Objective:To evaluate the characteristics of vaginal flora between normal and abnormal pregnant women throughout pregnancy.Methods:Vaginal swab specimens were collected from pregnant women in the first (<14 gestation weeks, GW), second (14~28 GW) and third trimester (>28 GW) in Anqing, Anhui Province from February 2018 to February 2020. Pregnant women were divided into normal and abnormal groups according to all clinical diagnosis. The sequences of 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4) from vaginal swabs were analyzed using QIIME2 platform. The differences in the dominance of Lactobacillus, community state type (CST) transition, Alpha diversity and Beta diversity were analyzed. Diversity data after log transition were used in the analysis of linear mixed model. Results:A total of 34 pregnant women (10 normal and 24 abnormal) with 102 samples were included for analysis. The composition of vaginal flora between two groups: the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was the highest at the genus level and Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners was the top two species with high relative abundance. The dominance of Lactobacillus, Alpha diversity and transition of CST were also similar. Both groups had a gradually decreased trend of Alpha diversity with GW, and the Chao1, Observed species and Faith′s PD indexes′ were different in different GW ( P<0.05). All Beta diversity metrics in normal group had descending trend, with lower value of the index of first distance which implied a higher microbiota stability, while Bray-Curtis, Weighted UniFrac distance had ascending trend in abnormal group, indicating lower stability. Jaccard distance′s first distance was statistically differed among GW and Unweighted UniFrac distance′s differed between normal and abnormal groups. Conclusions:The first distance of Unweighte UniFrac distance in abnormal pregnant women is higher than that of normal pregnant women and the vaginal flora in abnormal group has lower stability.

Objective:To study the characteristics of vaginal microbiota in pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and to establish prediction models for PROM.Methods:This study involved 35 women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), 180 with term premature rupture of membranes (TPROM) and 255 term birth cases without premature rupture of membranes (TBWPROM, control group). The V3-V4 hypervariable region sequences in the vaginal samples collected at 16-28 weeks of gestation were detected by 16S rRNA gene next-generation sequencing. The differences in Alpha and Beta diversity, and the attributes and metabolic function prediction of each recognized species among the three groups were analyzed. Subsequently, a random forest model was used to establish the prediction models for PROM using vaginal microbiota species and environmental risk factors.Results:Compared with the control group, the Alpha diversity of the PPROM group was higher (Observed features, P=0.022; Faith_pd index, P=0.024) and Beta diversity was also significantly different (Unweighted UniFrac, P=0.010; Jaccard index, P=0.008). In PPROM cases, Megasphaera genomosp. typeⅠ was significantly increased ( P=0.017) and Lactobacillus mulieris was significantly decreased ( P=0.003). In the patients with TPROM, Megasphaera was significantly increased ( P=0.009) and Lactobacillus mulieris was significantly decreased ( P=0.002). In terms of functional pathways, sulfur oxidation ( P=0.021), methanogenesis from acetate ( P=0.036), L-histidine biosynthesis ( P=0.009), adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis ( P=0.041) and fucose degradation ( P=0.001) were significantly increased in patients with PPROM; L-histidine biosynthesis ( P<0.001) and fucose degradation ( P=0.030) were significantly increased in patients with TPROM. The prediction models were established using the random forest model with vaginal microbiota species and environmental risk factors and the prediction model for PPROM performed well [AUC: 0.739 (95%CI: 0.609-0.869), sensitivity: 0.928, specificity: 0.659, positive predictive value: 0.750, negative predictive value: 0.906], which had a certain reference value. Conclusions:Vaginal microbiota might be related to the development and progression of PROM. Studying the differences in vaginal microbiota might provide a new idea for the prevention and treatment of PROM. Functional prediction provided a direction for further research on the mechanism of PROM. The established prediction model could prevent the occurrence of PPROM and promote maternal and infant health.

