Research progress of dydrogesterone in the treatment of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease among women of reproductive age. It is a chronic estrogen and progestin related inflammatory disease. At present, the main treatments for endometriosis are drug therapy and surgery. In drug therapy, progesterone is listed as the first-line recommendation in multinational guidelines. Dydrogesterone, as an oral reversal progesterone, can slow down the metabolism of progesterone, inhibit angiogenesis and extracellular matrix degradation to inhibit the proliferation of the ectopic endometrium, induce the atrophy of the ectopic endometrium through the pro-apoptotic pathway, and treat endometriosis through multiple mechanisms of regulating inflammatory factors to reduce inflammation. Clinically, dydrogesterone treatment of endometriosis can relieve patients' symptoms, promote fertility, be used in combination, and is safe. This article will review the mechanism and clinical application of dydrogesterone in the treatment of endometriosis.

Analytical evaluation of the automated genotyping system (GenPlex) compared to a traditional real-time PCR assay for the detection of high-risk human papillomaviruses.

The detection of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is crucial for early screening and preventing cervical cancer. However, the substantial workload in high-level hospitals or the limited resources in primary-level hospitals hinder widespread testing. To address this issue, we explored a sample-to-answer genotyping system and assessed its performance by comparing it with the traditional real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method conducted manually. Samples randomly selected from those undergoing routine real-time PCR detection were re-analyzed using the fully automatic GenPlex® system. This system identifies 24 types of HPV through a combination of ordinary PCR and microarray-based reverse hybridization. Inconsistent results were confirmed by repeated testing with both methods, and the κ concordance test was employed to evaluate differences between the two methods. A total of 365 samples were randomly selected from 7259 women. According to real-time PCR results, 76 were high-risk HPV negative, and 289 were positive. The GenPlex® system achieved a κ value greater than 0.9 (ranging from 0.920 to 1.000, p < 0.0001) for 14 types of high-risk HPV, except HPV 51 (κ = 0.697, p < 0.0001). However, the inconsistent results in high-risk HPV 51 were revealed to be false positive in real-time PCR by other method. When counting by samples without discriminating the high-risk HPV type, the results of both methods were entirely consistent (κ = 1.000, p < 0.0001). Notably, the GenPlex® system identified more positive cases, with 73 having an HPV type not covered by real-time PCR, and 20 potentially due to low DNA concentration undetectable by the latter. Compared with the routinely used real-time PCR assay, the GenPlex® system demonstrated high consistency. Importantly, the system's advantages in automatic operation and a sealed lab-on-chip format respectively reduce manual work and prevent aerosol pollution. For widespread use of GenPlex® system, formal clinical validation following international criteria should be warranted.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Immune Infiltration In Endometrial Carcinoma Tumors and its Relationship With Prognosis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynecological cancer, but lacks specific targetable markers. In order to explore the immune-related molecules that affect the progression and prognosis of EC, we analyzed the differential expression of genes in different histological grades of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EC-related gene-expression data of different histological grades were downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases. The list of immune-related genes was obtained from the ImmPort database. In order to identity differentially-expressed genes (DEGs), differential-expression analysis was performed. The intersection of DEGs and immune-related genes was termed immune-related differentially-expressed genes (IRDEGs). IRDEGs were enriched in cancer-related functional pathways by gene-correlation analysis and GSEA-enrichment analysis. The association of IRDEGs with immune-cell tumor infiltration and gene polymorphisms was analyzed using IRDEG mRNA and protein-expression data in EC from TCGA and THPA databases. RESULTS: Three IRDEGs, TNFSF15, SEMA3E and TNFSF10, were involved in the analysis of the prognosis of EC patients. IRDEGs were not only related to clinical characteristics but could also affect the prognosis of patients. Gene-correlation and GSEA-enrichment analysis of IRDEGs showed that TNFSF15 and TNFSF10 were co-enriched in the IL2-STAT5 functional pathway. IRDEGs had a significant correlation with a variety of immune-cell types infiltrating EC tumors and were related to EC prognosis. IRDEG mRNA- and protein-expression levels were increased in EC compared to normal tissues. CONCLUSION: TNFSF15, SEMA3E and TNFSF10 may regulate the progression and prognosis of EC patients by affecting immune-cell infiltration of EC tumors.

The single-cell and spatial transcriptional landscape of human gastrulation and early brain development.

