Publications by authors named "Hong Kai"
Study Question: Which independent factors influence ICSI outcomes in patients with complete azoospermia factor c (AZFc) microdeletions?
Summary Answer: In patients with complete AZFc microdeletions, the sperm source, male LH, the type of infertility in women, and maternal age are the independent factors associated with ICSI outcomes.
What Is Known Already: AZF microdeletions are the second most prevalent factor contributing to infertility in men, with AZFc microdeletions being the most frequently affected locus, accounting for 60-70% of all cases. The primary clinical phenotypes are oligoasthenozoospermia and azoospermia in patients with complete AZFc microdeletions.
Article Synopsis
- * The study introduces a new method for synthesizing -iododiborylalkanes using alkyl halides and a lithiated chlorodiborylmethane reagent.
- * This new protocol is modular, highly efficient, and shows good compatibility with different functional groups compared to older methods.
Article Synopsis
- - Viremic non-progressors (VNPs) are a rare group of HIV-1 individuals who maintain normal CD4 T cell counts despite high viral loads, resembling natural hosts of simian immunodeficiency virus, but the reasons for this are not fully understood.
- - A study using single-cell and multiomics methods examined 16 VNPs and 29 HIV+ progressors, revealing genetic factors like CCR5Δ32 heterozygosity and lower CCR5 expression, alongside reduced intestinal disruption and immune responses in VNPs.
- - The research highlights various traits contributing to the immune stability in VNPs, indicating important insights for potential HIV treatment strategies in the future.
Article Synopsis
- Wu et al. developed a modified radiographic classification system for congenital thumb duplications (CTD), showing reliable results among different evaluators, but previous studies had not focused specifically on type C3 CTD with bone attachment at the metacarpal level.
- The aim of the study was to assess the radiographic features of type C3 CTD, define its various anatomical subtypes, and suggest a new categorization to guide surgical approaches based on radiographic anatomy.
- The analysis involved 215 patients with type C3 CTD, leading to a new four-type classification system based on thumb joint alignment and hypertrophic epiphysis, successfully categorizing all affected thumbs and providing insights into frequency and demographics of the condition.
Effect of time series on the degradation of lignin by Trametes gibbosa: Products and pathways.
Int J Biol Macromol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Lignin, the third most abundant organic resource, can be effectively decomposed using white-rot fungi like Trametes gibbosa, which significantly reduces lignin content and environmental pollution.
- During a 30-day study, lignin levels decreased by 27%, while the activity of manganese peroxidase increased by over nine times and key degrading enzymes were upregulated.
- The fungi utilized various metabolic processes to break down lignin into low molecular weight aromatic compounds, leading to complex changes in the chemical structure of the compounds involved in lignin metabolism.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the thickness of acetabular cartilage in infants with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) before and after treatment, finding it thicker in dysplastic hips compared to normal ones.
- A total of 592 infants were monitored, with dysplastic hips showing an initial cartilage thickness of 4.3 mm, which decreased to 3.5 mm post-treatment, while borderline hips also showed a decrease from 3.1 mm to 2.9 mm.
- The findings indicate that while cartilage thickness decreases after treatment, dysplastic hips still have greater thickness than normal hips, suggesting a need for further examination of DDH treatment effects.
Identifying Factors Contributing to Delayed Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer: A Comprehensive Analysis.
Int J Womens Health
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- Ovarian cancer is highly lethal due to late diagnoses and challenges like recurrence and drug resistance, prompting this study to examine the factors leading to delayed diagnosis in patients.
- Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of OC patients treated at Taihe Hospital, focusing on demographics, tumor characteristics, and cognition related to the disease, finding significant differences among groups.
- Key risk factors identified for delayed diagnosis include lower education levels, family history of tumors, emotional barriers, and practical barriers, highlighting the need for better public education on ovarian cancer.
Cryptorchidism, commonly known as undescended testis, affects 1%-9% of male newborns, posing infertility and testis tumor risks. Despite its prevalence, the detailed pathophysiology underlying male infertility within cryptorchidism remains unclear. Here, we profile and analyze 46,644 single-cell transcriptomes from individual testicular cells obtained from adult males diagnosed with cryptorchidism and healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF[Well-differentiated papillary mesothelial tumour of the tunica vaginalis: A case report].
Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- The mesothelium is a layer of cells covering serosal cavities, and mesothelial tumors are rare, especially those in the tunica vaginalis compared to other areas like the pleura or peritoneum.
- Mesothelial tumors in the tunica vaginalis are classified into three categories: adenomatoid tumors, well-differentiated papillary mesothelial tumors (WDPMT), and mesotheliomas, with WDPMT being particularly rare and lacking established treatment guidelines.
- A case of a 29-year-old man with chronic scrotal pain led to an emergency operation, revealing signs consistent with WDPMT, which was confirmed through postoperative histopathology and immunohistochemical staining.
[Retrospective study on the impact of penile corpus cavernosum injection test on penile vascular function].
Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how age, hormonal levels, and biochemical markers influence vascular function in men with erectile dysfunction (ED), using data from patients who underwent specific tests at a medical center from 2020 to 2023.
- Out of 700 patients analyzed, significant findings revealed that those with vascular ED had lower estrogen and testosterone levels and a higher incidence of hyperglycemia compared to non-vascular ED patients.
- Regression analysis indicated that higher estrogen levels acted as a protective factor against vascular ED, while older age and elevated glucose levels were associated with increased risk for different types of ED.
Article Synopsis
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has extended the lives of individuals with HIV-1, but ongoing treatment is necessary, making research into potential cure strategies essential, including using analytic treatment interruption (ATI) to evaluate viral rebound.
- A study examined biomarkers in HIV controllers—those who maintain low HIV levels without ART—looking at immune, glycomic, lipidomic, and metabolomic markers to determine their effect on outcomes during ATI.
- Results indicated that higher levels of specific immune cells and certain glycan types were linked with quicker HIV rebound, while specific lipids and glycan structures were associated with delaying rebounding, suggesting complex interactions in the body's response to HIV.
β-Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a biologically active nucleotide that regulates the physiological metabolism of the body by rapidly increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). To determine the safety and biological activity of NMN resources, we constructed a recombinant strain of P. pastoris that heterologously expresses nicotinamide-phosphate ribosyltransferase (NAMPT), and subsequently catalyzed and purified the expressed product to obtain NMN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study examines renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in young adults aged 18-40, focusing on the differences in outcomes between clear cell RCC (CCRCC) and non-clear cell RCC (NCCRCC) subtypes.
- Conducted at Peking University Third Hospital from 2012 to 2022, the research analyzed 300 RCC patients who underwent surgery and some received additional therapy to assess clinicopathological features and survival rates.
- Results indicated that while the 5-year survival rates were high overall, NCCRCC patients had a significantly lower progression-free survival (PFS) compared to CCRCC patients, although overall survival (OS) rates did not significantly differ between the two groups.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare two methods for detecting Y chromosome microdeletions: a six-sequence-tagged site (STS) method and an eight-STS method.
- Using real-time quantitative PCR, the researchers found no significant difference in the detection rates of azoospermia factor (AZF) region deletions between the two methods.
- Ultimately, the study concluded that the six-STS method is preferable for detecting Y chromosome microdeletions due to its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and practical application in clinical strategies.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess how different urate-lowering medications affect testicular functions in men with gout, involving 49 patients aged 18-45 in a clinical trial.
- The three groups received either allopurinol, febuxostat, or benzbromarone for three months, with evaluations of semen quality, reproductive hormones, and other health metrics.
- Results indicated that allopurinol and febuxostat showed no significant negative impacts on sperm quality, while benzbromarone improved sperm concentration, suggesting these medications can be safe for reproductive health management in gout patients.
Article Synopsis
- - Geminal bis(boronates) are important building blocks in organic chemistry, mainly used as nucleophiles, but their full potential has been limited until now.
- - This research reveals that α-halogenated geminal bis(boronates) can engage in ambiphilic reactions, leading to a new method combining Heck cross-coupling with selective allylboration.
