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Abstract Rectus abdominis diastasis (RAD) is a key factor in the rehabilitation of postpartum women. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Kinesio Taping (KT) in RAD treatment and abdominal changes. The medical records of women with RAD who received KT treatment at the hospital were reviewed. A total of 138 women were included and their demographic characteristics were reviewed, including data before and after RAD treatment, abdominal circumference at the umbilicus and both above and below the umbilicus, as well as the distance from the xiphoid to the umbilicus, distance from the umbilicus to the pubic symphysis. The width of RAD decreased from 4.58 ± 1.74 cm to 2.33 ± 0.90 cm after KT treatment (t = P

Abstract Polymeric biomaterials have important applications in aiding clinical disease treatment, including drug delivery, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. Currently, conventional tumor chemotherapy faces obstacles such as poor solubility/stability, inability to target, and uncontrolled drug release in clinical trials, for which the emergence of supramolecular material therapeutics combining non-covalent interactions with conventional therapies is a very promising candidate. Due to their molecular recognition abilities with a range of biomolecules, cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]), a type of macrocyclic receptors with robust backbones, hydrophobic cavities, and carbonyl-binding channels, have garnered a lot of attention. Therefore, this paper reviews recent advances in CB[n] material-based supramolecular therapeutics for clinical treatments, including targeted delivery applications and related imaging and sensing systems. This study also covers the distinctive benefits of CB materials for biological applications, as well as the trends and prospects of this interdisciplinary subject, based on numerous state-of-the-art research findings. Graphical Abstract

IntroductionThe incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing, with adolescents and young adults being the peak age of onset. Self-management behaviors were demonstrated to enhance remission and quality of life, yet the mechanisms influencing self-management behaviors remained under-explored. Perceived social support is crucial to self-management behaviors, alongside the roles of basic psychological needs, anxiety, and depression.MethodsWe conducted a two-center cross-sectional survey in China from July to August 2024 via convenience and snowball sampling to investigate how these variables influence self-management behaviors. Data were collected utilizing the structured self-report questionnaires. Mediating effects were analyzed using the bootstrap method.ResultsA total of 183 adolescents and young adults with IBD (male: 71.58%), aged 13 to 24 years old (M = 20.33, SD = 3.03), were included in the analysis. The research findings include the following points: (1) perceived social support positively predicted self-management behaviors (β = 0.767, P < 0.001); (2) perceived social support affected self-management behaviors through chain mediation involving basic psychological needs and anxiety/depression.ConclusionClinical practitioners should enhance social support for adolescents and young adults with IBD and improve their perceptions of such support, fulfill basic psychological needs, and alleviate anxiety and depression to promote effective self-management behaviors.

Abstract Objectives To develop and validate a dual-energy CT (DECT)-based model for noninvasively differentiating between benign and malignant breast lesions detected on DECT. Materials and methods This study prospectively enrolled patients with suspected breast cancer who underwent dual-phase contrast-enhanced DECT from July 2022 to July 2023. Breast lesions were randomly divided into the training and test cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Clinical characteristics, DECT-based morphological features, and DECT quantitative parameters were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were performed to determine independent predictors of benign and malignant breast lesions. An individualized model was constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the model, whose calibration and clinical usefulness were assessed by calibration curve and decision curve analysis. Results This study included 200 patients (mean age, 49.9 ± 11.9 years; age range, 22–83 years) with 222 breast lesions. Age, lesion shape, and the effective atomic number (Zeff) in the venous phase were significant independent predictors of breast lesions (all p 0.05 by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test) and provided enhanced net benefits than simple default strategies within a wide range of threshold probabilities in both cohorts. Conclusion The DECT-based model showed a favorable diagnostic performance for noninvasive differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions detected on DECT. Critical relevance statement The combination of clinical and morphological characteristics and DECT-derived parameter have the potential to identify benign and malignant breast lesions and it may be useful for incidental breast lesions on DECT to decide if further work-up is needed. Key Points It is important to characterize incidental breast lesions on DECT for patient management. DECT-based model can differentiate benign and malignant breast lesions with good performance. DECT-based model is a potential tool for distinguishing breast lesions detected on DECT. Graphical Abstract

