Effects of SARS-COV-2 infection during the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle on embryo implantation and pregnancy outcomes.

STUDY QUESTION: Does severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle affect embryo implantation and pregnancy rates? SUMMARY ANSWER: There is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection of women during the FET cycle negatively affects embryo implantation and pregnancy rates. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a multi-systemic disease, poses a threat to reproductive health. However, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on embryo implantation and pregnancy following fertility treatments, particularly FET, remain largely unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This retrospective cohort study, included women who underwent FET cycles between 1 November 2022 and 31 December 2022 at an academic fertility centre. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their FET cycles were included in the COVID-19 group, while those who tested negative during the same study period were included in the non-COVID-19 group. The primary outcome was ongoing pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes included rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, and ongoing pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to adjust for potential confounders including age, body mass index, gravidity, vaccination status, and endometrial preparation regimen. Subgroup analyses were conducted by time of infection with respect to transfer (prior to transfer, 1-7 days after transfer, or 8-14 days after transfer) and by level of fever (no fever, fever <39°C, or fever ≥39°C). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A total of 243 and 305 women were included in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 group, respectively. The rates of biochemical pregnancy (58.8% vs 62.0%, P = 0.46), clinical pregnancy (53.1% vs 54.4%, P = 0.76), implantation (46.4% vs 46.2%, P = 0.95), early pregnancy loss (24.5% vs 26.5%, P = 0.68), and ongoing pregnancy (44.4% vs 45.6%, P = 0.79) were all comparable between groups with or without infection. Results of logistic regression models, both before and after adjustment, revealed no associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and rates of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, or ongoing pregnancy. Moreover, neither the time of infection with respect to transfer (prior to transfer, 1-7 days after transfer, or 8-14 days after transfer) nor the level of fever (no fever, fever <39°C, or fever ≥39°C) was found to be related to pregnancy rates. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The retrospective nature of the study is subject to possible selection bias. Additionally, although the sample size was relatively large for the COVID-19 group, the sample sizes for certain subgroups were relatively small and lacked adequate power, so these results should be interpreted with caution. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The study findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection during the FET cycle in females does not affect embryo implantation and pregnancy rates including biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, and ongoing pregnancy, indicating that cycle cancellation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may not be necessary. Further studies are warranted to verify these findings. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFC2705500, 2019YFA0802604), National Natural Science Foundation of China (82130046, 82101747), Shanghai leading talent program, Innovative research team of high-level local universities in Shanghai (SHSMU-ZLCX20210201, SHSMU-ZLCX20210200, SSMU-ZLCX20180401), Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital Clinical Research Innovation Cultivation Fund Program (RJPY-DZX-003), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (23Y11901400), Shanghai Sailing Program (21YF1425000), Shanghai's Top Priority Research Center Construction Project (2023ZZ02002), Three-Year Action Plan for Strengthening the Construction of the Public Health System in Shanghai (GWVI-11.1-36), and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant Support (20161413). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Local glucose elevation activates pyroptosis via NLRP3 inflammasome in ovarian granulosa cells of overweight patients.

Overweight, with an increasing prevalence worldwide, significantly impairs the clinical outcomes following in vitro fertilization (IVF). Hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic disorders are always accompanied by the majority of overweight patients. The association between granulosa cell function and metabolic alterations in follicular fluid including lipids, proteins, and growth factors has been extensively documented. However, the effects of higher glucose level on ovarian granulosa cells (GCs), remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified that overweight women had elevated follicular glucose level which profoundly activated NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis. An in vitro correlation between follicular high glucose, NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis was also established. More importantly, in granulosa cells of overweight patients, the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis induced by high glucose was involved in the dysregulation of estradiol synthesis. Our study may provide new options to interpretate and improve IVF outcomes in overweight women.

Histiocytic sarcoma of the spleen without thrombocytopenia.

