Search

MicroRNA (miR)-204 is known to be associated with several different diseases. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has the highest incidence rate among the endocrine disorders in females between the ages of 18 and 44. We aimed to illustrate the miR-204 functionin PCOS. MiR-204 expression levels intissue and cell were examined through RT-qPCR. Colony formation assay and MTT assay were applied to detect the cell viability. Flow cytometry was employed to examine the apoptosis and cell cycle in cells. RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase reporter assay were provided to demonstrate the direct interaction between translationally controlled tumor protein (TPT1) and miR-204. The expression of miR-204 was declined in KGN cells and ovarian cortex tissues of PCOS patients. MiR-204 enhanced the colony formation capacity and cell proliferation in KGN cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis were also influenced by miR-204. Since miR-204 has direct interaction with TPT1, TPT1 overexpression suppressed the miR-204-induced apoptosis and cell cycle alteration in KGN cells. MiR-204 inhibits the cell viability and induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by directly interacting with TPT1, indicating a role of miR-204 to be a potential target in the PCOS patients. Key words: polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian granulosa cells, miR-204, TPT1. Le microARN (miR)-204 est connu pour son association à différentes maladies. Le syndrome des ovaires polykystiques (SOPK) est un des troubles endocriniens au taux d'incidence le plus élevé chez les femmes de 18 à 44 ans. Les auteurs avaient pour objectif d'examiner la fonction du miR-204 dans le SOPK. Les niveaux d'expression du miR-204 dans les tissus et les cellules ont été déterminés par RT-qPCR. Un test de formation de colonies et un dosage au MTT ont été réalisés pour établir la viabilité cellulaire. La cytométrie en flux a été utilisée pour examiner l'apoptose et le cycle cellulaire. Une immunoprécipitation des protéines de liaison à l'ARN et un dosage de l'activité du gène rapporteur luciférase ont été réalisés pour démontrer l'interaction directe de TPT1 (translationally controlled tumour protein) et du miR-204. L'expression du miR-204 diminuait dans les cellules KGN et le cortex ovarien de patientes atteintes du SOPK. Le miR-204 augmentait la capacité de formation de colonies et la prolifération des cellules KGN. Le cycle cellulaire et l'apoptose étaient aussi influencés par le miR-204. Puisque le miR-204 interagissait directement avec TPT1, la surexpression de TPT1 réprimait l'apoptose induite par le miR-204 et les perturbations du cycle cellulaire des KGN. Le miR-204 inhibe la viabilité cellulaire et induit l'apoptose et l'arrêt du cycle cellulaire en interagissant directement avec TPT1, ce qui suggère qu'il pourrait agir comme cible potentielle chez les patientes atteintes du SOPK. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés: syndrome des ovaires polykystiques, cellules de la granulosa, miR-204, TPT1., Introduction Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which has the highest incidence rate among the endocrine disorders in reproductive-aged females (Fux Otta et al. 2013), is the most common reason for poor [...]

Introduction: Mutations in the Parkin gene are the most common cause of autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the quality of life (QoL) in Parkin-related PD. Here, we investigated the patterns of QoL in newly diagnosed Parkin-related PD patients.Methods: Newly diagnosed PD patients (diagnosis made within 12 months) who had an age of onset (AOO) below 40 and underwent a PD-related genetic testing, were recruited (n = 148). Among them, 24 patients carried bi-allelic variants in Parkin (PD-Parkin) and 24 patients did not have any known causative PD mutations, or risk variants (GU-EOPD). The clinical materials, relevant factors and determinants of QoL were analyzed.Results: PD-Parkin patients had a younger AOO (p = 0.003) and longer disease duration (p = 0.005). After adjustment for AOO and disease duration, more dystonia (p = 0.034), and worse scores of non-motor symptoms including Beck depression inventory (BDI, p = 0.035), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS, p = 0.044), and subdomains of depression/anxiety (p = 0.015) and sleep disorders (p = 0.005) in Non-motor symptoms questionnaire, were found in PD-Parkin comparing with GU-EOPD. PD-Parkin patients had poorer QoL (adjusted p = 0.045), especially in the mobility (adjusted p = 0.025), emotional well-being (adjusted p = 0.015) and bodily discomfort dimensions (adjusted p = 0.016). BDI scores (p = 0.005) and ESS scores (p = 0.047) were significant determinants of QoL in PD-Parkin.Conclusion: Newly diagnosed PD-Parkin patients showed worse QoL. More depression and excessive daytime sleepiness predicted worse QoL. For clinicians, management of depression and excessive daytime sleepiness is suggested to better improve QoL in patients with Parkin mutations.

Background. Chinese medicine (CM) has been used to relieve symptoms relevant to uterine fibroids. Objective. This study investigated the association between the use of CM and the incidence of uterine surgery in women with uterine fibroids. Subjects and Methods. This retrospective cohort study extracted records for 16,690 subjects diagnosed with a uterine fibroid between 2000 and 2003 from the National Health Insurance reimbursement database. The risk factors for surgery were examined via Cox proportional hazard analysis, and the difference in incidence of surgery between CM users and nonusers was compared using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) derived from Poisson's models. Results. After an average follow-up period of 4.5 years, the cumulative incidence of uterine surgery was significantly lower in CM users than CM nonusers (P < 0.0001). Compared to CM nonusers, CM users were more unlikely to undergo uterine surgery (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.17, 0.19). The incidence of surgery in CM users was dramatically different from that for CM nonusers (IRR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.18). Conclusion. The risk of uterine surgery among fibroid patients who used CM was significantly decreased, implying an effective treatment of fibroid-related symptoms provided by CM.

This study aimed to adapt and validate the Knee Osteoarthritis Fears and Beliefs Questionnaire (KOFBeQ) for Chinese patients, thereby advancing the understanding of fear-avoidance behaviors. Adopting a cross-sectional design, data were collected for 241 subjects (78.8% women; mean age 68.0 ± 7.8 years) across various healthcare settings in Hong Kong. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in an 11-item questionnaire with three distinct subscales, covering fears and beliefs related to physicians and disease (six items), daily living activities (three items), and sports and leisure activities (two items). The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.86, indicating strong internal consistency. The questionnaire exhibited favorable convergent validity. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a good model fit. Test–retest reliability analysis indicated a high intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.88, 0.96), and a Bland–Altman plot revealed a slight bias in two measurements (0.97 [0.19]) without a systematic trend. The adapted Chinese version of the KOFBeQ demonstrated robust psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability, providing an effective tool for surveying Chinese patients with knee osteoarthritis. These findings offer valuable insights for clinicians and patients, aiding in informed decision-making and improved rehabilitation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]