[Association between abnormal oral glucose tolerance test patterns in the second trimester and large for gestational age newborns].

Objective: To investigate the impact of abnormal patterns of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the second trimester on the risk of large for gestational age (LGA) newborn deliveries. Methods: General clinical data and OGTT results of 66 290 pregnant women who received regular prenatal care and delivered in Guangdong Maternal and Child Health Hospital from December 24, 2016 to July 26, 2022 were collected. According to the results of OGTT, the pregnant women were divided into 8 groups: normal blood glucose group (normal fasting blood glucose, 1-hour and 2-hour after oral glucose, 54 518 cases), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) 0 group (only abnormal fasting blood glucose, 1 430 cases), GDM 1 group (only abnormal blood glucose at 1-hour after oral glucose, 2 150 cases), GDM 2 group (only abnormal blood glucose at 2-hour after oral glucose, 3 736 cases), GDM 0+1 group (both fasting blood glucose and 1-hour after oral glucose were abnormal, 371 cases), GDM 0+2 group (both fasting blood glucose and 2-hour after oral glucose were abnormal, 280 cases), GDM 1+2 group (abnormal blood glucose at 1-hour and 2-hour after oral glucose, 2 981 cases) and GDM 0+1+2 group (abnormal fasting blood glucose, 1-hour and 2-hour after oral glucose, 824 cases). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the effects of different abnormal OGTT patterns on LGA. In addition, the blood glucose measurements at the three time points of OGTT were combined and used as continuous variables in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the predictive value of each blood glucose measurement mode for LGA and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared. Results: (1) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risks of LGA were significantly increased in GDM 0 group (OR=1.76, 95%CI: 1.50-2.08; P<0.001), GDM 0+1 group (OR=2.29, 95%CI: 1.72-3.04; P<0.001), and GDM 0+1+2 group (OR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.61-2.43; P<0.001). (2) ROC curve analysis showed that fasting blood glucose, 1-hour after oral glucose, 2-hour after oral glucose, fasting+1-hour after oral glucose, fasting+2-hour after oral glucose, 1-hour+2-hour after oral glucose, and fasting+1-hour+2-hour after oral glucose had certain predictive value for LGA (all P<0.001). The AUC of fasting blood glucose measurement was higher than that of 2-hour blood glucose measurement in predicting LGA, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the AUC between fasting blood glucose and other blood glucose measurement modes for predicting LGA (all P>0.05). Conclusions: In the abnormal OGTT patterns, pregnant women with abnormal fasting blood glucose, abnormal fasting+1-hour after oral glucose, and abnormal fasting+1-hour+2-hour after oral glucose have an increased risk of LGA. Fasting blood glucose measurement is of great significance for the prediction of LGA, and could be used as an optimal indicator to evaluate the risk of LGA in clinical practice.

[Clinical characteristics of acute occupational poisoning caused by carbon dioxide leakage from a cargo ship].

Carbon dioxide is a simple asphyxial gas, with low concentrations having an excitatory effect on the respiratory center, while high concentrations have an inhibitory effect on the respiratory center. Simple carbon dioxide poisoning is rarely seen clinically. This article reviews and analyzes the treatment process of 9 cases of acute inhalation carbon dioxide poisoning in a cargo ship carbon dioxide leakage accident in May 2019, summarizes clinical treatment experience, and provides timely and effective treatment for acute pulmonary edema caused by acute inhalation carbon dioxide poisoning. In particular, the application of hormones has a good prognosis, improving clinicians' understanding of the disease.

Profiling Cancer Patients Based on Their Motives for Seeking Informational and Emotional Support Online.

