Background Air pollution exposure has a significant impact on maternal and child health. However, the research on the association between ambient ozone (O₃) exposure during pregnancy and the risk of premature birth in newborns is limited, and the conclusions are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the association of ambient O₃ exposure during pregnancy with the risk of preterm birth in Guangdong Province. Methods Data of pregnant women in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2019 and Foshan from 2018 to 2023 were collected, and O₃ concentrations during different trimesters were assessed according to maternal residential addresses. Bilinear interpolation was used to evaluate the concentrations of air pollution. A cohort study design was adopted in our study. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk and explore potential exposure threshold of O₃. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of O₃ exposure with preterm birth. Results A total of 702 924 pregnant women were included in this study, of whom 43 051 (6.12%) were preterm. The average O₃ exposure concentrations of pregnant women during the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 95.51, 97.51, 100.60, and 97.87 μg·m⁻³, respectively. We observed J-shaped associations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy using restricted cubic spline curves. This study found that there were threshold concentrations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during different gestational periods, and the threshold concentrations in the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 112.32, 99.83, 111.74, and 112.46 μg·m⁻³, respectively. During the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy, after adjusting for maternal age, baby sex, pre-pregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, baby birth weight, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, the odds ratios (OR) of preterm birth were 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.04), 1.02 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.03), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.21) for each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in O₃ concentration above the O₃ threshold. No significant association was found between O₃ exposure and the risk of preterm birth during the first trimester. Conclusion There is a nonlinear association between the risk of preterm birth and O₃ exposure during pregnancy, and higher concentrations of O₃ exposure during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Above the O₃ threshold concentration during pregnancy, especially during the second, third, and whole trimesters, the risk of preterm birth elevates with the increase of O₃ exposure concentrations.

Objective:To construct a VP8-mRNA vaccine using human rotavirus spike protein VP8 domain as the immunogen and analyze its immunogenicity in mice.Methods:The VP8-mRNA sequence was designed, optimized, and synthesized. The VP8 gene of rotavirus G1P[8] type was used to construct the plasmid pUC57-VP8-Kan-SapⅠ, which was then sequenced. The plasmid confirmed by sequencing was subjected to large-scale amplification and extraction, followed by linearization, in vitro transcription, and capping. The purified capped products were encapsulated with lipid nanoparticles using a microfluidic control apparatus. The encapsulated VP8-mRNA vaccine was administered intramuscularly to mice at 10, 15, and 20 μg. Serum samples were collected for antibody detection by ELISA. Cellular immune responses were detected by flow cytometry and ELISPOT. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way or two-way analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer test. Results:The encapsulated VP8-mRNA vaccine was rounded and spherical, with a particle size of about 100 nm, a polymer dispersion index of 0.088, and an encapsulation rate of 92.3%. Two doses of VP8-mRNA vaccine immunization could induce a good immune response in mice. The level of IgG antibody induced after immunization in the 15 μg group was comparable to that of the 20 μg group, and there was no statistical difference ( P>0.05), but the antibody levels in the two groups were significantly higher than that in the 10 μg group ( P<0.000 1). VP8-mRNA vaccine could induce neutralizing antibodies against rotavirus G1 and G9 types. The highest level of neutralizing antibodies against rotavirus type G1 was observed in the 15 μg group, which was significantly higher than that in the 10 μg group ( P<0.05). All immunization groups exhibited good neutralizing ability against rotavirus G9 type. The results of ELISPOT showed that lymphocytes from mice in each vaccine group were able to secrete IFN-γ when stimulated with VP8 peptide. Flow cytometry showed that the proportions of CD8 + T cell subsets in the vaccine groups were higher than that in the control group. Conclusion:The VP8-mRNA vaccine has good immunogenicity in mice and can induce good humoral and T-cell immune responses.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycans in male patients with different subtypes and severity grades of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) .Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on male patients diagnosed with male-pattern hair loss (MPHL) or female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) who attended the Department of Dermatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University between June and December 2022. Clinical data were collected, and serum IgG N-glycans were quantitatively analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) . The content of serum IgG N-glycan structures was compared between patients with different AGA subtypes and among patients with different severity grades of MPHL or FPHL, while derived traits were compared between patients with different AGA subtypes. Point-biserial correlation analysis was conducted to assess associations between serum IgG N-glycans and hair loss severity.Results:A total of 85 male patients with AGA were included, comprising 44 MPHL patients and 41 FPHL patients. No significant differences were observed between the two subgroups in terms of age, age at onset, or serum levels of testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, uric acid, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (all P > 0.05) . UPLC showed 23 serum IgG glycans and 5 derived glycan traits (afucosylation, fucosylation, bisecting GlcNAc, terminal galactosylation, and terminal sialylation) . Compared with the MPHL patients, the FPHL patients exhibited significantly increased levels of N-glycans GP5, GP11, GP17, and GP20 (all P < 0.05) , significantly elevated levels of afucosylated IgG N-glycans ( P = 0.047) , but significantly reduced core fucosylated IgG N-glycans ( P = 0.047) . No significant differences in serum IgG N-glycan composition were observed among patients with varying severity grades of MPHL (all P > 0.05) . In the FPHL patients, the levels of N-glycans GP10 ( r = 0.32, P = 0.039) and GP22 ( r = -0.32, P = 0.045) were significantly positively and negatively correlated with hair loss severity respectively; receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that both GP10 and GP22 had moderate diagnostic value for predicting hair loss severity, with the area under the curve values being 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52 - 0.86) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.55 - 0.86) , respectively. Conclusion:Serum IgG N-glycan profiles differed among male patients with different AGA subtypes, and N-glycans GP10 and GP22 may serve as potential biomarkers for early assessment of hair loss severity in male FPHL patients.

