Effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology: A review.

It has been over 4 years since the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As an effective response to coronavirus disease 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been widely used around the world. However, couples who are planning to conceive naturally or by assisted reproductive technology (ART) are concerned about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on pregnancy and offspring safety.

G-quadruplex formation within the promoter region of and its effect on transcription.

G-rich sequences in DNA and RNA tend to fold into stable secondary structures called G-quadruplexes. Except for the telomere region, G-quadruplex-forming sequences are widely present in gene promoters and have been implicated in transcriptional regulation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can disrupt the G-quadruplex structure of a gene promoter.

Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on female fertility: A retrospective cohort study.

Fear of possible negative effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine on fertility is the main reason for vaccine hesitancy among the public especially women of childbearing age. Despite the high coverage of COVID-19 vaccination in China, more scientific evidence is still needed to address their concerns and guide fertility counseling and management in the future. Herein, we performed a retrospective cohort study at a single large center for reproductive medicine in China between August 2020 and May 2023.

Effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on male fertility: A retrospective cohort study.

Numerous studies have revealed severe damage to male fertility from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, raising concerns about the potential adverse impact on reproductive function of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine developed based on the virus. Interestingly, there are several researchers who have studied the impact of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine since then but have come up with conflicting results. As a near-ideal candidate for mass immunization programs, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has been widely used in many countries, particularly in less wealthy nations.

Clinical Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among the Uninfected Pregnant Women - 6 PLADs, China, 2019-2020.

Summary: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially affected prenatal care quality and maternal and fetal outcomes globally.

Unlabelled: During COVID-19 pandemic period, the rates of caesarean sections (CS) and preterm birth for uninfected pregnant women increased slightly in areas that were relatively severely impacted by the pandemic in China. The overall number of prenatal examinations did not dramatically decrease, while the eligible examinations significantly decreased in Hubei Province.

[Variant analysis of SOX5 gene in a Lamb-Shaffer syndrome family].

Objective: To explore the genetic basis for a case of Lamb-Shaffer syndrome.

Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and subjected to whole exome sequencing(WES). Suspected variant was verified by Sanger sequencing.

Associations between endocrine-disrupting heavy metals in maternal hair and gestational diabetes mellitus: A nested case-control study in China.

Background: Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs) may lead to abnormal glucose metabolism and, potentially, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Objective: We investigated the association between five endocrine-disrupting heavy metals (EDHMs), i.e.

AR-mTOR-SRF Axis Regulates HMMR Expression in Human Prostate Cancer Cells.

The elevated expression of the hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) is known to be highly associated with tumor progression in prostate cancer, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of HMMR expression remain unclear. Here, we report that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of HMMR expression, for which its kinase activity is required. Pharmacological inhibitors of mTOR, such as rapamycin and Torin2, markedly suppressed the mRNA level as well as the protein level of HMMR in LNCaP and PC-3 cells.

Contribution of Temperature Increase to Restrain the Transmission of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak has already become a global pandemic and containing this rapid worldwide transmission is of great challenge. The impacts of temperature and humidity on the COVID-19 transmission rate are still under discussion. Here, we elucidated these relationships by utilizing two unique scenarios, repeated measurement and natural experiment, using the COVID-19 cases reported from January 23 - February 21, 2020, in China.

LIF in embryo culture medium is a predictive marker for clinical pregnancy following IVF-ET of patients with fallopian tube obstruction.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has played a vital role in a series of reproductive events, including follicle growth, embryo growth and differentiation. However, it is unclear whether the level of LIF in embryo culture medium can be used as a marker for clinical pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether LIF level in embryo culture medium can act as a predictive marker for pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in infertile women due to tubal problems.

Body mass index (BMI) is associated with serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level in infertile women: a cross-sectional study.

Studies suggest that there is a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. But conflicting evidence exists regarding the relationship between the two variables. Moreover, thyroid function is closely related to female fertility and has certain effects on infertility.

Simultaneous analysis of typical halogenated endocrine disrupting chemicals and metal(loid)s in human hair.

Hair analysis has been an important approach in evaluating population exposure to various environmental factors. To meet the requirements of human environmental epidemiology studies, we aimed to develop an efficient method for simultaneous analysis of various metal(loid)s and some typical environmental halogenated endocrine disrupting chemicals (hEDCs) (i.e.

Aberrant expression of CD13 and stem cell markers in CD133-induced liver cancer in mice.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) and to determine their expression profiles in different pathological stages of liver cancer by using multiple markers Methods: In this study, the expression profiles of CD133 and CD13, along with those of stem cell markers Oct4 and SOX2, were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting to clarify the character of CSCs in different stages of liver cancer.

Results: CD133 liver cancer cells were injected into mice, and the tissues were processed for histology. The histological data revealed the progression of liver cancer.

lncRNA UCA1 Mediates Resistance to Cisplatin by Regulating the miR-143/FOSL2-Signaling Pathway in Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of this study was to explore the roles of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) on cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer and the underlying mechanisms. We investigated the expression of lncRNAs in 3 paired cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant tissues of ovarian cancer by microarray analysis. The qRT-PCR analysis was to investigate the expression pattern of UCA1 in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer patient tissues and cell lines.

