1.Effect of optimized intense pulsed light on meibomian gland morphology and function in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction
Yifan ZHOU ; Pengfei ZHANG ; Lifeng LIU ; Xinhong HAN ; Chao WANG ; Limei LIU
International Eye Science 2025;25(6):968-974
AIM: To assess the impact of optimized pulsed technology(OPT)on the morphological and functional changes of meibomian glands in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).METHODS: This prospective case-control study enrolled 60 MGD patients(60 right eyes)treated at Weifang Eye Hospital from September 2023 to February 2024. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups based on the extent of meibomian gland loss, with 20 cases(20 eyes)per group. Treatments consisted of bilateral OPT combined with meibomian gland massages, administered biweekly over four sessions. Ocular surface function indicators including the ocular surface disease index(OSDI), corneal fluorescein staining(CFS), non-invasive average tear break-up time(NIBUTav), and non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), as well as meibomian gland function parameters such as meibomian gland expressibility score(MGES)and meibomian gland secretion score(MGYSS)were observed and recorded before treatment and at 3 mo after final treatment. Cellular-level assessments using in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM)examined meibomian gland acinar unit density(MGAUD), inflammatory cell density(ICD), meibomian gland acinar longest diameter(MGALD)and meibomian gland acinar shortest diameter(MGASD).RESULTS: At baseline, no significant differences were found in NITMH across groups(P>0.05). Statistical significance were observed in NIBUTav, MGES, MGYSS, MGAUD, MGALD, and MGASD(all P<0.05). Compared to the mild group, the moderate and severe groups showed significant differences in OSDI, CFS, and ICD(all P<0.05), though no significant differences existed between moderate and severe groups(all P>0.05). At 3 mo after treatment, all groups showed no significant differences in NITMH(all P>0.05). All parameters improved significantly in the mild group(all P<0.05); all indicators improved in the moderate group(P>0.05), except for MGASD before and after treatment(all P<0.05); significant improvements were noted in OSDI, CFS, and NIBUTav in the severe group(all P<0.05), while MGES and MGYSS did not differ significantly(all P>0.05). IVCM parameters(MGAUD, ICD, MGALD, and MGASD)showed no significant change in the severe group(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION:OPT effectively enhances various ocular surface functions and improves gland expressibility and secretion quality in mild to moderate MGD cases, while also positively impacting certain cellular parameters. In severe cases, where most acinar functions are lost and structural reversibility is limited, OPT can still mitigate MGD symptoms and decelerate disease progression.
2.Effects of flame retardant tributyl phosphate on early development of zebrafish
Yao LI ; Jingying ZHU ; Yao LI ; Limei CHEN ; Pengfei ZHU ; Xinliang DING ; Weijie ZHOU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(12):1376-1383
Background Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is widely used as an organophosphate flame retardant. However, there are limited studies on the toxicity of TBP to aquatic organisms at low levels of exposure. Objective To investigate the effects of TBP on early development of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Methods Zebrafish embryos were randomly divided into four groups at 2 h post-fertilisation (2 hpf), namely, the 0.01% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control group and TBP exposure groups (0.02, 0.2 and 2 μg·L−1). The exposure time was from 2 hpf to 120 hpf and the hatching rate, malformation rate, heart rate and body length of zebrafish embryos at 72 hpf, the frequency of tail curling at 24-29 hpf, the locomotor ability at 96 hpf and the survival rate at 120 hpf were evaluated, respectively. The whole-body triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) levels of juvenile fish were measured by enzyme immunoassay at the end of the infection, and the expression levels of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT) and neurodevelopmental-related genes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR). Results The heart rates of zebrafish embryos were significantly decreased in all TBP-treated groups (P<0.001), the survival rates of the 0.02 and 2 μg·L−1 TBP groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the malformation rate of the 2 μg·L−1 treated group was significantly increased (P<0.05), which was mainly manifested by pericardial oedema. The frequency of tail curling of zebrafish embryos in all groups reached the highest at 25 hpf, which was significantly lower (P<0.001) in all exposure groups than in the control group (P<0.001). In the locomotor behaviour experiments, the swimming speed of zebrafish larvae in the dark cycle was significantly decreased in the 0.02 and 0.2 μg·L−1 TBP groups (P<0.05), and similar results were found for the light cycle in the 0.2 and 2 μg·L−1 TBP groups (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the T3 level of zebrafish juveniles in the 0.2 μg·L−1 TBP group increased significantly (P<0.05). The q-PCR results showed that the expression levels of HTP axis-related genes [thyroid hormone receptors (trα,
3.Impact of patient-centered care services on the treatment compliance among patients with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis
Jingjing PAN ; Hui ZHOU ; Linmei QIAN ; Limei ZHU ; Qiao LIU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2024;36(5):494-501