The emergence of the three germ layers and the lineage-specific precursor cells orchestrating organogenesis represent fundamental milestones during early embryonic development. We analyzed the transcriptional profiles of over 400,000 cells from 14 human samples collected from post-conceptional weeks (PCW) 3 to 12 to delineate the dynamic molecular and cellular landscape of early gastrulation and nervous system development. We described the diversification of cell types, the spatial patterning of neural tube cells, and the signaling pathways likely involved in transforming epiblast cells into neuroepithelial cells and then into radial glia. We resolved 24 clusters of radial glial cells along the neural tube and outlined differentiation trajectories for the main classes of neurons. Lastly, we identified conserved and distinctive features across species by comparing early embryonic single-cell transcriptomic profiles between humans and mice. This comprehensive atlas sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying gastrulation and early human brain development.

Preliminary establishment and validation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for convenient screening of 13 types of high-risk human papillomaviruses in cervical secretions.

BACKGROUND: The detection of human papillomaviruses (HPV) is a well-recognized strategy in early screening and prevention of cervical cancer. However, it's hard to carry out in undeveloped area because the sophisticated equipment that required in traditional methods is usually unavailable. To overcome this situation, we aim to establish a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method, which is simple and reliable for on-site detection of HPV. METHODS: At least 3 sets of LAMP primers for each of the 13 types of high risk HPV were designed. After preliminary validation, the candidate primers were used in the detection of clinical samples and the results were head-to-head compared with a clinically approved real-time PCR assay. The performance of the LAMP method was assessed by kappa concordance test. RESULTS: Cervical secretions samples from 1412 patients were included, with 224 samples were used in the preliminary screening of the LAMP primers and the other 1188 samples were used in the verification. Compared with real-time PCR method, the specificity of our LAMP method for each type of HPV were 100 %, and 11 of the 13 types had a sensitivity greater than 80 %. Among them, HPV 31 and 52 demonstrated the best performance, both with Kappa value of 0.913 (P < 0.0001). Besides, HPV 18, 35 and 56 only achieved a Kappa value less than 0.7, indicating their primers or reaction conditions may need further optimization. In general, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and agreement of the LAMP assay in all HPV types was 86.9 %, 100 %, 100 %, 71.4 %, and 90.2 %, respectively (Kappa = 0.766, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In present study, we preliminary established and validated a LAMP method for HPV detection. This method could combine with self-sampling, thermostatic device, and appropriate dyes to form a simple and effective assay in the future, which would has good prospect and practical value in cervical cancer prevention, especially in undeveloped area.

Efficacy evaluation of acupuncture combined with Liujunzi Decoction in the treatment of functional dyspepsia: A protocol of randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common and frequently-occurring disease in internal medicine. It is known that Liujunzi decoction and acupuncture are widely used in the treatment of FD, but there are few studies on the combination of Liujunzi decoction and acupuncture in the treatment of FD, and its safety and efficacy are still controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Liujunzi decoction in the treatment of FD. METHODS: We designed a prospective randomized controlled trial. The study protocol was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of our hospital. Patients with FD were randomly assigned to the treatment group of acupuncture combined with Liujunzi Decoction (the experimental group) and the treatment group of Liujunzi Decoction (the control group) in a ratio of 1:1. Outcome indicators were Nepean Dyspepsia Index, the MOS item short from health survey, and adverse reactions. Finally, SPSS 18.0 software would be used for statistical analysis of the data. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Liujunzi Decoction in the treatment of FD and provide clinical basis for the use of acupuncture combined with Liujunzi Decoction in the treatment of FD. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/67GKN.

Dissecting human embryonic skeletal stem cell ontogeny by single-cell transcriptomic and functional analyses.

Human skeletal stem cells (SSCs) have been discovered in fetal and adult long bones. However, the spatiotemporal ontogeny of human embryonic SSCs during early skeletogenesis remains elusive. Here we map the transcriptional landscape of human limb buds and embryonic long bones at single-cell resolution to address this fundamental question. We found remarkable heterogeneity within human limb bud mesenchyme and epithelium, and aligned them along the proximal-distal and anterior-posterior axes using known marker genes. Osteo-chondrogenic progenitors first appeared in the core limb bud mesenchyme, which give rise to multiple populations of stem/progenitor cells in embryonic long bones undergoing endochondral ossification. Importantly, a perichondrial embryonic skeletal stem/progenitor cell (eSSPC) subset was identified, which could self-renew and generate the osteochondral lineage cells, but not adipocytes or hematopoietic stroma. eSSPCs are marked by the adhesion molecule CADM1 and highly enriched with FOXP1/2 transcriptional network. Interestingly, neural crest-derived cells with similar phenotypic markers and transcriptional networks were also found in the sagittal suture of human embryonic calvaria. Taken together, this study revealed the cellular heterogeneity and lineage hierarchy during human embryonic skeletogenesis, and identified distinct skeletal stem/progenitor cells that orchestrate endochondral and intramembranous ossification.

