Search

Background Endometrial cancer (EC) has a high latency, making prognosis difficult to predict. Cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is not specific as a tumour marker for EC; however, complete blood count (CBC) inflammatory markers are associated with prognosis in various malignancies. Thus, this study investigated the value of CBC inflammatory markers combined with CA125 levels in predicting the prognosis of patients with EC.Methods In this study, 517 patients with EC were recruited between January 2015 and January 2022, and clinical characteristics, CBC inflammatory markers, and CA125 levels were assessed. Differences in each index at different EC stages and the correlation between the index and EC stage were analysed, and the influence of the index on EC prognosis was evaluated.Results Platelet distribution width (PDW) levels were significantly lower in patients with advanced EC than in those with early EC, whereas the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and CA125 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced EC (all P

ObjectiveTo explore the risk of low-level blood group antibody-mediated hemolysis in ABO-incompatible newborns with negative three hemolysis tests, aiming to assist in the identification and management of neonatal jaundice.MethodsA retrospective case-control study was performed in 892 children with jaundice. The patients were divided into three groups: group I, ABO compatible, negative three hemolysis tests; group II, ABO incompatible, negative three hemolysis tests; and group III, ABO incompatible, positive three hemolysis tests. We analyzed the differences in clinical data, blood routine and biochemical laboratory results.Results(1) Patients in group II had higher levels of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), standard deviation of red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW-SD), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bile acid (BA) than those in group I (P 0.05). (2) Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) >359.5 g/L, cell volume distribution width (RDW-CV) >15.95%, and reticulocyte count (RET) >4.235% were identified as independent predictors of positive hemolysis test results (P

Background: This study intended to investigate the correlation between insulin resistance (IR) and coagulation parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and their effects on infertility. Methods: We retrospectively included 380 PCOS patients and 143 healthy controls between January 2018 and January 2021. Clinical data, including age; body mass index; white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (NE), lymphocyte (Lym), and platelet (PLT) counts; and D-dimer, plasma sex hormone, fasting blood sugar, and fasting insulin levels, were collected. The relationship between these markers and PCOS was assessed. Results: Elevated homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance score was independently related to infertility in women with PCOS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.825, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.091–3.055, p = 0.022). WBC (7.29 [5.99–8.59] vs. 6.25 [5.33–7.40], p < 0.001), NE (3.91 [3.22–4.98] vs. 3.36 [2.62–4.51], p = 0.001), PLT (276 [244.5–317.5] vs. 251.5 [219.25–281.5], p < 0.001), and Lym (2.51 [2.02–3.11] vs. 2.08 [1.85–2.53], p < 0.001) counts, and D-dimer levels (0.22 [0.15–0.42] vs. 0.20 [0.12–0.31], p = 0.023) in the serum were markedly higher in PCOS patients with IR. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that increased serum PLT count (OR = 3.066, 95% CI: 1.052–8.939, p = 0.040) and BMI (OR = 5.06, 95% CI: 1.166–21.963, p = 0.030) were independently correlated with the risk of IR in PCOS patients. Moreover, increased PLT count was independently related to infertility (OR = 3.380, 95% CI: 1.272‒8.982, p = 0.015). Conclusions: Elevated PLT count serve as an independent responsible role for infertility in PCOS women with IR, which indicate that PLT count might be a potential predictive marker for infertility in PCOS women with IR.

Abstract Background The hemolytic nature of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) is described as the abnormal destruction and decomposition of red blood cells, causing heterogeneous manifestations such as abnormal red blood cell volume and morphology. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) are commonly used parameters related to red blood cell volume. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) is routinely monitored among newborns. This study aims to explore the value of MCV and RDW, combined with TSB, to improve the efficiency of HDN diagnosis. Methods Three hundred eighty-eight children with HDN and 371 children with non-HDN pathological jaundice who were diagnosed and treated in the neonatal department of our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were included in the study. Clinical data collected include examination results of laboratory indicators, such as MCV, coefficient of variation of red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW-CV), standard deviation of red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW-SD), and TSB. The differences in the indicators between the two groups of children were retrospectively analyzed. Results 1) The detection rate of HDN in children in the early group was higher than that in the late group (P 163.3 μmol/L, MCV > 96.35fL, and RDW-CV > 16.05%, the diagnosis rate of HDN increased (P 96.35fL or RDW-CV > 16.05%, children with jaundice in three days of birth (especially children with TSB > 163.3 μmol/L) should be screened for HDN. A combination of TSB, MCV, and RDW-CV can improve the early detection rate of HDN, contribute to reduce the readmission rate and risk of hyperbilirubinemia.

