Prevalence, types, and malformations in congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract in newborns: a retrospective hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUTs) are some of the most common birth defects affecting newborns. CAKUTs often have poor birth outcomes owing to the limited experience of physicians in developing countries regarding antenatal and postnatal diagnosis. We aimed to estimate the epidemiology of CAKUTs using data from a hospital-based registry in Zhejiang Province, China. METHODS: We included a total of 2790 newborns with CAKUTs, identified among 1,748,038 births during 2010-2016. The prevalence and type of CAKUTs, maternal and neonatal characteristics, and associated malformations were analyzed. RESULTS: The average prevalence of CAKUTs born to mothers overall and mothers aged ≥35 years were both around 1.60 per 1000 births (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.54-1.66; 95% CI, 1.44-1.83, respectively) during the study period. The prevalence of CAKUTs changed over time among all women and women of advanced maternal age, although no significant trends were observed. CAKUTs were more likely to occur in male than female newborns (odds ratio (OR) 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.38), in multiple births than singletons (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.21-1.92) and in urban areas than rural areas (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.18-1.37). The overall prenatal detection rate of CAKUTs was 73.87%. The average gestational age at antenatal diagnosis was 26.57 ± 8.70 weeks. A total 22.69% CAKUTs had associated malformations. Congenital heart defects were the most common anomalies, accounting for 8.89% of the whole population. The main proportion in subgroups was hydronephrosis, representing 31.79% of registered CAKUTs. CONCLUSIONS: There was a nearly twofold increase in the prevalence of CAKUTs from 2010 to 2016 in Zhejiang Province. CAKUTs are strongly associated with male sex, multiple births, urban areas, and other nonurinary congenital malformations.

Label-free strategy for in-situ analysis of protein binding interaction based on attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS).

A versatile ATR-SEIRAS methodology is described herein for highly sensitive analysis of immunoglobulin (IgG) recognition. This strategy allows in situ tracking of specific protein binding at the liquid-solid interface. Most importantly, interferential signal from environmental molecules (e.g., water, nonspecific binding molecules, and bulk molecules) can be eliminated to negligible levels by using the ATR analysis mode, and the sensitive IR structural information of target proteins is obtained simultaneously. A simplified numerical model has been established to quantitatively describe the kinetics and thermodynamics of protein recognition processes at surfaces. Compared with conventional label-free methods for protein binding study, experimental results obtained from IR spectroscopic information are more reliable. The presented ATR-SEIRAS method is powerful in studying surface limited protein binding reactions.

Electrochemical sensor based on nitrogen doped graphene: simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid.

Nitrogen doped graphene (NG) was prepared by thermally annealing graphite oxide and melamine mixture. After characterization by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy etc., the electrochemical sensor based on NG was constructed to simultaneously determine small biomolecules such as ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). Due to its unique structure and properties originating from nitrogen doping, NG shows highly electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of AA, DA and UA. The electrochemical sensor shows a wide linear response for AA, DA and UA in the concentration range of 5.0×10(-6) to 1.3×10(-3)M, 5.0×10(-7) to 1.7×10(-4)M and 1.0×10(-7) to 2.0×10(-5)M with detection limit of 2.2×10(-6)M, 2.5×10(-7)M and 4.5×10(-8)M at S/N=3, respectively. These results demonstrate that NG is a promising candidate of advanced electrode material in electrochemical sensing and other electrocatalytic applications.

In situ monitoring of the DNA hybridization by attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy.

In situ monitoring of DNA hybridization kinetics is achieved via an attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) technique using a sandwich assay structure. The synergistic enhancement effect gives this ATR-SEIRAS-based detection strategy promise to be a convenient and unique platform for bioanalysis.

Methotrexate therapy for cesarean section scar pregnancy with and without suction curettage.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects in women with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) who were treated with either methotrexate (MTX) regimen only or MTX regimen followed by dilation and curettage (D&C). DESIGN: Prospective consecutive clinical cohort study. SETTING: University hospital for obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine. SUBJECT(S): Seventy-one cases of CSP. INTERVENTION(S): The subjects were treated with either MTX only (MTX group, 21 cases) or MTX followed by D&C (combined therapy group, 50 cases). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Success rates, hysterectomy rates, and time to resolution of serum beta-hCG and the CSP mass were compared between the two groups. RESULT(S): Compared with the MTX group, the combined therapy group had a shorter time to resolution of the CSP mass and serum beta-hCG. There was no significant difference between the MTX and combined therapy groups regarding success rates (76.2% vs. 90.0%, respectively) and hysterectomy rates (19.0% vs. 8.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION(S): Both therapies could treat the majority of CSP patients successfully, but the combined therapy resulted in a shorter time of therapy and indicated a more favorable effect.

[Oligonucleotide array of genomic expression in complete androgenic hydatidiform mole].

OBJECTIVE: To compare genomic expression differences between androgenic complete hydatidiform mole (AnCHM) and normal first trimester villi with similar gestation weeks, and search for potential adjuvant diagnostic molecular markers. METHODS: Short tandem repeat (STR) detection was used to identify AnCHM, human oligonucleotide array U133 Plus 2.0 was used to measure genomic expression differences between AnCHM and normal villi, and quantitative fluorescent RT-PCR was used to verify array of several genes. RESULTS: Nine of 11 histologically diagnosed complete hydatidiform moles were found to be AnCHM by means of STR, and the other 2 were biparental complete hydatidiform mole (BiCHM). Compared with villi, oligonucleotide array showed 279 genes (0.72%, 279/38 500) were over expressed and 1710 genes (4.44%, 1710/38,500) under expressed in AnCHM. Bioinformatics analysis found that differentially expressed genes were involved in multiple biological processes and pathways. Changes of imprinting genes, growth hormone genes and chorionic somatomammotropin hormone genes were especially remarkable. CONCLUSIONS: Pathogenesis of AnCHM is a complex process involving multiple genes and pathways. Altered expression of imprint genes may play important roles in the process.