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

Objective:To study the characteristics and influencing factors of vaginal microbiota in normal pregnant women.Methods:This study was based on a cohort of pregnant women established in Anqing Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from February 2018 to February 2020. Vaginal samples of normal pregnant women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were ordered by the gestational weeks at sampling. Five samples were randomly selected from each gestational week group and if the samples were less than five, all samples were included. Sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed. Dominant species were analyzed by MicrobiomeAnalyst. Alpha diversity was measured with Chao1, Observed Features, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, Faith_pd and Pielou′s Evenness. The dominant status of Lactobacillus was also described and compared. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to analyze the factors influencing vaginal microbiota. Analysis of variance and Kruskal Wallis test were used for statistical analysis of continuous variables, and Chi-square test and Fisher′s exact test were used for categorical data. The differences were considered statistically significant when the P value was less than 0.05. Results:This study enrolled 91 pregnant women (91 vaginal samples) with an average age of (27.37±3.60) years. There were 18, 56 and 17 vaginal samples collected at the median gestational age of 11.93 weeks (the first trimester), 19.43 weeks (the second trimester) and 38.29 weeks (the third trimester), respectively. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus was 91.30% and 87.67%, respectively. Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus had a relative abundance of 43.95% and 36.33%, respectively. Moreover, Lactobacillus iners-dominated vaginal microbiota was detected in all trimesters. The number of samples with high relative abundance of Lactobacillus iners gradually decreased with gestational age. Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated vaginal microbiota was found in the second and third trimesters and the number of samples with high relative abundance gradually increased during pregnancy. The Alpha diversity of vaginal microbiota had a decreasing trend during the gestation. There were significant differences in Pielou′s Evenness diversity index of vaginal microbiota between different smoking groups ( P<0.05) and in Shannon diversity index between different drinking groups ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in Chao1, Observed Features and Faith_pd diversity index of vaginal microbiota between pregnant women with different education ( P<0.05) and in Shannon and Simpson diversity index between different income groups ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Vaginal microbiota was dominated by Lactobacillus in normal pregnant women. The dominance of Lactobacillus iners gradually decreased, while that of Lactobacillus crispatus increased during gestation. In normal pregnant women, the Alpha diversity of vaginal microbiota was correlated with smoking, drinking, education and family annual income. Smoking cessation and drinking before pregnancy were related to lower Alpha diversity of vaginal microbiota in pregnant women, while lower education and higher family income were associated with higher Alpha diversity.

Objective:To investigate the key mechanism of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) inducing the expression of interleukin-17D (IL-17D) in lung cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) and promoting the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs).Methods:C57BL/6 mice were established for B16 lung melanoma metastasis model (tumor model group), and control group was set up, 6 mice in each group. Flow cytometry (FACS) was used to detect the lung CAF and the changes of its ability to secrete IL-17D and the proportion of MDSCs in tumor mice. The changes of TGF-β level in lung tumor were examined by ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Lung fibroblasts were screened by FACS, and the effects of TGF-β on the secretion of IL-17D, C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)2 and CCL7 in fibroblasts were detected by RT-PCR. The migration of MDSCs under the condition of TGF-β stimulating fibroblasts was detected by Transwell.Results:The proportion of CAF (CD45 -CD326 -CD31 -) in the tumor model group was higher than that in the control group [(28.02±2.23)% vs. (7.35±2.14)%, t=9.956, P<0.001]. The ability of CAF to secrete IL-17D in the tumor model group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(38.27±2.93)% vs. (19.04±3.16)%, t=5.995, P=0.001]. The proportion of MDSCs in the tumor model group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(12.93±1.27)% vs. (8.21±1.40)%, t=4.804, P=0.009]. Compared with the control group, the protein and transcription levels of TGF-β in lung of the tumor model group were significantly increased [(1 685.07±135.61) ng/L vs. (1 047.98±68.50) ng/L, t=5.051, P=0.002; 2.17±0.03 vs. 1.00±0.05, t=51.237, P<0.001]. In vitro, lung fibroblasts were stimulated with different concentrations of TGF-β (0, 5 and 10 μg/L) for 24 hours, the relative expressions of IL-17D mRNA secreted by stimulated fibroblasts were 0.42±0.01, 0.67±0.01 and 0.84±0.04 respectively, the relative expressions of CCL2 mRNA in each group were 0.89±0.08, 1.08±0.04, 1.19±0.01 and CCL7 were 0.53±0.05, 0.65±0.04, 0.74±0.03 respectively. With the increase of TGF-β concentration, the expression levels of IL-17D, CCL2 and CCL7 in fibroblasts were significantly increased ( F=57.384, P<0.001; F=15.802, P=0.004; F=14.544, P=0.005). In addition, compared with the control group (0 μg/L TGF-β), fibroblasts treated with 10 μg/L TGF-β for 24 hours could promote the migration of MDSCs in spleen of tumor mice [(9.59±0.21)% vs. (2.14±0.24)%, t=6.585, P<0.001]. Conclusion:TGF-β can induce high expression of IL-17D in lung CAF, which is an important factor in promoting the expressions of CCL2 and CCL7 and the migration of MDSCs in tumor microenvironment.