One case of histiocytic sarcoma of the spleen is reported. The patient, a 54-year-old female, presented with a huge soft tissue mass with a clear border and pseudo capsule in the splenic parenchyma on CT. The density of the mass was uneven, multifocal cystic necrosis and irregular bleeding were observed inside, but no calcification could be seen. On contrast-enhancement scan, the solid component of tumor exhibited moderate progressive enhancement, and area of cystic necrosis exhibited no enhancement. In MRI, T1WI showed mixed low signal, and T2WI showed mixed slightly high signal. The pathological diagnosis was histiocytic sarcoma.

Increased expression of HOXA11-AS attenuates endometrial decidualization in recurrent implantation failure patients.

Endometrial decidualization is a prerequisite for implantation, and impaired decidualization is associated with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Coding genes of the HOX family have been clarified as critical regulators in endometrial decidualization, but the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the HOX gene family has yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to clarify the possible roles of lncRNAs in the HOX gene family in decidualization. In this study, we identified that HOXA11-AS was the most reduced lncRNA in the HOX family in the human endometrium during the window of implantation, and it was elevated in RIF patients. Mechanistically, HOXA11-AS negatively regulated decidualization through competitive interaction with PTBP1, an RNA-binding protein. Binding of PTBP1 to HOXA11-AS limited PTBP1 availability to regulate PKM1/2 alternative splicing, resulting in enhanced PKM1 and diminished PKM2 expression, thus attenuating decidualization. The pattern of high HOXA11-AS expression and impaired PKM2 splicing was consistently observed in RIF patients. Collectively, our study indicates that the increase of HOXA11-AS is detrimental to endometrial decidualization, likely contributing to RIF. Our study may shed light on the pathogenesis and treatment of RIF.

Prednisone vs Placebo and Live Birth in Patients With Recurrent Implantation Failure Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Implantation failure remains a critical barrier to in vitro fertilization. Prednisone, as an immune-regulatory agent, is widely used to improve the probability of implantation and pregnancy, although the evidence for efficacy is inadequate. Objective: To determine the efficacy of 10 mg of prednisone compared with placebo on live birth among women with recurrent implantation failure. Design, Setting, and Participants: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial conducted at 8 fertility centers in China. Eligible women who had a history of 2 or more unsuccessful embryo transfer cycles, were younger than 38 years when oocytes were retrieved, and were planning to undergo frozen-thawed embryo transfer with the availability of good-quality embryos were enrolled from November 2018 to August 2020 (final follow-up August 2021). Interventions: Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive oral pills containing either 10 mg of prednisone (n = 357) or matching placebo (n = 358) once daily, from the day at which they started endometrial preparation for frozen-thawed embryo transfer through early pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was live birth, defined as the delivery of any number of neonates born at 28 or more weeks' gestation with signs of life. Results: Among 715 women randomized (mean age, 32 years), 714 (99.9%) had data available on live birth outcomes and were included in the primary analysis. Live birth occurred among 37.8% of women (135 of 357) in the prednisone group vs 38.8% of women (139 of 358) in the placebo group (absolute difference, -1.0% [95% CI, -8.1% to 6.1%]; relative ratio [RR], 0.97 [95% CI, 0.81 to 1.17]; P = .78). The rates of biochemical pregnancy loss were 17.3% in the prednisone group and 9.9% in the placebo group (absolute difference, 7.5% [95% CI, 0.6% to 14.3%]; RR, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.99]; P = .04). Of those in the prednisone group, preterm delivery occurred among 11.8% and of those in the placebo group, 5.5% of pregnancies (absolute difference, 6.3% [95% CI, 0.2% to 12.4%]; RR, 2.14 [95% CI, 1.00 to 4.58]; P = .04). There were no statistically significant between-group differences in the rates of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, neonatal complications, congenital anomalies, other adverse events, or mean birthweights. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with recurrent implantation failure, treatment with prednisone did not improve live birth rate compared with placebo. Data suggested that the use of prednisone may increase the risk of preterm delivery and biochemical pregnancy loss. Our results challenge the value of prednisone use in clinical practice for the treatment of recurrent implantation failure. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR1800018783.

