[Mammary myofibroblastoma: a clinicopathological analysis of fifteen cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of breast myofibroblastoma. Methods: The clinicopathological data and prognostic information of 15 patients with breast myofibroblastoma diagnosed at the Department of Pathology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China from 2014 to 2022 were collected. Their clinical characteristics, histological subtypes, immunophenotypes and molecular characteristics were analyzed. Results: There were 12 female and 3 male patients, ranging in age from 18 to 78 years, with a median and average age of 52 years. There were 6 cases in the left breast and 9 cases in the right breast, including 12 cases in outer upper quadrant, 2 cases in inner upper quadrant and 1 case in outer lower quadrant. Most of the cases showed a well-defined nodule grossly, including pushing growth under the microscope in 13 cases, being completely separated from the surrounding breast tissue in 1 case, and infiltrating growth in 1 case. Among them, 12 cases were classic subtype and composed of occasional spindle cells with varying intervals of collagen fiber bundles; eight cases had a small amount of fat; one case had focal cartilage differentiation; one case was epithelioid subtype, in which epithelioid tumor cells were scattered in single filing or small clusters; one case was schwannoma-like subtype, and the tumor cells were arranged in a significant palisade shape, resembling schwannoma, and one case was invasive leiomyoma-like subtype, in which the tumor cells had eosinophilic cytoplasm and were arranged in bundles, and infiltrating into the surrounding mammary lobules like leiomyoma. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the tumor cells expressed desmin (14/15) and CD34 (14/15), as well as ER (15/15) and PR (15/15). Three cases with histologic subtypes of epithelioid subtype, schwannoma-like subtype and infiltrating leiomyoma-like subtype showed RB1 negative immunohistochemistry. Then FISH was performed to detect RB1/13q14 gene deletion, and identified RB1 gene deletion in all three cases. Fifteen cases were followed up for 2-100 months, and no recurrence was noted. Conclusions: Myofibroblastoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor of the breast. In addition to the classic type, there are many histological variants, among which the epithelioid subtype is easily confused with invasive lobular carcinoma. The schwannoma-like subtype is similar to schwannoma, while the invasive subtype is easily misdiagnosed as fibromatosis-like or spindle cell metaplastic carcinoma. Therefore, it is important to recognize the various histological subtypes and clinicopathological features of the tumor for making correct pathological diagnosis and rational clinical treatment.

[Meteorological factors and related lag effects on scrub typhus in southwestern Yunnan].

Objective: To analyze the influence and related lag effects of meteorological factors on scrub typhus (ST) in southwestern Yunnan, to provide a reference for the corresponding prevention and treatment measures. Methods: Data on ST and meteorology in Yunnan province from 2007 to 2018 were collected. A distributed lag nonlinear model was conducted to study the cumulative lag effects of temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall on ST. Results: From 2007-2018, a total of 19 975 ST cases were reported in southwestern Yunnan. Weekly mean temperature, mean relative humidity, and the risk of ST all showed J-shaped curves. The cumulative risk of ST increased with mean temperature >23 ℃, mean relative humidity >80%, and cumulative rainfall between 20 and 60 mm or over 100 mm, weekly. Taking the median value as the reference, higher temperature (22.27 ℃, 23.45 ℃), relative humidity (80.14%, 84.38%) and rainfall (37.17 mm, 74.42 mm) all increased the risk of disease while lower temperature (11.22 ℃,14.83 ℃), relative humidity (53.18%,65.36%) and rainfall (0.00 mm,0.55 mm) showed opposite effects. The temperature-lag effect lasted for 10 and 16 weeks, respectively, with ST's risk the highest during the week of exposure. Humidity-lag effects usually last for 10 and 17 weeks. The lag effect of rainfall lasted for 25 weeks, while the disease's risk was the highest in the 4th week. Conclusion: Factors as temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation showed nonlinear and lag effects on ST. High temperature, high relative humidity, and an appropriate amount of rainfalls increase the risk of ST. The authorities of public health should implement effective prevention and control measures according to meteorological conditions.