Oral minoxidil has been used to treat various hair loss disorders, including alopecia areata, though its efficacy as a monotherapy remains unclear. In recent years, oral minoxidil has increasingly been applied as an adjuvant treatment alongside other agents such as Janus kinase inhibitors for alopecia areata. This review summarizes the current application of oral minoxidil in the treatment of alopecia areata.

Changes in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) can affect scalp aging and hair growth. With increasing age, HFSCs exhibit a decrease in quiescence maintenance and self-renewal capacity, as well as differentiation potential, leading to shortened hair growth cycles and even hair loss. This review summarizes recent research advances in the multifactorial interactions underlying hair loss, including the regulatory mechanisms of HFSC quiescence, the impact of aging on HFSC function, and aging of the stem cell microenvironment. Additionally, this review discusses the relationship between stem cells and hair shafts, and the mechanisms of action of stem cells in scalp aging, including alterations in signaling pathways, chromatin remodeling, and epigenetic regulation, etc. Furthermore, stem cell-based therapeutic strategies are summarized, such as the use of stem cells or their secreting exosomes, modulation of the stem cell microenvironment, and pharmacological interventions.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in humans, characterized by the patterned miniaturization of scalp hair follicles and shortened anagen phases. Recent studies have revealed a significant association between AGA and metabolic syndrome (MetS) . The hallmarks of MetS include abdominal obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. This commentary evaluates the epidemiological association between AGA and MetS, explores the underlying concurrent mechanisms, and discusses current and potential therapeutic strategies.

Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution (FAPD) is a newly recognized entity of primary lymphocytic cicatricial alopecia with clinical and histopathological characteristics of both androgenetic alopecia and lichen planopilaris. Currently, there is still a lack of full understanding of and standardized treatment protocols for FAPD, which is prone to be clinically underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. This review systematically summarizes the research progress in FAPD in terms of clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment, in order to facilitate its clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic value of single-use mother-baby choledochoscope-assisted endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy in the treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 39 patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis who underwent single-use mother-baby choledochoscope-assisted endoscopic retrograde appendicitis treatment at the Endoscopy center of the hospital from September 2022 to September 2024.Observe the endoscopic manifestations,the rate of maternal and child basket stone removal,the rate of appendiceal stent implantation,the technical success rate,the clinical success rate,the operation time,the hospital stay,the incidence of complications,the visual analogue scale(VAS)score 6 hours after the operation,and the inflammatory indicators 24 hours after the operation.Results In 28 cases(71.8%),congestion and edema could be seen at the opening of the appendix under colonoscopy.In 10 cases(25.6%),pus could be seen flowing out of the opening of the appendix under colonoscopy.In 32 cases(82.1%),a large amount of pus could be seen in the lumen of the appendix under subscopy.In 20 cases(51.3%),appendiceal fecalith could be seen in the lumen of the appendix under subscopy.The technical success rate of single-use mother-baby choledochoscope-assisted endoscopic retrograde appendicitis treatment was 100.0%(39/39).The operation time was(21.08±7.49)min;Hospital stay:(3.97±2.08)days;Eight cases(20.5%)of patients underwent endoscopic maternal basket stone removal.Appendiceal stent implantation was performed in 14 cases(35.9%)of patients.The clinical success rate is 97.4%(38/39).One patient's clinical symptoms and inflammatory indicators did not improve after the operation,and was transferred to the surgery department for appendectomy.The VAS score of 38 patients was less than 3 points 6 hours after the operation,and the abdominal pain symptoms were significantly relieved.The white blood cell count and the percentage of neutrophils 24 hours after the operation decreased significantly compared with those before the operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).None of the 39 patients had complications.The postoperative follow-up was(5.94±4.03)months,and recurrence occurred in 3 cases(7.7%).Conclusion single-use mother-baby choledocoscope-assisted endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy is safe and effective in the diagnosis and treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis,which is worthy of further promotion and popularization in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycans in male patients with different subtypes and severity grades of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) .Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on male patients diagnosed with male-pattern hair loss (MPHL) or female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) who attended the Department of Dermatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University between June and December 2022. Clinical data were collected, and serum IgG N-glycans were quantitatively analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) . The content of serum IgG N-glycan structures was compared between patients with different AGA subtypes and among patients with different severity grades of MPHL or FPHL, while derived traits were compared between patients with different AGA subtypes. Point-biserial correlation analysis was conducted to assess associations between serum IgG N-glycans and hair loss severity.Results:A total of 85 male patients with AGA were included, comprising 44 MPHL patients and 41 FPHL patients. No significant differences were observed between the two subgroups in terms of age, age at onset, or serum levels of testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, uric acid, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (all P > 0.05) . UPLC showed 23 serum IgG glycans and 5 derived glycan traits (afucosylation, fucosylation, bisecting GlcNAc, terminal galactosylation, and terminal sialylation) . Compared with the MPHL patients, the FPHL patients exhibited significantly increased levels of N-glycans GP5, GP11, GP17, and GP20 (all P < 0.05) , significantly elevated levels of afucosylated IgG N-glycans ( P = 0.047) , but significantly reduced core fucosylated IgG N-glycans ( P = 0.047) . No significant differences in serum IgG N-glycan composition were observed among patients with varying severity grades of MPHL (all P > 0.05) . In the FPHL patients, the levels of N-glycans GP10 ( r = 0.32, P = 0.039) and GP22 ( r = -0.32, P = 0.045) were significantly positively and negatively correlated with hair loss severity respectively; receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that both GP10 and GP22 had moderate diagnostic value for predicting hair loss severity, with the area under the curve values being 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52 - 0.86) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.55 - 0.86) , respectively. Conclusion:Serum IgG N-glycan profiles differed among male patients with different AGA subtypes, and N-glycans GP10 and GP22 may serve as potential biomarkers for early assessment of hair loss severity in male FPHL patients.

Oral minoxidil has been used to treat various hair loss disorders, including alopecia areata, though its efficacy as a monotherapy remains unclear. In recent years, oral minoxidil has increasingly been applied as an adjuvant treatment alongside other agents such as Janus kinase inhibitors for alopecia areata. This review summarizes the current application of oral minoxidil in the treatment of alopecia areata.