OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chromosomal karyotype analysis in the diagnosis of prenatal chromosomal mosaicism. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 172 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis at the Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2019 and December 2024. All cases whose fetuses were diagnosed with chromosomal mosaicism via karyotype analysis and stratified into two groups based on the analytical software employed: the conventional analysis group (n = 70), which utilized Leica analysis software for karyotype image recognition and cell counting; and the AI-assisted analysis group (n = 102), which utilized AI-assisted software for the same procedures. The clinical performance of AI-assisted karyotype analysis in diagnosing chromosomal mosaicism was comprehensively evaluated by comparing the types of mosaic karyotypes, distribution of mosaic ratios, and verification outcomes of different detection modalities between the two groups. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethics No.: 2024-406-01). RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in baseline characteristics (maternal age, gestational week, and indications for prenatal diagnosis) between the two groups. Regarding the detection efficacy for numerical and structural mosaicisms, no significant difference was found in the detection of numerical mosaicism. However, the conventional analysis group exhibited a significantly higher detection rate of autosomal structural mosaicism compared to the AI-assisted group (11.43% vs. 0.98%, P < 0.05). Numerical mosaicism cases were further verified using copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The AI-assisted group demonstrated a significantly lower inconsistency rate (5.56% vs. 20.41%, P < 0.05) compared to the conventional group. For low-proportion (< 10%) chromosomal mosaicism, the AI-assisted group had a significantly lower detection rate (13.25% vs. 29.69%, P < 0.05). Subsequent validation of low-proportion mosaicism by CNV-seq and/or FISH showed a higher consistency rate in the AI-assisted group (81.82% vs. 54.55%), though the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.360). CONCLUSION For the karyotyping analysis of prenatal chromosomal mosaicism, AI-assisted karyotype analysis shows high accuracy and consistency in identifying numerical chromosomal mosaicism, particularly in reducing the detection of low-proportion (< 10%) mosaicism while improving verification accuracy. AI-assisted analysis can significantly improve the detection accuracy of numerical mosaicism and mitigate the risk of misclassification for low-proportion (< 10%) mosaicism, thereby providing more precise clinical evidence for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal mosaicisms.
Humans ; Female ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Karyotyping/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Amniocentesis

Background Meteorological factors are among the key extrinsic triggers for the onset and exacerbation of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD). Against the backdrop of sustained global warming, elucidating the impact of ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure on CVD, especially on pre-hospital CVD emergent events, has become imperative for evidence-based prevention and emergency preparedness. Objective To quantify the temporal trends of daily mean temperature and atmospheric pressure and their associations with pre-hospital CVD emergent events in Yantai, and to explore effect modification by demographic subgroups and geographic areas, thereby providing an empirical basis for the rational allocation of emergency medical resources. Methods Pre-hospital CVD emergency data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2022 were selected from the Yantai 120 Emergency Medical Command System. Synchronous meteorological factors and environmental pollutant data were obtained from the websites of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Centers for Environmental Information of the United States. Time-series analysis combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the association between daily temperature, atmospheric pressure, and pre-hospital CVD emergencies. Average annual percentage changes (AAPC) were calculated using Joinpoint (version 5.2.0.0) to reflect temporal trends. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to screen variables with low collinearity for inclusion in the multi-pollutant adjusted models. Results From 2016 to 2022, a total of 268275 pre-hospital CVD emergency cases were recorded in Yantai City, showing an increasing annual trend (AAPC=7.16%, P=0.002). Emergency volume, daily temperature, atmospheric pressure, and PM₁₀ displayed marked seasonal patterns, with summer bottoms and winter peaks for emergencies, daily temperature higher in summer and lower in winter, and the inverse for atmospheric pressure. Correlation analysis showed that both daily temperature and atmospheric pressure were positively correlated with O₃, with correlation coefficients of 0.745 and 0.723, respectively; negatively correlated with PM_2.5, with correlation coefficients of −0.246 and −0.235, respectively; and negatively correlated with PM₁₀, with correlation coefficients of −0.241 and −0.229, respectively (P < 0.05). A U-shaped correlation was revealed between daily temperature and pre-hospital CVD emergency risk. Using 24 °C as the reference, risk was elevated at both low and high daily temperatures, with the strongest cold effect at –11 ℃ (RR=1.53, 95%CI: 1.35, 1.73) and strongest heat effect at 30 ℃ (RR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.11); cold effects were prolonged (lag0–14d) compared to heat effects. Atmospheric pressure exhibited a positive association with emergencies; using a median of 1012.2 hPa as the reference, the maximum risk occurred at 1037 hPa (RR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.52), with a 0–5 d lag. In the subgroup analysis, the impact of low temperature was more pronounced among females (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.66), people over 60 years (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.91), and rural residents (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.76). High atmospheric pressure significantly increased the risk of pre-hospital CVD emergency among females (RR_{1035 hPa}=1.54), people under 18 years (RR_{1035 hPa}=3.62), and rural residents (RR_{1035 hPa}=1.46). The sensitivity analysis results indicated that, after excluding the impact of pandemic and the degrees of freedom for time variations, the effects of daily average temperature and atmospheric pressure on pre-hospital CVD emergency volume were consistent with the primary analysis findings. Conclusion Both non-optimal temperature and atmospheric pressure significantly increase the pre-hospital CVD emergency volume; therefore, emergency medical services should develop targeted response protocols, optimize resource allocation, and intensify public health education to mitigate the pre-hospital burden attributable to temperature and pressure fluctuations.