Decoding Human Megakaryocyte Development.

Despite our growing understanding of embryonic immune development, rare early megakaryocytes (MKs) remain relatively understudied. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing of human MKs from embryonic yolk sac (YS) and fetal liver (FL) to characterize the transcriptome, cellular heterogeneity, and developmental trajectories of early megakaryopoiesis. In the YS and FL, we found heterogeneous MK subpopulations with distinct developmental routes and patterns of gene expression that could reflect early functional specialization. Intriguingly, we identified a subpopulation of CD42b+CD14+ MKs in vivo that exhibit high expression of genes associated with immune responses and can also be derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro. Furthermore, we identified THBS1 as an early marker for MK-biased embryonic endothelial cells. Overall, we provide important insights and invaluable resources for dissection of the molecular and cellular programs underlying early human megakaryopoiesis.

Compositions and Co-occurrence Patterns of Bacterial Communities Associated With Polymer- and ASP-Flooded Petroleum Reservoir Blocks.

Polymer flooding technology and alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding technology have been widely used in some oil reservoirs. About 50% of remaining oil is trapped, however, in polymer-flooded and ASP-flooded reservoirs. How to further improve oil recovery of these reservoirs after chemical flooding is technically challenging. Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) technology is a promising alternative technology. However, the bacterial communities in the polymer-flooded and ASP-flooded reservoirs have rarely been investigated. We investigated the distribution and co-occurrence patterns of bacterial communities in ASP-flooded and polymer-flooded oil production wells. We found that Arcobacter and Pseudomonas were dominant both in the polymer-flooded and ASP-flooded production wells. Halomonas accounted for a large amount of the bacterial communities inhabiting in the ASP-flooded blocks, whereas they were hardly detected in the polymer-flooded blocks, and the trends for Acetomicrobium were the opposite. RDA analysis indicated that bacterial communities in ASP-flooded and polymer-flooded oil production wells are closely related to the physical and chemical properties, such as high salinity and strong alkaline, which together accounted for 56.91% of total variance. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed non-random combination patterns of bacterial composition from production wells of ASP-flooded and polymer-flooded blocks, and the ASP-flooded treatment decreased bacterial network complexity, suggesting that the application of ASP flooding technology reduced the tightness of bacterial interactions.

Deciphering human macrophage development at single-cell resolution.

Macrophages are the first cells of the nascent immune system to emerge during embryonic development. In mice, embryonic macrophages infiltrate developing organs, where they differentiate symbiotically into tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs)1. However, our understanding of the origins and specialization of macrophages in human embryos is limited. Here we isolated CD45+ haematopoietic cells from human embryos at Carnegie stages 11 to 23 and subjected them to transcriptomic profiling by single-cell RNA sequencing, followed by functional characterization of a population of CD45+CD34+CD44+ yolk sac-derived myeloid-biased progenitors (YSMPs) by single-cell culture. We also mapped macrophage heterogeneity across multiple anatomical sites and identified diverse subsets, including various types of embryonic TRM (in the head, liver, lung and skin). We further traced the specification trajectories of TRMs from either yolk sac-derived primitive macrophages or YSMP-derived embryonic liver monocytes using both transcriptomic and developmental staging information, with a focus on microglia. Finally, we evaluated the molecular similarities between embryonic TRMs and their adult counterparts. Our data represent a comprehensive characterization of the spatiotemporal dynamics of early macrophage development during human embryogenesis, providing a reference for future studies of the development and function of human TRMs.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Resolves Spatiotemporal Development of Pre-thymic Lymphoid Progenitors and Thymus Organogenesis in Human Embryos.