Background: An in vitro study on rapid culturing method of human gingival fibroblast cells (HGFCs) was established to investigate the potential use of the leukocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) in tissue engineering technology, different medical fields, including periodontology and implantology. Methods: Eight biopsies were obtained from eight different donors and a modified culturing technique was developed to obtain HGFCs. The modified 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT assay was used to compare the cell viability when the modified culturing method was used in comparison to the standard method. Blood samples were collected from the same patients and L-PRF was isolated using a standard protocol. The releases of platelet-derived growth factor-AA and transforming growth factor-beta1 at various time intervals were observed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The proliferative effect of L-PRF on HGFCs was assessed by the cell counting kit—8 assay. Results: A simple and rapid modified method for in vitro HGFC culture yielded a cellular monolayer within three to nine days after cell culture. L-PRF with three-dimensional polymer fibers released growth factors that peaked during the first three hours and continued to produce up to 10 days. The L-PRF presented a dose-dependent effect on HGFCs proliferation where HGFCs proliferation increased with an increase in L-PRF concentration. Conclusion The modified technique for the culture of HGFCs might be useful for the development of future experimental and clinical studies, besides L-PRF has great therapeutic potential in oral surgery fields.

Background: An in vitro study on rapid culturing method of human gingival fibroblast cells (HGFCs) was established to investigate the potential use of the leukocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) in tissue engineering technology, different medical fields, including periodontology and implantology. Methods: Eight biopsies were obtained from eight different donors and a modified culturing technique was developed to obtain HGFCs. The modified 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT assay was used to compare the cell viability when the modified culturing method was used in comparison to the standard method. Blood samples were collected from the same patients and L-PRF was isolated using a standard protocol. The releases of platelet-derived growth factor-AA and transforming growth factor-beta1 at various time intervals were observed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The proliferative effect of L-PRF on HGFCs was assessed by the cell counting kit—8 assay. Results: A simple and rapid modified method for in vitro HGFC culture yielded a cellular monolayer within three to nine days after cell culture. L-PRF with three-dimensional polymer fibers released growth factors that peaked during the first three hours and continued to produce up to 10 days. The L-PRF presented a dose-dependent effect on HGFCs proliferation where HGFCs proliferation increased with an increase in L-PRF concentration. Conclusion The modified technique for the culture of HGFCs might be useful for the development of future experimental and clinical studies, besides L-PRF has great therapeutic potential in oral surgery fields.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of plasmids in KPC-2-producing Serratia marcescens ( S. marcescens) isolates. Methods:Four carbapenem-resistant S. marcescens strains were isolated from four patients admitted to the hepatobiliary ward of Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University in 2016. BD Phenix-100 was used to identify the strains and detect the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Homology analysis was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The modified Hodge test was used to detect the phenotypes of carbapenemase. PCR and gene sequencing were used to detect the types of carbapenem resistance genes. The transferability of plasmids was detected by conjugation test. The characteristics of plasmids were analyzed by genomic alignment method after whole genome sequencing. DNAMAN V9 software was used to compare the amino acid sequences of the replication initiation proteins. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with neighbor-joining method using MEGA7.0. Results:All of the four S. marcescens strains were resistant to carbapenem antibiotics. They were highly homologous according to PFGE. Hodge test results were all positive and the carbapenemase genotype was blaKPC-2. Conjugation test results were positive. The plasmid was a circular DNA of 42 742 bp in length. It had the similar skeleton of incX6 plasmid and the similar amino acid sequence of replication initiation protein. Moreover, it and incX6 plasmid were at the same node in the phylogenetic tree. The blaKPC-2 was located in the core of drug resistance, which was composed of insertion elements including Tn3 family transposons, recombinant enzyme genes, △ISKpn6 and ISKpn27. Conclusions:The plasmid was incX6-like. The blaKPC-2 gene was located in the transposon of △Tn6296. More attention should be paid to the bacteria carrying KPC-2 in incX plasmids.