- - The developed reaction is efficient, works with various functional groups, and is backed by evidence showing a catalytic cycle that involves Pd(I) and diboryl carbon radical intermediates, differing from traditional methods.
Article Synopsis
- Exceptional points (EPs) occur when two or more eigenvalues of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian merge, leading to unique phenomena like chiral transmission, where system states depend on the path taken around these points.
- Previous efforts to achieve chiral transmission have relied on closed trajectories in specific symmetry systems, but they faced challenges with low efficiency due to losses.
- This study presents a novel approach with an open trajectory in a coupled waveguide system, demonstrating high-efficiency chiral transmission and potentially paving the way for advanced chiral-transmission devices in photonic technology.
Article Synopsis
- Renal fibrosis is important in kidney disease progression, but effective diagnostic markers are lacking, prompting this study to explore machine learning for biomarker identification.
- Using GEO database datasets and algorithms like LASSO and SVM-RFE, the study pinpointed four genes—CCL5, IFITM1, RIPK2, and TNFAIP6—as potential indicators for renal fibrosis, validated by experiments.
- A predictive model was created with these biomarkers, achieving a high concordance index of 0.933, which aids in predicting disease risk and supports personalized treatment strategies for renal fibrosis.
Article Synopsis
- The HMGN1 gene is important for epigenetic regulation, but its role in cancer development is not fully understood.* -
- Analysis of HMGN1 expression from multiple databases showed it is upregulated in various solid tumors, correlating with poor prognosis and involvement in oncogenic processes.* -
- Findings suggest that HMGN1 could serve as a promising biomarker for cancer analysis due to its link to tumor characteristics and drug sensitivity.*
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to assess the radiographic features of congenital thumb duplication (CTD) type C2 and propose a new classification for surgical strategies based on these features.
- - Researchers analyzed 92 patients with type C2 CTD using a new classification system that identifies joint alignment, categorizing them into type I, II, and III based on the degree of deviation.
- - Results showed the majority of cases were type I (82.6%), with the suggested classification potentially enhancing surgical treatment decision-making for children with this condition.
Article Synopsis
- Geminal bis(boronates) are important in organic synthesis, but making the internal types has been challenging compared to the easier terminal versions.
- The study introduces a formal umpolung strategy using 1,1-diborylalkanes, which are modified into α-halogenated derivatives that can then react with nucleophiles to form diverse C-C, C-O, C-S, and C-N bonds.
- This method is versatile, showing good tolerance to steric hindrance and functional groups, and it can also be applied to produce other types of geminal bis(boronates), including diaryl and terminal varieties.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze sperm retrieval rates (SRR) in azoospermia factor c (AZFc) microdeletion patients using microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) and to compare preoperative factors across studies with different SRRs.
- A total of 11 studies with 441 patients were included, showing an overall SRR of 62.4%, but individual study rates varied significantly from 25% to 85.7%, with higher rates often linked to older patient ages and higher hormone levels.
- The study concluded that while the overall SRR is 62.4%, more research is needed to understand how patient factors influence these outcomes and to gather more data on pregnancy and live-birth rates
Article Synopsis
- Genetic studies have highlighted the importance of Phf7 in animal germline development, but the link between Phf7 mutations and male infertility needs more exploration.
- Using Phf7 knockout mice, researchers confirmed that infertility is linked to genetic defects preventing the proper transition from histones to protamines and that immune pathways activated by endogenous retroviruses play a role.
- The study identifies PPARα as a potential target for managing inflammation in the testis and suggests that the antioxidant astaxanthin could be a promising treatment for male infertility by restoring immune regulation affected by Phf7 loss.
Article Synopsis
- Recent research highlights the importance of immune checkpoint-related genes (ICGs) in maintaining immune balance and suggests they could be therapeutic targets, particularly in low-grade gliomas (LGG).
- A newly identified 8-gene prognostic signature, developed using RNA-seq data and validated across multiple databases, differentiates LGG patients into high- and low-risk groups based on their survival probabilities and clinical characteristics.
- This gene signature has proven to be more effective than existing models and could aid in improving patient prognosis and tailoring immunotherapy treatments for LGG patients.