Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a critical endocrine mediator implicated in male reproductive physiology. To investigate the correlation between IGF2 protein levels and various aspects of male infertility, specifically focusing on sperm quality, inflammation, and DNA damage, a cohort of 320 male participants was recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between 1 st January 2024 and 1 st March 2024. The relationship between IGF2 protein concentrations and sperm parameters was assessed, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the independent associations between IGF2 protein levels and risk factors for infertility. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IGF2 protein levels in seminal plasma, alongside markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). The relationship between seminal plasma IGF2 protein levels and DNA damage marker phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) was also explored. Our findings reveal that IGF2 protein expression decreased notably in patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia. Correlation analysis revealed nuanced associations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, and low IGF2 protein concentrations correlated with increased inflammation and DNA damage in sperm. The observed correlations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, along with its connection to inflammation and DNA damage, underscore the importance of IGF2 in the broader context of male reproductive health. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and potential therapeutic interventions targeting IGF2-related pathways to enhance male fertility.
Humans ; Male ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; DNA Damage ; Adult ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Semen Analysis ; Semen/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*

Background::Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) ranks among the foremost factors responsible for mortality on a global scale. The mortality patterns of CVDs and temporal trends in China need to be well-illustrated and updated.Methods::We collected mortality data on patients with CVD from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Disease Surveillance Points (CDC-DSP) system. The mortality of CVD in 2020 was described by age, sex, residence, and region. The temporal trend from 2013 to 2019 was evaluated using joinpoint regression, and estimated rates of decline were extrapolated until 2030 using time series models.Results::In 2019, the age-standardized mortality in China (ASMRC) per 100,000 individuals was 113.2. The ASMRC for males (137.7/10 5) and rural areas (123.0/10 5) were both higher when stratified by gender and urban/rural residence. The central region had the highest mortality (126.5/10 5), the western region had a slightly lower mortality (123.5/10 5), and the eastern region had the lowest mortality (97.3/10 5). The age-specific mortality showed an accelerated upward trend from aged 55-59 years, with maximum mortality observed in individuals over 85 years of age. The age-standardized mortality of CVD decreased by 2.43% (95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.81%) annually from 2013 to 2019. Notably, the age-specific mortality of CVD increased from 2013 to 2019 for the age group of over 85 years. In 2020, both the absolute number of CVD cases and the crude mortality of CVD have increased compared to their values in 2019. The estimated total deaths due to CVD were estimated to reach 2.3 million in 2025 and 2.4 million in 2030. Conclusion::The heightened focus on the burden of CVD among males, rural areas, the central and western of China, and individuals aged 75 years and above has emerged as a pivotal determinant in further decreasing mortalities, consequently presenting novel challenges to strategies for disease prevention and control.

Objective To observe the feasibility of Fourier ring correlation(FRC)for measuring the overall resolution of ultrasonic microvascular images.Methods Liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)images of 1 patient with suspected hepatic hemangioma(dataset 1)were processed with singular value decomposition(SVD)filter(dataset 2)and Frangi filter(dataset 3),respectively.Three ROI were selected on CEUS image in each dataset,and the signal-intensity curves were drawn,and local resolution of CEUS image in each dataset was measured using full width at half maxima(FWHM)method.Then the above datasets were divided into odd frame subset and even frame subset,respectively,which were converted into frequency domain using fast Fourier transform.FRC curves were generated to calculate the overall resolution of each kind images.Results The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of CEUS images in dataset 1,2,3 was(19.94±2.33),(30.36±0.78)and(69.52±16.38)dB,respectively,the local resolution was(4.07±9.82),(1.53±0.04)and(1.27±0.06)mm,both successively increased(all P＜0.05).The overall resolution of CEUS images in dataset 1,2,3 was 2.07,0.91 and 0.51 mm,respectively.Conclusion FRC was feasible for measuring the overall resolution of ultrasonic microvascular images.