Generation of the first T lymphocytes in the human embryo involves the emergence, migration, and thymus seeding of lymphoid progenitors together with concomitant thymus organogenesis, which is the initial step to establish the entire adaptive immune system. However, the cellular and molecular programs regulating this process remain unclear. We constructed a single-cell transcriptional landscape of human early T lymphopoiesis by using cells from multiple hemogenic and hematopoietic sites spanning embryonic and fetal stages. Among heterogenous early thymic progenitors, one subtype shared common features with a subset of lymphoid progenitors in fetal liver that are known as thymus-seeding progenitors. Unbiased bioinformatics analysis identified a distinct type of pre-thymic lymphoid progenitors in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region. In parallel, we investigated thymic epithelial cell development and potential cell-cell interactions during thymus organogenesis. Together, our data provide insights into human early T lymphopoiesis that prospectively direct T lymphocyte regeneration, which might lead to development of clinical applications.

Tracing the first hematopoietic stem cell generation in human embryo by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Tracing the emergence of the first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in human embryos, particularly the scarce and transient precursors thereof, is so far challenging, largely due to the technical limitations and the material rarity. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we constructed the first genome-scale gene expression landscape covering the entire course of endothelial-to-HSC transition during human embryogenesis. The transcriptomically defined HSC-primed hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) were captured at Carnegie stage (CS) 12-14 in an unbiased way, showing an unambiguous feature of arterial endothelial cells (ECs) with the up-regulation of RUNX1, MYB and ANGPT1. Importantly, subcategorizing CD34+CD45- ECs into a CD44+ population strikingly enriched HECs by over 10-fold. We further mapped the developmental path from arterial ECs via HSC-primed HECs to hematopoietic stem progenitor cells, and revealed a distinct expression pattern of genes that were transiently over-represented upon the hemogenic fate choice of arterial ECs, including EMCN, PROCR and RUNX1T1. We also uncovered another temporally and molecularly distinct intra-embryonic HEC population, which was detected mainly at earlier CS 10 and lacked the arterial feature. Finally, we revealed the cellular components of the putative aortic niche and potential cellular interactions acting on the HSC-primed HECs. The cellular and molecular programs that underlie the generation of the first HSCs from HECs in human embryos, together with the ability to distinguish the HSC-primed HECs from others, will shed light on the strategies for the production of clinically useful HSCs from pluripotent stem cells.

Sex differences in the incidence and clearance of anal human papillomavirus infection among heterosexual men and women in Liuzhou, China: An observational cohort study.

Anal cancer is primarily caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in both men and women. However, little is known about the sex differences in the natural history of anal HPV infection in a heterosexual population. From May 2014 to March 2016, perianal/anal canal (PA) swab samples were collected semiannually from 2,302 heterosexual men and 2,371 heterosexual women aged 18-55 years old in Liuzhou, China. The specimens were genotyped for HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) and clearance rate ratio (CRR) were used to analyze the sex differences of incidence and clearance by Poisson regression, respectively. The incidences of PA oncogenic HPV in men and women were 3.4 per 1,000 person-months and 8.6 per 1,000 person-months, respectively, with an IRR of 0.39 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29-0.54 for men versus women) (p < 0.0001). The CRR of PA oncogenic HPV infection for men versus women was 1.54 (95% CI, 1.17-2.03) (p = 0.0022). At 12 months, 44% (20/45) of HPV 16/18 infections among women remained positive, whereas no (0/7) infections persisted among men (p = 0.0350). Both the higher incidence and slower clearance of anal carcinogenic HPV infection among women may lead to a higher burden of anal cancer among women than among men in a heterosexual population.

Rapid Detection of Candida albicans by Polymerase Spiral Reaction Assay in Clinical Blood Samples.

Candida albicans is the most common human yeast pathogen which causes mucosal infections and invasive fungal diseases. Early detection of this pathogen is needed to guide preventative and therapeutic treatment. The aim of this study was to establish a polymerase spiral reaction (PSR) assay that rapidly and accurately detects C. albicans and to assess the clinical applicability of PSR-based diagnostic testing. Internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), a region between 5.8S and 28S fungal ribosomal DNA, was used as the target sequence. Four primers were designed for amplification of ITS2 with the PSR method, which was evaluated using real time turbidity monitoring and visual detection using a pH indicator. Fourteen non-C. albicans yeast strains were negative for detection, which indicated the specificity of PSR assay was 100%. A 10-fold serial dilution of C. albicans genomic DNA was subjected to PSR and conventional polimerase chain reaction (PCR) to compare their sensitivities. The detection limit of PSR was 6.9 pg/µl within 1 h, 10-fold higher than that of PCR (69.0 pg/µl). Blood samples (n = 122) were collected from intensive care unit and hematological patients with proven or suspected C. albicans infection at two hospitals in Beijing, China. Both PSR assay and the culture method were used to analyze the samples. Of the 122 clinical samples, 34 were identified as positive by PSR. The result was consistent with those obtained by the culture method. In conclusion, a novel and effective C. albicans detection assay was developed that has a great potential for clinical screening and point-of-care testing.

