Objective To investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the occurrence of esophageal cancer in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to observe the occurrence of tooth loss and esophageal cancer among the asymptomatic residents of the natural village for 16 years from January 2008 to July 2024. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline. Results Among the total population of 711 cases, 136 cases were lost to follow-up and 575 cases were included in the final statistics, including 45 cases with esophageal cancer. Significant statistical difference was found between esophageal cancer patients with and without tooth loss (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tooth loss was associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.977, 95%CI: 1.543-10.255). After the adjustment for confounders, tooth loss remained significantly associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.038, 95%CI: 1.035-8.914). A nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of teeth lost and the incidence of esophageal cancer. When the number of teeth lost was less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the number of teeth lost. When more than 12 teeth were lost, the risk of esophageal cancer decreased as the number of teeth lost increased. Conclusion Tooth loss is a risk factor for the occurrence of esophageal cancer in this natural village. When the number of teeth lost is less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increases with the number of teeth lost.

OBJECTIVE: Investigating the clinical efficacy of treating dorsally displaced distal radial double-column Die-punch fractures using a dorsal approach external fixator combined with Kirschner wires. METHODS: Retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 15 patients with distal radial double-column Die-punch fractures treated with an external fixator combined with Kirschner wire between July 2020 and January 2023. There were 10 males and 5 females;6 cases on the left side and 9 on the right;age ranged from 22 to 76 years old. Recorded the preoperative and the final follow-up Cooney wrist function scores for the patients. The fracture healing time, and occurrence of complications were recorded. RESULTS: All 15 patients were followed up ranged from 12 to 16 months post-operation. All fractures achieved bony union, healing time ranging form 8 to 16 weeks. Not a single patient exhibited complications such as surgical site infection, fracture redislocation, or tendon injury. All individuals had their Kirschner wires and external fixation devices removed six weeks post-operatively and commenced rehabilitative therapy for wrist articulation. The Cooney wrist function scores at preoperative and ranged from 5 to 45 scores, at the latest follow-up ranged from 65 to 100 scores. At the final follow-up, the results were assessed as excellent in 10 patients, good in 4 patients, and fair in 1 patient. CONCLUSION The clinical efficacy of treating distal radial double-column Die-punch fractures using a dorsal approach external fixator combined with Kirschner wires is satisfactory.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; External Fixators ; Bone Wires ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Radius Fractures/physiopathology* ; Young Adult ; Fracture Fixation/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of different concentrations of ropivacaine femoral nerve block on postoperative pain and early exercise fllowing total knee arthroplasty(TKA). METHODS: A total of 90 patients who underwent primary TKA between September 2022 and February 2023 were consecutively enrolled in this study. The cohort consisted of 34 males and 56 females, with a mean age of (66.66±7.03) years old. According to different concentrations of ropivacaine, patients were divided into 0.1% group, 0.2% group and 0.4% group, with 30 patients in each group. The age, gender, body mass index(BMI), American Society of Aneshesiologists(ASA) grade, operation time, anesthesia time, tourniquet using time, Post Anesthesia care unit(PACU) stay duration, ambulation time, first reaching to Bromage 0 grade time, visual analogue scale(VAS), hospitalization period and postoperative adverse reactions were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: All 90 patients were followed up for an average of (31.56±5.62) days, and no postoperative adverse reactions occurred. There were no significant differences among the three groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, ASA classification, operation time, anesthesia time, tourniquet application time, PACU stay duration, and hospitalization period (P>0.05). Significant differences were observed in VAS scores at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 hours post-operation among the three groups (P<0.05). Additionally, significant variations were noted in ambulation time and the first reaching to Bromage level 0 time among the three groups (P<0.05). In terms of postoperative pain, the VAS of the 0.1% group at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 hours after surgery(1.93±0.52), (2.57±0.77), (3.10±0.71), (3.10±0.71), (3.07±0.45) points were higher than those of the 0.4% group (1.57±0.50), (2.10±0.55), (2.23±0.57), (2.47±0.73), (2.50±0.57) points, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05);the VAS of the 0.1% group at 4, 6, and 12 hours after surgery were higher than those of the 0.2% group (2.43±0.57), (2.53±0.57), (2.63±0.56) points, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05);there was no statistically significant difference in VAS between the 0.2% group and the 0.4% group (P>0.05). In terms of early postoperative mobility, the time to ambulation time (8.30±2.76) h and the time to achieve the first Bromage grade 0 (6.13±2.18) h were significantly prolonged in the 0.4% group compared to both the 0.1% group (6.93±1.76) h, (4.17±1.18) h and the 0.2% group (6.53±1.59) h, (4.87±1.53) h. No statistically significant differences were observed between the 0.1% and 0.2% groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION 0.2% ropivacaine femoral nerve block can effectively reduce postoperative pain after TKA and can perform early exercise earlier.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Ropivacaine/administration & dosage* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Nerve Block/methods* ; Femoral Nerve/drug effects* ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy* ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Amides