Understanding why patients seek informational and/or emotional support online is fundamental to providing patients with accurate and reliable support that is tailored to their needs, preferences, and personal situation. Based on the stress and coping theory and uses and gratifications theory (UGT), this study aimed to identify theoretically-founded profiles of cancer patients differing in their motives for seeking informational and/or emotional support online, and to compare the profiles in terms of patients' psychological and background characteristics, and perception of health care services. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted, using questionnaire data from patients visiting a large Dutch health website (N = 181). This revealed three distinctive profiles, i.e., overall seekers (n = 83, 46.0%), occasional information seekers (n = 83, 46.0%), and contact exchangers (n = 15, 8.0%). Patients across these profiles differed in their eHealth literacy, with the contact exchangers being more eHealth literate than the overall seekers and occasional information seekers. The results can be used to create awareness among health care providers, web designers, and patient organizations on different types of cancer patients with different motives for seeking informational and/or emotional support online, and help them to tailor recommendations to and development of (online) sources that fit patients' needs. Future research could further investigate the integration of stress and coping theory with UGT by acknowledging the interplay of different coping strategies and different gratifications.

[A suspected case of delayed encephalopathy after acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning].

The main component of the gas in the fish storage tank is hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide poisoning is a common occupational chemical poisoning among fishermen in summer, and acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning can manifest as toxic encephalopathy. This paper analyzes a patient with delayed encephalopathy suspected of acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning. The patient was unconscious for 18 days after waking up for 5 days after acute hydrogen sulfide poisoning. After waking up again, there were symptoms such as decreased limb muscle strength, ataxia, swallowing, dysarthria, and the clinical characteristics were significantly different from those of delayed encephalopathy caused by acute carbon monoxide poisoning, such as decreased cognitive function and damage to extrapyramidal system.

Correlations of mouse lymphoma xenografts with the expressions of MMP-9 and Bcl-2.

The article "Correlations of mouse lymphoma xenografts with the expressions of MMP-9 and Bcl-2, by C.-L. Shi, X.-Y. Zhang, Y. Li, L.-L. Song, L. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (3): 1176-1183-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201902_17010-PMID: 30779087" has been retracted by the authors as they believe that they have not yet fully studied their work and have discovered some great new results. Therefore, they will rearrange the manuscript and try to provide a more accurate model. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17010.

[Analysis on the incidence of new occupational diseases in Weihai City from 2009 to 2020].

Objective: To analyze the pattern and characteristics of occupational diseases in Weihai City from 2009 to 2020, and to provide scientific basis for the formulation of occupational disease prevention. Methods: In February 2021, retrospective analysis was performed on the cases of occupational diseases diagnosed from 2009 to 2020 in Weihai City. The relevant information and data were collected to analyze the types of occupational diseases, onset age, working age, diagnosis time, industry distribution, economic type and enterprise size distribution. Results: From 2009 to 2020, a total of 453 cases of new occupational diseases were reported in Weihai City. There were 431 males (95.14%) and 22 females (4.86%) . The average onset age was (49.16±8.51) years, and the average working age was (17.89±9.30) years. The incidence of pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (322 cases, 71.08%) , occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases (71 cases, 15.67%) and occupational chemical poisoning (36 cases, 7.95%) were the top 3 cases, of which 313 cases were pneumoconiosis and 69 cases were noise deafness. The cases were mainly concentrated in the 40-59 years age group (357 cases, 78.81%) and the 10-19 years working age group (175 cases, 38.63%) . There were significant differences in the incidence of occupational diseases in different ages and different working ages (χ(2)=97.64, 80.74, P<0.001) . The new cases were mainly in mining industry (134 cases, 29.58%) , shipbuilding or maintenance industry (97 cases, 21.41%) , and private enterprises (350 cases, 77.26%) . Conclusion: Pneumoconiosis and noise deafness are the main emerging occupational diseases in Weihai City. Occupational disease prevention and control in private enterprises such as mining and shipbuilding or maintenance industry should be strengthened.

