Incidence and spontaneous clearance of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections among men who have sex with men: a prospective cohort study in Zhuhai, China.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) face significant risks of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection. Nevertheless, only limited studies have looked into the site-specific infection and clearance of CT/NG. In order to prevent transmission, it is essential to understand the underlying factors that drive infection and spontaneous clearance. Methods: A 12-week cohort study examined the association between CT/NG infection, self-clearance, and sexual behaviors among MSM. The Willingness Service recruited participants who completed weekly questionnaires and provided urine, throat, and rectal swab samples. Results: The study involved 151 men, in which 51 (33.8%) were diagnosed with CT/NG infection during the study period. HIV (OR = 11.31), kissing (OR = 1.59), receptive oral sex (OR = 36.64), and insertive anal sex (OR = 19.73) constituted significant risk factors. 100% condom use (OR = 5.78) and antibiotic (OR = 7.53) were more likely to cause spontaneous clearance. Discussion: MSM may engage in riskier sexual behaviors due to insufficient knowledge and awareness of STI prevention, leading to increased susceptibility to NG/CT. It is crucial to concentrate on enhancing health education for MSM. Conclusion: This study found that the rectum was the most prevalent site of CT/NG and sexual behavior can influence the infection. Additionally, the appropriate use of antibiotics and consistent condom use may contribute to clear spontaneously.

Analysis of Risk Factors of Urinary Tract Infection in Acute Glomerulonephritis Children: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the risk factors of urinary tract infection (UTI) in acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) children. METHODS: It selected 175 children (86 cases with AGN and 89 cases with AGN and UTI) in Yantai Mountain Hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 for clinical research, comparatively analysed the clinical data, such as urine protein, serum protein, cholesterol, immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin A (IgA), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)), and used logistic regression analysis to screen out the independent risk factors of AGN with UTI. RESULTS: The univariate analysis showed that UTI was not related to gender, use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, cholesterol, HDL, IgM and immunoglobulin A (p > 0.05) but related to age, dosage of dopamine, urine protein, serum protein, LDL, IgG and Lp (a) (p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age, dosage of dopamine ≥3 µg/kg/min, urine protein, serum protein, LDL, IgG and Lp (a) were independent risk factors of UTI in AGN children. CONCLUSIONS: Age, dosage of dopamine, urine protein, serum protein, LDL, IgG and Lp (a) were correlated with the occurrence and development of UTI. The use of high-dose dopamine in younger children could lead to higher levels of urinary protein, LDL and Lp (a), resulting in a higher risk of UTI in AGN patients with lower levels of serum protein and IgG. Therefore, attention should be paid to such patients, and intervention measures should be taken promptly in clinic.

Improving Blood Culture Quality with a Medical Staff Educational Program: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Blood cultures (BCs) are essential laboratory tests for diagnosing blood stream infections. BC diagnostic improvement depends on several factors during the preanalytical phase outside of innovative technologies. In order to evaluate the impact of an educational program on BC quality improvement, a total of 11 hospitals across China were included from June 1st 2020 to January 31st 2021. Methods: Each hospital recruited 3 to 4 wards to participate. The project was divided into three different periods, pre-implementation (baseline), implementation (educational activities administered to the medical staff) and post-implementation (experimental group). The educational program was led by hospital microbiologists and included professional presentations, morning meetings, academic salons, seminars, posters and procedural feedback. Results: The total number of valid BC case report forms was 6299, including 2739 sets during the pre-implementation period and 3560 sets during the post-implementation period. Compared with the pre-implementation period, some indicators, such as the proportion of patients who had 2 sets or more, volume of blood cultured, and BC sets per 1000 patient days, were improved in the post-implementation period (61.2% vs 49.8%, 18.56 vs 16.09 sets, and 8.0 vs 9.0mL). While BC positivity and contamination rates did not change following the educational intervention (10.44% vs 11.97%, 1.86% vs 1.94%, respectively), the proportion of coagulase negative staphylococci-positive samples decreased in BSI patients (6.87% vs 4.28%). Conclusion: Therefore, medical staff education can improve BC quality, especially increasing volume of blood cultured as the most important variable to determine BC positivity, which may lead to improved BSI diagnosis.

A 3' Untranslated Region Polymorphism of CTNNB1 (Rs2953) Alters MiR-3161 Binding and Affects the Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese Han Population.

BACKGROUND: CTNNB1 is reported to be related to the pathological process of ischemic stroke (IS) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Polymorphism located in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of a gene might affect gene expression by modifying binding sites for microRNAs (miRNAs). This study aimed to analyze the association between polymorphism rs2953, which locates in the 3'UTR of CTNNB1, and the risk of IS and CAD. METHODS: The CTNNB1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level in peripheral venous blood was measured. In total, 533 patients with IS, 500 patients with CAD, and 531 healthy individuals were genotyped by Sequenom Mass-Array technology. The binding of miR-3161 to CTNNB1 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The CTNNB1 mRNA expression level for the IS group was significantly lower than that for the control group. Rs2953 was significantly associated with both IS risk and CAD risk. Significant association was also found between polymorphism rs2953 and many conventional factors, such as serum lipid level, blood coagulation markers, blood glucose level, and homocysteine level in patients. Rs2953 T allele introduced a binding site to miRNA-3161 and thus decreased luciferase activity. CONCLUSION: Polymorphism rs2953 is associated with the risk of both IS and CAD. Moreover, polymorphism rs2953 (T) introduces a binding site to miRNA-3161 and thus decreases luciferase activity in cell lines.

Analysis of Association between MAP2K4 Gene Polymorphism rs3826392 and IL-1b Serum Level in Southern Chinese Han Ischemic Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MAP2K4) gene acts as the direct upstream activator of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase pathway, which plays an important role in regulating neuron survival and apoptosis in response to cerebral ischemia. However, the association between MAP2K4 gene polymorphisms and ischemic stroke (IS) has not yet been published. Therefore, this study investigates the association between MAP2K4 gene polymorphism rs3826392 and IS susceptibility, as well as its quantitative traits in Southern Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 816 Chinese patients with IS and 816 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. Rs3826392 was genotyped using Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform (Sequenom, San Diego, CA, USA). The mRNA expression of MAP2K4 gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The levels of serum cytokines, including IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Significant association was not observed between MAP2K4 gene polymorphism rs3826392 and IS susceptibility in all genetic models (P > .05). A significant difference was found in IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α serum levels between patients with IS and control groups. MAP2K4 gene polymorphism rs3826392 C/A genotype carriers showed significantly higher IL-1b serum levels compared with AA genotype carriers (P = .029) in patients with IS. CONCLUSION: MAP2K4 gene polymorphism rs3826392 did not contribute to IS susceptibility, but rs3826392 C/A genotype carriers showed significantly higher IL-1b serum levels. This result suggests that rs3826392 may play a potential role in the IS inflammatory process.