This study explores whether the current external quality assessment (EQA) level and acceptable bias for basic semen analysis in China are clinically useful. We collected data of semen EQA from Andrology laboratories in the Hunan Province (China) in 2022 and searched for data in the published literature from January 2000 to December 2023 in China. On the basis of these data, we analyzed the coefficients of variation and acceptable biases of different quality control materials for basic semen analysis through robust statistics. We compared these findings with quality specifications based on biological variation from optimal, desirable, and minimum levels of bias to seek a unified and more suitable semen EQA bias evaluation standard for China's national conditions. Different sources of semen quality control material exhibited considerable variation in acceptable biases among laboratories, ranging from 8.2% to 56.9%. A total of 50.0% of the laboratories met the minimum quality specifications for progressive motility (PR), whereas 100.0% and 75.0% of laboratories met only the minimum quality specifications for sperm concentration and total motility (nonprogressive [NP] + PR), respectively. The Z value for sperm concentration and PR+NP was equivalent to the desirable performance specification, whereas the Z value for PR was equivalent only to the minimum performance specification. This study highlights the feasibility of operating external quality assessment schemes for basic semen analysis using quality specifications based on biological variation. These specifications should be unified among external quality control (EQC) centers based on biological variation.
Semen Analysis/standards* ; Humans ; China ; Male ; Quality Control ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm Count/standards*

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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)with half-dose recombinant staphylokinase(r-SAK)in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who are expected to undergo PCI within 120 minutes.Methods From October 2021 to August 2022,a total of 200 STEMI patients in eight centers were included and randomly assigned in a 1﹕1 ratio to either r-SAK group or control group.Patients received loading doses of aspirin and ticagrelor and intravenous heparin and were randomized to receive an intravenous bolus of either 5 mg r-SAK or normal saline prior to PCI.The outcomes were set as ST-segment resolution(STR)at 60-90 minutes after PCI,the proportion and transition of pathological Q waves on the 5th day after PCI,and the proportion of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T(hs-cTnT)peaking within 12 hours of onset.The safety outcome was major bleeding events defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium(BARC)≥type 3 bleeding during hospitalization.Results Compared with the control group,the r-SAK group had a higher proportion of STR≥70%within 60-90 minutes after PCI(58.3%vs.40.3%,P=0.009);a lower proportion of pathological Q waves(59.1%vs.74.1%,P=0.040);a lower rate of Q wave progression(14.8%vs.43.2%,P＜0.001);a higher rate of Q wave disappearance(12.5%vs.3.7%,P=0.027);and a higher proportion of hs-cTnT peaking within 12 hours of symptom onset[31/40(77.5%)vs.17/33(51.5%),P=0.027].Regarding the safety outcome,no significant difference in BARC≥type 3 bleeding was found between the two groups during hospitalization(P＞0.05).Conclusions For STEMI patients who were expected to undergo primary PCI within 120 minutes of symptom onset,the facilitated PCI with half-dose r-SAK significantly increased the proportion of STR≥70%at 60-90 minutes after PCI,reduced the formation of pathological Q waves,and shortened the time to peak hs-cTnT,without increasing the risk of bleeding,which should be an alternative reperfusion strategy worthy of further study.

Objective To investigate the susceptibility and infection characteristics of dengue virus(DENV)in cells derived from diverse tissues of tree shrews and to provide a basis for expanding the repertoire of DENV-permissive cell models in this species.Methods DENV was inoculated at a multiplicity of infection(MOI)of 0.02 into tree shrew skin fibroblasts(TSFs),primary tree shrew renal epithelial cells(pTRECs),tree shrew aortic endothelial cells(TAECs),tree shrew aortic smooth muscle cells(TASMCs),tree shrew hepatocytes(THs),tree shrew corneal stromal cells(TCSCs),tree shrew brain microvascular endothelial cells(TBMECs),and tree shrew retinal microvascular endothelial cells(TRMECs).C6/36,Vero,A549,and BHK-21 cells(commonly used for DENV propagation)were used as positive controls.Over 6 days post-infection,cellular cytopathic effects were monitored at 12-hour intervals using an inverted microscope,viral RNA loads in cell lysates were quantified by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR to generate proliferation curves,and viral titers were determined by plaque assay.Results Seven types of tree shrew cells,except TRMECs,were susceptible to DENV.Prolonged infection induced pronounced cytopathic effects,including cell rounding,detachment,necrosis,and lysis,across all susceptible cells.The viral RNA loads detected in lysates of pTRECs,TBMECs,TASMCs,TAECs and THs,approached those of positive controls(≥4×107 copies/μL).Infectious progeny viruses were produced by these five cell types,with three(TAECs,3.13×105 PFU/mL;THs,2.03×105 PFU/mL;pTRECs,1.58×105 PFU/mL)exhibiting titers comparable to C6/36(3.85×10 5 PFU/mL)and earlier viral harvests.Conclusion DENV exhibits broad susceptibility to tree shrew cells of multiple tissue origins,with proliferation rates surpassing those of conventional cell lines sourced from other species.TAECs,THs,and pTRECs are particularly suitable for large-scale DENV proliferation,suggesting their potential involvement in in vivo infection.