BackgroundGiven the complexity and diversity of lichenoid vulvar disease (LVD) risk factors, it is crucial to actively explore these factors and construct personalized warning models using relevant clinical variables to assess disease risk in patients. Yet, to date, there has been insufficient research, both nationwide and internationally, on risk factors and warning models for LVD. In light of these gaps, this study represents the first systematic exploration of the risk factors associated with LVD. ObjectiveThe risk factors of LVD in women were explored and a medically evidence-based warning model was constructed to provide an early alert tool for the high-risk target population. The model can be applied in the clinic to identify high-risk patients and evaluate its accuracy and practicality in predicting LVD in women. Simultaneously, it can also enhance the diagnostic and treatment proficiency of medical personnel in primary community health service centers, which is of great significance in reducing overall health care spending and disease burden. MethodsA total of 2990 patients who attended West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2013 to December 2017 were selected as the study candidates and were divided into 1218 cases in the normal vulvovagina group (group 0) and 1772 cases in the lichenoid vulvar disease group (group 1) according to the results of the case examination. We investigated and collected routine examination data from patients for intergroup comparisons, included factors with significant differences in multifactorial analysis, and constructed logistic regression, random forests, gradient boosting machine (GBM), adaboost, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, and Categorical Boosting analysis models. The predictive efficacy of these six models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve. ResultsUnivariate analysis revealed that vaginitis, urinary incontinence, humidity of the long-term residential environment, spicy dietary habits, regular intake of coffee or caffeinated beverages, daily sleep duration, diabetes mellitus, smoking history, presence of autoimmune diseases, menopausal status, and hypertension were all significant risk factors affecting female LVD. Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, and F1-score of the GBM warning model were notably higher than the other 5 predictive analysis models. The GBM analysis model indicated that menopausal status had the strongest impact on female LVD, showing a positive correlation, followed by the presence of autoimmune diseases, which also displayed a positive dependency. ConclusionsIn accordance with evidence-based medicine, the construction of a predictive warning model for female LVD can be used to identify high-risk populations at an early stage, aiding in the formulation of effective preventive measures, which is of paramount importance for reducing the incidence of LVD in women.

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition worldwide, predominantly affecting middle-aged and elderly postmenopausal women. However, its pathogenesis, etiology, and associated risk factors remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of POP severity stages, identify associated risk factors, and explore its underlying pathogenesis to develop strategies for early prevention and intervention. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients diagnosed with POP using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) system at the outpatient clinic of West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, between January 2015 and January 2019. A univariate Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationships between the identified factors. Results: Among 9569 patients with anterior vaginal wall prolapse, the severity was distributed as follows: grade I (38.52%), grade II (60.70%), grade III (0.77%), and grade IV (0.01%). Among the 9495 patients with posterior vaginal wall prolapse, the severity was distributed as follows: grade I (90.37%), grade II (9.47%), and grade III (0.16%). Among the 932 patients with uterine prolapse, the severity was distributed as follows: grade I (85.84%), grade II (5.36%), grade III (7.62%), and grade IV (1.18%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified several significant risk factors associated with the progression of anterior vaginal wall prolapse, including advanced maternal age (AMA) (≥35 years), body mass index (BMI) (≥25 kg/m2), parity (≥2), and vaginal delivery (p < 0.05). For posterior vaginal wall prolapse, significant risk factors included AMA (≥35 years), BMI (≥25 kg/m2), manual labor, and vaginal delivery (p < 0.001). Additionally, AMA (≥35 years) was identified as a significant risk factor for the progression of uterine prolapse (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Grade II prolapse was most commonly observed in the anterior vaginal wall, whereas grade I prolapse predominantly occurred in the posterior vaginal wall. Key risk factors for POP include childbearing age, parity, BMI, and mode of delivery, with AMA identified as independent risk factors. Vaginal delivery specifically increases the likelihood of vaginal prolapse, while occupations involving prolonged physical labor correlate with a higher incidence of posterior vaginal wall prolapse. Based on the identified risk factors, targeted prevention and intervention measures are recommended to facilitate early identification and reduce the incidence of POP.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cranberry extracts: A-type proanthocyanidins (A-PACs) in the treatment and prevention of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).Method An open, randomised, parallel-design study was conducted. A cohort of 300 eligible patients with VVC was recruited from the hospital. All participants were randomly divided into three groups according to a computer-generated randomisation list. Patients in group 1 were treated with standard antifungal therapy (oral single-dose fluconazole 150 mg and vaginal miconazole suppository 400 mg at bedtime for 3 days); patients in group 2 received oral A-PACs 16 mL two times per day for 6 days based on the treatment regimen of group 1; patients in group 3 were given oral A-PACs 16 mL two times per day for 6 days and vaginal miconazole suppository 400 mg at bedtime for 3 days. Patients who were clinically cured at the seventh day of follow-up in group 2 received maintenance therapy by oral A-PACs for 12 weeks.Result At the seventh day of follow-up, the vaginal mycological results of all patients in group 2 who initially tested positive for pseudohyphae exhibited negative results. The negative conversion rates of fungal spores and blastospores in group 2 were superior to those in both group 1 and group 3. The symptoms of patients in group 2 ameliorated conspicuously compared with those in group 1 (p