Objective To examine the effect of patient-centered care services on compliance to treatment among patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), so as to provide the scientific evidence for promoting the widespread application of the appropriate nursing process of MDR/RR-PTB patients in the hospital. Methods The MDR/RR-PTB patients that were definitely diagnosed at the Sixth People’s Hospital of Nantong City during the period from January 2017 to October 2020 were enrolled. The patients with confirmed diagnosis of MDR/RR-PTB during the period January 2017 to December 2018 served as controls, who were given routine care in the hospital, and those with confirmed diagnosis of MDR/RR-PTB during the period January 2019 to October 2020 served as the care group, who were given patient-centered personalized care services, including one-to-one consultations, periodic group activities, informatization case management, and personal reminder for return visits. The proportion of inclusion into treatment, loss to follow-up, return visits and sputum examinations were compared between the care and control groups. Results A total of 104 MDR/RR-PTB patients were included, including 54 cases in the control group and 50 cases in the care group. There was no significant difference in gender and age distribution between the two groups (χ2 = 3.013, 1.336, P > 0.05). The proportion of inclusion into treatment was higher in the care group (100.00%, 50/50) than in the control group (87.04%, 47/54) (P = 0.013), and the proportion of loss to follow-up was lower in the care group (0, 0/43) than in the control group (19.05%, 8/42) (P = 0.002). In addition, the overall proportion of return visits was higher in the care group (93.09%, 377/405) than in the control group (83.56%, 371/444) (χ2 = 18.345, P < 0.001), and the proportion of sputum examinations was higher in the care group was (83.70%, 339/405) than in the control group (79.28%, 352/444) (χ2 = 2.737, P = 0.098). Conclusion Patient-centered care services facilitate the improvements in the proportion of inclusion into treatment and compliance to treatment and reduction in the proportion of loss to follow-up among MDR/RR-PTB patients, which deserves widespread applications.
4.Network pharmacology analysis based on potential mechanism of dandelion-mulberry leaf in treatment of acute myeloid leukemia
Xinchen ZHOU ; Shuhan DONG ; Zhuo ZHANG ; Mingmei SHEN ; Xiangjun WANG ; Ying LI ; Limei LIU
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2024;50(4):1087-1097
Objective:To analyze the role of dandelion and mulberry leaf in the progression of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)by network pharmacology,and to clarify the active components and their mechanisms in treating AML.Methods:The active components of dandelion and mulberry leaf were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).The targets were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction Database.The AML-related genes and protein targets were retrieved from the SymMap Database,the GeneCards Human Gene Database,the DisGeNET Database,and the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM)Database.The AML-related genes and target genes of dandelion and mulberry leaf were compared by comparative analysis and were identify by the enrichment genes,followed by Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathway enrichment analysis.The drug-active component-target network and protein-protein interaction(PPI)network were constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software,and the core genes were selected by CytoNCA plugin;the molecular docking was conducted by AutoDock software.Results:After filtering by databases,39 active components were identified,and 148 common targets between dandelion-mulberry leaf and AML were collected.The GO functional enrichment analysis mainly involved cytokine-mediated signaling pathways,positive regulation of kinase activity,and oxidative stress responses.The KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis focused on the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K-AKT)signaling pathway,the tumor necrosis factor(TNF)signaling pathway,and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription(JAK-STAT)signaling pathway.The key targets were identified by topological analysis including signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3),epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),protein kinase B1(AKT1),recombinant human epidermal growth factor(EGF),vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA),oncogene MYC,tumor protein P53(TP53),mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3),cysteiny asparate specific protease-3(CASP3),oncogene SRC,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),tenascin XB1(CTNNB1),phosphoinositide kinase-3 catalytic subunit alpha(PIK3CA),interleukin 6(IL-6),TNF,mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1),and phosphatidylinositide kinase-3 regulatory subunit 1(PIK3R1).The molecular docking results showed the highest affinity pairing to be taraxerol with MYC(-8.74 kcal·mol-1),and quercetin,kaempferol,luteolin,and artemetin demonstrated good binding affinities with various targets.Conclusion:The main active components of dandelion-mulberry leaf,such as quercetin,taraxerol,kaempferol,luteolin,and artemetin,may exert the anti-AML effect by regulating AKT1,STAT3,HSP90AA1,IL-6,and MAPK1;regulation the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway may be the critical mechanism of anti-AML effect by dandelion-mulberry leaf.
