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

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the whole-genome differential methylation profile of patients with high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC). METHODS: In this study, a total of 20 adult male patients with HAPC were included, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. The control group consisted of 20 healthy adult males, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. Peripheral blood was collected from each group for DNA extraction and quality inspection, and DNA libraries were constructed. The differential methylation regions (DMRs) between groups were detected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, with enriched regions compared to those of the control group. The differential enrichment regions were selected, and the intersection of the enriched regions was associated with genes. The methylation enrichment regions that differed significantly between groups were filtered based on the number of enriched samples in the enriched regions between the groups. GO, KEGG functional, and pathway analysis were performed on the differentially associated gene sets to reveal significant differences between the patients and control groups at the functional and pathway levels. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, 17 152 sites with more than 25% difference and 15 558 sites with less than -25% difference were identified in Tibetan patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, RP3-399L15.3, ZNF621, RP11-394A14.2 and SLC39A10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was serotonergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 2 687 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 2 602 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in Han patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were NAA25, CORO2B, PDC, ZNF853, and MLLT10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway were glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, Rap1 signaling pathway and cholinergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 3 895 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 3 969 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in HAPC patients. The maximum methylation difference between the two groups could reach 78.1%, while the minimum was -42.6%. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, ARSJ, CTNNA3, SLC39A10, and SWAP70. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells. CONCLUSION The occurrence of HAPC may be related to abnormal changes in DNA methylation, and methylation sites may be helpful for the early diagnosis of HAPC.
Humans ; DNA Methylation ; Altitude ; Polycythemia/genetics* ; Male ; Adult ; CpG Islands

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of Chinese medicine (CM) Lianhua Qingwen Granule (LHQW) and Jingyin Gubiao Prescription (JYGB) in asymptomatic or mild patients with Omicron infection in the shelter hospital. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the largest shelter hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 10, 2022 to May 30, 2022. A total of 56,244 asymptomatic and mild Omicron cases were included and divided into 4 groups, i.e., non-administration group (23,702 cases), LHQW group (11,576 cases), JYGB group (12,112 cases), and dual combination of LHQW and JYGB group (8,854 cases). The length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was used to assess the effectiveness of LHQW and JYGB treatment on Omicron infection. RESULTS: Patients aged 41-60 years, with nadir threshold cycle (C_T) value of N gene <25, or those fully vaccinated preferred to receive CM therapy. Before or after propensity score matching (PSM), the multiple linear regression showed that LHQW and JYGB treatment were independent influence factors of LOS (both P<0.001). After PSM, there were significant differences in LOS between the LHQW/JYGB combination and the other groups (P<0.01). The results of factorial design ANOVA proved that the LHQW/JYGB combination therapy synergistically shortened LOS (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Patients with a nadir C_T value <25 were more likely to accept CM. The LHQW/JYGB combination therapy could shorten the LOS of Omicron-infected individuals in an isolated environment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Length of Stay ; Young Adult ; Aged

Objective To investigate the effect of rapid maxillary expansion(RME)on sagittal soft and hard maxillofacial tissue in growing children.Methods In this retrospective study,children aged 6-12 years treated in Shanghai Stomatology Hospital from Jan 2018 to Dec 2020 were employed as subjects.Of the subjects,40 patients treated with RME were as the experimental group,27 patients presenting individualized malocclusion were as the control group.Lateral cephalogram was taken before(T0)and 2 years after treatment(T1).The images were imported into Dolphin Imaging's cephalometric measurement software,and the results were statistically analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software.Results Statistically significant differences were observed in all measurements before and after treatment in both two groups.A comparative analysis revealed that SNB value increased and ANB value decreased in the experimental group after treatment,while the changes in the control group were significantly smaller than those in the experimental group(P<0.05),indicating that RME is beneficial to the growth and development of mandibular in sagittal direction.Among the dentoalveolar measurements,statistically significant differences(P<0.01)were observed in U1-SN(upper incisor to sella-nasion angle),U1-NA(upper incisor to nasion-A point angle),U1-APog(upper incisor to A point-pogonion line distance),and overjet between the two groups.These findings indicate that RME significantly reduces the inclination of the maxillary central incisors,while having no significant effect on the mandibular central incisors.Compared with the control group,RME significantly reduced upper lip prominence,lip space and upper central incisor exposure(P<0.05),but had no effect on nose,chin and their correlation.Conclusion RME not only improved the prominence of the upper teeth and upper lip,but also facilitate the sagittal growth of mandibular in growing children.