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Evidence mapping was used to systematically analyze the clinical research evidence of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH), thus revealing the distribution and quality of evidence in this field. The relevant articles were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to July 5, 2024. The distribution characteristics of evidence were presented numerically and graphically. A total of 35 Chinese patent medicines were identified, involving 261 articles. The basic information of the 35 Chinese patent medicines, publication trend, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes, interventions, and outcome indicators were compared and analyzed, and the methodological quality of the articles was evaluated. The results indicated that the clinical scope of Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of ICH was broad. However, the available studies inadequately emphasized the advantages and characteristics of TCM, lacked the safety information and the standards for evaluating outcome indicators, and paid insufficient attention to cognitive ability and neuropsychology. In addition, these articles demonstrated low quality. It is recommended that follow-up clinical research should be standardized and highlight the characteristics of TCM. In the analysis of outcome indicators, TCM syndrome evaluation should be taken as an important outcome indicator, and the evaluation criteria should be unified. Moreover, more attention should be paid to patients' cognitive ability and neuropsychology. The holder of marketing license of Chinese patent medicines should standardize the clinical position and improve the safety information in the medicine instructions according to the relevant requirements of the National Medical Products Administration. Additionally, the proportion of Chinese patent medicines in the category A list of medical insurance should be increased, and the limited medical resources should be rationally allocated.
Cerebral Hemorrhage/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage* ; Administration, Oral

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which naringin alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(CI/R) injury through DRP1/LRRK2/MCU signaling axis. A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, the model group, the sodium Danshensu group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose(50, 100, and 200 mg·kg~(-1)) naringin groups, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(tMCAO/R) model was established in SD rats using the suture method. Longa 5-point scale was used to assess neurological deficits. 2,3,5-Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the volume percentage of cerebral infarction in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were employed to assess neuronal structural alterations and the number of Nissl bodies in cortex, respectively. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 gene(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cleaved cysteine-aspartate protease-3(cleaved caspase-3), mitochondrial calcium uniporter(MCU), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3), and P62. Mitochondrial structure and autophagy in cortical neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Immunofluorescence assay was used to quantify the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion, as well as the co-localization of dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1) with leucine-rich repeat kinase 2(LRRK2) and translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOMM20) with LC3 in cortical mitochondria. The results showed that compared with the model group, naringin significantly decreased the volume percentage of cerebral infarction and neurological deficit score in tMCAO/R rats, alleviated the structural damage and Nissl body loss of cortical neurons in tMCAO/R rats, inhibited autophagosomes in cortical neurons, and increased the average diameter of cortical mitochondria. The Western blot results showed that compared to the sham group, the model group exhibited increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU, and the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in the cortex and reduced protein levels of Bcl-2 and P62. However, naringin down-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and P62 proteins in cortical area. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis showed that compared with the model group, naringin and positive drug treatments significantly decreased the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion. Meanwhile, the co-localization of DRP1 with LRRK2 and TOMM20 with LC3 in cortical mitochondria was also decreased significantly after the intervention. These findings suggest that naringin can alleviate cortical neuronal damage in tMCAO/R rats by inhibiting DRP1/LRRK2/MCU-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and the resultant excessive mitophagy.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Flavanones/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Male ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*

This study aims to systematically characterize the targeted effects of Quanduzhong Capsules on cartilage lesions in knee osteoarthritis by integrating spatial transcriptomics data mining and animal experiments validation, thereby elucidating the related molecular mechanisms. A knee osteoarthritis model was established using Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats, via a modified Hulth method. Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining was employed to detect knee osteoarthritis-associated pathological changes in knee cartilage. Candidate targets of Quanduzhong Capsules were collected from the HIT 2.0 database, followed by bioinformatics analysis of spatial transcriptomics datasets(GSE254844) from cartilage tissues in clinical knee osteoarthritis patients to identify spatially specific disease genes. Furthermore, a "formula candidate targets-spatially specific genes in cartilage lesions" interaction network was constructed to explore the effects and major mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules in distinct cartilage regions. Experimental validation was conducted through immunohistochemistry using animal-derived biospecimens. The results indicated that Quanduzhong Capsules effectively inhibited the degenerative changes in the cartilage of affected joints in rats, which was associated with the regulation of Quanduzhong Capsules on the thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2(BMPR2)-fibronectin 1(FN1)-matrix metallopeptidase 2(MMP2) signal axis in the articular cartilage surface and superficial zones, subsequently inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation leading to oxidative stress and inflammatory diffusion. In summary, this study clarifies the spatially specific targeted effects and protective mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules within pathological cartilage regions in knee osteoarthritis, providing theoretical and experimental support for the clinical application of this drug in the targeted therapy on the inflamed cartilage.