Objective To investigate the susceptibility and infection characteristics of dengue virus(DENV)in cells derived from diverse tissues of tree shrews and to provide a basis for expanding the repertoire of DENV-permissive cell models in this species.Methods DENV was inoculated at a multiplicity of infection(MOI)of 0.02 into tree shrew skin fibroblasts(TSFs),primary tree shrew renal epithelial cells(pTRECs),tree shrew aortic endothelial cells(TAECs),tree shrew aortic smooth muscle cells(TASMCs),tree shrew hepatocytes(THs),tree shrew corneal stromal cells(TCSCs),tree shrew brain microvascular endothelial cells(TBMECs),and tree shrew retinal microvascular endothelial cells(TRMECs).C6/36,Vero,A549,and BHK-21 cells(commonly used for DENV propagation)were used as positive controls.Over 6 days post-infection,cellular cytopathic effects were monitored at 12-hour intervals using an inverted microscope,viral RNA loads in cell lysates were quantified by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR to generate proliferation curves,and viral titers were determined by plaque assay.Results Seven types of tree shrew cells,except TRMECs,were susceptible to DENV.Prolonged infection induced pronounced cytopathic effects,including cell rounding,detachment,necrosis,and lysis,across all susceptible cells.The viral RNA loads detected in lysates of pTRECs,TBMECs,TASMCs,TAECs and THs,approached those of positive controls(≥4×107 copies/μL).Infectious progeny viruses were produced by these five cell types,with three(TAECs,3.13×105 PFU/mL;THs,2.03×105 PFU/mL;pTRECs,1.58×105 PFU/mL)exhibiting titers comparable to C6/36(3.85×10 5 PFU/mL)and earlier viral harvests.Conclusion DENV exhibits broad susceptibility to tree shrew cells of multiple tissue origins,with proliferation rates surpassing those of conventional cell lines sourced from other species.TAECs,THs,and pTRECs are particularly suitable for large-scale DENV proliferation,suggesting their potential involvement in in vivo infection.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)with half-dose recombinant staphylokinase(r-SAK)in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who are expected to undergo PCI within 120 minutes.Methods From October 2021 to August 2022,a total of 200 STEMI patients in eight centers were included and randomly assigned in a 1﹕1 ratio to either r-SAK group or control group.Patients received loading doses of aspirin and ticagrelor and intravenous heparin and were randomized to receive an intravenous bolus of either 5 mg r-SAK or normal saline prior to PCI.The outcomes were set as ST-segment resolution(STR)at 60-90 minutes after PCI,the proportion and transition of pathological Q waves on the 5th day after PCI,and the proportion of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T(hs-cTnT)peaking within 12 hours of onset.The safety outcome was major bleeding events defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium(BARC)≥type 3 bleeding during hospitalization.Results Compared with the control group,the r-SAK group had a higher proportion of STR≥70%within 60-90 minutes after PCI(58.3%vs.40.3%,P=0.009);a lower proportion of pathological Q waves(59.1%vs.74.1%,P=0.040);a lower rate of Q wave progression(14.8%vs.43.2%,P＜0.001);a higher rate of Q wave disappearance(12.5%vs.3.7%,P=0.027);and a higher proportion of hs-cTnT peaking within 12 hours of symptom onset[31/40(77.5%)vs.17/33(51.5%),P=0.027].Regarding the safety outcome,no significant difference in BARC≥type 3 bleeding was found between the two groups during hospitalization(P＞0.05).Conclusions For STEMI patients who were expected to undergo primary PCI within 120 minutes of symptom onset,the facilitated PCI with half-dose r-SAK significantly increased the proportion of STR≥70%at 60-90 minutes after PCI,reduced the formation of pathological Q waves,and shortened the time to peak hs-cTnT,without increasing the risk of bleeding,which should be an alternative reperfusion strategy worthy of further study.

