1.Association of angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody and sperm motility in human semen.
Dao-Qin TU ; Yu-Huan YANG ; Gui-Fang YANG ; Yi-Nan ZHANG ; Yao CHEN ; Xue-Ming LI ; Yu-Hui SHI ; Xiao-Li YANG ; Feng WANG
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(5):387-394
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) and semen parameters. Methods: The semen samples of 820 male patients who were treated in the Reproductive Medicine Center of Taiyuan Central Hospital from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The levels of AT1-AA and Ang Ⅱ of semen were detected by ELISA, and the function of AT1-AA was detected by cardiomyocyte beating assay in suckling rats. The patients were divided into low group, median group and high group according to the OD values of AT1-AA. The differences in general data and semen parameters between different groups were analyzed. And the correlation between AT1-AA level and semen parameters in semen of all study subjects was analyzed by the method of Spearman analysis. And the relationships between AT1-AA OD value, Ang Ⅱ level and semen parameters in the AT1-AA high value group were analyzed as well.
RESULTS:
AT1-AA was present in semen with good function. There was no significant difference in the general data of patients in different AT1-AA levels (P>0.05). In the comparison of semen parameters among the groups with different levels of AT1-AA, there were differences in sperm concentration, PR concentration, NP%, and ALH among the three groups (P<0.05). And AT1-AA OD value was positively correlated with total sperm count, sperm concentration, PR concentration, and NP%, and negatively correlated with semen volume (P<0.05). In the AT1-AA high value group, the OD value of AT1-AA in semen was negatively correlated with inactive sperm, and positively correlated with total motility ([PR+NP]%), curve rate, mean path rate, and ALH. However, there was no correlation between the level of Ang Ⅱ in semen and semen parameters (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
The presence of AT1-AA in semen may be associated with the promotion of sperm motility.
Male
;
Humans
;
Autoantibodies
;
Sperm Motility
;
Semen
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Rats
;
Angiotensin II
;
Adult
;
Sperm Count
;
Semen Analysis
;
Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/immunology*
2.Mitochondria:Potential Precise Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets for Parkinson's Disease
Shi-Qing FU ; Chun-Yao WANG ; Fang WANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(4):514-521
As an indispensable"energy factory"within cells,mitochondria efficiently convert chemical energy from food into ATP through oxidative phosphorylation,providing continuous energy support for va-rious cellular life activities.The functional homeostasis of mitochondria maintains the cell's energy sup-ply,redox balance,cell signaling,and metabolic regulation,thereby ensuring normal cell operation and the healthy survival of organisms.Processes such as mitophagy,mitochondrial fusion and fission,mito-chondrial transport,reactive oxygen species accumulation,and calcium signaling are involved in maintai-ning mitochondrial functional homeostasis.The degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum is the main pathological feature of Parkinson's Disease(PD).Dopaminergic neurons have unique polarized and extended structures with high bioenergetic demands,making them particularly susceptible to mito-chondrial dysfunction.When mitochondrial function is impaired,the energy supply to dopaminergic neu-rons is insufficient,leading to neuronal dysfunction and subsequently triggering a series of neurodegenera-tive diseases,including PD.The molecular basis of PD pathogenesis often involves abnormalities in pro-teins that maintain mitochondrial homeostasis.These proteins play crucial roles in sustaining mitochondri-al function,and any functional abnormalities or genetic mutations can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction,thereby inducing PD.This article provides a comprehensive review of recently reported abnormalities in proteins maintaining mitochondrial function and their association with the onset and progression of PD.The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the functions of these proteins,their genetic mutations,and their relationship with the disease,providing valuable insights for the development of effective treatments and diagnostic biomarkers for PD.