Maxillary molar root and canal morphology of Neolithic and modern Chinese.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize Neolithic human maxillary molars from archeological remains at the Jiaojia site, Shandong, China, and compare their ultrastructural features with sex and age-matched modern locals. DESIGN: Maxillary first (n = 86) and second (n = 80) molars in 5000-year-old individuals (n = 50) from the Jiaojia site were scanned by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Sex and age-matched control groups were assigned from oral surgical patients at Shandong University. Images were analyzed for crown size, root length, root morphology, canal inter-orifice distances, mesiobuccal canal morphology, and second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal prevalence and location. Neolithic and modern values were compared statistically using Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney test at p < .05. RESULTS: Crown and root size were smaller, and canal inter-orifice distances were shorter in Neolithic maxillary molars than their modern counterparts. For mesiobuccal roots, Weine's Type I single canals were the most prevalent in Neolithic and modern first and second molars. MB2 canal prevalence were not significantly different (p > .05) in Neolithic (53.3%) or modern (60.5%) first molars, and Neolithic (11.3%) or modern (21.3%) second molars. But, MB2 prevalence was significantly higher for modern than ancient male first (p = .032) and second (p = .005) molars. Additionally, MB2 were located more mesially and closer to MB1 in Neolithic than modern molars. CONCLUSIONS: Maxillary molar root and canal morphology of ancient 5000-year-old remains at the Jiaojia site resemble that of local patients. A trend towards larger tooth size, and more dispersed MB2 canals over this short evolutionary period warrants additional investigation.

[The diagnostic value of whole blood Epstein-Barr virus DNA load in lymphoproliferative diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of whole blood quantitative PCR for DNA load of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) . Methods: A total of 694 patients with hematologic diseases who underwent allo-HSCT at the Hematology Department of Peking University First Hospital from April 2004 to April 2019 were included, and their data were retrospectively analyzed. Results: ①Among the 694 cases, 29 cases (22 males and 7 females, with a median age of 22 (1-52) years) developed PTLD after allo-HSCT with a cumulative incidence of 4.2% and a median onset time of 2.1 (0.8-20.6) months. ② Univariate analysis showed that age<30 years, diagnosis with aplastic anemia, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch, use of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in preconditioning regimens, and EBV reactivation were the risk factors for the occurrence of PTLD. Multivariate analysis showed that EBV reactivation was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of PTLD. ③Further analysis of EBV reactivation cases showed that the peak value of EBV-DNA load was significantly higher in the PTLD group than that in the non-PTLD group (P<0.001) and the incidence of PTLD increased with the increase of EBV-DNA load. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that PTLD was more likely to be diagnosed when the EBV-DNA load was >1.19×10(6) copies/ml (sensitivity 0.800 and specificity 0.768) . ④All patients with PTLD received rituximab-based treatment, with an overall response rate of 86.2% and an overall survival rate of 54.3%. Conclusion: The PTLD occurrence after allo-HSCT is highly correlated with EBV reactivation, and the higher the EBV-DNA load, the greater the risk of PTLD occurrence. The dynamic monitoring of EBV-DNA load plays an important role in predicting PTLD occurrence.

[Clinical study of Youngswick versus distal oblique osteotomy in the treatment of grade â ¢ and â £ hallux rigidus].

