BACKGROUND: Premature menopause, defined as natural menopause before age 40, is associated with diminished ovarian reserve. Despite growing concerns regarding environmental pollutants, no large-scale population-based studies have systematically examined the association between urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (UPAHMs) and premature menopause. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 2001-2020 NHANES data, including urinary levels of six PAH metabolites: 1-naphthol (1-NAP), 2-naphthol (2-NAP), 3-fluorene (3-FLU), 2-fluorene (2-FLU), 1-phenanthrene (1-PHE), and 1-pyrene (1-PYR). Premature menopause was self-reported as natural menopause occurring before age 40. Multivariable logistic regression assessed UPAHMs' association with premature menopause, with restricted cubic splines (RCS) evaluating nonlinear trends. Subgroup analyses examined demographic interactions. RESULTS: Among 2,565 participants, 662 reported premature menopause. Multivariable logistic regression showed significant associations between elevated urinary levels of 1-NAP (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.02), 2-NAP (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.02), and 3-FLU (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, P = 0.01) and increased risk of premature menopause. RCS analysis revealed significant nonlinear relationships for 2-NAP, 3-FLU, 2-FLU, 1-PHE, and 1-PYR with premature menopause risk. White participants showed greater susceptibility to UPAHMs. CONCLUSION Elevated UPAHMs, particularly 1-NAP, 2-NAP, and 3-FLU, were linked to higher premature menopause risk, with nonlinear trends observed. White individuals demonstrated greater vulnerability, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce PAH exposure.
Humans ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; United States/epidemiology* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Environmental Pollutants/urine* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Menopause, Premature/urine* ; Young Adult ; Environmental Exposure

Objective:To understand the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women and influencing factors in China and provide reference for the improvement of the health status of HIV-infected pregnant women and their newborns.Methods:Based on a mother-child cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women and children (PMTCT-MC-2005) established in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this study enrolled pregnant women with or without HIV infection as study subjects from January 2017 to June 2023, a total of 1 646 pregnant women (558 HIV-infected and 1 088 HIV-uninfected) were included, and 34 cases with missing data were excluded. The χ2 test was used to analyze the difference in the incidence adverse pregnancy outcome between two groups, and used logistic regression model to identify the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women. Results:A total of 1 612 pregnant women were included in the study, in whom 541 were infected with HIV and 1 071 were not infected with HIV. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome was 18.8% (303/1 612), the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome was 33.1% (179/541) in the HIV-infected pregnant women and 11.6% (124/1 071) in the pregnant women without HIV infection. The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcome were age <35 years at delivery (a OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.95) compared with the age ≥35 years and the duration of antiviral treatment over 10 years (a OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.23-0.79) compared with less than one year. Conclusions:The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women was high in some regions of China during 2017-2023. It is necessary for HIV-infected women to get pregnancy at appropriate time based on antiretroviral treatment effect and strengthen self-care to reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Objective:To investigate the expression levels, correlation, and diagnostic efficacy of peripheral blood CD8 +T lymphocyte subsets and different immune checkpoint markers in patients with Brucellosis. Method:A case-control study was conducted on 32 patients with acute phase brucellosis (27 males and 5 females, aged 36 (30, 43) years), 38 patients with chronic phase brucellosis (30 males and 8 females, aged 40 (32, 48) years), and 30 healthy controls (24 males and 6 females, aged 39 (32, 46) years), who underwent physical examination at Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People′s Hospital from February 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023. All subjects had fasting blood sampling once in the morning. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, the expression levels of CD8 +T lymphocyte surface programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1), T lymphocyte immunoglobulin receptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein 3 (TIM-3), perforin and granzyme B. The changes in these indicators during the acute and chronic phases of the disease were observed, and correlation analysis was performed using Spearman′s method. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) analysis is used to evaluate the diagnostic value of immunological indicators with differences in acute and chronic brucellosis. Results:CD3 +T lymphocyte in the chronic group (70.71%±8.78%) is significantly lower than that in the healthy control group (74.65%±7.31%) ( P<0.05), and CD4 +T lymphocyte in the acute phase group (39.52%±5.85%) is also lower than that in the healthy control group (45.10%±5.18%) ( P<0.01); while CD8 +T lymphocyte in the acute group (31.73%±5.87%) is significantly higher than that in the chronic phase group (26.75%±4.71%) ( P<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference ( P<0.001) in CD8+CD28 -T lymphocyte among the acute group (69.85% (58.62%, 78.55%)), chronic group (86.46% (73.30%, 92.52%)) and healthy control group (25.39% (20.60%,32.90%)), when compared pairwise. The expression levels of immune checkpoint PD-1, TIGIT, and TIM-3 on the surface of CD8 +T lymphocytes were higher in both the acute and chronic groups than in the healthy control group ( P<0.001). The expression level of perforin secreted by CD8 +T lymphocytes in the acute and chronic groups was lower than that in the healthy control group ( P<0.05), while the expression level of granzyme B in the acute and chronic groups was higher than that in the healthy control group ( P<0.01). The proportion of CD8 +CD28 -T lymphocytes in brucellosis patients was positively correlated with the expression levels of TIGIT and TIM-3 ( r=0.624, 0.406, P<0.001). The ROC curve combined with the proportion of CD8 +CD28 -T lymphocytes and the proportion of TIGIT on the surface of CD8 +T lymphocytes can distinguish acute and chronic brucellosis. The Area Under Curve (AUC) is 0.973, which has certain implications for clinical differentiation of patients with acute and chronic diseases. Conclusion:The CD8 +T lymphocyte subsets in patients with brucellosis exhibit dynamic changes, accompanied by changes in relevant immune checkpoint molecules, and can regulate the activation and inhibition of the immune status of brucellosis patients. The synergistic effect of CD8 +CD28 -T cells and TIGIT/TIM-3 may be a key mechanism of driving chronicity, and their combined diagnosis can serve as a clinical staging marker.

The hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)poses a serious threat to human health.The main target of one of the immunotherapeutic approaches is γδT cells.γδT cells as one of the subpop-ulations of T lymphocytes can directly recognize and target HCC cells,making them a potential target for immunotherapy.In this paper,we discussed the biological properties of γδ T cells and their dual roles within HCC cells and therapeutic strategies,and provide an overview on the research of γδT cell therapy for HCC.

Objective:To investigate the impact and potential mechanisms of Sorbin and SH3 domain-containing protein 2 (Sorbs2) on ventricular arrhythmias in mice.Methods:In the animal experiments, mating was performed using six 8-week-old Sorbs2 +/- mice (3 males and 3 females) weighing 20-22 g. Wild-type (Sorbs2 +/+, n=8) and homozygous (Sorbs2 -/-, n=6) offspring were selected as experimental subjects through genotyping. Echocardiography was performed at 16 weeks of age to record cardiac function parameters in both groups. Resting-state and caffeine-dobutamine-induced electrocardiograms were also conducted. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect Sorbs2 messenger RNA expression in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, small intestine, and skeletal muscle tissues of wild-type mice. Western blotting was employed to measure the protein expression levels of Sorbs2 and voltage-dependent sodium channel alpha subunit 1.5 (Na v1.5) in myocardial tissues from both groups. In the cell experiments, H9C2 cells were transfected with Sorbs2 small interfering RNA as the si-Sorbs2 group, with a corresponding si-negative control group established. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of Sorbs2 and Na v1.5 in both groups. Results:Sorbs2 was abundantly expressed in cardiac tissue. Compared with wild-type mice, homozygous mice exhibited larger left ventricular end-systolic diameter, along with lower left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening ( P all<0.05). Resting-state electrocardiograms revealed no spontaneous arrhythmias in either group; however, homozygous mice showed shorter RR intervals but longer QRS and QTc intervals versus wild-type mice ( P all<0.05). Following caffeine and dobutamine induction, homozygous mice demonstrated a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, longer arrhythmia duration, and higher ventricular arrhythmia scores than wild-type mice ( P all<0.05). Western blot analysis revealed that Na v1.5 protein expression was markedly lower in myocardial tissues of homozygous mice compared to wild-type mice. Similarly, si-Sorbs2-transfected H9C2 cells exhibited lower Na v1.5 protein levels compared to the si-negative control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Sorbs2 plays a critical role in maintaining normal cardiac electrophysiological function. Deficiency of Sorbs2 may lead to impaired cardiac function and increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in mice, which could be associated with reduced expression of Na v1.5 protein.