Objective To observe the effect of extracting different speed contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)signals using singular value decomposition filtering and implementing fused imaging for improving visualization of microvascular structures.Methods Singular value decomposition and filtering were performed on 200 frames of mouse subcutaneous tumor and 250 frames of human liver CEUS image datasets.The singular value inflection point was used as the threshold for separating low-speed and high-speed contrast signals by exponential projection of singular values on the singular value sequence.The low-speed and high-speed signals in dataset were extracted,and dual-modal fusion imaging was performed on the processed images.The image resolution differences of ultrasound microvascular imaging regions with different flow velocities were evaluated.Results The high-speed blood flow images processed by the high singular value sequence range retained the fast-moving contrast signals which mainly showed the thicker blood vessel structures,while the low-speed blood flow images processed by the low singular value sequence range retained the low-speed moving contrast signals which reflected the microvascular structures on high singular value images.The fusion imaging displayed microvascular network more completely.Conclusion Appropriate selection of singular value range was crucial to optimization of CEUS images using singular value decomposition filtering.Fusion imaging was beneficial to improving visualization of microvascular structures.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the real world. Methods: The clinicopathological data, treatment information, recent treatment efficacy, adverse events and survival data of mCRC patients who had disease progression after treatment with oxaliplatin-based and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy and received third-line chemotherapy re-challenge from January 2013 to December 2020 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were retrospectively collected. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 95 mCRC patients were included. Among them, 32 patients (33.7%) received chemotherapy alone and 63 patients (66.3%) received chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs. Eighty-three patients were treated with dual-drug chemotherapy (87.4%), including oxaliplatin re-challenge in 35 patients and irinotecan re-challenge in 48 patients. The remaining 12 patients were treated with triplet chemotherapy regimens (12.6%). Among them, as 5 patients had sequential application of oxaliplatin and irinotecan in front-line treatments, their third-line therapy re-challenged both oxaliplatin and irinotecan; 7 patients only had oxaliplatin prescription before, and these patients re-challenged oxaliplatin in the third-line treatment. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) reached 8.6% (8/93) and 61.3% (57/93), respectively. The median progression free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) were 4.9 months and 13.0 months, respectively. The most common adverse events were leukopenia (34.7%) and neutropenia (34.7%), followed by gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as nausea (32.6%) and vomiting (31.6%). Grade 3-4 adverse events were mostly hematological toxicity. Cox multivariate analysis showed that gender (HR=1.609, 95% CI: 1.016-2.548) and the PFS of front-line treatments (HR=0.598, 95% CI: 0.378-0.947) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: The results suggested that it is safe and effective for mCRC patients to choose third-line chemotherapy re-challenge, especially for patients with a PFS of more than one year in front-line treatments.
Humans ; Irinotecan/therapeutic use* ; Oxaliplatin/therapeutic use* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Fluorouracil ; Colonic Neoplasms/chemically induced* ; Rectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects* ; Camptothecin/adverse effects*

With the global increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases and the rising life expectancy, it is anticipated that the number of elderly patients affected by allergies will also increase. While it was previously believed that allergies primarily affected children and adolescents and diminished with age, epidemiological studies indicate a growing prevalence of allergies in the elderly. Various allergic diseases have similar prevalence rates in the elderly as in the general population, and some, like drug allergies, are even more prevalent in this age group. Allergic diseases in the elderly often present with atypical symptoms, leading to challenges in differential diagnosis and treatment. This paper discusses immunosenescence and the distinct features of allergic diseases in older individuals. The goal is to raise awareness among healthcare providers about allergies in older adults, encourage preventive measures, and improve the quality of life for elderly patients with allergies. By managing allergies better, it can also help with the management of other chronic diseases in the elderly and contribute to better overall health for everyone.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the real world. Methods: The clinicopathological data, treatment information, recent treatment efficacy, adverse events and survival data of mCRC patients who had disease progression after treatment with oxaliplatin-based and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy and received third-line chemotherapy re-challenge from January 2013 to December 2020 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were retrospectively collected. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 95 mCRC patients were included. Among them, 32 patients (33.7%) received chemotherapy alone and 63 patients (66.3%) received chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs. Eighty-three patients were treated with dual-drug chemotherapy (87.4%), including oxaliplatin re-challenge in 35 patients and irinotecan re-challenge in 48 patients. The remaining 12 patients were treated with triplet chemotherapy regimens (12.6%). Among them, as 5 patients had sequential application of oxaliplatin and irinotecan in front-line treatments, their third-line therapy re-challenged both oxaliplatin and irinotecan; 7 patients only had oxaliplatin prescription before, and these patients re-challenged oxaliplatin in the third-line treatment. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) reached 8.6% (8/93) and 61.3% (57/93), respectively. The median progression free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) were 4.9 months and 13.0 months, respectively. The most common adverse events were leukopenia (34.7%) and neutropenia (34.7%), followed by gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as nausea (32.6%) and vomiting (31.6%). Grade 3-4 adverse events were mostly hematological toxicity. Cox multivariate analysis showed that gender (HR=1.609, 95% CI: 1.016-2.548) and the PFS of front-line treatments (HR=0.598, 95% CI: 0.378-0.947) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: The results suggested that it is safe and effective for mCRC patients to choose third-line chemotherapy re-challenge, especially for patients with a PFS of more than one year in front-line treatments.
Humans ; Irinotecan/therapeutic use* ; Oxaliplatin/therapeutic use* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Fluorouracil ; Colonic Neoplasms/chemically induced* ; Rectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects* ; Camptothecin/adverse effects*

With the global increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases and the rising life expectancy, it is anticipated that the number of elderly patients affected by allergies will also increase. While it was previously believed that allergies primarily affected children and adolescents and diminished with age, epidemiological studies indicate a growing prevalence of allergies in the elderly. Various allergic diseases have similar prevalence rates in the elderly as in the general population, and some, like drug allergies, are even more prevalent in this age group. Allergic diseases in the elderly often present with atypical symptoms, leading to challenges in differential diagnosis and treatment. This paper discusses immunosenescence and the distinct features of allergic diseases in older individuals. The goal is to raise awareness among healthcare providers about allergies in older adults, encourage preventive measures, and improve the quality of life for elderly patients with allergies. By managing allergies better, it can also help with the management of other chronic diseases in the elderly and contribute to better overall health for everyone.

H 1-antihistamines are widely used in the treatment of various allergic diseases, but there are still many challenges in the safe and rational use of H 1-antihistamines in pediatrics, and there is a lack of guidance on the prescription review of H 1-antihistamines for children.In this paper, suggestions are put forward from the indications, dosage, route of administration, pathophysiological characteristics of children with individual difference and drug interactions, so as to provide reference for clinicians and pharmacists.