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcomes and effects of distal oblique osteotomy and the Youngswick osteotomy in the treatment of grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ hallux rigidus. Methods: Totally 29 patients (33 feet) suffered from grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ hallux rigidus who received the distal first metatarsal osteotomy in Ningbo NO.6 Hospital from May 2013 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, there were 10 males and 19 females. The average age was (56±6) years. Seventeen cases (18 feet) underwent distal oblique osteotomy of the first metatarsal, 12 cases (15 feet) underwent the Youngswick osteotomy. The overall clinical evaluations were investigated before the operation and at the final follow-up, included the visual analogue scale (VAS) of the pain, American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores, the motionrange of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and the first metatarsophalangeal joint space. The data before and after operation were compared by paired t test and non-parametric rank sum test. Results: The operation time were (1.1±0.2) hours and (1.3±0.1) hours, and the intraoperative bleeding was 35 (25, 36) ml and 35 (30, 40) ml in the distal oblique osteotomy and Youngswick osteotomy respectively. All patients were followed up for 12 to 46 months. No nonunion or delayed union occurred in all patients. All patients did not need to be operated again, and no complications such as transferring metatarsalgia, infection and osteonecrosis occurred. In the two groups, the pain VAS score decreased significantly (Z=-3.8, -3.5, both P<0.01), the first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal extension activity increased (Z=-3.7, -3.4, both P<0.01), the AOFAS score increased (t=28.0, 15.4, both P<0.05) and the first metatarsophalangeal joint space also improved significantly (t=17.7, 14.6, P<0.05) after the operation. There was no significant difference in VAS score, the first metatarsophalangeal joint activity and Horton index between the two groups(Z=-1.3, -0.3, -0.4, all P>0.05), and there was no statistical difference inAOFAS score (t=0.1, P>0.05). But compared with it in the first distal oblique metatarsal osteotomy, the joint space with the Youngswick osteotomy after the operation was larger ((2.4±0.3) mm vs (2.1±0.4) mm, t=2.2, P=0.04). Conclusions: The oblique metatarsal osteotomy and Youngswick osteotomy can effectively relieve the pain of the hallux rigidus, increase the dorsal extension activity and joint space of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, sink the first metatarsal head, and improve the living conditions of the patients. The results of the distal metatarsal osteotomy and the Youngswick osteotomy in the treatment of stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ patients with rigid are similar, which can delay the progress of the disease.

[Outcomes of 33 patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma treated after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Objective: To explore the efficacy and prognostic factors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) . Methods: The clinical records of 33 ALCL patients after HSCT were collected and analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the rates of overall survival (OS) and recurrence after autologous (auto-HSCT) and allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) and the factors influencing prognosis. Results: The median-age of this cohort of 33 ALCL cases at diagnosis was 31 (12-57) years old with a male/female ratio of 23/10, 24 cases (72.7%) were ALK(+) and 9 ones (27.3%) ALK(-). Of them, 25 patients (19 ALK(+) and 6 ALK(-)) underwent auto-HSCT and 8 cases (5 ALK(+) and 3ALK(-)) allo-HSCT with a median follow-up of 18.7 (4.0-150.0) months. Disease states before HSCT were as follows: only 6 patients achieved CR status and received auto-HSCT, 16 patients achieved PR (14 cases by auto-HSCT and 2 ones allo-HSCT) , the rest 11 cases were refractory/relapse (5 cases by auto-HSCT and 6 ones allo-HSCT) . There were 7 cases died of disease progression (5 after auto-HSCT and 2 allo-HSCT) and 5 cases treatment-related mortality (TRM) (2 after auto-HSCT and 3 allo-HSCT) , TRM of two groups were 8.0% and 37.5%, respectively. Both the median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were 15 months after auto-HSCT, the median PFS and OS after allo-HSCT were 3.7 (1.0-90.0) and 4.6 (1.0-90.0) months, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of survival curves between the two groups (OS and PFS, P=0.247 and P=0.317) . The 2-year OS rates in auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT groups were 72% and 50%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates in auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT groups were 36% and 25%, respectively. Conclusion: ALCL treated by chemotherapy produced high rates of overall and complete responses. Chemotherapy followed by auto-HSCT remained to be good choice for patients with poor prognostic factors. High-risk patients should be considered more beneficial from allo-HSCT.