5.Quantitative evaluation of left and right atrial function and its difference in normal fetus during middle and late pregnancy using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography
Limei ZHOU ; Bowen ZHAO ; Mei PAN ; Xiaohui PENG ; Ran CHEN ; Mingming MA ; Yuanshi TIAN ; Yan DENG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2024;33(8):659-666
Objective:To explore the potential application of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in terms of quantification and evaluating left and right atrial function in normal fetuses, and to investigate the relevant factors affecting left and right atrial function in normal fetuses as well as differences between both atrial function.Methods:A total of 100 single fetuses underwent fetal echocardiography in the Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound & Echocardiography, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine from January 2019 to October 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The standard basal or apical four-chamber view clips were obtained, and the left and right atrial function were quantitatively analyzed using TomTec-ARENA off-line cardiac analysis software for quantitative assessment of both atrial strain measurements including left atrial reservoir phase longitudinal strain (LASr), left atrial ductal phase longitudinal strain (LAScd), left atrial systolic phase longitudinal strain (LASct), right atrial reservoir phase longitudinal strain (RASr), right atrial ductal phase longitudinal strain (RAScd), right atrial systolic phase longitudinal strain (RASct), and the ratio of systolic longitudinal strain to conduit longitudinal strain in left and right atrial systolic display groups were calculated which was denoted as Sct/Scd.Routine fetal obstetric ultrasound measurements and fetal echocardiographic parameters in the two groups were obtained including fetal heart rate (FHR), left atrial end-systolic length (LAESL), left atrial end-systolic diameter (LAESD), left atrial end-systolic area (LAESA), left ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (LVEDD), right atrial end-systolic length (RAESL), right atrial end-systolic diameter (RAESD), right atrial end-systolic area (RAESA), right ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (RVEDD), peak blood flow velocity of mitral valve and tricuspid valve in early and late diastolic period (E, A), peak ratio of E and A: E/A (MV), E/A (TV), and the difference between the left and right atrial strain indices and the routine fetal obstetric ultrasound and fetal echocardiographic parameters, as well as the correlation between the above parameters and gestational age were analyzed. The repeatability tests were performed using the intra-class correlation coefficientt (ICC).Results:Significant differences were found in LASr and RASr, LAScd and RAScd, LASct and LAScd, Sct/Scd between the left atrium and right atrium, E/A (MV) and E/A (TV), LAESD and RAESD, LAESL and RAESL (all P<0.05), there was significant difference in FHR between the left atrial contraction display group and the no atrial contraction display group ( P=0.011), no significant difference in other parameters (all P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that, LASr, LASct, RASr, and RASct showed moderate negative correlation with gestational age ( rs=-0.570, -0.601, -0.469, -0.568; all P<0.001). While LAScd, RAScd, E/A (MV), E/A (TV) were moderately positively related with gestational age ( rs=0.310, 0.350, 0.330, 0.343; all P<0.05). LAESL, LAESD, LAESA, RAESL, RAESD, RAESA, LVEDD and RVEDD were significantly positively related with gestational age ( rs=0.662, 0.768, 0.792, 0.728, 0.828, 0.822, 0.838, 0.802, all P<0.001). The inter-examiner ICC of fetal LASr and RASr were 0.89 and 0.84 (both P<0.05) and the intra-examiner ICC of fetal RASr and LASr both were 0.80 (both P<0.05), with good consistency. Conclusions:2D-STE is highly feasible and reproducible in assessing fetal atrial function. The corresponding variation values of fetal atria at different gestational weeks were obtained in this study, which provides a new reference index for us to further study normal fetal atria as well as comparative analysis of fetal cardiac function under prenatal pathological conditions.