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*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of joint detection of serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and MMP26 in differentiating prostate cancer (PCa) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: A total of 61 PCa patients (PCa group) and 63 BPH patients (BPH group) who were treated in The Affiliated Huaian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from May 2022 to May 2024 were retrospectively included. The relevant clinical data of all subjects were collected with the serum NLR, PSA and MMP26 levels being detected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors in differentiating PCa from BPH. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum NLR, PSA and MMP26 in differentiating PCa from BPH. RESULTS: The levels of TC and LDL-C in the PCa group were higher than those in the BPH group. And the level of HDL-C in the PCa group was lower than that in the BPH group (P<0.05). The serum levels of NLR, PSA and MMP26 in the PCa group were higher than those in the BPH group (P<0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NLR, PSA and MMP26 were risk factors for the diagnosis of PCa in patients (P<0.05). The ROC results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of NLR, PSA MMP26 and joint diagnosis in the identification of PCa was 0.804, 0.800, 0.809 and 0.905, respectively. The comparison results of AUC showed that the joint diagnosis was superior to the single diagnosis (Z=2.262, 2.177, 2.002, P<0.05). CONCLUSION The joint detection of serum NLR, PSA and MMP26 has significant application value in the differentiation of PCa and BPH, which is expected to become an effective tool for early screening and diagnosis of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/blood* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Prostatic Neoplasms/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; Neutrophils ; Lymphocytes ; ROC Curve ; Aged ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult

Liver diseases have become a major challenge threating the global health, posing a heavy burden on both social and personal well-being. In recent years, the development of the gut-liver axis theory has provided new research perspectives and intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Natural products, recognized as biological molecules with diverse sources, rich activities, and minimal side effects, demonstrate great potential in regulating intestinal flora and improving liver health. Studies have shown that natural products such as saponins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and alkaloids can regulate the composition and metabolites of intestinal flora, thereby intervening in liver diseases. In this paper, we systematically review the role of natural products in the regulation of the intestinal flora-gut-liver axis and summarize recent research progress in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Furthermore, we outline the challenges and limitations currently facing the study in this field. Finally, this paper makes an outlook on the clinical application of natural products in treating liver diseases and discusses future research directions, aiming to give new insights into the mechanisms by which natural products regulate the intestinal flora-gut-liver axis and the applications of these products in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Liver Diseases/prevention & control* ; Biological Products/pharmacology* ; Polyphenols/pharmacology* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Intestines/microbiology* ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Liver