Objective To establish an immortalized tree shrew corneal stromal cells(CSCs)line and to study its response to virus infection.Methods Primary tree shrew CSCs were isolated and cultured by the tissue block adhesion method.CSCs were then transfected with a lentivirus carrying the SV40T gene and monoclonal cells were selected for passage culture.The characteristics of the CSCs were investigated by morphological observation and compared with 40 generations until the 50 generations or more,immunofluorescence identification of vimentin and SV40T genes,karyotype examination,and cell proliferation curve.The CSCs were infected with herpes simplex virus-1(HSV-1)(McKrae strain),Zika virus(ZIKV,GZ01 strain),Dengue virus typeⅡ,and H1N1(PR8).Results The immortalized tree shrew CSCs after＞50 passages appeared spindle-shaped with good cell morphology and structure compared with 40 generations.Positive immunofluorescence expression of vimentin and SV40T genes.The cell growth curve showed that the cells were in logarithmic-phase growth on days 4～5 and grew vigorously.The number of chromosomes in the primary cells was stable at 62,while immortalized CSCs had 64 chromosomes at P21 and P56.The virus titer results showed that the immortalized tree shrew CSCs were sensitive to HSV-1(McKrae strain),ZIKV(GZ01 strain),Dengue virus typeⅡ,and H1N1(PR8),with virus titers of 1.32×105,5.62×106,2.69×107,and 7.76×104 CCID50/mL,respectively.Conclusions The immortalized tree shrew CSCs were established successfully,suggesting that this cell line is suitable for studies of the mechanisms of HSV,ZIKV,Dengue virus,and influenza A virus infection in relation to corneal diseases and antiviral drugs.

Background::Total human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA and integrated HIV DNA are widely used markers of HIV persistence. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) can be used for absolute quantification without needing a standard curve. Here, we developed duplex ddPCR assays to detect and quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA.Methods::The limit of detection, dynamic ranges, sensitivity, and reproducibility were evaluated by plasmid constructs containing both the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) and human CD3 gene (for total HIV DNA) and ACH-2 cells (for integrated HIV DNA). Forty-two cases on stable suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) were assayed in total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA. Correlation coefficient analysis was performed on the data related to DNA copies and cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4 +) T-cell counts, CD8 + T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, respectively. The assay linear dynamic range and lower limit of detection (LLOD) were also assessed. Results::The assay could detect the presence of HIV-1 copies 100% at concentrations of 6.3 copies/reaction, and the estimated LLOD of the ddPCR assay was 4.4 HIV DNA copies/reaction (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.6-6.5 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 5-log 10-unit range in total HIV DNA assay. For the integrated HIV DNA assay, the LLOD was 8.0 copies/reaction (95% CI: 5.8-16.6 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 3-log 10-unit range. Total HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells was positively associated with integrated HIV DNA ( r = 0.76, P <0.0001). Meanwhile, both total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells were inversely correlated with the ratio of CD4/CD8 but positively correlated with the CD8 + T-cell counts. Conclusions::This ddPCR assay can quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA efficiently with robustness and sensitivity. It can be readily adapted for measuring HIV DNA with non-B clades, and it could be beneficial for testing in clinical trials.