Circular RNA circHIPK3 modulates prostate cancer progression via targeting miR-448/MTDH signaling

Purpose Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most diagnosed cancers in men worldwide. Several studies have identified that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a crucial impact on the biological processes in PCa. Therefore, it is necessary to study the molecular mechanism of circRNAs in tumor progression and metastasis. Methods RNA interference was used to decrease circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Overexpression vector was used to increase circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Luciferase reporter assay were used to detect the relationship between circHIPK3 and miR-448 or between miR-448 and MTDH. MTT assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay were used to measure proliferation and migration of PCa cells. Results Circular RNA circHIPK3 was significantly increased in PCa tissues and cell lines. And overexpression of circHIPK3 promoted the migration, proliferation, and invasion of PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells, while knockdown of circHIPK3 markedly repressed the above-mentioned series of biological processes. Furthermore, circHIPK3 promoted metadherin (MTDH) expression by sponging miR‐448. In vivo experiments, it was also found that overexpression of circHIPK3 significantly promoted tumor growth. Conclusions Our research shows that circHIPK3 plays a carcinogenic effect in PCa by regulating the miR-448/MTDH axis, indicating that circHIPK3 may be a potential therapeutic target for PCa (AU)

[Comparison of pulse pressure variation, stroke volume variation, and plethysmographic variability index in pediatric patients undergoing craniotomy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare well-known preload dynamic parameters intraoperatively including stroke volume variation (SVV), pulse pressure variation (PPV), and plethysmographic variability index (PVI) in children who underwent craniotomy for epileptogenic lesion excision. METHODS: A total of 30 children aged 0 to 14 years undergoing craniotomy for intracranial epileptogenic lesion excision were enrolled. During surgery, we measured PPV, SVV (measured by the Flotrac/Vigileo device), and PVI (measured by the Masimo Radical-7 monitor) simultaneously and continuously. Preload dynamic parameter measurements were collected at predefined steps: after induction of anesthesia, during opening the skull, intraoperative electroencephalogram monitoring, excision of epileptogenic lesion, skull closure, at the end of the operation. After exclusion of outliers, agreement among SVV, PPV, and PVI was assessed using repeated measures of Bland-Altman approach. The 4-quadrant and polar plot techniques were used to assess the trending ability among the changes in the three parameters. RESULTS: The mean SVV, PPV, and PVI were 8%±2%, 10%±3%, and 15%±7%, respectively during surgery. We analyzed a total of 834 paired measurements (3 to 8 data sets for each phase per patient). Repeated measures Bland-Altman analysis identified a bias of -2.3 and 95% confidence intervals between -1.9 and -2.7 (95% limits of agreement between -6.0 and 1.5) between PPV and SVV, showing significant correlation at all periods. The bias between PPV and PVI was -5.0 with 95% limits of agreement between -20.5 and 10.5, and that between SVV and PVI was -7.5 with 95% limits of agreement between -22.7 and 7.8, both not showing significant correlation. Reflected by 4-quadrant plots, the con-cordance rates showing the trending ability between the changes in PPV and SVV, PPV and PVI, SVV and PVI were 88.6%, 50.4%, and 50.1%, respectively. The concordance rate between PPV and SVV was higher (92.7%) in children aged less than 3 years compared with those aged 3 and more than 3 years. The mean angular bias, radial limits of agreement, and angular concordance rate in the polar analysis were not clinically acceptable in the changes between arterial pressure waveform-based parameters and volume-based PVI (PPV vs. PVI: angular mean bias 8.4°, angular concordance rate 29.9%; SVV vs. PVI: angular mean bias 2.4°, angular concordance rate 29.1%). There was a high concordance between the two arterial pressure waveform-based parameters reflected by the polar plot (angular mean bias -0.22°, angular concordance rate 86.6%). CONCLUSION: PPV can be viewed as a surrogate for SVV, especially in children aged less than 3 years. The agreement between arterial pressure waveform-based preload parameters (PPV and SVV) and PVI is poor and these two should not be considered interchangeable. Attempt to combine PVI and PPV for improving the anesthesiologist's ability to monitor cardiac preload in major pediatric surgery is warranted.