[Evaluation of clinical outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma with chemoresistance].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) who had undergone allogeneic hematological stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods: From June 2007 to June 2017, the clinical data of PTCL patients who underwent HSCT from eight hospitals were assessed retrospectively. Results: There were 23 patients diagnosed as relapsed or refractory PTCL with chemoresistance who underwent allo-HSCT. Among these patients, 18 were identified as progressive disease (PD) status and 5 patients as stable disease (SD) status before allo-HSCT. Seventeen patients received allo-HSCT from matched sibling donor (MSD),2 patients from matched unrelated donor and 4 patients from related haplo-identical donor (HD). After a median follow-up of 29 months, 21 patients survived longer than 28 days after allo-HSCT. Hematopoietic reconstitution was achieved in 20 of the 21 patients. The median time of myeloid and platelet engraftment were+13 (9-22) d and+16(10-38) d, respectively. The 100-d treatment-related mortality rate was 13.1%. Acute GVHD occurred in 11(47.8%) patients at a median time of 22(6-82) d after transplantation. Grade Ⅱ~Ⅳ aGVHD occurred in 6 patients. Chronic GVHD occurred in 10 patients at a median of 7.9 (3.5-27) months. After a median follow-up of 29 months, 13 patients died after HSCT. Four of them died of complications associated with allo-HSCT, and other 9 patients died of the primary lymphoma. The 3-years cumulative overall survival (OS) and progress-free survival (PFS) were 43.03% (95%CI: 29.79-69.16) and 39.13% (95%CI: 23.50-65.14), respectively. No significant difference was found in the 3-year PFS between patients with PD status and SD status before allo-HSCT (P=0.133). Conclusion: Allo-HSCT can be a promising treatment for relapsed or refractory PTCL with chemoresistance.

[The usage of comprehensive geriatric assessment in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: a multicenter, prospective study].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and potential value of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in elderly (≥60 years) patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in China. Methods: The CGA results of 83 newly diagnosed AML (non-APL) patients from 16 hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin between March 2016 and December 2017 were prospectively collected and analyzed. The clinical data, treatment and follow-up information were also collected. Results: Of 83 newly diagnosed elderly AML patients, 81 patients (97.6%) completed all designated CGA assessment. The median number of impaired scales of the CGA assessment in the studied population was 2(0-6). Sixteen patients (19.3%) showed no impairments according to the geriatric assessment scales implem ented by this study. The distributions of impaired scales were as follows: impairment in ADL, 55.4%; IADL impairment, 42.2%; MNA-SF impairment, 48.2%; cognitive impairment, 15.7%; GDS impairment, 31.7%; HCT-CI impairment, 19.5%, respectively. In patients with "good" ECOG (n=46), the proportion of impairment for each CGA scale ranged from 6.5% to 37.0% and 32 patients (68.9%) had at least one impaired CGA scale. Survival analysis showed that the number of impaired scales of the CGA was significantly correlated with median overall survival (P=0.050). Conclusions: CGA was a tool with feasibility for the comprehensive evaluation in elderly AML patients in China. Combined with age and ECOG, CGA may be more comprehensive in assessing patients' physical condition.

[Clinical outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma].

Objective: To evaluate clinical outcomes of autologous (auto-HSCT) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) . Methods: From June 2007 to June 2017, clinical data of AITL patients who underwent HSCT in eight hospitals were assessed retrospectively. Results: Of 19 patients, 13 male and 6 female with a median age of 50 (32-60) years old, 12 auto-HSCT and 7 allo-HSCT recipients were enrolled in this study, all donors were HLA-identical siblings. Two of allo-HSCT recipients were relapsed auto-HSCT ones. There were 5 patients (5/12) in complete response (CR) status and 7 (7/12) in partial remission (PR) status before transplantation in auto-HSCT group, and 2 (2/7) in PR status and 3 (3/7) in progression disease (PD) status before transplantation in allo-HSCT group. The median follow-up for the surviving patients was 46.5 months (range, 1-100 months) for the whole series, two patients lost in auto-HSCT group. Three patients developed acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and 5 chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allo-HSCT. Three patients died of primary disease and 1bleeding in auto-HSCT group. One patient died of primary disease and 2 transplantation-related mortality in allo-HSCT group. The 3-year cumulative overall survival (OS) were 56% (95%CI 32%-100%) and 57% (95%CI 30%-100%) for auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT, respectively (P=0.979) . The 3-year cumulative progression-free survival (PFS) were 34% (95%CI 14%-85%) and 57% (95%CI 30%-100%) for auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT, respectively (P=0.451) . Conclusion: Both auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT were optimal choices for AITL. In clinical practice, which HSCT was better for AITL patients should be based on comprehensive factors including sensitivity to chemotherapy, risk stratification and disease status at transplantation.

