Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)are both critical conditions that pose severe threats to human life and health.When these two conditions coexist,the mortality rate is extremely high.This case report presents a middle-aged male patient who was admitted to the emergency department due to syncope.An electrocardiogram indicated STEMI,and a full aortic angiogram confirmed a ruptured AAA.Through collaborative efforts between the cardiology and vascular surgery departments,a combined interventional procedure was performed:first,an endovascular stent graft was placed for the AAA,followed by coronary stent implantation.The procedure was completed successfully,and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit postoperatively.However,the patient's condition deteriorated the following day,resulting in a poor prognosis.This article aims to discuss the therapeutic dilemmas and treatment strategy selection when these two conditions coexist,as well as to explore the potential reasons for the poor prognosis in this case.To some extent,it provides a reference for clinical decision-making in such patients and offers insights into how to reduce mortality in this high-risk population.

A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) is one of the most commonly occurring pathogens associated with genital tract infections in infertile males, but the impact of seminal UU infection in semen on intrauterine insemination (IUI) outcomes is poorly understood. We collected data from 245 infertile couples who underwent IUI at The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Hefei, China) between January 2021 and January 2023. The subjects were classified into two groups according to their UU infection status: the UU-positive group and the UU-negative group. We compared semen parameters, pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal birth outcomes to investigate the impact of UU infection on IUI outcomes. There were no significantly statistical differences in various semen parameters, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total and progressive motility, sperm morphology, leukocyte count, the presence of anti-sperm antibody, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups of male infertile patients (all P > 0.05). However, the high DNA stainability (HDS) status of sperm differed between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups, suggesting that seminal UU infection may affect sperm nuclear maturation ( P = 0.04). Additionally, there were no significant differences in pregnancy or neonatal birth outcomes between the two groups (all P > 0.05). These results suggest that IUI remains a viable and cost-effective option for infertile couples with UU infection who are facing infertility issues.
Humans ; Male ; Ureaplasma Infections/complications* ; Female ; Infertility, Male/therapy* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum/isolation & purification* ; Pregnancy ; Adult ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Semen Analysis ; Insemination, Artificial ; Semen/microbiology* ; China

Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)are both critical conditions that pose severe threats to human life and health.When these two conditions coexist,the mortality rate is extremely high.This case report presents a middle-aged male patient who was admitted to the emergency department due to syncope.An electrocardiogram indicated STEMI,and a full aortic angiogram confirmed a ruptured AAA.Through collaborative efforts between the cardiology and vascular surgery departments,a combined interventional procedure was performed:first,an endovascular stent graft was placed for the AAA,followed by coronary stent implantation.The procedure was completed successfully,and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit postoperatively.However,the patient's condition deteriorated the following day,resulting in a poor prognosis.This article aims to discuss the therapeutic dilemmas and treatment strategy selection when these two conditions coexist,as well as to explore the potential reasons for the poor prognosis in this case.To some extent,it provides a reference for clinical decision-making in such patients and offers insights into how to reduce mortality in this high-risk population.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of Yiqi huoxue decoction （YQHX） on lumbar disc herniation in rats. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， NF-κB inhibitor group （QNZ group， 1 mg/kg）， YQHX group （9.1 g/kg） and combination group （YQHX+QNZ group， the same dose as each single drug group）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for sham operation group， lumbar disc herniation model of rats was induced in other groups； administration groups were given QNZ intraperitoneally or/and YQHX intragastrically， once a day， for 8 consecutive weeks. The severity of intervertebral disc herniation was evaluated in each group； the pathological changes of intervertebral discs and the changes of autophagy of nucleus pulposus cells were all observed； the level of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum， and the ratios of Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3 （BNIP3） and Beclin-1 positive cells in intervertebral disctissues were detected； the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p65， the expressions of tumor necrosis factor receptor- associated factor-2 （TRAF-2）， TRAF-3， BNIP3 and LC3B protein， and mRNA expressions of NF-κB p65， LC3B， p62，BNIP3 and Beclin-1 were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group， Pfirrmann grading score decreased significantly，the pathological injury of intervertebral disc tissue was relieved in YQHX group； the number of autophagosomes in nucleus pulposus cells increased； serum level of TNF-α and mRNA expression of p62 in intervertebral disc tissue decreased significantly； the ratios of BNIP3 and Beclin-1 positive cells， the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65， the expressions of TRAF-2， TRAF-3， BNIP3 and LC3B protein as well as the mRNA expressions of NF- κB p65， LC3B， BNIP3 and Beclin-1 decreased significantly in intervertebral disc tissues （P＜0.05）. The changes of above indexes in YQHX group were reversed partly in YQHX+QNZ group. CONCLUSIONS YQHX promotes the elevation