Animals ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Male ; Humans ; Capsules ; Female ; Disease Models, Animal

To explore the common irritant components in different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma(PR). A rabbit eye irritation experiment was conducted to compare the irritant effects of raw products of Polygonatum kingianum, P. officinale, and P. multiflorum. The irritant effects of different solvent extraction parts and needle crystals of PR were compared, and the irritant components were screened. The morphology and structure of the purified needle crystal of PR were observed by microscope and scanning electron microscope and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Rabbit eye irritation and mouse abdominal inflammation model were used to evaluate rabbit eye irritation scores, inflammatory mediators, inflammatory factors levels in the peritoneal exudate of mice, with the peritoneal pathological section used as indicators. The inflammatory effect of needle crystals of PR was studied, and the content of calcium oxalate in three kinds of PR was determined by HPLC. The common protein in three kinds of PR was screened and compared by double enzymatic hydrolysis in solution combined with mass spectrometry. The results showed that three kinds of PR raw products had certain irritant effects on rabbit eyes, among which P. kingianum had the strongest irritant effect. There were no obvious irritant effects in the different solvent extraction parts of P. kingianum. Compared with the blank group, the needle crystal of PR had a significant irritant effect on rabbit eyes, and the inflammatory mediators and inflammatory factors in the peritoneal exudate were significantly increased(P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the peritoneal tissue of mice was damaged with significant inflammatory cell infiltration after intraperitoneal injection of needle crystal, indicating that needle crystal had an inflammatory effect. Microscope and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the needle crystals of PR were slender, with a length of about 100-200 μm and sharp ends. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the needle crystals of PR were calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. The results of HPLC showed that the content of calcium oxalate in P. kingianum was the highest among the three kinds of PR. It was speculated that the content of needle crystal in P. kingianum was higher than that in P. officinale and P. multiflorum, which was consistent with the results of the rabbit eye irritation experiment. The results of mass spectrometry showed that ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin were related to inflammation and cell metabolism in all three kinds of PR. There was no obvious irritant effect in different solvent extracts of PR. The calcium oxalate needle crystal contained was the main irritant component of PR, and three kinds of PR contained common ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin, which may be related to the inflammatory irritant effect of PR.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Mice ; Polygonatum/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Male ; Eye/drug effects* ; Female ; Humans

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between changes in intestinal toxicity and compositional alterations of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix(commonly known as Langdu) before and after milk processing, and to explore the detoxification mechanism of milk processing. Mice were intragastrically administered the 95% ethanol extract of raw Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix, milk-decocted(milk-processed), and water-decocted(water-processed) Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. Fecal morphology, fecal water content, and the release levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in different intestinal segments were used as indicators to evaluate the effects of different processing methods on the cathartic effect and intestinal inflammatory toxicity of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. LC-MS/MS was employed to analyze the small-molecule components in the raw product, the 95% ethanol extract of the milk-processed product, and the milky waste(precipitate) formed during milk processing, to assess the impact of milk processing on the chemical composition of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. The results showed that compared with the blank group, both the raw and water-processed Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix significantly increased the fecal morphology score, fecal water content, and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in various intestinal segments(P<0.05). Compared with the raw group, all indicators in the milk-processed group significantly decreased(P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in the water-processed group, indicating that milk, as an adjuvant in processing, plays a key role in reducing the intestinal toxicity of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. Mass spectrometry results revealed that 29 components were identified in the raw product, including 28 terpenoids and 1 acetophenone. The content of these components decreased to varying extents after milk processing. A total of 28 components derived from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix were identified in the milky precipitate, of which 27 were terpenoids, suggesting that milk processing promotes the transfer of toxic components from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix into milk. To further investigate the effect of milk adjuvant processing on the toxic terpenoid components of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix, transmission electron microscopy(TEM) was used to observe the morphology of self-assembled casein micelles(the main protein in milk) in the milky precipitate. The micelles formed in casein-terpenoid solutions were characterized using particle size analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy. TEM observations confirmed the presence of casein micelles in the milky precipitate. Characterization results showed that with increasing concentrations of toxic terpenoids, the average particle size of casein micelles increased, fluorescence intensity of the solution decreased, the maximum absorption wavelength in the UV spectrum shifted, and significant changes occurred in the infrared spectrum, indicating that interactions occurred between casein micelles and toxic terpenoid components. These findings indicate that the cathartic effect of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix becomes milder and its intestinal inflammatory toxicity is reduced after milk processing. The detoxification mechanism is that terpenoid components in Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix reassemble with casein in milk to form micelles, promoting the transfer of some terpenoids into the milky precipitate.