Potential effect of germanium exposure on the risk of influenza-like illness in housewives in Shanxi Province, China.

Few studies have examined the relationship between exposure to germanium (Ge) and the risk of influenza-like illness (ILI). Therefore, we investigated the association of Ge exposure and its interaction with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to Phase II metabolism on ILI risk among housewives in Shanxi Province, northern China. This cross-sectional study enrolled 373 housewives.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor in serum and follicular fluid of women with polycystic ovary syndrome and its correlation with IVF outcome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovarian dysfunction and polycystic ovarian morphology. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) affects many reproductive activities, including follicular development, embryo implantation and growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate LIF concentrations in serum and follicular fluid of women with PCOS and controls who underwent IVF with embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Protective Effect of Yang Mi Ryung® Extract on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Mice.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) results from the damage of the delicate hair cells inside the ear after excessive stimulation of noise. Unlike certain lower animals such as amphibians, fishes, and birds, in humans, hair cells cannot be regenerated once they are killed or damaged; thus, there are no therapeutic options to cure NIHL. Therefore, it is more important to protect hair cells from the noise before the damage occurs.

MicroRNA-203 Is a Prognostic Indicator in Bladder Cancer and Enhances Chemosensitivity to Cisplatin via Apoptosis by Targeting Bcl-w and Survivin.

Resistance to cisplatin-based chemotherapy is a major cause of treatment failure in advanced bladder cancer (BC) patients. There is increasing evidence that microRNAs are involved in the development and progression of BC. However, little is known about the function of microRNAs in predicting the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on BC survival and regulating response to cisplatin.

Periostin expression and its prognostic value for colorectal cancer.

Integrin is important for cell growth, invasion and metastasis, which are frequently observed in malignant tumors. The periostin (POSTN) gene encodes the ligand for integrin, one of the key focal adhesion proteins contributing to the formation of a structural link between the extracellular matrix and integrins. High expression levels of the POSTN gene are correlated with numerous human malignancies.

MiR-203 suppresses ZNF217 upregulation in colorectal cancer and its oncogenicity.

Zinc finger protein 217 (ZNF217) is essential for cell proliferation and has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, its expression and exact roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that ZNF217 expression was aberrantly upregulated in CRC tissues and associated with poor overall survival of CRC patients.

Overexpression of miR-223 correlates with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

The purpose of the study was to investigate microRNA-223 (miR-223) expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its relationship with tumorigenesis and disease prognosis. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure levels of miR-223 in tumor samples and adjacent non-cancerous tissues from 62 patients undergoing radical resection for the treatment of CRC. The associations between miR-223 expression and patient age, sex, as well as clinicopathologic parameters, such as tumor size, differentiation, location, invasion depth, metastasis, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and overall patient survival, were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Urinary cell-free microRNA-106b as a novel biomarker for detection of bladder cancer.

Cell-free microRNAs (miRNAs) stably and abundantly exist in body fluids and emerging evidence suggests cell-free miRNAs as a novel class of noninvasive disease biomarkers. In this study, we hypothesized that the quantitative detection of the oncogenic miR-106b-25 cluster in urine could be a useful clinical biomarker for bladder cancer (BCa). Three members of the miR-106b-25 cluster (miR-106b, miR-93 and miR-25) were quantified by real-time RT-PCR in urine supernatant of 112 BCa patients and 78 age-matched controls.

Hypoxia-inducible MiR-210 is an independent prognostic factor and contributes to metastasis in colorectal cancer.

MicroRNA-210 (miR-210), the master hypoxamir, plays pleiotropic roles in certain cancers; however, its role in the development of human colorectal cancer remains unclear. Herein, we report that miR-210 is frequently up-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues, with high miR-210 expression significantly correlating with large tumor size, lymph node metastasis, advanced clinical stage and poor prognosis. Functionally, miR-210 overexpression promotes the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells.

Leptin-mediated regulation of MT1-MMP localization is KIF1B dependent and enhances gastric cancer cell invasion.

Leptin overexpression is closely correlated with gastric cancer (GC) invasion, but its exact effect and the underlying mechanism in tumorigenesis remain poorly understood. Membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a surface-anchored 'master switch' proteinase, is overexpressed and plays crucial roles in tumor invasion. Here, we characterized the influence of leptin on the generation and surface localization of MT1-MMP in GC and elucidated its molecular mechanisms.

Hypoxia induces T-cell apoptosis by inhibiting chemokine C receptor 7 expression: the role of adenosine receptor A(2).

Hypoxia is a major characteristic of the tumor microenvironment, and its effects on immune cells are proposed to be important factors for the process of tumor immune escape. It has been reported that hypoxia affects the function of dendritic cells and the antitumor function of T cells. Here we discuss the effects of hypoxia on T-cell survival.