of autophagy level of intervertebral discs， slows down the inflammatory response and the progression of lumbar disc herniation by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the gemcitabine combined with oxaliplatin (GEMOX) regimen in the postoperative adjuvant treatment for the patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 98 patients with uroepithelial carcinoma intolerant to cisplatin chemotherapy who underwent radical surgery from August 2017 to October 2022 at Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into the adjuvant chemotherapy group and the observation group according to whether or not they underwent adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. The adjuvant chemotherapy group received postoperative chemotherapy with the GEMOX regimen (gemcitabine 1 000 mg/m 2 intravenously on days 1 and 8, oxaliplatin 130 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 2, every 3 weeks as a cycle), and the observation group did not undergo postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. In the adjuvant chemotherapy group, there were 33 males and 10 females, the patients’ age was (67.8±7.3) years old, 33 cases with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤60 ml/(min·1.73m 2), and 10 cases with a Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) functional status score of >1. The postoperative pathology showed 39 cases were in stage T 3, 4 cases in stage T 4, and lymph node positivity (N+ ) was found in 10 cases. There were 55 cases in the observation group, with 42 males and 13 females and the age of (70.7±7.7) years old. Forty-two of them had an eGFR ≤60 ml/(min·1.73m 2), and 13 of them had a ECOG score of >1. The postoperative pathology showed 48 cases were in stage T 3, 7 cases in stage T 4, and 13 cases of N+. The changes in renal function, ECOG scores, and adverse reactions were observed in adjuvant chemotherapy group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between groups. Multifactorial Cox regression was used to analyse the correlation between age, lymph nodes, whether or not to combine with adjuvant chemotherapy and the survival of patients. Results:All patients in this study were followed up for 3 to 75 months, with a median follow-up time of 22 (14, 34) months. The recurrence rates were 83.6%(46/55) and 65.1%(28/43) in the observation and adjuvant chemotherapy groups, respectively, and the disease mortality rates were 52.7%(29/55) and 27.9%(12/43), respectively. The results of the Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that the 1-, 2- and 3-year disease-free survival rates in the adjuvant chemotherapy group were 62.8%, 48.6% and 41.1%, respectively, and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 86.0%, 79.0% and 76.4%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year disease-free survival rates of the observation group were 58.2%, 22.6% and 9.6%, respectively, and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 78.2%, 49.4% and 42.8%, respectively. The adjuvant chemotherapy group had an advantage over the observation group regarding disease-free and overall survival rates (all P<0.05). The results of multifactorial Cox regression analysis suggested that the functional status score and the presence or absence of positive lymph nodes, diabetes mellitus, and co-adjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors affecting the survival of the patients ( P<0.05). Forty-three cases had 1 to 6 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy, with a median course of 4 (2, 4). In terms of safety, the most common adverse reaction in the gastrointestinal tract was loss of appetite (53.4%, 23/43), the most common grade 1 to 2 adverse reaction in myelosuppression was a decrease in haemoglobin (51.2%, 22/43), and the most common grade 3 to 4 adverse reaction was thrombocytopenia (9.3%, 4/43). The eGFR of 33 patients with renal insufficiency in the adjuvant chemotherapy group was higher after each administration cycle than before ( P<0.05), and renal function did not deteriorate with the increase in administration cycles. Ten patients with a ECOG score of 2 remained with a score of 2 after chemotherapy. Conclusions:In patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer, gemcitabine in combination with an oxaliplatin regimen improves the overall survival of patients. At the same time, it is well tolerated without increasing nephrotoxicity, making it an optional postoperative adjuvant treatment for patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer.

AIM To screen anti-inflammatory activity Q-markers for Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.METHODS Lipopolysaccharide was used for stimulating RAW264.7 macrophages to establish inflammatory model,after which the NO inhibitory rates of different grades of medicinal materials were determined.The UHPLC-QTOF-MS fingerprints were established,after which chemical constituents were identified,heatmap was drawn,and orthogonal partial least squares analysis was performed.RESULTS Grade 1 and grade 2 medicinal materials demonstrated higher NO inhibitory rates than gradeless and uniformly-priced goods(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).There were 211 common peaks in the fingerprints of 47 batches of medicinal materials,total 56 compounds were identified,containing 17 saponins,6 flavonoids,8 flavanones,4 chalcones,12 isoflavones and 9 other kinds.The relative contents of isoflavones,coumarins,kaempferol and licoflavonol in grade 1 and grade 2 medicinal materials were higher than those in gradeless and uniformly-priced goods,while the relative contents of flavanones,chalcones and saponins in wild products were higher than those in cultivated products.Neoliquiritin,isoliquiritin,kaempferol,hedysarimcoumestan E,licorice saponin C2,licoarylcoumarin,glicoricone and liconeolignan were taken as Q-markers.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method has a certain reference value for the quality control of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