Objective:To investigate the hospitalization utilization of pneumoconiosis patients and its influencing factors in a northwestern city, and to provide theoretical basis for formulating service policies for pneumoconiosis patients.Methods:From March to October 2021. Existing living pneumoconiosis patients in kashgar were selected as the research objects. The "Survey Questionnaire on Medical Behaviors and Influencing Factors of Pneumoconiosis Patients" developed by the National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control of China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used to collect pneumoconiosis patients infomations from March to October 2021. This study investigated the demographic characteristics of pneumoconiosis patients, the types and stages of pneumoconiosis, as well as hospitalization in the past year, reasons for hospitalization, treatment measures, reasons for discharge. Additionally, it examined factors influencing medical behaviors, including medical insurance reimbursement, work-related injury insurance, and compensation situations.Logistics regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization utilization.Results:The average age of the pneumoconiosis patients was elder with the age of 64.8. 86.7% (156/178) of them were retired, 75.8% (135/178) of them relied primarily on pensions for their income. The main types of pneumoconiosis were silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis with the proportion of 57.3% (102/178) and 24.2% (43/178). 67.4% of them were stage I. The hospitalization rate in the year prior to the survey was 37.1%. The factors that promoted hospitalization were pension as the main source of income, pneumoconiosis in stage II, silicosis as the pneumoconiosis type, suffering joint pain, with two OR more other lung diseases (tuberculosis, cor pulmonale, COPD, pulmonary infection, bulla or pneumothorax, lung cancer, or mesothelioma) ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:The hospitalization rate of pneumoconiosis patients in the previous year was low. It is mainly influenced by the patient's economic income, the duration of pneumoconiosis, and the presence of comorbidities.

Objective:To develop and validate the Pain nursing Competency Evaluation Questionnaire for Nursing Students to provide an effective tool for measuring the pain management competency of nursing students in China.Methods:The questionnaire was constructed through literature review, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, Delphi expert consultation, and a pre-survey. From September 2023 to January 2024, a convenience sampling method was used to select 250 nursing students from Hangzhou Normal University and Lishui University in Zhejiang Province for the survey. Reliability and validity of the developed questionnaire were tested. A random sample of 30 nursing students was selected for retesting after two weeks.Results:A total of 10 female experts were consulted through correspondence. The Pain Care Competency Evaluation Questionnaire for nursing students consists of 36 items. Through exploratory factor analysis, five common factors were extracted: pain health education, comprehensive pain assessment, pain screening and assessment, analgesic interventions, and analgesic side effects nursing, which together explained 61.695% of the variance. The content validity of the questionnaire was 0.96, and the item-level content validity index ranged from 0.900 to 1.000. The overall Cronbach′s α coefficient was 0.924, and the Cronbach′s α coefficients for the five dimensions ranged from 0.856 to 0.915. The test-retest reliability was 0.831. Conclusions:The Pain Care Competency Evaluation Questionnaire for nursing students developed in this study has good reliability and validity. It can be used as a tool to assess nursing students′ competency in pain care and provides a reference for the design and optimization of pain care courses and clinical practice programs for nursing students in undergraduate institutions.

Objective:To understand the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women and influencing factors in China and provide reference for the improvement of the health status of HIV-infected pregnant women and their newborns.Methods:Based on a mother-child cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women and children (PMTCT-MC-2005) established in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this study enrolled pregnant women with or without HIV infection as study subjects from January 2017 to June 2023, a total of 1 646 pregnant women (558 HIV-infected and 1 088 HIV-uninfected) were included, and 34 cases with missing data were excluded. The χ2 test was used to analyze the difference in the incidence adverse pregnancy outcome between two groups, and used logistic regression model to identify the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women. Results:A total of 1 612 pregnant women were included in the study, in whom 541 were infected with HIV and 1 071 were not infected with HIV. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome was 18.8% (303/1 612), the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome was 33.1% (179/541) in the HIV-infected pregnant women and 11.6% (124/1 071) in the pregnant women without HIV infection. The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcome were age <35 years at delivery (a OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.95) compared with the age ≥35 years and the duration of antiviral treatment over 10 years (a OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.23-0.79) compared with less than one year. Conclusions:The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome in HIV-infected pregnant women was high in some regions of China during 2017-2023. It is necessary for HIV-infected women to get pregnancy at appropriate time based on antiretroviral treatment effect and strengthen self-care to reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Objective:To clarify the content on exercise training in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension through a scoping review.Methods:Using the scoping review methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley as a guide, Chinese and English databases such as PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched to screen the literature on exercise training for patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. The search period was from database establishment to April 30, 2024. Two researchers extracted basic information of the included literature, content of the pre-exercise training assessment, exercise training program, and outcome indicators.Results:A total of 13 articles were included. The content of the pre-exercise training assessment in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension was not standardized. The type of exercise training was based on aerobic, resistance and respiratory training, with a focus on home exercise. The main outcome indicators included the 6-minute walk distance, cardiopulmonary function, quality of life, and muscle strength.Conclusions:There are various types of exercise training for patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, which are safe and feasible. Future research should focus on conducting home-based exercise training programs and constructing core outcome indicators to assess the effectiveness of exercise training.