Comparison of serum human epididymis protein 4 and carbohydrate antigen 125 as markers in ovarian cancer: A meta-analysis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the third most common type of gynecological cancer. Measurements of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels have been suggested for improving the specificity of the laboratory identification of OC. For this meta-analysis, the Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched to identify relevant studies. All the included studies for diagnostic performance were combined with sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves and areas under the SROC curves (AUC). A total of 25 studies including 4,729 patients were identified as eligible for inclusion in the final analysis. The pooled sensitivities and respective 95% CIs for HE4 and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) were 0.74 (0.72-0.76) and 0.74 (0.72-0.76), respectively. The pooled specificities and respective 95% CIs for HE4 and CA125 were 0.90 (0.89-0.91) and 0.83 (0.81-0.84), respectively. The summary DORs and 95% CIs for HE4 and CA125 were 43.35 (29.13-64.51) and 17.06 (10.97-26.51), respectively and the AUCs for HE4 and CA125 were 0.8915 and 0.8538, respectively. In total, 9 studies investigated the diagnostic accuracy of HE4 combined with CA125 for the diagnosis of OC. The pooled sensitivity and 95% CIs of HE4, CA125 and HE4+CA125 in this subgroup were 0.71 (0.67-0.75), 0.74 (0.69-0.78) and 0.90 (0.87-0.92), respectively; the pooled specificity and 95% CIs of HE4, CA125 and HE4+CA125 were 0.92 (0.90-0.94), 0.73 (0.69-0.76) and 0.85 (0.82-0.87), respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of HE4 in distinguishing OC from other benign gynecological diseases was found to be to be superior to that of CA125 and the combination of HE4 and CA125 may enhance the diagnostic sensitivity.

Glutathione S-transferase polymorphism interactions with smoking status and HPV infection in cervical cancer risk: an evidence-based meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered the major cause of cervical cancer (CC), but a number of infected women do not develop invasive lesions, suggesting the role of genetic susceptibility and environmental co-factors for cancer outbreak. Glutathione S- transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes that play a key role in the detoxification of varieties of both endogenous products of oxidative stress and exogenous carcinogens. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched. All studies evaluating the association between GSTM1 polymorphisms and cervical cancer were included. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using fixed-or random-effects model. RESULTS: A total of 23 case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall result showed that the association between GSTM1 null genotype and risk for cervical cancer was statistically significant (OR = 1.56; 95%CI, 1.39-1.75). Subgroup analyses were performed based on ethnicity, smoking and HPV infection. Our results showed that smokers with null GSTM1 genotype had higher risk of cervical cancer (OR = 2.27, 95%CI, 1.46-3.54). For the ethnicity stratification, significant increased risk of null GSTM1 genotype was found in Chinese and Indian population, but no increased risk in other population was found. CONCLUSIONS: this meta-analysis provided strong evidence that the GSTM1 genotype is associated with CC development, especially in Chinese and Indian populations. Smoking and HPV infection modified the association between the null GSTM1 genotype and CC.

Identification of genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR data in ovarian tissues.

Increased attention has been paid to the determination of the potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer in recent years. However, the normalization of quantitative real-time PCR is important to obtain accurate gene expression data. We investigated the stability of 20 reference genes in ovarian tissues under different conditions to determine the most adequate for this application. The study characterized the expression of 20 possible reference genes among 52 ovarian tissue samples involving the normal, non-malignant, and primary ovarian carcinomas. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method was used to compare the candidate gene changes brought about by the disease progression. The stability and suitability of the genes with no statistic difference were further validated employing geNorm and NormFinder softwares. Results showed that the expression levels of the 20 reference genes varied, while the RPL4, RPLP0, HSPCB, TPT1, RPL13A, 18S rRNA, PPIA, TBP, and GUSB kept statistic stability despite different ovarian tissue conditions. RPL4, RPLP0, and HSPCB were demonstrated as the most stable reference genes and the combination of the RPLP0 and RPL4 should be recommended as a much more reliable normalization strategy.