Background Currently, the global ageing population is becoming increasingly severe, and the incidence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is rising year by year, which seriously impacts the psychosomatic health and the quality of life in female patients. Surgical treatments for POP still face enormous challenges.Methods The aim of this review is to discuss the laparoscopic lateral suspension (LLS) approach to the management of POP. We use MeSH terms for each topic to retrieve relevant literature from the PubMed and Embase databases. Our group reviewed, synthesised and summarised included studies.Results LLS has been widely applied in the treatment of middle pelvic compartment defects. In comparison to sacrocolpopexy (SC), the most significant advantage of LLS is that it avoids dissecting the complex sacral region and possesses simple surgical procedures. But its cure, recurrence, reoperation and complication rates have been widely discussed. Issues regarding its value and its potential equivalence in surgical therapeutic effects compared with SC have gained continuous attention.Conclusions Based on the existing research, LLS demonstrates advantages in the treatment of POP, particularly in cases of middle pelvic compartment defects. However, solely based on current clinical studies, it is premature to establish superiority or inferiority compared with SC. LLS is not yet a substitute for SC.

BackgroundShort-term poor uterine involution manifests as uterine contraction weakness. This is one of the important causes of postpartum hemorrhage, posing a serious threat to the mother's life and safety. The study aims to investigate whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS) can effectively shorten lochia duration, alleviate postpartum complications, and accelerate uterine involution compared with the sham treatment.MethodsA multicenter, concealed, randomized, blinded, and sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted across three medical centers involving 176 subjects, utilizing a parallel group design. Enrollment occurred between October 2019 and September 2020, with a 42-day follow-up period. Participants meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria based on normal prenatal examinations were randomly divided into the LIFUS group or the sham operation group via computer-generated randomization. Patients in the LIFUS group received usual care with the LIFUS protocol, wherein a LIFUS signal was transmitted to the uterine site through coupling gel, or sham treatment, where no low-intensity ultrasound signal output was emitted. The primary outcome, lochia duration, was assessed via weekly telephonic follow-ups post-discharge. The involution of the uterus, measured by uterine fundus height, served as the secondary outcome.ResultsAmong the 256 subjects screened for eligibility, 176 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the LIFUS group (n = 88) or the Sham group (n = 88). Data on the height of the uterine fundus were obtained from all the patients, with 696 out of 704 measurements (99%) successfully recorded. Overall, a statistically significant difference was noted in time to lochia termination (hazard ratio: 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82-3.85; P < 0.001). The decline in fundal height exhibited notable discrepancies between the two groups following the second treatment session (mean difference: -1.74; 95% CI: -1.23 to -2.25; P < 0.001) and the third treatment session (mean difference: -3.26; 95% CI: -2.74 to -3.78; P < 0.001) after delivery. None of the subjects had any adverse reactions, such as skin damage or allergies during the treatment.ConclusionsThis study found that LIFUS treatment can promote uterine involution and abbreviate the duration of postpartum lochia. Ultrasound emerges as a safe and effective intervention, poised to address further clinical inquiries in the domain of postpartum rehabilitation.

Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in tumor immune surveillance, with its antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, and immune-provoking effects. Regarding the antitumor effects of IFNγ, IFNγ-dependent therapies have been proposed and have undergone many clinical trials for various cancer types but the outcomes were not satisfactory. Recent studies have suggested that cancer cells develop immune evasion strategies to escape from IFNγ-dependent immunosurveillance by various mechanisms. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the effects and molecular mechanisms of IFNγ on target cells, as well as potential immune escape mechanisms of tumor cells. Furthermore, we discuss how to target IFNγ signaling and overcome immune evasion to provide promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of patients with cancer.

Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its resultant pneumonia in December 2019, the cumulative number of infected people worldwide has exceeded 670 million, with over 6.8 million deaths. Despite the marketing of multiple series of vaccines and the implementation of strict prevention and control measures in many countries, the spread and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 have not been completely and effectively controlled. The latest research shows that in addition to angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2), dozens of protein molecules, including AXL, can act as host receptors for SARS-CoV-2 infecting human cells, and virus mutation and immune evasion never seem to stop. To sum up, this review summarizes and organizes the latest relevant literature, comprehensively reviews the genome characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 as well as receptor-based pathogenesis (including ACE2 and other new receptors), mutation and immune evasion, vaccine development and other aspects, and proposes a series of prevention and treatment opinions. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for an in-depth understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 along with a research basis and new ideas for the diagnosis and classification, of COVID-19-related disease and for drug and vaccine research and development.

Background: Fractional CO2 laser (FCL) has been gradually used in the management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in recent years, but the results remain uncertain. We aimed to estimate the efficacy and safety of FCL as a novel treatment for controlling the GSM, especially sexual dysfunction, compared with intravaginal estrogen. Methods: The following digital databases were searched, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase. All the studies were limited to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Included literatures must be in English, without limitation about region and race. The pooled dates were analyzed by Review Manger version 5.4 (Cochrane Collaboration’s Information Management System, London, UK). Results: 3 RCTs were included, which involved 160 patients, 79 of whom received FCL treatment, 81 received intravaginal estrogen treatments. This meta-analysis results showed no statistical significance existed in improving the patient’s vaginal health index (VHI) (mean difference (MD) = 0.59; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): –1.07~2.25; p = 0.49) after FCL treatment. In terms of the female sexual function index (FSFI) total scores, we observed no improvement without statistical significance (MD = –0.13; 95% CI: –3.32~3.06; p = 0.94). Furthermore, all the FSFI domains showed no statistical significance. No serious complications were reported in all included trials. Conclusions: FCL therapy was an interesting and novel treatment for menopausal female sexual dysfunction. However, no statistical evidence existed, which recommended that FCL was superior to intravaginal estrogen. Our results will be confirmed by high-quality and multicentric RCTs in the future.

Abstract Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed during adolescence and adulthood. Assessment of the long-term risks of the current drugs for ADHD treatment has been insufficient, and little is known concerning the long-term therapeutic effects of psychostimulants. Commercially available traditional Chinese medicine compound oral preparations [e.g., Dimu Ningshen (DMNS)] have been widely used in the clinical treatment of ADHD, but their influence on the interaction between gut microbes and potential metabolomes remains inconclusive. Methods We used a series of behavioral experiments to evaluate the behavioral effects of DMNS on adolescent and adult ADHD rats and used 16S rDNA sequencing of gut microbes and nontarget metabolomics to evaluate the potential pathogenesis of ADHD and explore the biological mechanism of DMNS in ADHD treatment. Results For the first time, DMNS was shown to reduce the excessive activity of adult and adolescent ADHD rats and improve the attention deficit of adult ADHD rats. DMNS improved the structural composition of the ADHD gut microbiota and reduced the abundance of Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Ruminococcus_2, and Eubacterium_nodatum_group. Simultaneously, DMNS increased the circulating levels of peripheral monoamine neurotransmitter precursors (e.g., phenylalanine) and reduced the circulating levels of peripheral fatty acid amides (e.g., oleamide). Finally, the changes in the ADHD serum metabolites were strongly correlated with the gut microbiota. Conclusion DMNS has a good effect in treating ADHD, and it may exert this effect by regulating the gut microbiota and affecting metabolites in the peripheral circulation.

