. 05 ) . There were no significant differences in the implantation rate (50. 00% vs 38. 67% ) and clinical pregnancy rate (48. 39% vs 46. 00% ) of blastocysts after freezing⁃thawing between the two groups , but the cycle number of high⁃quality blastocysts obtained in the melatonin group was higher than that in the control group (85. 71% vs 69. 44% ) , and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion In a way , the application of melatonin in the in vitro culture of early embryos can promote the development of oocytes in patients with DOR , improve the quality of embryos , and finally substantially improve the therapeutic effect of such patients.

The etiology of infertility is multifactorial, in addition to fallopian tube factors, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity are also important causes of infertility. As revealed by recent studies, the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota have been considered to influence the occurrence and development of PCOS and obesity, thus impairing women's reproductive health. Based on recent studies on gut microbiota, this article briefly reviews the composition characteristics of gut microbiota involved in PCOS and obese people, as well as potential treatments for PCOS and obesity.