3.Expression characteristics and diagnostic value of PD-1 and PD-L1 in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Yuexin SHI ; Li LI ; Jun YAN ; Caijun WU ; Zhi YAO ; Yuan-zhen JIAN ; Ziqing LI ; Fang LI ; Lulu YANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(11):1655-1662
Objective To investigate the expression characteristics and clinical diagnostic value of programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)and its corresponding ligand(PD-L1)in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Methods One hundred and sixty COPD patients who visited Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from April 2024 to November 2024 were included and divided into an acute exacerbation group of 100 cases and a stable group of 60 cases according to the severity of the disease.Additionally,40 healthy volunteers during the same period were recruited as the control group.The general clinical data of the patients were collected.Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test(CAT)and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Questionnaire(mMRC)Scale were used to test the severity of the disease;respiratory function testing was performed and fasting venous blood was collected for serum PD-1 and PD-L1 testing.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum PD-1,PD-L1,CAT,and mMRC,and multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the influencing factors of AECOPD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum PD-1 and PD-L1 level for AECOPD.Results Serum PD-1 level in the stable COPD group and AECOPD group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group,while serum PD-L1 level was significantly decreased,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);The level of PD-1 gradually increased with the grading of lung function and the deterioration of AECOPD,with statistical significance(P<0.05);Pearson correlation showed that serum PD-1 level was positively correlated with CAT scores in COPD patients,while negatively with CAT scores,showing statistical significance(P<0.05);Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that elevated levels of serum inter-leukin-6(IL-6),neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR),and PD-1 were risk factors for AECOPD,while elevated level of PD-L1 was protective factor for AECOPD(P<0.05);ROC curve showed that the levels of PD-1,PD-L1,IL-6,NLR,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)for their combined prediction of AECOPD diagnosis were 0.884,0.867,0.868,0.802,and 0.995,respectively.Conclusion Serum PD-1 and PD-L1 in AECOPD patients have presented certain expression characteristics,with elevated PD-1 level while decreased PD-L1 level.Both have good clinical diagnostic value for AECOPD.
4.Research on immunoprotective effects of a tRNA thiouridylase TgMnmA deletion strain of Toxoplasma gondii
Yue SHI ; Yimin YANG ; Xueqiu CHEN ; Jie XIA ; Mingxiu ZHAO ; Chenqian YAO ; Ai-fang DU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(4):724-730
To evaluate the immunogenicity and immunoprotective effects of a tRNA thiouridylase TgMnmA deletion strain of Toxoplasma gondii(T.gondii)on ICR mice,we constructed a mouse model immunized with RH△MnmA.Mice were immunized with 10 RH△MnmA tachyzoites by in-traperitoneal injection.After 30 d,indirect ELISA was used to detect the specific IgG antibody and its subtypes of immunized mice.Spleen lymphocyte suspension was prepared,and the splenic lym-phocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.Moreover,the relative expression level of cyto-kine mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.After 30 d of immunization,mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with RH△ku80 tachyzoites.At 5 d post infection,the para-site load in the ascites,heart,liver and brain of mice was measured,and the survival of mice within 30 d after infection was observed and recorded.The results showed that compared with the control PBS group,RH△MnmA immunized group produced higher level of IgG and IgG2a antibodies,higher mRNA relative expression level of cytokines IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-12 and IFN-γ,and the number of CD4+and CD8a+in spleen lymphocytes also increased significantly.Mean-while,for the attack of RH△ku80 strain,the immune group can effectively reduce the parasite load in the ascites and some tissues,inhibit the reproduction of parasites In vivo,and significantly improve the survival rate of mice.The results of this study showed that the TgMnmA deletion strain of T.gondii can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice,and provide good immune protection against the infection of RHΔku80 strain,which has the potential to be-come a potentially promising live attenuated vaccine candidate against T.gondii.
5.Preliminary study on the construction of an echocardiogram image quality control system based on artificial intelligence
Zhanru QI ; Hanlin CHENG ; Chunjie SHAN ; Ruiyang CHEN ; Hexiang WENG ; Yue DU ; Guanjun GUO ; Xiaoxian WANG ; Jing YAO ; Shouhua LUO ; Aijuan FANG ; Hui CHEN ; Zhongqing SHI
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(2):107-113
Object:To explore the feasibility of using artificial intelligence for quality control of echocardiographic images.Methods:Retrospectively,5 000 two-dimensional echocardiographic video images within the period from 2021 to 2023 were randomly retrieved from the echocardiography database of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University. Among these selected images,1 559 of them were apical views. The physician team formulated the scoring rules,which specifically included four scoring criteria:gain,scaling ratio,cardiac axis angle,and structure. Subsequently,the data were labeled with view classification and image quality scores. The labeled data were further partitioned into the training set( n = 643),the validation set( n = 276),and the test set( n = 640). The training and validation sets were utilized for constructing the models for view classification and quality assessment,while the test set was employed to verify the models' effectiveness. The view classification module was implemented using the SlowFast model,and the quality assessment module involved algorithms such as ResNet,Video Swin Transformer,SSD,and U-Net. Results:The average accuracy,precision,recall rate and F1 score of the classification model in identifying each apical view were 0.987 1,0.983 0,0.987 1 and 0.984 9 respectively,and the inference time was(333.4 ± 105.4)ms. The average accuracies of the quality assessment module in terms of gain,scaling ratio,cardiac axis angle and display of main structures were 0.915 1,0.928 2,0.938 7 and 0.965 6 respectively,and the overall scoring accuracy was 0.912 7.Conclusions:The echocardiogram quality control system developed in this research can effectively classify and evaluate the quality of two-dimensional images of the apical views in echocardiograms. Moreover,it guarantees the objectivity,timeliness and high-efficiency of quality control,which has reference value for the establishment of the echocardiogram quality control system.