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis,pri-marily transmitted through respiratory droplets,and poses a significant global public health challenge.Despite the availability of vaccines and chemotherapy regimens,the emergence of drug resistance and high incidence rates continue to render the prevention and control situation severe.The intestinal mi-crobiota modulates host immunity through metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids,influencing macrophage function,T-cell differentiation,and inflammatory responses,thereby regulating tubercu-losis susceptibility,disease progression,and treatment responses.This review systematically summa-rized the role of intestinal microecology in immune regulation of tuberculosis and its potential applica-tion strategies,delved into the possible immune regulatory mechanisms,proposed that the interaction between intestinal microbiota and immune checkpoint inhibitors may serve as a warning for the clinical risk of tuberculosis reactivation,and analyzed the potential of intestinal microecology as a therapeutic target for tuberculosis.

Cosmetics may be an important source of human exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs),posing risks to human health.In this study,a nontarget screening method for PFASs in cosmetics was developed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS)based on the Kendrick mass defect(KMD).The sample was extracted by ultrasonic assisted extraction prior to being analyzed by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS.Acquisition of HRMS data was achieved in both full scan and data-dependent(Full MS/dd MS2)mode.The data collected by HRMS were imported into an in-lab built R script for processing.Samples retained the mass spectra peaks with KMD values in the range of 0.85-1 or 0-0.15 for in-and out-of-library matching;when KMD deviation(δKMD)<0.001 and CF 2 mass error(δMS)<15 ppm,it was considered as a potential PFASs homologues.According to matches of parent ions(MS),fragment ions(MS2)and retention time(RT)with the in-house built PFASs database,the screened and identified potential PFASs were categorized to 5 confidence levels(CL1-CL5).A total of 15 kinds of PFASs homologues with confidence level of CL3 and above were screened from 13 cosmetics products and 8 cosmetic raw materials,including perfluoroalkyl alcohol,hydroperfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid,chloroperfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid,etc.with concentrations ranging from 1.9 ng/g to 98.1 ng/g.The nontarget screening method could be used to screen and identify PFASs homologues feasibly and therefore provided data basis for management and control of PFASs addition in cosmetics.

Objective To evaluate the performance and clinical application value of EasyNAT nucleic acid test kits for influenza A virus(Flu A),influenza B virus(Flu B),and Mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP)based on cross-primed amplification(CPA)technology.Methods In compliance with relevant standards,the detection limits,cross-reactivity,and anti-interference abilities of the EasyNAT Flu and MP nucleic acid test kits were validated using influenza(Flu)and MP reference materials.Additionally,a total of 811 suspected Flu or MP infection patients who visited the hospital from January 1 to July 5,2024 were enrolled in this study.Their oropharyngeal swabs were collected and tested using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reac-tion(RT-qPCR)as the gold standard to evaluate the concordance and compliance of the EasyNAT Flu and MP nucleic acid test kits,thus assessing their clinical application value.Results The EasyNAT Flu and MP nucleic acid test kits yielded positive results in 8 repeated tests at the detection limit concentrations of the ref-erence materials.No pathogen-specific peaks were detected in Flu and MP negative samples that had been spiked with common cross-reacting pathogens.Furthermore,the detection results of Flu or MP positive sam-ples were unaffected by the presence of interfering substances.Among the 811 clinical samples,the sensitivity of the EasyNAT Flu A test was 97.33%,and the sensitivity for Flu B was 98.47%,both with a specificity of 98.04%.The EasyNAT MP nucleic acid test showed a sensitivity of 97.95%and specificity of 99.03%.The results demonstrated a high degree of agreement with RT-qPCR(Kappa values were over 0.900).Further-more,detection rates of the EasyNAT Flu test kits showed no difference in positive samples with different Ct values(Flu A:χ2=4.20,P=0.08;Flu B:χ2=2.22,P=0.31)and MP test kits showed significant differences in positive samples with different cycle threshold values(χ2=11.84,P<0.01).Conclusion The EasyNAT Flu and MP nucleic acid test kits exhibit excellent detection performance with high sensitivity and specificity.Moreover,the products are easy to operate,offer rapid detection,and provide accurate results.These features make them suitable for primary healthcare settings,with significant potential for clinical application.

