Impact of subchorionic hematoma on pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study with the aim of investigating the relationship between subchorionic hematoma (SCH) and pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We reviewed all RPL patients who came to the Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to June 2021. Two groups were divided according to the presence or absence of SCH. Live birth rate was considered as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included adverse pregnancy outcomes and complications. Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted. Of 274 RPL women included in the final analysis, 49 (17.9%) had SCH. The occurrence of thrombophilia was significantly higher in SCH group than that in non-SCH group (38.8% vs 24.4%, P=0.041). There were no significant differences between the two groups in live birth rate, adverse pregnancy outcomes and pregnancy complications. Among women with SCH, live birth rate or SCH duration was not associated with continued use of low-dose aspirin (LDA) after the diagnosis of SCH. Our findings suggest that SCH does not reduce live birth rate in RPL women or increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes or pregnancy complications. Continued use of LDA after the detection of a hematoma is unlikely to affect SCH duration or the live birth rate.

Icaritin and intratumoral injection of CpG treatment synergistically promote T cell infiltration and antitumor immune response in mice.

The development of combination therapy that can modulate the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment is highly desirable for cancer immunotherapy. Icaritin (ICT), a hydrolytic product of icariin from genus Epimedium, has been used as an anti-cancer immunoregulatory agent for many types of cancers. Herein, we design a novel therapeutic strategy for mice melanoma that combines systemic administration of icaritin with intratumoral injection of unmethylated cytosine-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG). Icaritin induces tumor cell apoptosis and increases tumor immunogenicity. The combination of icaritin with CpG synergistically suppresses tumor growth and significantly prolonged survival time of B16F10 melanoma bearing mice. importantly, the anti-tumor effects of this combination strategy are associated with the reversing of immunosuppressive microenvironment through increased recruitment of functional DCs and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in tumors, leading to the infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells expressing elevated levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α. Furthermore, the combination of icaritin with CpG augments the anti-tumor immune response to anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade treatment. These results support the combination of icaritin with CpG as a novel strategy to elicit effective T cell-mediated antitumor immune response.

Efficacy and Safety of the Bushen-Shugan Method in Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Recurrent Miscarriage Complicated by Anxiety and Depression: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Bushen-Shugan (BSSG) method on pregnancy outcomes, serum D-dimer (D-D), platelet aggregation rate, homocysteine (Hcy) and antithrombin III (AT-III) in patients with recurrent miscarriage complicated by anxiety and depression. Methods: From December 2016 to December 2019, 100 patients with recurrent miscarriage combined with anxiety and depression were enrolled in our study, and a prospective randomized trial was carried out. Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group or the BSSG group via the random number table method. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, laboratory indicators and psychological changes were compared in the 2 groups before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the primary, secondary and total TCM syndrome scores in the 2 groups were lower, and the scores in the BSSG group were significantly lower than in the control group. The clinical curative effect in the BSSG group was significantly higher (92% vs 76%) than in the control group. The levels of ß-HCG, P, E2 and AT-III in the 2 groups were higher, while levels of D-D, platelet aggregation rate and Hcy were lower than before treatment. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores were lower after treatment in both groups, and the scores in the BSSG group were significantly lower than in the control group. Conclusions: The BSSG method may be worthy of consideration because it improves pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent miscarriage complicated by anxiety and depression.