This study evaluated the effects of defatted superworm (Zophobas atratus) larvae meal (DBWLM) as an alternative protein ingredient for juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). Six isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets were characterized by replacing 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, and 75% fish meal (DBWLM0, DBWLM15, DBWLM30, DBWLM45, DBWLM60, and DBWLM75, respectively) with DBWLM on a w/w basis and feeding them to juvenile shrimp (0.34 ± 0.04 g) for 56 days. The results showed that the replacement of up to 75% fish meal by DBWLM had no negative effect on the growth performance of P. vannamei. The survival of shrimp in the DBWLM30 group was the highest, and the weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, condition factor, and apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter in the DBWLM15 group were the highest. The substitution of DBWLM for fish meal significantly increased the elasticity of flesh, improved the total content of umami amino acids in flesh (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, and alanine), promoted lipid metabolism in shrimp, and reduced serum lipid levels. With the increase in DBWLM level, serum acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase activity, and intestinal inflammatory gene expression (IGF-1 and IL-6) were inhibited, malondialdehyde content decreased, and total antioxidant capacity level and superoxide dismutase activity increased significantly. Histological sections of the hepatopancreas showed that when 60% or more fish meal was replaced, the hepatopancreas atrophied and had irregular lumen distortion, but the cell membrane was not damaged. Microbiome analysis showed that the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes increased and the abundance of Proteobacteria decreased in the DBWLM replacement group, and it was rich in “metabolism”-related functional pathways. It is worth mentioning that the expression of amino-acid-related enzymes was upregulated in the DBWLM15 and DBWLM30 groups, and the DBWLM75 group inhibited the biosynthesis of steroids and hormones. To conclude, the replacement of 15%–45% fish meal with DBWLM can result in better growth and immune status, improved meat elasticity, and reduced inflammation in P. vannamei. However, it is recommended that the replacement level should not exceed 60%, otherwise it will cause atrophy of hepatopancreas cells.

Research on nutrition and feed development for the broodstock of the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, is rare, and a poor broodstock quality is a critical factor restricting the seed supply in shrimp farming. As an essential nutrient for the gonadal development of L. vannamei, one control diet (no phospholipid) and three typical phospholipids (soybean lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, and krill oil) were evaluated in a semipurified diet of 4% phospholipid for a 28-day trial (initial weight 34.7 ± 4.2 g). Dietary phospholipid supplementation significantly promoted the ovarian maturation of female L. vannamei. Compared with soybean lecithin and egg yolk lecithin, krill oil showed the best positive results. Shrimp fed with a diet krill oil has obtained a significantly higher gonadosomatic index, yolk particle deposition, lipid accumulation, and estrogen secretion than from other sources. Ovary lipidomic analysis showed that the krill oil enriched the lipid composition of the ovary. The “glycerophospholipid metabolism” and “sphingolipid metabolism” pathways were significantly varied via topological pathway analysis. Genes and hub genes, with significantly different expression levels, were significantly enriched in the “fatty acid metabolism pathway,” “glycerophospholipid metabolism,” and “arachidonic acid metabolism” pathways by transcriptomic analysis. Correlation analysis of the transcriptome and lipidomics showed that the differential gene “hormone-sensitive lipase-like” (HSL) was positively correlated with various lipids [triglycerides (TG), phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylserine (P), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), glucosylceramide (GlcCer), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylinositol (PI)] but was negatively correlated with diacylglycerol (DG), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), and sphingomyelin (SM). In conclusion, the dietary phospholipids, especially krill oil as a phospholipid source, can promote the development of L. vannamei ovaries by increasing the accumulation of nutrients such as triglycerides and sterols, and the secretion of estrogen or related hormones, such as estradiol and methylfarneside, by affecting the metabolism of glycerol phospholipids and some key fatty acids.

Phospholipids have an important antioxidant effect on animals. The effects of different dietary phospholipid sources on the growth, antioxidant activity, immunity, and gut microbiota of female broodstock of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were investigated. Four isoproteic and isolipid semi-purified diets containing 4% soybean lecithin (SL), egg yolk lecithin (EL), or krill oil (KO) and a control diet without phospholipid supplementation were fed to female broodstock of L. vannamei (34.7 ± 4.2 g) for 28 days. The growth performance, antioxidative capacity, and innate immunity of the female broodstock fed phospholipid supplemented diets were improved regardless of sources compared with the control shrimp. The effects on growth and antioxidant capacity in female shrimp fed the KO diet were highest. The innate immunity of female shrimp fed the EL and KO diets were significantly higher than shrimp fed the SL diet. Dietary phospholipid supplementation increased gut microbiota diversity and richness, and the Chao1 and ACE values in the KO group were significantly higher than in the control group. The richness of Proteobacteria, Photobacterium, and Vibrio decreased, whereas the richness of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased in the shrimp fed the KO diet compared with the shrimp fed the SL and EL diets. The interactions of gut microbiota in shrimp fed the KO diet were the most complex, and the positive interaction was the largest among all the treatments. The functional genes of gut microbiota in shrimp fed the KO diet were significantly enriched in lipid metabolism and terpenoid/polyketide metabolism pathways. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Fusibacter had significantly positive correlations with antioxidant activity (total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), immune enzyme activity (phenoloxidase and lysozyme), and immune gene expression (C-type lectin 3, Caspase-1). All findings suggest that dietary phospholipids supplementation can improve the growth and health status of female L. vananmei broodstock. Krill oil is more beneficial in improving the antioxidant capacity and innate immunity than other dietary phospholipid sources. Furthermore, krill oil can help establish the intestinal immune barrier by increasing the richness of Fusibacter and promote the growth of female shrimp. Fusibacter may be involved in iron metabolism to improve the antioxidant capacity of female shrimp.