Objective To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with holocarboxylase synthetase(HLCS)deficiency.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 3 children with HLCS deficiency who were admitted to Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from December 2014 to January 2024.Relevant literature indexed in CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed and other databases was reviewed to summarize the clinical characteristics and HLCS gene mutations of children with HLCS deficiency.Results All 3 children were male,with onset age of 4-6 months.The main clinical manifestations included shortness of breath,vomiting,diarrhea,and poor mental state,and partial cases were complicated by growth retardation and neurological symptoms.Laboratory tests showed metabolic acidosis in all cases,blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles as well as urinary organic acid analysis suggested multiple carboxylase deficiency.Genetic testing revealed compound heterozygous mutation in the HLCS gene of all 3 children,among which the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation was previously unreported.According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics(ACMG),the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation was rated as pathogenic mutation(PVS1+PM2_supporting+PM3).Biotin supplementation was effective in all cases.Literature review included 27 English literatures and 29 Chinese literatures,reporting a total of 133 children with HLCS deficiency caused by HLCS gene mutation.Common clinical manifestations included metabolic acidosis,skin lesions,vomiting,feeding difficulties,dyspnea,diarrhea,and neurological symptoms,etc.Conclusions Blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles,urine organic acid analysis,and gene testing are helpful for the diagnosis of HLCS deficiency.Timely biotin supplementation leads to a good prognosis.The mutation of HLCS gene is considered as the genetic etiology of HLCS deficiency in 3 children,among which the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation is a newly discovered mutation.

Objective To investigate the impact of county-level"Unified ECG Network"construction on the treatment efficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of STEMI patients from Beichuan County and Yanting County in Mianyang City,and Jiange County in Guangyuan City,Sichuan Province,during the 18 months before(128 cases)and 18 months after(187 cases)the establishment of the"Unified ECG Network."Differences in demographic characteristics,treatment efficiency,therapeutic methods,and clinical outcomes between the two groups were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in general demographic characteristics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Compared with the pre-construction group,the post-construction group showed significantly shorter times in initial ECG completion[5(3,7)min vs.6(4,8)min],initial ECG diagnosis[3(2,4)min vs.5(2,6)min],first medical contact to preliminary diagnosis[10(9,12)min vs.13(11,15)min],network hospital door-in-door-out time[21(19,23)min vs.26(23,30)min],and first medical contact to wire-crossing time[(94.82±11.87)min vs.(107.97±18.39)min](allP＜0.001).The proportion of patients bypassing the emergency department and coronary care unit significantly increased(64.17％vs.32.81％,P＜0.001).The proportion of patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention significantly increased(72.73％vs.51.56％,P＜0.001),while the proportions of thrombolytic therapy and non-reperfusion therapy significantly decreased(both P＜0.05).Additionally,in-hospital mortality rate,Killip class≥Ⅱ proportion,incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events,and average length of hospital stay were all significantly reduced(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences among the three county-level chest pain centers in terms of major treatment efficiency,therapeutic strategies,or clinical outcomes(all P＞0.05).Conclusions The construction of the county-level"Unified ECG Network"can significantly improve the treatment efficiency of STEMI patients,optimize reperfusion therapy strategies,improve clinical outcomes,and demonstrate substantial clinical promotion value.

Objective To investigate the impact of county-level"Unified ECG Network"construction on the treatment efficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of STEMI patients from Beichuan County and Yanting County in Mianyang City,and Jiange County in Guangyuan City,Sichuan Province,during the 18 months before(128 cases)and 18 months after(187 cases)the establishment of the"Unified ECG Network."Differences in demographic characteristics,treatment efficiency,therapeutic methods,and clinical outcomes between the two groups were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in general demographic characteristics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Compared with the pre-construction group,the post-construction group showed significantly shorter times in initial ECG completion[5(3,7)min vs.6(4,8)min],initial ECG diagnosis[3(2,4)min vs.5(2,6)min],first medical contact to preliminary diagnosis[10(9,12)min vs.13(11,15)min],network hospital door-in-door-out time[21(19,23)min vs.26(23,30)min],and first medical contact to wire-crossing time[(94.82±11.87)min vs.(107.97±18.39)min](allP＜0.001).The proportion of patients bypassing the emergency department and coronary care unit significantly increased(64.17％vs.32.81％,P＜0.001).The proportion of patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention significantly increased(72.73％vs.51.56％,P＜0.001),while the proportions of thrombolytic therapy and non-reperfusion therapy significantly decreased(both P＜0.05).Additionally,in-hospital mortality rate,Killip class≥Ⅱ proportion,incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events,and average length of hospital stay were all significantly reduced(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences among the three county-level chest pain centers in terms of major treatment efficiency,therapeutic strategies,or clinical outcomes(all P＞0.05).Conclusions The construction of the county-level"Unified ECG Network"can significantly improve the treatment efficiency of STEMI patients,optimize reperfusion therapy strategies,improve clinical outcomes,and demonstrate substantial clinical promotion value.