Objective To explore the assisted reproductive strategy and influencing factors for patients undergoing frozen-thawed cycle blastocyst transfer after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for intrauterine adhesions.Methods A total of 275 patients who underwent frozen-thawed cycle blastocyst transfer after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for infertility reasons at the Reproductive Genetics Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2018 to December 2022 were included in the study.They were divided into a single blastocyst transfer group(n=182)and a double blastocyst transfer group(n=93).The clinical outcomes were analyzed and compared retrospectively between the group.Results The two groups showed no statis-tically significant differences in terms of age,day of endometrial thickness conversion,endometrial preparation method,clinical pregnancy rate,miscarriage rate,preterm birth rate,gestational week at delivery,and mode of delivery(P>0.05).The single blastocyst transfer group had significantly lower infertility duration(years)(2.43±1.64 vs.3.03±2.13,P<0.05),significantly lower AFS prognosis score(5.13±2.25 vs.5.72±2.19,P<0.05),and significantly lower multiple pregnancy rate(1.33%vs.28.57%,P<0.05),but significantly higher quality embryo rate(90.66%vs.46.24%,P<0.05),implantation rate(50.00%vs.34.41%,P<0.05),and live infant mass(g)(3236.84±565.35 vs.2976.44±692.79,P<0.05)compared to the double blastocyst transfer group.Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the number of high-quality embryos transferred and AFS score were independent influencing factors for clinical pregnancy(P<0.05).Conclusions The number of high-quality embryos transferred and the AFS score are independent influencing factors for clinical pregnancy in patients undergoing frozen-thawed cycle blastocyst transfer after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for intrauterine adhesions.Single high-quality blastocyst transfer is a preferred treatment for patients after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis,and double blastocyst transfer is favor-able for patients with a poor prognosis to achieve better pregnancy outcomes.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the gemcitabine combined with oxaliplatin (GEMOX) regimen in the postoperative adjuvant treatment for the patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 98 patients with uroepithelial carcinoma intolerant to cisplatin chemotherapy who underwent radical surgery from August 2017 to October 2022 at Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into the adjuvant chemotherapy group and the observation group according to whether or not they underwent adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. The adjuvant chemotherapy group received postoperative chemotherapy with the GEMOX regimen (gemcitabine 1 000 mg/m 2 intravenously on days 1 and 8, oxaliplatin 130 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 2, every 3 weeks as a cycle), and the observation group did not undergo postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. In the adjuvant chemotherapy group, there were 33 males and 10 females, the patients’ age was (67.8±7.3) years old, 33 cases with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤60 ml/(min·1.73m 2), and 10 cases with a Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) functional status score of >1. The postoperative pathology showed 39 cases were in stage T 3, 4 cases in stage T 4, and lymph node positivity (N+ ) was found in 10 cases. There were 55 cases in the observation group, with 42 males and 13 females and the age of (70.7±7.7) years old. Forty-two of them had an eGFR ≤60 ml/(min·1.73m 2), and 13 of them had a ECOG score of >1. The postoperative pathology showed 48 cases were in stage T 3, 7 cases in stage T 4, and 13 cases of N+. The changes in renal function, ECOG scores, and adverse reactions were observed in adjuvant chemotherapy group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between groups. Multifactorial Cox regression was used to analyse the correlation between age, lymph nodes, whether or not to combine with adjuvant chemotherapy and the survival of patients. Results:All patients in this study were followed up for 3 to 75 months, with a median follow-up time of 22 (14, 34) months. The recurrence rates were 83.6%(46/55) and 65.1%(28/43) in the observation and adjuvant chemotherapy groups, respectively, and the disease mortality rates were 52.7%(29/55) and 27.9%(12/43), respectively. The results of the Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that the 1-, 2- and 3-year disease-free survival rates in the adjuvant chemotherapy group were 62.8%, 48.6% and 41.1%, respectively, and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 86.0%, 79.0% and 76.4%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year disease-free survival rates of the observation group were 58.2%, 22.6% and 9.6%, respectively, and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 78.2%, 49.4% and 42.8%, respectively. The adjuvant chemotherapy group had an advantage over the observation group regarding disease-free and overall survival rates (all P<0.05). The results of multifactorial Cox regression analysis suggested that the functional status score and the presence or absence of positive lymph nodes, diabetes mellitus, and co-adjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors affecting the survival of the patients ( P<0.05). Forty-three cases had 1 to 6 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy, with a median course of 4 (2, 4). In terms of safety, the most common adverse reaction in the gastrointestinal tract was loss of appetite (53.4%, 23/43), the most common grade 1 to 2 adverse reaction in myelosuppression was a decrease in haemoglobin (51.2%, 22/43), and the most common grade 3 to 4 adverse reaction was thrombocytopenia (9.3%, 4/43). The eGFR of 33 patients with renal insufficiency in the adjuvant chemotherapy group was higher after each administration cycle than before ( P<0.05), and renal function did not deteriorate with the increase in administration cycles. Ten patients with a ECOG score of 2 remained with a score of 2 after chemotherapy. Conclusions:In patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer, gemcitabine in combination with an oxaliplatin regimen improves the overall survival of patients. At the same time, it is well tolerated without increasing nephrotoxicity, making it an optional postoperative adjuvant treatment for patients with cisplatin-intolerant uroepithelial cancer.