Circular RNA circHIPK3 modulates prostate cancer progression via targeting miR-448/MTDH signaling.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most diagnosed cancers in men worldwide. Several studies have identified that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a crucial impact on the biological processes in PCa. Therefore, it is necessary to study the molecular mechanism of circRNAs in tumor progression and metastasis. METHODS: RNA interference was used to decrease circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Overexpression vector was used to increase circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Luciferase reporter assay were used to detect the relationship between circHIPK3 and miR-448 or between miR-448 and MTDH. MTT assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay were used to measure proliferation and migration of PCa cells. RESULTS: Circular RNA circHIPK3 was significantly increased in PCa tissues and cell lines. And overexpression of circHIPK3 promoted the migration, proliferation, and invasion of PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells, while knockdown of circHIPK3 markedly repressed the above-mentioned series of biological processes. Furthermore, circHIPK3 promoted metadherin (MTDH) expression by sponging miR-448. In vivo experiments, it was also found that overexpression of circHIPK3 significantly promoted tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our research shows that circHIPK3 plays a carcinogenic effect in PCa by regulating the miR-448/MTDH axis, indicating that circHIPK3 may be a potential therapeutic target for PCa.

Correlation between AT1R gene polymorphism and epilepsy secondary to cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) gene polymorphism and epilepsy secondary to cerebral infarction and its significance for the diagnosis of this disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 200 patients with epilepsy secondary to cerebral infarction were enrolled from our hospital as observation group, and 200 patients without epilepsy after cerebral infarction as control group. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) were extracted from the peripheral blood of the subjects, and the polymorphic regions at AT1R gene loci rs380400, rs1799870, rs12721273, and rs55707609 were amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sent to the company for sequencing. The concentration of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDPS) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were measured in the Laboratory Department. RESULTS: There were no differences in the allele distributions at AT1R gene loci rs380400 (p=0.070), rs179987 (p=0.0.280), and rs55707609 (p=0.046), but in the allele distribution at rs12721273 (p=0.001) between control group and observation group, and observation group exhibited a significantly lower frequency of allele G in cerebral infarction patients than control group [153 (0.383) vs. 198 (0.495)]. The frequency of genotype GT at rs12721273 was lower [71 (0.355)] and that of genotype TT was evidently higher [88 (0.440)] in observation group (p=0.000). Control group showed a notably lower frequency of genotype AA [47 (0.235)] and a markedly higher frequency of genotype AT [110 (0.550)] at rs55707609 (p=0.000). Observation group exhibited a substantially lower frequency of recessive model AG+GG [128 (0.640)] (p=0.037), and a notably higher frequency of homozygous model AA [72 (0.360)] (p=0.048) at AT1R gene locus rs380400, a remarkably lower frequency of dominant model GG+GT [112 (0.560)] (p=0.002) at rs12721273, and a significantly lower frequency of recessive model AT+TT [126 (0.630)] (p=0.000) and a considerably lower frequency of heterozygous model AT [84 (0.420)] (p=0.026) at rs55707609. The frequencies of AT1R gene haplotypes ACGA (p=0.001), ACGT (p=0.045), ACTT (p=0.000), ATTT (p=0.048), GCTA (p=0.000), and GTGA (p=0.005) in observation group were distinctly higher than those in control group, and the frequencies of the haplotypes ACTA (p=0.000) and ATTA (p=0.029) were evidently lower than those in control group. The loci rs12721273 and rs1799870 showed a significant association (D'=0.783), and APTT was considerably correlated with genotype AG at rs380400 (p=0.042), PT with genotype CC at rs1799870 (p=0.002) and FDPS with genotype AA at rs55707609 (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The polymorphisms of AT1R gene loci rs380400, rs1799870, rs12721273, and rs55707609 are correlated with the susceptibility to epilepsy secondary to cerebral infarction.

