Decreased lipid levels in adult with congenital heart disease: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic disorders were a health problem for many adults with congenital heart disease, however, the differences in metabolic syndrome-related metabolite levels in adults with congenital heart disease compared to the healthy population were unknown. METHODS: We collected 18 studies reporting metabolic syndrome-associated metabolite levels in patients with congenital heart disease. Data from different studies were combined under a random-effects model using Cohen's d values. RESULTS: The results found that the levels of total cholesterol (Cohen's d -0.68, 95% CI: -0.91 to -0.45), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Cohen's d -0.63, 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.37), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Cohen's d -0.32, 95% CI: -0.54 to -0.10) were significantly lower in congenital heart disease patients compared with controls. Congenital heart disease patients also had a lower body mass index (Cohen's d -0.27, 95% CI: -0.42 to -0.12) compared with controls. On the contrary, congenital heart disease patients had higher levels of hemoglobin A1c (Cohen's d 0.93, 95% CI: 0.17 to 1.70) than controls. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in triglyceride (Cohen's d 0.07, 95% CI: -0.09 to 0.23), blood glucose (Cohen's d -0.12, 95% CI: -0.94 to 0.70) levels, systolic (Cohen's d 0.07, 95% CI: -0.30 to 0.45) and diastolic blood pressure (Cohen's d -0.10, 95% CI: -0.39 to 0.19) between congenital heart disease patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The lipid levels in patients with congenital heart disease were significantly lower than those in the control group. These data will help in the health management of patients with congenital heart disease and guide clinicians. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022228156.

Proteomic change in the upper lobe of the left lung of Beagle dogs at the lung migration stage of Toxocara canis infection.

BACKGROUND: Toxocara canis is considered one of the most neglected parasitic zoonoses and threatens the health of millions of people worldwide with a predilection for pediatric and adolescent populations in impoverished communities. Exploring the invasion and developmental mechanisms associated with T. canis infection in its definitive canine hosts will help to better control zoonotic toxocariasis. METHODS: Proteomic changes in samples from the upper lobe of the left lung of Beagle puppies were systematically analyzed by quantitative proteomic technology of data-independent acquisition (DIA) at 96 h post-infection (hpi) with T. canis. Proteins with P-values < 0.05 and fold change > 1.5 or < 0.67 were considered proteins with differential abundance (PDAs). RESULTS: A total of 28 downregulated PDAs and 407 upregulated PDAs were identified at 96 hpi, including RhoC, TM4SFs and LPCAT1, which could be associated with the maintenance and repair of lung homeostasis. GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of all identified proteins and PDAs revealed that many lung proteins have correlation to signal transduction, lipid metabolism and immune system. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed lung proteomic alterations in Beagle dogs at the lung migration stage of T. canis infection and identified many PDAs of Beagle dog lung, which may play important roles in the pathogenesis of toxocariasis, warranting further experimental validation.

Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Giardia duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in Black Goats in Shanxi Province, North China: From a Public Health Perspective.

Blastocystis spp. and Giardia duodenalis are two prevalent zoonotic intestinal parasites that can cause severe diarrhea and intestinal diseases in humans and many animals. Black goat (Capra hircus) farming is increasingly important in China due to the remarkable adaptability, high reproductive performance, rapid growth rate, and significant economic value of black goats. A number of studies have indicated that black goats are the potential reservoir of multiple zoonotic protozoans in China; however, the prevalence and zoonotic status of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province is still unknown. Thus, a total of 1200 fecal samples of black goats were collected from several representative regions at different altitudes in Shanxi Province and were examined for the presence and genotypes of G. duodenallis and Blastocystis spp. by amplifying the beta-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) loci of G. duodenalis and SSU rRNA of Blastocystis spp. using PCR and sequence analysis methods, respectively. The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province were 7.5% and 3.5%, respectively. Two assemblages (B and E) of G. duodenalis and four subtypes (ST5, ST10, ST14, and ST30) of Blastocystis spp. were identified, with assemblage E and ST10 as the prevalent genotype and subtype in black goats, respectively. One novel multilocus genotype (MLG) was identified in MLG-E and was designated as MLG-E12. For both G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp., the prevalence was significantly related to the region and age groups (p < 0.05). This is the first report on the prevalence of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province. These results not only provide baseline data for the prevention and control of both parasites in black goats in Shanxi Province, but also enhance our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of these two parasites.