[Clinical outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with FLAG sequential busulfan/cyclophosphamide conditioning regimen for refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with FLAG sequential busulfan/cyclophosphamide(Bu/Cy) conditioning regimen for refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. Methods: From February 2012 to June 2017, 21 patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia underwent allo-HSCT with FLAG sequential Bu/Cy conditioning regimen. Transplantation-related complications and clinical outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Results: After conditioning, no hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) and grade Ⅲ hemorrhagic cystitis occurred. 76.2% (16/21) patients had fever with 4 septicemia. One patient died of septic shock before engraftment. Twenty patients achieved neutrophil engraftment with a median time of 13 days (range, 10 to 21 days). Seventeen patients achieved platelet engraftment with a median time of 18 days (range, 9 to 25 days). The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was 39.5%, and 3 patients developed grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Of 19 patients who survived more than 100 days after transplantation, 4 had local chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Of 21 patients, the median survival time was 15 months (range, 0.5 to 67 months) post-transplantation. Transplantation-related mortality rate was 28.7%. Leukemia relapse occurred in 4 patients with a median time of 4 months (range, 3 to 8 months) after transplantation. The cumulative relapse rate at 1 year was 21.4%. The 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 60.7% and 54.9% respectively. Log-rank analysis revealed that bone marrow blasts ≥ 20% or extramedullary leukemia before transplantation, poor platelet engraftment and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD were significantly related to shortened OS (P<0.05). Conclusions: Allo-HSCT with FLAG sequential Bu/Cy conditioning regimen in patients with refractory/relapsed myeloid leukemia has acceptable transplantation-related risk and relapse rate. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates are comparable with those in remission patients.

The common variants implicated in microstructural abnormality of first episode and drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia.

Both post-mortem and neuroimaging studies have identified abnormal white matter (WM) microstructure in patients with schizophrenia. However, its genetic underpinnings and relevant biological pathways remain unclear. In order to unravel the genes and the pathways associated with abnormal WM microstructure in schizophrenia, we recruited 100 first-episode, drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 140 matched healthy controls to conduct genome-wide association analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) value measured using diffusing tensor imaging (DTI), followed by multivariate association study and pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that one intergenic SNP (rs11901793), which is 20 kb upstream of CXCR7 gene on chromosome 2, was associated with the total mean FA values with genome-wide significance (p = 4.37 × 10-8), and multivariate association analysis identified a strong association between one region-specific SNP (rs10509852), 400 kb upstream of SORCS1 gene on chromosome 10, and the global trait of abnormal WM microstructure (p = 1.89 × 10-7). Furthermore, one pathway that is involved in cell cycle regulation, REACTOME_CHROMOSOME _MAINTENANCE, was significantly enriched by the genes that were identified in our study (p = 1.54 × 10-17). In summary, our study provides suggestive evidence that abnormal WM microstructure in schizophrenia is associated with genes that are likely involved in diverse biological signals and cell-cycle regulation although further replication in a larger independent sample is needed.

[Progress in research of detection assay for pathogens causing community acquirerd pneumonia].

Community-acquired pneumonia(CAP)is a common respiratory infectious disease. The etiologic diagnosis of CAP remains an uneasy task. Early etiologic diagnosis is critical for proper treatment and might improve the prognosis. So, it is important to identify pathogens causing CAP in early time and accurate way with sensitive and effective method. This paper summarizes the recent progress in the research of the detection assay for CAP.

Red mud (RM)-Induced enhancement of iron plaque formation reduces arsenic and metal accumulation in two wetland plant species.

Human activities have resulted in arsenic (As) and heavy metals accumulation in paddy soils in China. Phytoremediation has been suggested as an effective and low-cost method to clean up contaminated soils. A combined soil-sand pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of red mud (RM) supply on iron plaque formation and As and heavy metal accumulation in two wetland plant species (Cyperus alternifolius Rottb., Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj), using As and heavy metals polluted paddy soil combined with three rates of RM application (0, 2%, 5%). The results showed that RM supply significantly decreased As and heavy metals accumulation in shoots of the two plants due to the decrease of As and heavy metal availability and the enhancement of the formation of iron plaque on the root surface and in the rhizosphere. Both wetland plants supplied with RM tended to have more Fe plaque, higher As and heavy metals on roots and in their rhizospheres, and were more tolerant of As and heavy metal toxicity. The results suggest that RM-induced enhancement of the formation of iron plaque on the root surface and in the rhizosphere of wetland plants may be significant for remediation of soils contaminated with As and heavy metals.