Abstract Background The status of vaginal microbiota in persistent high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) infection is unclear. The present work aimed to identify the vaginal microbiota of persistent HPV infection and explore the possible underlying microbiota factors. Methods A total of 100 women were recruited in this study, of which 28 presented HR-HPV persistent infection (P group), 30 showed clearance of any subtype of HR-HPV (C group), and 42 had no history of any HR-HPV infection (NC group). The vaginal microbiota and the community structure of the three groups were compared based on the 16S rRNA sequencing of the V3–V4 region. The microbiota diversity and differential analysis were carried out to detect the potential factors associated with HR-HPV infection. Results P and C groups showed an increase of Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota but a decrease in Proteobacteria compared to the NC group. The Chao1 index indicated that the microbial richness of the NC group was greater than C group (P

IntroductionProtein gelation process is of importance in food industry. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of salt concentration variation, which induced protein conformation change, on protein’s intermolecular interactions and its gelation process.MethodsParamyosin has been separated and purified from myofibrillar protein extracted from giant squid. Then Giant squid’s paramyosin molecular mass and intermolecular interactions were quantified by means of light scattering techniques. Finally, the micro-rheology study via diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) technique revealed that this conformation change dramatically affected myofibrillar protein gelation process.ResultsThe obtained apparent molecular weight (ca 2 × 105 g/mol) suggested that protein molecules existed as dimers, while the second virial coefficient A2 significantly reduced from −3.98456 × 10−5 to −5.07575 × 10−4 ml mol/g2 when KCl concentrated from 0.15 to 1 mol/L. Light scattering data also suggest that paramyosin dimers are stiff, with a persistence length of 120 nm, almost the length of a molecule and independent of salt concentration. Mean-square displacement (MSD) of tracer particles at 5 temperatures with 4 salt concentrations displayed that this conformation change had dramatic effect. Therefore, G’ and G” were remarkably altered with at least one order of magnitude difference owing to this event occurrence.ConclusionsParamyosin conformation change due to KCl concentrated enhances attractive interactions with apparent molecular mass increase, which resulted in majority paramyosin molecules (> 99%) in dimeric form and promoted aggregates formation. DWS technique revealed that the conformation change dramatic affected this process characterized by the correlation functions, MSD, and G’ and G”. This study brings forward data on understanding the effect of a major salt supplement, KCl, on the chemical physics of a major muscle protein.

BackgroundMedical informatization has initially demonstrated its advantages in improving the medical service industry. Over the past decade, the Chinese government have made a lot of effort to complete infrastructural information construction in the medical and health domain, and smart hospitals will be the next priority according to policies released by Chinese government in recent years. ObjectiveTo provide strategic support for further development of medical information construction in China, this study aimed to investigate the current situation of medical information construction in tertiary class-A public hospitals and analyze the existing problems and countermeasures. MethodsThis study surveyed 23 tertiary class-A public hospitals in China who voluntarily responded to a self-designed questionnaire distributed in April 2020 to investigate the current medical information construction status. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the current configurations of hospital information department, hospital information systems, hospital internet service and its application, and the satisfaction of hospital information construction. Interviews were also conducted with the respondents in this study for requirement analysis. ResultsThe results show that hospital information construction has become one of the priorities of the hospitals’ daily work, and the medical information infrastructural construction and internet service application of the hospitals are good; however, a remarkable gap among the different level of hospitals can be observed. Although most hospitals had built their own IT team to undertake information construction work, the actual utilization rate of big data collected and stored in the hospital information system was not satisfactory. ConclusionsSupport for the construction of information technology in primary care institutions should be increased to balance the level of development of medical informatization in medical institutions at all levels. The training of complex talents with both IT and medical backgrounds should be emphasized, and specialized disease information standards should be developed to lay a solid data foundation for data utilization and improve the utilization of medical big data.

Abstract The transcription factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) play a key role in depression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between Nrf2 and BDNF in depression remain unclear. We examined whether Nrf2 regulates the transcription of Bdnf by binding to its exon I promoter. Furthermore, the role of Nrf2 and BDNF in the brain regions from mice with depression-like phenotypes was examined. Nrf2 regulated the transcription of Bdnf by binding to its exon I promoter. Activation of Nrf2 by sulforaphane (SFN) showed fast-acting antidepressant-like effects in mice by activating BDNF as well as by inhibiting the expression of its transcriptional repressors (HDAC2, mSin3A, and MeCP2) and revising abnormal synaptic transmission. In contrast, SFN did not affect the protein expression of BDNF and its transcriptional repressor proteins in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus, nor did it reduce depression-like behaviors and abnormal synaptic transmission in Nrf2 knockout mice. In the mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), protein levels of Nrf2 and BDNF in the mPFC and hippocampus were lower than those of control and CSDS-resilient mice. In contrast, the protein levels of BDNF transcriptional repressors in the CSDS-susceptible mice were higher than those of control and CSDS-resilient mice. These data suggest that Nrf2 activation increases the expression of Bdnf and decreases the expression of its transcriptional repressors, which result in fast-acting antidepressant-like actions. Furthermore, abnormalities in crosstalk between Nrf2 and BDNF may contribute to the resilience versus susceptibility of mice against CSDS.