Lymphoepithelioma-like cholangiocarcinoma mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lymphoepithelioma like cholangiocarcinoma (LELCC) is a rare low-grade malignancy with a favorable prognosis. This sarcoma has a strong association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Most of these have been benign, with some malignant instances noted as well. In our case, this tumor exhibited imaging characteristics of HCC. When patients showed recurrent tonsillitis at an early age, AFP did not change significantly, and there was no previous history of hepatitis B. In such scenario, diagnosis of LELCC should be considered.

Elevated SAA1 promotes the development of insulin resistance in ovarian granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR) contributes to ovarian dysfunctions in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients. Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is an acute phase protein produced primarily by the liver in response to inflammation. In addition to its role in inflammation, SAA1 may participate in IR development in peripheral tissues. Yet, expressional regulation of SAA1 in the ovary and its role in the pathogenesis of ovarian IR in PCOS remain elusive. METHODS: Follicular fluid, granulosa cells and peripheral venous blood were collected from PCOS and non-PCOS patients with and without IR to measure SAA1 abundance for analysis of its correlation with IR status. The effects of SAA1 on its own expression and insulin signaling pathway were investigated in cultured primary granulosa cells. RESULTS: Ovarian granulosa cells were capable of producing SAA1, which could be induced by SAA1 per se. Moreover, the abundance of SAA1 significantly increased in granulosa cells and follicular fluid in PCOS patients with IR. SAA1 treatment significantly attenuated insulin-stimulated membrane translocation of glucose transporter 4 and glucose uptake in granulosa cells through induction of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression with subsequent inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. These effects of SAA1 could be blocked by inhibitors for toll-like receptors 2/4 (TLR 2/4) and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B (NF-κB). CONCLUSIONS: Human granulosa cells are capable of feedforward production of SAA1, which significantly increased in PCOS patients with IR. Excessive SAA1 reduces insulin sensitivity in granulosa cells via induction of PTEN and subsequent inhibition of Akt phosphorylation upon activation of TLR2/4 and NF-κB pathway. These findings highlight that elevation of SAA1 in the ovary promotes the development of IR in granulosa cells of PCOS patients.

Comparison of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection in severe male infertility.

The retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) for severe male factor (SMF) infertility on pregnancy outcomes in comparison with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total of 206 couples with SMF were included in the study, among which, 102 couples underwent ICSI with next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based PGT-A (the PGT-A group), while 104 underwent ICSI only (the control group). Results showed while no differences were noted in clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (66.7% versus. 69.9%, p = .64) and ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) (62.2% versus. 54.7%, p = .29) per transfer between groups, early miscarriage rate (EMR) per transfer was significantly lower (6.7% versus. 21.6%, p = .02) in the PGT-A group. Cumulative OPR per patient remained similar between groups (54.9% versus. 55.8%, p = .90). Results of multivariable logistic regression also demonstrated the use of PGT-A was significantly associated with lower EMR (adjusted OR 0.17, 95%CI 0.05-0.55) in SMF, while it was not related to cumulative OPR. In conclusion, our results showed that NGS-based PGT-A can improve pregnancy outcomes for couples with SMF by significantly decreasing EMR without compromising cumulative OPR, indicating that NGS-based PGT-A could be offered as an appropriate approach for couples with SMF.

Elevated chemerin induces insulin resistance in human granulosa-lutein cells from polycystic ovary syndrome patients.