Objective: To analyze the genetic characteristics of a five generations pedigree with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Methods: Prospective study. Twenty family members included a proband diagnosed as familial hyperlipidemia at the cardiology Department of Xi′an Children′s Hospital in October 2018 were research object. Clinical data were collected. Genome DNAs were extracted. Whole exons sequencing was performed on the proband using target capture next generation sequencing. Candidate gene mutation sites identified by bioinformatics were verified by Sanger sequencing in the family members. The genotype-phenotype correlation of the pedigree was analyzed between heterozygous mutation carriers and non-carriers. Results: The proband was a 7-years and 10-month-old boy. He was born with a roundgreen bean size yellow skin protuberance in the skin of the coccyx. Since the age of 3-4 years old, xanthoma-like lesions with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 cm gradually appeared in the skin of bilateral elbow joints, knee joints and Achilles tendon. The height, weight and intellectual development of the child were the same as those of normal children at the same age. No similar xanthoma-like lesion was found in the other family members. The proband′s total cholesterol (TC) reached 18.16-21.24 mmol/L, and his low density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-C) was 14.08-15.51 mmol/L. Carotid ultrasonography showed diffuse sclerotic plaques in bilateral carotid and vertebral arteries, and color Doppler echocardiography revealed aortic valve thickening and calcification. Gene testing identified that the proband carried a homozygous mutation C. 418G>A (p. E140K) in LDLR gene inherited from his parents who had a consanguineous marriage and carried a heterozygous mutation of LDLR-E140K, respectively.The TC, LDL-C and apolipoproteinB (ApoB) of LDLR-E140K gene heterozygous carriers ((8.40±0.13), (6.79±0.01) and (1.95±0.05) mmol/L, respectively) were significantly higher than those of non-carriers ((4.59±0.28), (3.35±0.39) and (0.86±0.10) mmol/L, t=7.269, 4.595, 6.311, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions LDLR-E140K gene homozygous mutation is first reported to be associated with most severe phenotype HoFH. The genotype-phenotype analysis of the pedigree shows that the clinical phenotype of the proband with homozygous mutation is the most serious, and all the heterozygous mutation carriers present with hypercholesterolemia phenotype. The investigation confirms that LDLR-E140K is the pathogenic variation of familial hyperlipidemia.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of syphilis in Zhejiang province and to provide scientific basis for the development of syphilis prevention and control strategies.Methods:A descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the incidence data of syphilis in Zhejiang from 2010 to 2019.Results:During the period, the incidence rate of syphilis decreased from 94.90/100 000 in 2010 to 53.53/100 000 in 2019 with an average decreasing rate of 6.16%. The annual decreases of the incidences of congenital syphilis, primary syphilis and secondary syphilis were all obvious, which were 43.47%, 21.38% and 14.19% respectively. The proportion of latent syphilis cases increased with year. Except for Lishui, the incidences of syphilis in the remaining 10 prefectures showed declining trends. The incidence rates in both men and women showed declining trends with the average rates of 4.80% and 6.45% respectively. The incidence peaks occurred in old men aged ≥60 years and in sexually active women aged 20-34 years, and the syphilis cases in age group ≥60 years increased significantly. The cases were mainly farmers, accounting for 43.00%.Conclusion:The incidence of syphilis in Zhejiang showed a decreasing trend, but the situation remains serious, indicating that the intensity and quality of the comprehensive prevention and control needs to be further strengthened.