To determine the response of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to different levels of dietary choline, juvenile white shrimp (1.75 ± 0.09 g) were fed six semi-purified diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12,000 mg/kg choline chloride for eight weeks. Growth performance, whole-body composition, serum characteristics and hepatopancreatic antioxidant indexes were evaluated. Meanwhile, serum metabolome and hepatopancreas transcriptome were performed to examine the overall difference in metabolite and gene expression. The weight gain, survival, specific growth rate, condition factor and hepatosomatic index were not affected by dietary choline levels. The shrimp fed 6000 mg/kg dietary choline chloride gained the maximal whole-body crude protein, which was significantly higher than that of shrimp fed with 12,000 mg/kg dietary choline. Serum total cholesterol of shrimp fed 6000 mg/kg dietary choline was higher than that in shrimp fed 4000 mg/kg choline. Dietary choline significantly decreased malondialdehyde content, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in shrimp hepatopancreas. Compared with the shrimp fed 6000 mg/kg dietary choline chloride, the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway was significantly enriched in the shrimp fed 0 mg/kg dietary choline chloride, and the choline content and bile salt-activated lipase-like expression were upregulated. The expression of trypsin-1-like in protein digestion and absorption pathway was significantly downregulated in the shrimp fed 12,000 mg/kg dietary choline chloride. Apolipoprotein D might be a potential biomarker in shrimp, and dietary choline played an important role in lipid metabolism, especially in the reduction of oxidative damage in L. vannamei. Based on the results of weight gain and degree of oxidative damage, 1082 mg/kg dietary choline could meet the growth requirement of L. vannamei, but 2822 mg/kg dietary choline was needed to reduce peroxidation damage.

Background: endometrial cancer (EC) has a high latency, making prognosis difficult to predict. cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is not specific as a tumour marker for EC; however, complete blood count (CBC) inflammatory markers are associated with prognosis in various malignancies. Thus, this study investigated the value of CBC inflammatory markers combined with CA125 levels in predicting the prognosis of patients with EC. Methods: In this study, 517 patients with EC were recruited between January 2015 and January 2022, and clinical characteristics, CBC inflammatory markers, and CA125 levels were assessed. Differences in each index at different EC stages and the correlation between the index and EC stage were analysed, and the influence of the index on EC prognosis was evaluated. Results: Platelet distribution width (PDW) levels were significantly lower in patients with advanced EC than in those with early EC, whereas the systemic immune-inflammation index (SU), neutrophil-to- lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and CA125 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced EC (all P < 0.05). ROC curve and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that decreased PDW and increased CA125 levels were independent risk factors for EC staging progression. in addition, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the combination of low PDW and high CA125 (PDW + CA125 = 2) was an independent prognostic factor of survival in EC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with low PDW and high CA125 had worse overall survival. Conclusions: The PDW and CA125 score may be an independent prognostic factor for postoperative overall survival in patients with EC and a useful marker for predicting the prognosis of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous breakthroughs in artificial intelligence technology, it has become easier to extract general-purpose knowledge using machine learning, but it is a challenging task to extract and learn small samples of knowledge in medical expertise. On the one hand, it is difficult to represent medical expertise entities, and on the other hand, the training samples of such expertise are small, and deep learning methods often require a large number of samples to complete the learning task. To this end, we proposes a graph network learning method for specialized vocabulary representation. Specifically, a contextual knowledge representation model based on graph meta-learning is proposed, which combines text, phrase, vocabulary, and other information to solve the problem of sparse data of medical electronic medical record entities that cannot be extracted and learned. In this method, a text-independent lexical representation learning method, a context-aware graph neural network, and a combined LSTM language model are used to model information from different perspectives as a way to learn semantic representations of professional discourse entities. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the method outperforms other similar methods and proves its effectiveness.