The insulin resistance (IR) of ovarian granulosa cells from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) aggravates the abnormalities in steroidogenesis and anovulation, and chemerin is an adipokine involved in regulating adipogenesis and glucose homeostasis. The role and underlying mechanism of chemerin in developing IR of the granulosa cells from PCOS remain unclear. Plasma, follicular fluid, and human granulosa-lutein cells (hGLs) were collected from non-PCOS and patients with PCOS with or without IR. The chemerin levels were elevated in both follicular fluid and hGL samples from patients with PCOS with IR, and the hGLs from patients with PCOS with IR showed decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose uptake capacity. Moreover, treatment of chemerin attenuated insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by decreasing phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)1/2 Tyr612, phosphorylation of protein kinase B Ser473, and membrane translocation of glucose transporter type 4 through increasing Ser307 phosphorylation of IRS1 in cultured hGLs. These effects could be abolished by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of chemokine-like receptor 1. Furthermore, insulin induced the expression of chemerin in hGLs. Our findings demonstrate a novel role of chemerin in the metabolic dysfunction of PCOS, which suggested that chemerin and its receptor can be further implicated as potential therapeutic targets in the future treatment of PCOS.-Li, X., Zhu, Q., Wang, W., Qi, J., He, Y., Wang, Y., Lu, Y., Wu, H., Ding, Y., Sun, Y. Elevated chemerin induces insulin resistance in human granulosa-lutein cells from polycystic ovary syndrome patients.

The effects of serum iron level without anemia on long-term prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease complicated with chronic heart failure: a retrospective cohort study.

The effects of serum iron level without anemia on long-term prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) complicated with chronic heart failure (CHF) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of serum iron level without anemia on long-term prognosis of patients with CHD complicated with CHF. In this retrospective cohort study, 221 patients with CHD complicated with CHF were consecutively investigated. These patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of the serum iron level: low-iron group (n = 71), medium-iron group (n = 76) and high-iron group (n = 74). The overall serum iron without anemia was 13.0 ± 5.50 µmol/L and serum iron in each group was 7.58 ± 1.63 µmol/L, 11.94 ± 1.79 µmol/L, and 19.37 ± 3.81 µmol/L, respectively. Composite endpoint events were composed of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including recurrent heart failure, all-cause death, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and ischemic stroke. The median follow-up duration was 239 days. After adjusting relevant confounding risk factors, we found that excessively low or high serum iron level is correlated to the MACCE in patients with CHD complicated with CHF and that the prognosis of patients with excessively high serum iron level is poorer than that of patients with excessively low serum iron level. We further revealed the effect of serum iron level on MACCE is U-shaped, but not linear relationship. Sensitivity analysis showed that the correlation between serum iron level and MACCE is stable. In addition, according to the test for interaction, the variables that modify the effect including CRP (P for interaction < 0.0001), diuretics (P for interaction = 0.0212) and antiplatelet drugs (P for interaction = 0.0167). This study showed that excessively low or high serum iron level without anemia is an independent risk factor of MACCE in patients with CHD complicating with CHF.

The upregulation of 11ß-HSD1 in ovarian granulosa cells by cortisol and interleukin-1ß in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Our previous study have demonstrated the elevated cortisol concentration in the follicular fluid (FF) contributed to the insulin resistance of the granulosa cells (GCs) in PCOS, but the complicated cortisol generation mechanisms are still unknown. 11ß-hydroxysteroid type 1(11ß-HSD1) mainly functions as reductase in intact cells, converting cortisone to cortisol. Cortisol and IL-1ß are known to induce 11ß-HSD1 in number of tissues, but few results were obtained in ovarian GCs In this study, FF and GCs from PCOS and non-PCOS patients were collected to study the interaction of cortisol and IL-1ß in 11ß-HSD1 expression. The ELISA and qRT-PCR revealed that the cortisol and IL-1ß concentration in FF and 11ß-HSD1 abundance in GCs were elevated in PCOS patients. By using cultured GCs in vitro, we demonstrated that both cortisol and IL-1ß could stimulate 11ß-HSD1 expression. The induction of 11ß-HSD1 by IL-1ß was further inducted by cortisol, whereas the induction of IL-1ß and IL-6 expression by IL-1ß was completely inhibited by cortisol. In conclusion, cortisol and IL-1ß preformed a synergistically upregulation of 11ß-HSD1 expression in GCs, contributing to the accumulation of cortisol in FF of PCOS patients. This may lead to the metabolic disorders of the ovary.