Long noncoding RNA ROR1­AS1 overexpression predicts poor prognosis and promotes metastasis by activating Wnt/ß-catenin/EMT signaling cascade in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) display functional effects in the tumorigenesis and progression of cervical cancer (CC). We aimed to investigate the roles of lncRNA tyrosine protein kinase transmembrane receptor 1 antisense RNA 1 (ROR1­AS1) in the development of CC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for the determination of ROR1­AS1 levels in both CC tissues and cell lines. The clinical value of ROR1­AS1 expression in CC patients was statistically analyzed. After transfection with si-ROR1­AS1 in SiHa and HeLa cells, cellular growth and apoptosis were examined by Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) assay, cell colony formation, and flow cytometry. Then, wound-healing assays and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion, respectively. The related proteins of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was assessed using Western blot assays. RESULTS: We found that that the expressions of ROR1­AS1 were distinctly increased in CC tissues and cell lines. Clinical study revealed that high ROR1­AS1 expression was associated with distant metastasis, FIGO stage, and shorter five-year survival. Functional assays by performing in vitro assays revealed that inhibition of ROR1­AS1 distinctly suppressed CC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Based on results of Western blot, we showed that the downregulation of ROR1­AS1 inhibited the levels of N-cadherin and vimentin. In addition, the distinctly decreased levels of c-myc, ß-catenin, and cyclin D1 were observed in CC cells transfected with si-ROR1­AS1. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ROR1­AS1 is likely to serve as an efficient therapeutic approach in respect of CC treatment. Our results suggest that KLF5 may be a potential therapeutic target in laryngeal carcinoma.

Theacrine attenuates myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction via the SIRT3/ß-catenin/PPARγ pathway in estrogen-deficient mice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of theacrine in the protection of ventricular remodeling and chronic heart failure after myocardial infarction in the estrogen-deficient mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice aged 8 weeks old were selected and then subjected to bilateral oophorectomy. At 7 days after surgery, the models of the myocardial infarction were established by ligating the anterior descending coronary artery. On the first day after myocardial infarction, Theacrine (20 mg/kg) was administered via gavage for continuous 28 days. Thereafter, the cardiac function in each group of mice was detected via cardiac ultrasonography for small animals at 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery. The mice were sacrificed after 28 days. The infarct size of mice was determined through 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and Evan blue double staining assay, while the myocardial fibrosis was assessed via Masson staining assay. The expression levels of collagen-related proteins Collagen I, Collagen III, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) were measured by Western blotting (WB). The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining assay was applied to evaluate the myocardial apoptosis, and the WB was employed to detect apoptosis-associated proteins. The expression level of silent information regulator 2 homologue 3 (SIRT3) protein was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of SIRT3, ß-catenin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) protein were measured via WB. RESULTS: Compared with those in the Sham group, the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) in estrogen-deficient mice were significantly lowered, the myocardial fibrosis and myocardial apoptosis were clearly aggravated, and the SIRT3 expression was decreased at 28 days after myocardial infarction. The theacrine could improve the cardiac function after the myocardial infarction in estrogen-deficient mice and relieve both myocardial fibrosis and myocardial apoptosis during chronic remodeling after myocardial infarction in estrogen-deficient mice. After the intervention with theacrine, the estrogen-deficient mice with myocardial infarction had up-regulated SIRT3 and PPARγ levels and a reduced ß-catenin level in the heart. CONCLUSIONS: Theacrine is able to activate SIRT3 and repress myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis after myocardial infarction in ovariectomized mice, thereby improving the cardiac function of ovariectomized mice with myocardial infarction through the possible downstream signal pathway ß-catenin/PPARγ.

[Study of iron overload assessment by T2* magnetic resonance imaging in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes].