6.Quantitative evaluation of left atrial function in fetuses with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography
Limei ZHOU ; Bowen ZHAO ; Mei PAN ; Xiaohui PENG ; Ran CHEN ; Yuanshi TIAN ; Mingxuan ZHANG ; Min DI
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2024;33(9):767-775
Objective:To explore the potential application of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in terms of quantification and evaluating left atrial function in normal fetuses and fetuses with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO).Methods:A total of 32 fetuses diagnosed with LVOTO, who underwent fetal echocardiography at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine between May 2020 to June 2022, were selected as the case group, and 100 pregnant women with normal singleton fetuses between January 2019 to October 2022 were chosen as the control group. The standard basal or apical four-chamber view clips were obtained and were quantitatively analyzed using TomTec-Arena off-line cardiac analysis software to obtain the left atrial strain parameters of the two groups of fetuses including left atrial reservoir phase longitudinal strain(LASr), left atrial ductal phase longitudinal strain(LAScd), left atrial systolic phase longitudinal strain (LASct), as well as the routine obstetric ultrasound measurements and fetal echocardiographic parameters of the two groups: biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), aortic annulus end-systolic inner diameter (AO), pulmonary annulus end-systolic inner diameter (PA), left atrial end-systolic long length (LAESL), left atrial end-systolic transverse diameter (LAESD), right atrial end-systolic long length (RAESL), right atrial end-systolic transverse diameter (RAESD), left ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (LVEDD) and right ventricular diastole end-diastolic transverse diameter (RVEDD). The ratio of right ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter to left ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (RVd/LVd) and the ratio of pulmonary annulus diameter to aortic annulus diameter (PA/AO) were calculated. The differences of strain parameters between the two groups were compared, and the correlation between strain parameters and gestational age, RVd/LVd and other conventional measurement parameters were analyzed. ROC curve was used to compare the specificity and sensitivity of LASr and RVd/LVd in evaluating fetal cardiac dysfunction with LVOTO.Results:There were significant differences in LASr, LAScd, LASct, MAPSE, AO, LAESL, LVEDD, RVd/LVd and PA/AO between the two groups (all P<0.05), there were no significant differences in other parameters (all P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that LASr was negatively correlated with RVd/LVd in LVOTO group ( rs=-0.394, P=0.025), and LASct was negatively correlated with RVd/LVd ( rs=-0.626, P=0.004). In the control group, LASr was negatively correlated with gestational age, AO and PA ( r/ rs=-0.570, -0.440, -0.493; all P<0.001), and LASct was negatively correlated with gestational age, AO and PA ( r/ rs=-0.601, -0.532, -0.568; all P<0.001). LAScd was positively correlated with gestational age, AO and PA ( r/ rs=0.310, 0.370, 0.314; all P<0.05). There were no significant correlations between the other parameters (all P>0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC) in LASr evaluation of fetal cardiac dysfunction with LVOTO was 0.890 (0.826, 0.953) and the AUC in RVd/LVd evaluation of fetal cardiac dysfunction with LVOTO was 0.742 (0.637, 0.846), there were significant differences between them( P<0.05). Conclusions:2D-STE is highly feasible and reproducible in assessing fetal left atrial function. Evaluation of fetal left atrial function by 2D-STE provides a new reference index for quantitative analysis of fetal cardiac dysfunction.