Investigation of AZF microdeletions in patients with Klinefelter syndrome.

We investigated azoospermia region microdeletions in male infertility patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KFS), as well as the association between azoospermia symptoms in patients with KFS and Y chromosome microdeletion polymorphisms. A total of 111 cases with male infertility confirmed to have KFS (47, XXY) and 94 fertile men were included in this study. Peripheral blood was drawn and DNA was extracted from these samples. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was performed to screen the partial deletions of 25 sequence-tagged sites on the Y chromosome. In 111 cases with KFS, 1 case contained the AZFb+d+c deletion. The Gr/Gr deletion was identified in 12 KFS cases and 5 control cases. In addition, the b2/b3 deletion was identified in 13 KFS cases and 6 control cases. There were no significant differences in phenotype and genotype of the 2 partial AZFc deletions between patients and controls (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that patients with KFS may also have Y chromosome microdeletions to varying degrees and that the gr/gr deletion and b2/b3 deletion may not play a role in the susceptible genetic background of azoospermia in patients with KFS in the Sichuan population.

Investigation of polymorphisms in exon7 of the NSUN7 gene among Chinese Han men with asthenospermia.

Previous studies have shown that genetic polymorphisms in exon7 of the NSUN7 gene can be used as an infertility marker in Iranian men with asthenospermia. However, there have been no equivalent studies in China. In the present study, we investigated the possible association between the genetic polymorphisms in exon7 of NSUN7 and asthenospermia in a Chinese Han population. We recruited 240 asthenospermic men as a patient group and 256 normospermic men as a control group, and analyzed the semen parameters on the basis of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The genetic polymorphisms in exon7 of NSUN7 were detected by DNA sequence analysis. The results were analyzed statistically and a P value < 0.05 was considered significant. There were two genetic polymorphisms, c.906C>T and c.922T>G, in exon7 of NSUN7. We found relatively similar genotypes and allele frequencies between the two groups (P = 0.928, P = 0.928, respectively). The combined genotypes of the two polymorphisms did not identify a haplotype associated with asthenospermia (P = 0.824, P = 0.824, respectively). Our findings revealed that genetic polymorphisms in exon7 of the NSUN7 gene are not associated with asthenospermia in Chinese Han men.

Association between methionine synthase reductase A66G polymorphism and primary infertility in Chinese males.

We examined the association between the methionine synthase reductase (MTRR A66G), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T and A1298C), and methionine synthase (MS A2756G) genotypes and non-obstructive male infertility in a Chinese population. This case-control study included 162 infertile Chinese patients with azoospermia (N = 100) or oligoasthenozoospermia (N = 62) and 120 fertile men as controls. The polymorphisms MTRR A66G, MTHFR C677T, A1298C, and MS A2756G were identified by direct DNA sequencing and the results were statistically analyzed. We found no association between the incidence of any of these variants in azoospermia patients and control populations. The frequency of the MTRR66 polymorphic genotypes (AG, AG+GG) was significantly higher in the oligoasthenozoospermia group compared to the controls (P = 0.013, 0.012). Our findings revealed an association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism A66G in the MTRR gene and male infertility, particularly in oligoasthenozoospermia males, suggesting that this polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for male infertility in Chinese men.

Effects of porcine circovirus type 2 and pseudorabies vaccine co-inoculation on regulatory cytokine mRNA expression in pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

We investigated the immune response effects of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) on cells inoculated with pseudorabies attenuated vaccine (PRV). Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of the regulatory cytokines IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p40, and IFN-γ in pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells, after in vitro single vaccination and co-inoculation with PCV2 and the PRV. We found that PRV causes upregulation of IL-4, IL-12p40, and IFN-γ mRNA expression, while PCV2 causes mRNA upregulation of IL-4, IL-10, and IL-12p40. Moreover, PCV2 inhibited PRV-induced upregulation of IL-4, IL-12p40, and IFN-γ mRNA expression; IFN-γ mRNA expression was significantly inhibited. We conclude that PCV2 can reduce the cellular immune response to PRV.