Abstract Background Taxol is an efficient anticancer drug accumulated in Taxus species. Pseudotaxus chienii is an important member of Taxaceae, however, the level of six taxoids in P. chienii is largely unknown. Results High accumulation of 10-DAB, taxol, and 7-E-PTX suggested that P. chienii is a good taxol-yielding species for large-scale cultivation. By the omics approaches, a total of 3,387 metabolites and 61,146 unigenes were detected and annotated. Compared with a representative Taxus tree (Taxus yunnanensis), most of the differentially accumulated metabolites and differential expressed genes were assigned into 10 primary and secondary metabolism pathways. Comparative analyses revealed the variations in the precursors and intermediate products of taxol biosynthesis between P. chienii and T. yunnanensis. Taxusin-like metabolites highly accumulated in P. chienii, suggesting a wider value of P. chienii in pharmaceutical industry. Conclusions In our study, the occurrence of taxoids in P. chienii was determined. The differential expression of key genes involved in the taxol biosynthesis pathway is the major cause of the differential accumulation of taxoids. Moreover, identification of a number of differentially expressed transcription factors provided more candidate regulators of taxol biosynthesis. Our study may help to reveal the differences between Pseudotaxus and Taxus trees, and promote resource utilization of the endangered and rarely studied P. chienii.

Background: The vulvar lichen simplex chronicus (VLSC) is a common condition in gynecologic clinics. Though VLSC is not life-threatening, it usually causes pruritus, soreness and dispareunia, which cause general discomfort. The exact etiology of VLSC is unclear. This study was performed to explore the vaginal microbiota of VLSC and to identify the possible microbial factors in attacks. Methods: Ninety women were recruited. 45 patients with VLSC and 45 women without vulvar symptom were identified as lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) and H groups respectively. The vaginal microbiota of the two arms were compared by the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: The LSC group had less alpha diversity than H group (p < 0.05) and the beta diversity of LSC group was also distinct from the H group. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSE) analysis indicated that genus Sneathia and family Leptotrichiaceae were discriminant taxa in LSC group. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis found that microbial genes related to the signal transduction, metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, transporters, nervous system, energy metabolism and others were different in the LSC and H groups. Conclusions: VLSC was associated with dysbioss of vaginal microbiota profiles compared with healthy control cases.

Abstract Background Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a conserved trimeric ring complex, is loaded onto replication fork through a hetero-pentameric AAA+ ATPase complex termed replication factor C (RFC) to maintain genome stability. Although architectures of PCNA-RFC complex in yeast have been revealed, the functions of PCNA and protein-protein interactions of PCNA-RFC complex in higher plants are not very clear. Here, essential regions mediating interactions between PCNA and RFC subunits in Arabidopsis and rice were investigated via yeast-two-hybrid method and bimolecular fluorescence complementation techniques. Results We observed that OsPCNA could interact with all OsRFC subunits, while protein-protein interactions only exist between Arabidopsis RFC2/3/4/5 and AtPCNA1/2. The truncated analyses indicated that the C-terminal of Arabidopsis RFC2/3/4/5 and rice RFC1/2 is essential for binding PCNA while the region of rice RFC3/4/5 mediating interaction with PCNA distributed both at the N- and C-terminal. On the other hand, we found that the C- and N-terminal of Arabidopsis and rice PCNA contribute equally to PCNA-PCNA interaction, and the interdomain connecting loop (IDCL) domain and C-terminal of PCNAs are indispensable for interacting RFC subunits. Conclusions These results indicated that Arabidopsis and rice PCNAs are highly conserved in sequence, structure and pattern of interacting with other PCNA monomer. Nevertheless, there are also significant differences between the Arabidopsis and rice RFC subunits in binding PCNA. Taken together, our results could be helpful for revealing the biological functions of plant RFC-PCNA complex.