6.Mitochondria:Potential Precise Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets for Parkinson's Disease
Shi-Qing FU ; Chun-Yao WANG ; Fang WANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(4):514-521
As an indispensable"energy factory"within cells,mitochondria efficiently convert chemical energy from food into ATP through oxidative phosphorylation,providing continuous energy support for va-rious cellular life activities.The functional homeostasis of mitochondria maintains the cell's energy sup-ply,redox balance,cell signaling,and metabolic regulation,thereby ensuring normal cell operation and the healthy survival of organisms.Processes such as mitophagy,mitochondrial fusion and fission,mito-chondrial transport,reactive oxygen species accumulation,and calcium signaling are involved in maintai-ning mitochondrial functional homeostasis.The degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum is the main pathological feature of Parkinson's Disease(PD).Dopaminergic neurons have unique polarized and extended structures with high bioenergetic demands,making them particularly susceptible to mito-chondrial dysfunction.When mitochondrial function is impaired,the energy supply to dopaminergic neu-rons is insufficient,leading to neuronal dysfunction and subsequently triggering a series of neurodegenera-tive diseases,including PD.The molecular basis of PD pathogenesis often involves abnormalities in pro-teins that maintain mitochondrial homeostasis.These proteins play crucial roles in sustaining mitochondri-al function,and any functional abnormalities or genetic mutations can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction,thereby inducing PD.This article provides a comprehensive review of recently reported abnormalities in proteins maintaining mitochondrial function and their association with the onset and progression of PD.The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the functions of these proteins,their genetic mutations,and their relationship with the disease,providing valuable insights for the development of effective treatments and diagnostic biomarkers for PD.
7.Clinical Value of a Special Treadmill Exercise Testing Protocol as an Auxiliary Diagnosis Tool for Patients With Long QT Syndrome
Fang LIU ; Lumian CHEN ; Guoying LU ; Yao ZHANG ; Jia HE ; Yi ZHANG ; Jingjing YANG ; Xiaolei SHI ; Mingyang GUAN ; Huaibing CHENG ; Xiaohan FAN
Chinese Circulation Journal 2025;40(7):659-665
Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.
8.ADAMS-based dynamic simulation analysis of surgical robot for pedicle screw placement
Li-hua YAO ; Zhi-ming CHE ; Xiang-rui MENG ; Shi-yang WU ; Yi-xun FANG
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(8):32-37
Objective To carry out a dynamic simulation analysis on the surgical process of the surgical robot for pedicle screw placement so as to enhance the safety of the procedure.Methods Firstly,the process of pedicle screw placement were analyzed to determine the three typical force conditions during pedicle screw track drilling including no-load condition,bone layer switching condition and spine dynamic displacement condition.Secondly,a virtual protype model of the surgical robot for pedicle screw placement was constructed with the automated dynamic analysis of mechanical systems(ADAMS).Finally,the dynamic characteristics of the surgical robot were simulated and analyzed with considerations on the three typical force conditions.Results The driving torque of the robot joints was sensitive to the load applied to the end of the opener mechanism under a wide range of operating conditions.Conclusion The surgical robot meets the requirements for pedicle screw placment,and a new idea is provided for enhancing the accuracy of pedicle screw placement.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(8):32-37]
9.Association between hypertension subtypes and risk for all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in the elderly in communities of Beijing
Rongrong LI ; Shengshu WANG ; Haowei LI ; Shimin CHEN ; Junhan YANG ; Huaihao LI ; Yueting SHI ; Yinghui BAO ; Shengyan DU ; Wenchang WANG ; Jianhua WANG ; Xianghua FANG ; Hongbing YANG ; Ding MA ; Shanshan YANG ; Miao LIU ; Yao HE
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(3):366-375