Influence of metabolic syndrome on female fertility and in vitro fertilization outcomes in PCOS women.

OBJECTIVE: With a high incidence of insulin resistance, central obesity and dyslipidemia, women with polycystic ovary syndrome are susceptible to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our objective was to explore whether metabolic syndrome had an effect on overall female fertility and in vitro fertilization outcomes in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial in 1508 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, which was originally designed to compare the live birth rate after fresh-embryo transfer vs frozen embryo transfer (Frefro-PCOS). At baseline, metabolic parameters, including body mass index, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile, fasting, and 2 hour glucose and insulin levels after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test were measured. All subjects were divided into a metabolic syndrome group (metabolic syndrome) and absence of metabolic syndrome group (nonmetabolic syndrome) according to diagnostic criteria. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models tested the association between metabolic syndrome and overall fertility and in vitro fertilization cycle stimulation characteristics and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was identified in 410 of 1508 infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (27.2%). Patients with metabolic syndrome had longer infertility duration (4.0 ± 2.2 vs 3.7 ± 2.2, P = .004) compared with those without metabolic syndrome. During ovarian stimulation, those with metabolic syndrome required significantly higher and longer doses of gonadotropin and had lower peak estradiol level, fewer retrieved oocytes, available embryos, a lower oocyte utilization rate, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome than those with nonmetabolic syndrome. The cumulative live birth rate did not show a significant between-group difference (57.8% vs 62.2%, P = .119). Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, duration of infertility, body mass index, thyroid-stimulating hormone, metabolic syndrome group, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, metformin utilization, number of available embryos, and embryos transferred showed that the number of embryos transferred and the number of available embryos were positively but metabolic syndrome negatively associated with the cumulative live birth rate (odds ratio, 2.18, 1.10, and 0.70, respectively, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome with metabolic syndrome have a negative impact from female fecundity, and this suggests an adverse effect on in vitro fertilization cycle stimulation characteristics and clinical outcomes.

The role of androgen in autophagy of granulosa cells from PCOS.

Hyperandrogenism is one of the most common causes for anovulation in women and increases the risk for metabolic disorder in PCOS patients. Autophagy plays an important role in dysfunction of endocrine and anovulation. However, the relationship between hyperandrogenism and autophagy in human granulosa cells of PCOS patients remains unclear. By collecting granulosa cells from PCOS patients and non-PCOS patients, we found that the abundance of autophagy-related genes ATG5, ATG7, BECN1 mRNA and the ratio of autophagy marker protein light chain 3B II/I (LC3 II/I) were significantly increased whereas the abundance of the autophagy substrate SQSTM1/p62 was decreased in ovarian granulosa cells from PCOS patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that BECN1 mRNA abundance in human granulosa cells positively correlated with the basal level of serum total testosterone and androgen up-regulated the abundance of BECN1 mRNA and the ratio of LC3II/LC3I in a dose-dependent manner in cultured granulosa cells. These observations indicated that androgen-induced activation of autophagy may play an important role in the development of PCOS and to explore the autophagy mechanisms involved in PCOS yield new insight into the pathophysiology and therapy of the disorder.

Metabolomic variation in wild and cultured cordyceps and mycelia of Isaria cicadae.

