Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) represents a relevant issue of reproductive medicine that is often associated with infertility and reduced efficacy of IVF programs. The changes in amino acid metabolism can play a role in the DOR pathogenesis as manifestations of the folliculogenesis and oogenesis epigenetic alterations. The study was aimed to assess alterations of amino acid metabolic pathways in blood plasma and follicular fluid and estimate their clinical significance in DOR. A total of 115 infertile women aged 25–42 years were included in the study. Groups were formed based on the ovarian reserve and age. Amino acid levels in blood plasma and follicular fluid were assessed by high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS); bioinformatics analysis of amino acid metabolic pathways was performed. We revealed significant changes in the phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis (effect = 0.5; p = 0.026), alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism (effect = 0.114; p = 0.013), and arginine biosynthesis (effect = 0.289; p < 0.001) pathways playing a role in folliculogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis. The detected differences in the amino acid levels in various body fluids made it possible to construct the logistic regression models confirming DOR with the 88% probability based on the amino acid levels in follicular fluid (sensitivity 88%, specificity 84%) and 82% probability based on plasma levels (sensitivity 65%, specificity 91%). The findings can be used for further research focused on the pathogenesis of infertility associated with DOR and for selection of the most optimal diagnostic and treatment tactics.
VIEWS 19
Vaccination is an effective means of preventing pertussis infection. The purpose of this work was to improve vaccines available in the Russian Federation in general and actualize vaccine strains used for the production thereof in particular. We studied B. pertussis strains isolated in Moscow, Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Ulyanovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, and eight production strains part of the adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine. Multilocus antigenic sequence typing (MAST) and whole genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST) were used for genotyping. We studied cultural morphological, enzymatic, serological, and genotypic properties of the candidate B. pertussis strains, and compared their genotypic properties to those of B. pertussis vaccine strains from the current composition of the DPT vaccine. Candidate strains belong to four genotypes: ptxА1/ptxВ2/ptxС2/ptxР3/fim2-2/fim3-2/prn2, ptxА1/ptxВ2/ptxС2/ptxР3/fim2-2/fim3-2/prn9, ptxА1/ ptxВ2/ptxС2/ptxР3/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1 and ptxА1/ptxВ2/ptxС2/ptxР3/fim2-2/fim3-1/prn2. Current vaccine strains were from other six genotypes: ptxА2/ptxВ1/ ptxС1/ptxР1/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1, ptxА2/ptxВ2/ptxС1/ptxР2/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1, ptxА4/ptxВ1/ptxС1/ptxР2/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1, ptxА2/ptxВ2/ptxС1/ptxР1/ fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1, ptxА4/ptxВ2/ptxС1/ptxР2/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1 and ptxА1/ptxВ2/ptxС1/ptxР1/fim2-1/fim3-1/prn1. With the help of wgMLST, we established affiliation of all candidate strains of B. pertussis to ST2.
VIEWS 23
Original research -
Abstract has not been added yet...
VIEWS 26
Functional assessment of higher mental functions in case of intoxication or during treatment will make it possible to identify predictors of the symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy associated with portal hypertension. The study was aimed to determine the diagnostic predictors of the emergence of the earliest symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy in adolescents with portal hypertension. The study involved 60 adolescents aged 13–17 years: 28 males, 32 females. The experimental group included 30 adolescents with the diagnosis К76.6 Portal hypertension, unspecified form. The control group included 30 adolescents with normal somatic status, who had no mental disorders, traumatic brain injuries or severe infectious diseases of the brain (based on the records of the annual check-up). The studied groups were matched by sex, age, and social status. The proprietary method, Tobii EyeX hardware and software system (GazeControl software), and Cambridge Face Memory Test for Children (CFMT-C) were used. It has been found that recognition of single face images, multiple face images, and multiple face images camouflaged with noise by adolescents with portal hypertension is associated with the greater efforts (manifested in the increased number and duration of gaze fixations), than recognition of the above by adolescents with normal somatic status. The accuracy of recognition of single face images, multiple face images, and multiple face images camouflaged with noise shown by adolescents with portal hypertension experiencing the toxic effects associated with manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy is significantly reduced compared to that shown by adolescents with normal somatic status. The results obtained can be considered as the diagnostic predictors allowing one to trace the changes in the hepatic encephalopathy severity at various stages of treatment (including after surgical intervention).
VIEWS 27
Injections of platelet-rich plasma are considered to be a promising treatment. Medicines acting on the subchondral bone can improve tissue's structure and slow down destruction of the articular cartilage. This study aimed to analyze the results of intraarticular and intraosseous administration of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in gonarthrosis cases. One hundred and eighty-seven participants (gonarthrosis stages 1 through 3) were divided into three groups. Group 1 (treatment group) received intraarticular PRP injections, group 2 (comparison group) — intraosseous PRP injections. For assessment purposes, we used the SF-36 survey and visual analog scale. Three months after the treatment, initial pain level decreased in both groups 1 and 2. In group 1, the prevalence of synovitis went down after 3 months, in group 2 — after 6 months (21.9 and 31.3%, respectively; p < 0.05). Six months after the treatment, soft tissue swelling around the joint was registered less often in groups 1 and 2 (8.2 and 8.3%, respectively). As for the physical component of the quality of life, it improved in group 1 after 3 months (70.40%), in group 2 — after 6 months (69.80%); as for the mental component, the dynamics was acknowledged positive 3 months after the treatment in groups 1 and 2 (64.30 and 65.10%, respectively), and 6 months after the treatment (65.10 and 66.40%, respectively). Thus, administration of PRP in gonarthrosis cases attenuate pain and improves the quality of life. In terms of alleviation of the clinical symptoms and improvement of the physical component of patients' lives, intraosseous PRP injections performed significantly better.
VIEWS 102