Objective:To study the association between subtypes of hypertension and risk for all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortalities in the elderly in communities of Beijing.Methods:The data were collected from the Beijing Healthy Aging Cohort Study. The elderly in 5 urban areas (former Xicheng, former Xuanwu, Fangshan, Haidian and Tongzhou) and 4 rural areas (Yanqing, Miyun, Huairou and Daxing) in Beijing were selected as the study subjects by multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. The baseline survey was conducted from July 2009 to September 2015. The follow-up was conducted until March 31, 2021, and a total of 6 326 participants were enrolled. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the association of SBP, DBP, normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, simple systolic hypertension, simple diastolic hypertension and systolic diastolic hypertension with all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality.Results:By March 31, 2021, the median follow-up time was 6.30 years, the all-cause mortality density was 201.67/10 000 person-years, and the cardio-cerebrovascular mortality density was 90.20/10 000 person-years. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that the risk for all-cause mortality increased by 5.6% ( HR=1.056, 95% CI: 1.020-1.092), and the risk for cardio-cerebrovasculvar mortality increased by 12.5% ( HR=1.125, 95% CI: 1.071-1.182) for every 10 mmHg increase in SBP. The risk for all-cause mortality increased by 8.6% ( HR=1.086, 95% CI: 1.023-1.152), and the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality increased by 19.9% ( HR=1.199, 95% CI: 1.101-1.306) for every 10 mmHg increase in DBP. Compared with the normal blood pressure group, the risk for all-cause mortality increased by 64.8% ( HR=1.648, 95% CI: 1.049-2.591) and the risk for cardio- cerebrovascular mortality increased by 112.8% ( HR=2.128, 95% CI: 1.069-4.233) in the simple diastolic hypertension group. The risk for all-cause mortality increased by 34.4% ( HR=1.344, 95% CI: 1.023-1.467) and the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality increased by 111.3% ( HR=2.113, 95% CI: 1.384-3.225) in the systolic-diastolic hypertension group. Conclusions:In the elderly in communities of Beijing, beside systolic-diastolic hypertension. It is necessary to pay close attention to the simple diastolic hypertension, which has lower prevalence, and give targeted prevention and treatment.
10.Association of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and cardiovascular health score with cardio-cerebrovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in urban elderly residents in Beijing
Junhan YANG ; Haowei LI ; Shimin CHEN ; Rongrong LI ; Huaihao LI ; Yueting SHI ; Yinghui BAO ; Shengyan DU ; Wenchang WANG ; Shanshan YANG ; Jianhua WANG ; Xianghua FANG ; Hongbing YANG ; Ding MA ; Shengshu WANG ; Miao LIU ; Yao HE
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(3):385-392
Objective:To investigate the association of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in normal range and cardiovascular health (CVH) score with cardio-cerebroascular and all-cause mortality in urban elderly residents in Beijing.Methods:Based on Beijing Healthy Aging Cohort Study, data from 1 817 elderly participants with normal UACR were analyzed, and UACR was used as both continuous and categorical variable. "Life's Essential 8" was used to develop a CVH score. Statistical analysis was performed by using software SPSS 26.0 and R 4.2.1, including two independent samples t-test, χ2 test and non-parametric test. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models stratified by CVH score and the restricted cubic spline were used to analyse the association of UACR with the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality. Results:By March 31, 2021, the median follow-up time M ( Q1, Q3) was 11.28 (10.84, 11.36) years, a total of 308 deaths were recorded during follow-up, and the mortality density was 163.87/10 000 person-years. The age of the participants was (71.4±6.6) years, and 1 070 participants were women. The results showed that the risk for both cardio-cerebrovascular disease and all-cause mortality decreased with the decrease of UACR in the low CVH score group ( HR=0.500, 95% CI: 0.341-0.734; HR=0.793, 95% CI: 0.647-0.971), and in the high CVH score group, there was a decreasing trend in the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality with the decrease of UACR ( HR=0.665, 95% CI: 0.447-0.990). Compared with the participants with low CVH score and higher UACR, the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality decreased by 68.9% and 45.6%, respectively, in the participants with high CVH score and lower UACR ( HR=0.311, 95% CI: 0.131-0.739; HR=0.544, 95% CI: 0.360-0.822), and the risk for all-cause mortality decreased by 26.7% in the participants with high CVH score and higher UACR ( HR=0.733, 95% CI: 0.542-0.993). Conclusions:In urban elderly residents in Beijing, higher UACR were associated with a significantly increased risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality, and in the low-CVH score group, decreased UACR was protective factor against cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality. The combined effect of cardiovascular health status and normal UACR had a greater protection against the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality.

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