Isaria cicadae is one of the fungi used in traditional Chinese medicine with the longest tradition. It is used not only as a herbal medicine but also as a health food in Asia, together with cultured cordyceps and mycelia of the fungus used as substitute. However, the differences in their metabolite are unknown. Using a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)-based metabolomic method, we found that the fungus varies in its metabolism during growth on wild insects, artificially raised insects and artificial medium. There were 109 discriminatory metabolites detected in the samples by orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis and one-way ANOVA. High level of nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) only existed in the insect portions of the wild cordyceps (WI) and cultured cordyceps (CI), revealing that immunostimulation of the host insects enhanced the synthesis of NRPs in the fungus. The finding of a significantly higher level of sphingolipids in both the insect portions (WI, CI) and the coremia of the wild cordyceps (WC) and cultured cordyceps (CC) but not in cultured mycelia (CM) of I. cicadae implies that the immunostimulation of the live insects can induce the fungus to produce more sphingolipids, and this enhanced ability is probably heritable. Apart from NRPs and sphingolipids, the insect portions also contained higher levels of bioactive compounds such as lateritin, anisomycin, streptimidone and ustiloxins. In contrast, the coremium groups (WC, CC) and CM contained 10-fold less NRP but much higher levels of sanative metabolites such as tocotrienol, 3'-deoxy-hanasanagin, γ-aminobutyric acid and phospholipids than the insect portions. The significantly higher content of antioxidants in WC, CC and CM than in WI and CI suggests that environmental oxygen has a significant effect on the metabolites. The temperature stress which the wild cordyceps encounters during growth is responsible for the relatively high content of trehalose. These findings indicate that the immunity of the host insect and growth environment have a strong impact on the metabolomic variation in Isaria cicadae. The variation in metabolites suggests differential utilization value for the insect portions, coremia and mycelia of the fungus.

A comparative study of the effects of palm olein, cocoa butter and extra virgin olive oil on lipid profile, including low-density lipoprotein subfractions in young healthy Chinese people.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of palm olein (POL), cocoa butter (CB) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) on the lipid profile and low-density lipoprotein subfractions in a young, healthy Chinese population. After screening, 72 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups, and an 18-week randomized crossover trial was conducted. The first phase was a 2-week run-in period, followed by three phases of the 4-week experimental periods with a 2-week washout period between experimental periods. Three groups of subjects alternately consumed a Chinese diet enriched with the different test oils. The various indices of subjects were collected before and after each experimental period. Sixty-seven subjects completed the study, and there were no significant differences in conventional indices amongst the three groups at the beginning of the three experimental periods (p > .05). Each test oil accounted for approximately 40% of total fat intake and approximately 11.3% of the total energy supply. After controlling for dietary interventions, only the serum triglyceride level of the POL-Diet was significantly lower than that of the EVOO-Diet (p = .034), and most indices did not significantly differ amongst the three test oil diets (p > .05). POL, CB and EVOO have almost identical effects on serum lipids.

[Correlation of serum low density lipoprotein subfractions with routine lipid profile and physical indices in medical students from a university in 2016].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation among the serum low density lipoprotein subfractions, lipoprotein a and other routine indices. METHODS: Medical students who didn 't experience cardiovascular events were recruited at a university in Nanjing City, their physical indicators were measured( including height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference) and fasting blood was collected to detect the seven items of serum lipid. Lipoprint system was used to detect low density lipoprotein subfractions, the correlation among the indices was analyzed ultimately. RESULTS: A total of 84 students( 40 male and 44 female) at the age of 20-29 were enrolled in the study. Levels of body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, very low density lipoprotein, small dense low density lipoprotein in male were significantly higher than those in female, while levels ofhigh density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A1, intermediate density lipoprotein and mean low density lipoprotein size in male were significantly lower than those in female( P < 0. 05). In this population, the abnormal rate of lipoprotein a reached 27. 4% and was only significantly positively correlated with high density lipoprotein( r = 0. 265, P = 0. 015), and the mean low density lipoprotein size was significantly negatively correlated with waist-to-hip ratio, triglyceride and small dense low density lipoprotein etc. ( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Male medical students have more risk factors of angiocardiopathy than young women, and the abnormal rate of serum lipoprotein a in medical students is higher.