The effect of telerehabilitation on balance in stroke patients: is it more effective than the traditional rehabilitation model? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Telerehabilitation and telemedicine have gradually gained popularity. In 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 started in Wuhan and then spread across the world. To date, most countries have opted to coexist with the virus. However, patients, especially those who have suffered a stroke, should take measures to avoid being infected with any disease as much as possible since any infectious disease can lead to adverse events for them. Telerehabilitation can be beneficial to stroke patients as they are less likely to be infected by the virus. In recent years, several studies on telerehabilitation have been conducted globally. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of telerehabilitation on the balance ability of stroke patients, compare the efficacy of conventional rehabilitation with telerehabilitation, explore the characteristics of telerehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation, and provide recommendations for rehabilitation programs in the context of the global pandemic. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Embase, the Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022 for randomized controlled trials published in English that evaluated the improvement of balance function in stroke patients after telerehabilitation and compared the differences between telerehabilitation (TR) and conventional rehabilitation (CR). The random-effects model was utilized to calculate mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate intervention effects. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed according to the I2 values. The risk of bias was measured using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. Results: We included nine studies in the system evaluation, all of which were included in the pooled analysis. All outcomes in the experimental and control groups improved over time. The comparison between groups concluded that people who received the telerehabilitation intervention had a significant improvement in the Berg Balance Scale (MD = 2.80; 95% CI 0.61, 4.98, P < 0.05, I2 = 51.90%) and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (MD = 8.12; 95% CI 6.35, 9.88, P < 0.05, I2 = 0) compared to controls. The Timed Up and Go test (MD = -4.59; 95% CI -5.93, -.25, P < 0.05, I2 = 0) and Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment-Balance (MD = 2.50; 95% CI 0.39, 4.61, P < 0.05) scored better in the control group than in the experimental group. There were no significant differences in other outcomes between the two groups. Conclusion: Studies on changes in medical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic also demonstrated that, for stroke patients, telerehabilitation achieves similar effects as the conventional rehabilitation model and can act as a continuation of the conventional rehabilitation model. Owing to the different equipment and intervention programs of telerehabilitation, its curative effect on the static balance and reactive balance of stroke patients may be different. Currently, telerehabilitation may be more conducive to the rehabilitation of patients' static balance abilities, while conventional rehabilitation is more effective for the rehabilitation of patients' reactive balance. Therefore, further studies are needed for investigating the difference in efficacy between varied devices and telerehabilitation programs. Further research is needed on static and reactive balance. In addition, such research should have a large body of literature and a large sample size to support more definitive findings based on the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic review registration: CRD42023389456.

Prevalence and Multilocus Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Donkeys in Shanxi Province, North China.

Giardia duodenalis is a ubiquitous flagellated protozoan, causing significant economic losses to animal husbandry and posing threats to public health. China ranks the world's sixth largest major producer of donkeys, rearing approximately 2.6 million donkeys in 2019, but limited investigation of G. duodenalis prevalence has been conducted in the past, and it is yet to be known whether donkeys in Shanxi Province are infected with G. duodenalis. In the present study, a total of 815 fecal samples collected from donkeys in representative regions of Shanxi Province, North China, were examined for G. duodenalis using nested PCR. Then, the assemblages and multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were examined based on three established loci: namely, ß-giardin (bg), triosephosphate isomerase (tpi), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh). The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis in donkeys in Shanxi Province was 16.81% (137/815). The region was identified as the main risk factor for the observed difference in G. duodenalis prevalence in donkeys among the three study areas (χ2 = 21.611, p < 0.001). Assemblages A, E, and B were identified, with the latter as the predominant assemblage. Three MLGs (MLG-novel-1 to 3) were formed based on sequence variation among the three loci. The present study reveals the presence of G. duodenalis in donkeys in Shanxi Province, North China, for the first time, which not only enriches the data on the distribution of G. duodenalis in donkeys in China but also provides useful baseline data for planning control strategies against G. duodenalis infection in the sampled areas.