Animals ; Mice ; Milk/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Male ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Interleukin-1beta/immunology* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Female

This paper aimed to explore the intestinal toxicity of Euphoriae Ebracteolata Radix(EER) before and after being processed with Mongolian medicine Hezi Decoction(HZD) and the toxicity-reducing mechanism of this processing method. The intestinal toxicity in rats treated with unprocessed EER and HZD-processed EER extracts via 95% ethanol was compared. The comparison was based on several indicators, including fecal volume, serum diamine oxidase(DAO) and D-lactate(D-LA) levels, the water content of various intestinal segments and their contents, and inflammatory factor levels in intestinal segments. Tandem mass tag(TMT) quantitative proteomics technology was employed to analyze the key proteins associated with changes in intestinal toxicity between unprocessed EER and HZD-processed EER. The results indicated that compared with the blank group, unprocessed EER significantly increased the fecal volume, serum DAO and D-LA levels, water content of the ileal segment and its contents, as well as the release levels of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β) in the ileal segment of rats(P<0.05), indicating that EER can cause diarrhea, increase intestinal permeability, and induce intestinal inflammation. Compared with those in the unprocessed EER group, all indicators in the HZD-processed EER group were significantly reduced(P<0.05). The TMT quantitative proteomics analysis revealed that a total of 6 487 proteins were identified in the rat ileum tissue. Compared to the blank group, 182 proteins exhibited significant changes in the unprocessed EER group, while 907 proteins in the HZD-processed EER group showed significant changes. The intersection of the differential proteins between the two groups identified 38 common proteins. Among them, the protein levels of intestinal barrier tight junction protein claudin3, squalene monooxidase(Sqle), clusterin, Na~+/H~+ exchange regulatory cofactor NHE-RF3(Pdzk1), and Y+L amino acid transporter 1(Slc7a7) exhibited significant changes before and after processing, and these changes were closely related to intestinal barrier function. Compared with the blank group, the expression of claudin3, Pdzk1, and Slc7a7 in the raw product group was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05),while the expression of Sqle and clusterin was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).Compared with the raw product group, the expression of claudin3, Pdzk1, and Slc7a7 in the processed product group of HZD was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05), while the expression of Sqle and clusterin was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05). Western blot was used to detect the expression level of claudin 3 in the ileum of rats in each group. The results show that compared to that in the blank group, the expression level of claudin 3 in the unprocessed EER group was significantly reduced(P<0.01); compared to that in the unprocessed EER group, the expression level of claudin 3 in the HZD-processed EER group was significantly increased(P<0.01). This finding aligned with the proteomic outcomes, indicating that claudin 3 protein levels could serve as a crucial indicator for intestinal damage caused by EER. In summary, HZD-processed EER can reduce EER's intestinal toxicity, and the primary mechanism for its alleviation of intestinal barrier damage is the regulation of the intestinal barrier tight junction protein claudin 3 and other intestinal-related proteins.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Intestinal Mucosa/drug effects* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in fatigue and post-exertional malaise; however, whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection exacerbates lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is unclear. This study investigated the association between prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection and postpartum LUTS. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals in China from November 1, 2022, to November 1, 2023. Participants were classified into infected and uninfected groups based on SARS-CoV-2 antigen results. LUTS prevalence and severity were assessed using self-reported symptoms and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7). Pelvic floor muscle activity was measured using electromyography following the Glazer protocol. Group comparisons were performed to evaluate the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with LUTS and electromyography parameters, with stratified analyses conducted using SPSS version 26.0. RESULTS: Among 3,652 participants (681 infected, 2,971 uninfected), no significant differences in LUTS prevalence or IIQ-7 scores were observed. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection was an independent factor influencing the electromyographic activity of the pelvic floor muscles (mean tonic contraction amplitudes), regardless of delivery mode ( P = 0.001). CONCLUSION Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection was not significantly associated with an increased risk of postpartum LUTS but independently altered pelvic floor muscle electromyographic activity, suggesting potential neuromuscular effects.
Humans ; Female ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Pregnancy ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/virology* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Electromyography ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology* ; Prevalence