7.Clinical efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection for early rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line (with video)
Qiang ZHANG ; Limei GU ; Qide ZHANG ; Jun XIAO ; Yuhong ZHOU ; Tingsheng LING
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2024;41(11):901-905
A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 13 patients with rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to July 2023. The efficacy and safety of ESD were evaluated. ESD was performed on 14 lesions in 13 patients. The lesions had a length of 1.4 to 12.5 cm and 5.4 cm in average, which were removed entirely in a single session, with an R0 resection rate of 92.31% (12/13). The ESD procedure duration ranged from 35 to 225 minutes, with an average of 88.3 minutes. Anal canal stenosis occurred in 1 case after ESD, which was improved after treatment with anal dilatation. No delayed bleeding, perforation, or other complications occurred. Pathological examination after ESD revealed 6 tubulovillous adenoma, 2 tubular adenoma, 3 tubular adenocarcinoma, and 2 squamous epithelial intraepithelial neoplasia (both 2 lesions were combined with human papillomavirus infection). In one case of tubular adenocarcinoma, the local resection margin showed focal tubulovillous adenoma, while the other cases were negative on lateral margins around and basal margins. The median follow-up period was 7.0 months (range 2 to 13 months), with no local residue, recurrence or metastasis observed. ESD is safe and effective for early rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.
8.Induction factors of hypotension during cesarean section for perilous placenta previa under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia and construction of a nomogram prediction model
Weiwu LIU ; Weilan ZENG ; Xiuying XU ; Shuqiang ZHOU ; Miao LIANG ; Limei LIU ; Heng CHEN
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2024;28(20):66-71
Objective To investigate the induction factors of hypotension during cesarean section for perilous placenta previa under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) and to construct a nomogram prediction model. Methods A total of 130 parturients who underwent cesarean section for perilous placenta previa under CSEA from January 2020 to December 2023 in Yulin Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital were selected as study subjects. A self-designed general information questionnaire was used to investigate the basic information and the occurrence of hypotension of the subjects. According to the occurrence of intraoperative hypotension, the patients were divided into hypotension group (47 cases) and non-hypotension group (83 cases). Univariate analysis was performed on the general information of the two groups, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the induction factors of intraoperative hypotension. Results Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in body mass index, anesthesia level, presence of multiple pregnancy, preoperative systolic blood pressure, operative time, and the occurrence of Bezold-Jarisch reflex between the two groups (
9.Relationship between coronary flow reserve by CZT SPECT and invasive coronary fractional flow reserve and its potential clinical value
Zhang FANG ; Wenyi CAI ; Jianzhou SHI ; Ju BU ; Limei CHEN ; Zhongqiang ZHAO ; Ningtian ZHOU ; Dianfu LI
Chinese Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2023;43(3):133-138
Objective:To evaluate the relationship between regional coronary flow reserve (CFR) obtained from cadmium-zinc-telluride SPECT(CZT SPECT) myocardial functional perfusion imaging (MFPI) and invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) measured during coronary angiography (CAG) and its clinical value in guiding coronary interventions.Methods:Forty-two patients (30 males, 12 females, age (63.3±9.8) years) who completed CZT SPECT MFPI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2022 to September 2022 and underwent CAG within 3 months were included retrospectively. The concordance of CFR and FFR for diagnosing myocardial ischemia (CFR<2.0 and FFR<0.8) was calculated at the vascular level. The diagnostic efficacy of coronary stenosis≥70% for decreased myocardial blood flow (CFR<2.0) was calculated. Kappa test was used to analyze the data. Results:A total of 126 major coronary arteries were identified in 42 patients, of which 30(23.8%) had a CFR<2.0 by CZT SPECT and 33(26.2%) had stenosis≥70% in CAG. A total of 32 coronary vessels were performed with MFPI CFR and FFR measurements, of which 6 were both decreased and 21 were both normal, so the concordance rate was 84.4%(27/32)( Kappa=0.612, P<0.001). Among 33 coronary vessels with stenosis≥70%, 13 were with CFR≥2.0. Among 30 coronary vessels with CFR<2.0, 10 were with stenosis<70%. When using stenosis≥70% to diagnose CFR decreasing, the sensitivity was 66.7%(20/30), specificity was 86.5%(83/96), positive predictive value was 60.6%(20/33), negative predictive value was 89.2%(83/93), and accuracy was 81.7%(103/126). Conclusions:The concordance between CFR and FFR for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia is good. Nearly 1/3 of the coronary arteries with decreased CFR have stenosis<70%, whereas nearly 40% of the coronary arteries with stenosis≥70% are not result in myocardial ischemia. Regional CFR determined by CZT SPECT may have potentially significant clinical value in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and decision-making of coronary intervention.