Objectives: To analyze the cardiac T2* value, liver iron concentration (LIC) , and related laboratory parameters in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with iron overload and evaluate the changes of organ functions after iron chelation therapy. To explore the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* in making early diagnosis and assessing organs iron overload. Methods: Retrospective investigation was used to observe the cardiac T2* value, LIC, iron metabolism parameters and related laboratory parameters of 85 MDS patients from Nov 2014 to Jan 2018. Among them, 7 MDS patients with Low/Int-1 have received iron chelation therapy for 6 months during two MRI examinations. The above parameters were collected before and after iron chelation therapy for comparison. Results: Correlations were found between heart T2* value and age (rs=-0.290, P=0.007) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (rs=0.265, P=0.009) . There was a significant negative correlation between heart T2* value and blood transfusion units (rs=-0.701, P<0.001) . There was a significant positive correlation between LIC and serum ferritin (SF) (rs=0.577, P<0.001) . There was also a correlation between LIC and ALT (rs=0.268, P=0.014) and blood transfusion units (rs=0.244, P=0.034) . There was no correlation between heart T2* and pro-BNP, SF (all P>0.05) , and no correlation between LIC and age (P>0.05) . The increase of heart T2* between the normal and abnormal groups was statistically significant (P=0.005) , but the iron overload ratio of the heart T2*<20 ms was not significant between the two groups. There was statistical significance in the proportion of severe liver iron overload (LIC>15 mg/g DW) (P=0.045) . After iron chelation therapy, the values of SF, transferrin saturation, ALT, AST, pro-BNP and LIC of 7 patients were decreased compared with values before iron chelation therapy, and the peripheral blood cell level was increased. However, the changes of LVEF and T2* values after iron chelation were not obvious. Conclusion: MRI T2* may be a predictor of iron overload in patients with MDS in early stage, and may be more valuable compare with LVEF, SF and other laboratory indicators. The safety and repeatability of MRI cardiac T2* examination are recognized, and it can be used as an ideal detection for patients with iron overload.

Correlations of mouse lymphoma xenografts with the expressions of MMP-9 and Bcl-2.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a mouse lymphoma xenograft model so as to investigate the correlation between the expression of matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) and that of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) in lymphomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diffuse large Bcl (DLBCL) cells were cultured, and a mouse lymphoma xenograft model was established via the subcutaneous injection. Mouse lymphoma tissues were extracted, and the expressions of MMP-9 and Bcl-2 messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) in the xenograft tumor were detected using Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression levels of MMP-9 and Bcl-2 proteins in lymphoma tissues and tumor-adjacent tissues. The consistency of MMP-9 expression and Bcl-2 expression was analyzed via Spearman's rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: The expressions of MMP-9 and Bcl-2 in lymphoma tissues were increased. The expression levels of MMP-9 and Bcl-2 proteins in lymphoma tissues were higher than those in tumor-adjacent tissues. The expression levels of MMP-9 and Bcl-2 were correlated with the body weight loss degree of mice, and the expression of MMP-9 was positively associated with that of BCL-2 in lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 and Bcl-2 are associated with the onset of DLBCL, and they are potential impact factors affecting the prognosis.

Morphological and molecular confirmation of the validity of Trichuris rhinopiptheroxella in the endangered golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).

The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is an endangered species endemic to China. Relatively little is known about the taxonomic status of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in these monkeys. Trichuris spp. (syn. Trichocephalus) are among the most important STHs, causing significant socio-economic losses and public health concerns. To date, five Trichuris species have been reported in golden monkeys, including a novel species, T. rhinopiptheroxella, based on morphology. In the present study, molecular and morphological analysis was conducted on adult Trichuris worms obtained from a dead golden snub-nosed monkey, to better understand their taxonomic status. Morphology indicated that the adult Trichuris worms were similar to T. rhinopiptheroxella. To further ascertain their phylogenetic position, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of these worms was sequenced and characterized. The mt genome of T. rhinopiptheroxella is 14,186 bp, encoding 37 genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated amino acids of 12 protein-coding genes (with the exception of atp8) indicated that T. rhinopiptheroxella was genetically distinct and exhibited 27.5-27.8% genetic distance between T. rhinopiptheroxella and other Trichuris spp. Our results support T. rhinopiptheroxella as a valid Trichuris species and suggest that mt DNA could serve as a marker for future studies on the classification, evolution and molecular epidemiology of Trichuris spp. from golden snub-nosed monkeys.