Objective:To investigate the treatment strategies for vesicovaginal fistula（VVF）in women following cervical cancer radiotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 33 female patients with post-radiotherapy VVF after cervical cancer treatment at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital between January 2020 and June 2024. The patients were categorized into three groups based on surgical approaches：Group A（11 patients）：Underwent prone-position VVF repair. Mean age：（50.0±9.6）years；mean radiotherapy sessions：（22.6±2.2）. All had simple VVF without concurrent intestinal or surrounding soft-tissue fistulas. Among them，1 patient previously received laparoscopic VVF repair，1 transvaginal VVF repair，and 2 gracilis muscle flap packing for VVF repair. One month prior to surgery，the average daily usage of urine pads was 16.7（12.8，25.7）pieces，and the quality of life（QOL）score stood at 4.0（4.0，5.0）points. Preoperative cystoscopy revealed that 8 cases had fistulas located in the trigonal region of the bladder，while 3 cases had fistulas on the posterior bladder wall. The diameter of the fistula openings，measured under a microscope，was 1.2（0.8，1.6）cm. Based on the Goh classification criteria for vesicovaginal fistulas，this group included 3 cases of type 1，4 cases of type 2，2 cases of type 3，and 2 cases of type 4；7 cases of type A and 4 cases of type B；as well as 3 cases of typeⅠ，7 cases of type Ⅱ，and 1 case of type Ⅲ.Group B（20 patients）：Underwent gracilis muscle flap packing for VVF repair. Mean age：（58.6±8.8）years；mean radiotherapy sessions：（29.8±3.9）. Three patients had concurrent rectovaginal fistulas and received colostomy for fecal diversion. History of previous interventions：3 had laparoscopic VVF repair，4 transvaginal VVF repair，and 1 both transvaginal and laparoscopic VVF repair. One month prior to surgery，the average daily usage of urine pads was 19.7（15.8，27.7）pieces，and the QOL score stood at 5.0（5.0，6.0）points. Preoperative cystoscopy revealed that 13 cases had fistulas located in the trigonal region of the bladder，while 7 cases had fistulas on the posterior bladder wall. The diameter of the fistula openings，measured under a microscope，was 1.8（1.0，3.2）cm. Based on the Goh classification criteria for vesicovaginal fistulas，this group included 4 cases of type 1，9 cases of type 2，3 cases of type 3，and 4 cases of type 4；6 cases of type A，11 cases of type B and 3 cases of type C；as well as 1 cases of type Ⅱ，and 19 case of type Ⅲ. Group C（2 patients）：Underwent ureterocutaneous diversion. Ages：67 and 73 years；radiotherapy sessions：51 and 60，respectively. Both had concurrent rectovaginal fistulas and bladder soft-tissue fistulas. The patient presented with recurrent thigh abscesses accompanied by fever. One month prior to surgery，the daily usage of urine pads was 29 and 23 pieces，respectively，and the QOL score was 6 points. Cystoscopic examination revealed that the vesicovaginal fistulas were located in the trigone of the bladder，with diameters of 3 cm and 4 cm，respectively. Additionally，partial defects were noted in the ventral wall of the urethra，while no bladder soft tissue fistulas were detected. According to the Goh classification for vesicovaginal fistulas，both cases were categorized as type 4，type C，and type Ⅲ. For Groups A and B，urinary catheters were indwelled for 3 weeks postoperatively，then removed to assess spontaneous urination and incontinence. QOL was evaluated，with a minimum 6-month follow-up. For confirmed postoperative VVF recurrence，re-repair was performed 3?6 months later based on patient preference. For Group C，double-J stents were placed in the ureters，and stoma bags were applied 3 days postoperatively. Stents were replaced every 1?2 months，with QOL assessment. Successful fistula repair in Groups A and B was defined as the absence of vaginal leakage confirmed by cystoscopy after six months of the procedure with no vaginal leakage. For Group C，surgical success was determined by the resolution of perineal urinary leakage and improvement in QOL.Results:All 33 patients completed surgery successfully. Group A：Follow-up duration：16.3（9.6，24.6）months. Surgical repair succeeded in 7 patients，with unobstructed spontaneous urination and no vaginal incontinence. Four patients had VVF recurrence：2 refused further treatment，and 2 underwent repeat gracilis muscle flap packing. One was successfully repaired，while one recurrence case refused further treatment. Group B：Follow-up duration：17.0（9.5，24.8）months（8?32 months）. Thirteen patients restored spontaneous urination without recurrence. Seven had recurrence：5 refused further surgery，and 2 underwent re-repair. One repair succeeded without incontinence，while one recurrence case refused treatment. Group C：Follow-up durations were 6 and 22 months. Perineum remained dry without incontinence（no urine pads needed），and no recurrence of thigh soft-tissue redness/infection occurred. QOL scores were 2 and 3，respectively.Conclusions:Post-radiotherapy VVF in women after cervical cancer presents complex and variable conditions. The primary goal of treatment should be to improve patients’ quality of life. Treatment approaches should be selected based on the complexity of urinary fistulas and local tissue conditions. In general，patients who are younger，have received lower doses of radiation therapy，present with smaller fistula diameters，have well-vascularized and elastic perifistular tissues，and have no concurrent tissue fistulas are candidates for prone-position VVF repair. Patients who do not meet the criteria for transvaginal repair，have a history of at least two previous repair attempts，or have concurrent vaginorectal fistulas require gracilis muscle flap packing for VVF repair. Patients with three or more types of concurrent tissue fistulas，extensive pale and inelastic perifistular tissues，and who are not amenable to repair surgery undergo ureterocutaneous diversion.

Ferroptosis is an emerging form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and the failure of the antioxidant system，which results in iron-dependent oxidative damage to the cell membrane. Ferroptosis is implicated in various biological processes，including cell proliferation，aging，and differentiation. The regulation of oxidative stress by ferroptosis is closely associated with the inactivation of glutathione peroxidase 4（Gpx4），dysfunction of the cysteine/glutamate antiporter System Xc-，the production of reactive oxygen species derived from oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids，and alterations in lipid metabolism. Oxidative stress is a critical mechanism underlying the onset and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）and plays a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Ferroptosis may regulate the occurrence and development of BPH by mediating lipid oxidative stress response.