Objective:To develop and validate a model to predict the risk of malnutrition in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods:From April 2022 to August 2023, 430 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were admitted to the department of radiotherapy of the first affiliated hospital of Guangxi medical university in Nanning were conveniently selected as the study subjects, and they were divided into the modelling group (300 cases) and the internal validation group (130 cases) in the internal validation group in the ratio of 7:3, and 61 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma admitted to the affiliated cancer hospital of Guangxi medical university in Nanning City were selected as the external validation group. Logistic regression was used to establish the risk prediction model and draw nomograms,Hosmer-Lemeshow, calibration curve and ROC were used to verify the goodness of fit and predictive power of the model, and clinical decision curve was used to assess the clinical utility. Results:Logistic regression analysis showed that skeletal muscle mass index, self-rated anxiety scale score, Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire score, Chinese diet pagoda score, regular exercise, and digestive symptom groups were the influencing factors for malnutrition in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In the modelling group, the area under the ROC curve was 0.853 (95％CI:0.81 ～ 0.89), the maximum Youden was 0.600, and the corresponding specificity was 0.764 and the sensitivity was 0.836. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test=4.040 and P=0.853 indicated that the model had good predictive ability. Calibration curve of the calibration showed that the predictive effect of the model matched actual probability well, with an average absolute error was 0.024. When the threshold probability of the clinical decision curve is 0.05 ～ 0.85, the clinical response rate is higher. The area under the operating curve of the subjects in the internal validation group was 0.891, the sensitivity was 77.36％, the specificity was 89.61％, and the practical application accuracy was 84.62％. The area under the operating curve of the subjects in the external validation group was 0.886, the sensitivity was 76.00％, the specificity was 83.33％, and the overall accuracy was 80.33％. Conclusion:The risk prediction model constructed in this study has a good effect, which can effectively predict the incidence of malnutrition in patients receiving concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and provide a reference for clinical staff to formulate and implement nutritional interventions.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and practicality of the Jaundice color card (JCard) as a screening tool for neonatal jaundice.Methods:Following the standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) statement, a multicenter prospective study was conducted in 9 hospitals in China from October 2019 to September 2021. A total of 845 newborns who were admitted to the hospital or outpatient department for liver function testing due to their own diseases. The inclusion criteria were a gestational age of ≥35 weeks, a birth weight of ≥2 000 g, and an age of ≤28 days. The neonate′s parents used the JCard to measure jaundice at the neonate′s cheek. Within 2 hours of the JCard measurement, transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) was measured with a JH20-1B device and total serum bilirubin (TSB) was detected. The Pearson′s correlation analysis, Bland-Altman plots and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistic analysis.Results:Out of the 854 newborns, 445 were male and 409 were female; 46 were born at 35-36 weeks of gestational age and 808 were born at ≥37 weeks of gestational age. Additionally, 432 cases were aged 0-3 days, 236 cases were aged 4-7 days, and 186 cases were aged 8-28 days. The TSB level was (227.4±89.6) μmol/L, with a range of 23.7-717.0 μmol/L. The JCard level was (221.4±77.0) μmol/L and the TcB level was (252.5±76.0) μmol/L. Both the JCard and TcB values showed good correlation ( r=0.77 and 0.80, respectively) and agreements (96.0% (820/854) and 95.2% (813/854) of samples fell within the 95% limits of agreement, respectively) with TSB. The JCard value of 12 had a sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.75 for identifying a TSB ≥205.2?μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.35 for identifying a TSB ≥342.0?μmol/L. The TcB value of 205.2?μmol/L had a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.60 for identifying TSB levels of 205.2 μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.26 for identifying TSB levels of 342.0 μmol/L. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of JCard for identifying TSB levels of 153.9, 205.2, 256.5, and 342.0 μmol/L were 0.96, 0.92, 0.83, and 0.83, respectively. The AUC of TcB were 0.94, 0.91, 0.86, and 0.87, respectively. There were both no significant differences between the AUC of JCard and TcB in identifying TSB levels of 153.9 and 205.2 μmol/L (both P>0.05). However, the AUC of JCard were both lower than those of TcB in identifying TSB levels of 256.5 and 342.0 μmol/L (both P<0.05). Conclusions:JCard can be used to classify different levels of bilirubin, but its diagnostic efficacy decreases with increasing bilirubin levels. When TSB level are ≤205.2 μmol/L, its diagnostic efficacy is equivalent to that of the JH20-1B. To prevent the misdiagnosis of severe jaundice, it is recommended that parents use a low JCard score, such as 12, to identify severe hyperbilirubinemia (TSB ≥342.0 μmol/L).