Replication factor C (RFC) is a multisubunit complex that opens the sliding clamp and loads it onto the DNA chain in an ATP-dependent manner and is thus critical for high-speed DNA synthesis. In yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and humans, biochemical studies and structural analysis revealed interaction patterns between the subunits and architectures of the clamp loaders. Mutations of ScRFC1/2/3/4/5 lead to loss of cell viability and defective replication. However, the functions of RFC subunits in higher plants are unclear, except for AtRFC1/3/4, and the interaction and arrangement of the subunits have not been studied. Here, we identified rfc2-1/+, rfc3-2/+, and rfc5-1/+ mutants in Arabidopsis, and found that embryos and endosperm arrested at the 2/4-celled embryo proper stage and 6-8 nuclei stages, respectively. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that AtRFC1 and OsRFC1/4/5 proteins were localized in the nucleus, while AtRFC2/3/4/5 and OsRFC2/3 proteins were present both in the nucleus and cytoplasm. By using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) techniques, we demonstrated the interactions of Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa) RFC subunits, and proposed arrangements of the five subunits within the RFC complex, which were AtRFC5-AtRFC4-AtRFC3/2-AtRFC2/3-AtRFC1 and OsRFC5-OsRFC2-OsRFC3-OsRFC4-OsRFC1, respectively. In addition, AtRFC1 could interact with AtRFC2/3/4/5 in the presence of other subunits, while OsRFC1 directly interacted with the other four subunits. To further characterize the regions required for complex formation, truncated RFC proteins of the subunits were created. The results showed that C-termini of the RFC subunits are required for complex formation. Our studies indicate that the localization and interactions of RFCs in Arabidopsis and rice are distinctly discrepant.

BackgroundOsteoprotegerin (OPG), a key regulatory factor in bone metabolism, was documented also a potential pro-angiogenic factor, which acts an important role in protecting vascular endothelial cells. Since preeclampsia has gradually been employed to be vascular diseases, we speculated that OPG might be associated with preeclampsia. The study was to evaluate the level of OPG protein and mRNA in placenta, and investigate the relationship between OPG and the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.Methodology/principal findingsPlacental specimens from 30 term normal pregnancy, 30 severe preeclampsia and 30 mild cases were studied. The expression and levels of OPGs' protein and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and real-time quantitative PCR analysis respectively. The expression of OPG protein was found in cytoplasm of placenta cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts in three groups. There were no significant differences of OPG protein between the maternal and fetal side in each group. The OPG protein and mRNA levels in severe preeclampsia were significantly higher than those in mild cases and normal pregnancy. However, there were no markedly differences of the OPG protein and mRNA levels between term delivery and preterm delivery in severe cases. In preeclampsia, the OPG protein and mRNA level was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure and 24 h urinary protein respectively.Conclusions/significanceOPG protein and mRNA level in placentas of preeclampsia were found abnormal compared with normal pregnancy. In preeclampsia, the OPG protein and mRNA levels were closely related with its important clinical parameters. Taken together, OPG might be closely correlated with the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

The landscape of hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration in the plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of HBV-infected patients with different stages of liver diseases [chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] remains unclear. In this study, we developed an improved strategy for detecting HBV DNA integration in plasma cfDNA, based on DNA probe capture and next-generation sequencing. Using this optimized strategy, we successfully detected HBV integration events in chimeric artificial DNA samples and HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells at day one post infection, with high sensitivity and accuracy. The characteristics of HBV integration events in the HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells and plasma cfDNA from HBV-infected individuals (CHB, LC, and HCC) were further investigated. A total of 112 and 333 integration breakpoints were detected in the HepG2-NTCP cells and 22 out of 25 (88%) clinical HBV-infected samples, respectively. In vivo analysis showed that the normalized number of support unique sequences (nnsus) in HCC was significantly higher than in CHB or LC patients (P values < 0.05). All integration breakpoints are randomly distributed on human chromosomes and are enriched in the HBV genome around nt 1800. The majority of integration breakpoints (61.86%) are located in the gene-coding region. Both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) interactions occurred during HBV integration across the three different stages of liver diseases. Our study provides evidence that HBV DNA integration can be detected in the plasma cfDNA of HBV-infected patients, including those with CHB, LC, or HCC, using this optimized strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]