Clinical Value of Early-Pregnancy Glycated Hemoglobin, Fasting Plasma Glucose, and Body Mass Index in Screening Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To investigate clinical values of early-pregnancy (8-13 weeks) glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body mass index (BMI) in screening gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: A total of 1120 cases underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), of which 216 cases with GDM were selected as the study group, and 278 cases without GDM were selected as the control group. FPG, HbA1c, and BMI in early pregnancy were measured.

MiR-3666 serves as a tumor suppressor in ovarian carcinoma by down-regulating AK4 via targeting STAT3.

As a result of metastasis and high recurrence, ovarian carcinoma (OC) is one of the most frequent gynecological carcinomas affecting women up to now. In spite of advances in OC treatments, the molecular mechanisms underlying OC progression are still needed to be deeply understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) with aberrant expressions are widely known to regulate target genes so as to mediate diverse biological activities of tumor cells.

Impaired spermatogenesis in COVID-19 patients.

Background: The current study aimed to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility.

Methods: This is a single-center, hospital-based observational study that included autopsied testicular and epididymal specimens of deceased COVID-19 male patients (=6) and recruited recovering COVID-19 inpatients (=23) with an equal number of age-matched controls, respectively. We performed histopathological examinations on testicular and epididymal specimens, and also performed TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry.

ITK inhibition promotes long-term survival of cardiac allografts by regulating T cell PLCγ phosphorylation.

Background: T cells express interleukin-2 inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), which is an essential modulator of T-cell signaling and function. However, the role of ITK in solid organ transplantation has not been investigated to date. Here, we studied the function of ITK in a murine cardiac transplantation model.

The Effect of Intrauterine Administration of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Before Embryo Transfer During Assisted Reproductive Cycles: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The fertility success rates of clinical and laboratory-assisted reproductive techniques (ART) remain low, despite major advances. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review and assess whether the intrauterine administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) before embryo transfer (ET) improved the clinical outcomes of sub-fertile women undergoing assisted reproduction. The electronic databases PUBMED, EMBASE and Web of Science were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from inception to June 2018.

Dysregulation of an X-linked primate-specific epididymal microRNA cluster in unexplained asthenozoospermia.

Asthenoszoopermia, characterized by reduced sperm motility, is one of the primary forms of male infertility. Whereas most cases were diagnosed into unexplained asthenozoospermia (UA) because the etiology cannot be identified. In animal models, epigenetic dysregulation in epididymis can impair sperm maturation and result in asthenozoospermia.

Alterations of testis-specific promoter methylation in cell-free seminal deoxyribonucleic acid of idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermic men with different testicular phenotypes.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of quantification of testicular DNA methylation from cell-free seminal DNA (cfsDNA), and analyze promoter methylation alterations in men with idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA).

Design: Comparison between testicular DNA and paired cfsDNA, and among NOA patients with different testicular phenotypes.

Setting: Academic research institute and andrology practice.