10.Quantitative evaluation of right atrial function in fetuses with moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography
Limei ZHOU ; Bowen ZHAO ; Mei PAN ; Zusheng DU ; Zhen ZHANG ; Xiaohui PENG ; Ran CHEN
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2023;32(7):600-607
Objective:To explore the application value of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in measuring the global longitudinal peak strain of the right atrium (PRAGLS) in normal fetuses and evaluating PRAGLS in assessing right atrial function in fetuses with moderate and severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR).Methods:A total of 25 fetuses diagnosed with moderate and severe TR, who underwent fetal echocardiography at Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine between October 2020 and May 2022, were selected as the case group. Their gestational age ranged from 25.00(24.00, 30.00)weeks. Additionally, 100 normal singleton fetuses were chosen as the control group, with a gestational age of 25.83(23.00, 28.75)weeks. Standard basal or apical four-chamber clips were acquired and inputted into TOMTEC-ARENA offline cardiac analysis software for analysis. The fetal PRAGLS values of the two groups were obtained, as well as the routine obstetric ultrasound measurements and fetal echocardiographic parameters of both groups: fetal heart rate (FHR), biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), aortic annulus inner diameter (AO), pulmonary annulus inner diameter (PA), PA/AO ratio, right atrial end-systolic length (RAESL), right atrial end-systolic diameter (RAESD), right atrial end-systolic area (RAESA), right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). The peak TR velocity and pressure gradient were simultaneously measured in the case group.The differences in fetal PRAGLS and other parameters between the two groups were compared and analyzed. The correlation between fetal PRAGLS and gestational age (GA) and routine measurements was assessed for both groups. Intra- and inter-observer repeatability tests were conducted using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC).Results:A significant difference in PRAGLS was observed between the two groups ( t=11.55, P<0.01). The TAPSE difference between the two groups was also statistically significant ( Z=3.45, P=0.01). Notable differences were found in AO, PA, PA/AO, RAESL, RAESD, and RAESA between the two groups (all P<0.05), but no significant differences were identified in age, GA, FHR, BPD, FL, and RVEDD between the two groups (all P>0.05). PRAGLS in the control group exhibited a moderate negative correlation with GA ( r=-0.47, P<0.01) and were correlated with BPD, FL, AO, PA, RAESL, RAESD, RAESA, and RVEDD ( r=-0.50, -0.46, -0.39, -0.43, -0.45, -0.36, -0.43, -0.32, all P<0.05). No significant correlation was observed with maternal age, FHR, PA/AO, and TAPSE (all P>0.05). No significant correlation between PRAGLS and GA or other conventional parameters was found in the case group (all P>0.05). The inter-measurer and intra-measurer ICC of PRAGLS in the control group were 0.87 and 0.79, respectively, while the inter-measurer and intra-measurer ICC of PRAGLS in the case group were 0.94 and 0.97, respectively, demonstrating good consistency. Conclusions:2D-STE exhibits strong feasibility and reproducibility in assessing fetal atrial function.Fetuses with moderate and severe TR display decreased PRAGLS, suggesting impaired right atrial reservoir function. Right atrial strain introduces a novel method for evaluating fetal cardiac function.


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