Purpose: There is a significant rise in mortality rates from breast and cervical cancers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In Ghana, approximately 4482 women are diagnosed with these diseases at advanced stages. Un...Purpose: There is a significant rise in mortality rates from breast and cervical cancers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In Ghana, approximately 4482 women are diagnosed with these diseases at advanced stages. Unfortunately, the early detection rate for these cancers is low compared to other women’s health services. This situation underscores the need to identify the locations of reproductive-age women who have not been screened for these cancers, to implement targeted public health interventions. This study aims to pinpoint these women’s locations for tailored interventions. Method: Bivariate analysis assessed the relationship between the independent and outcome variables. Hot spot analysis and Kriging Ordinary interpolation were employed to pinpoint the locations of these women. Results: Breast cancer examination and cervical cancer test rates were low, with a strong association between the two screening services. Several significant variables were identified: place of residence (p Conclusion: Low participation in these screening services was related to women’s age and the outreach efforts of fieldworkers. Breast and cervical cancer screenings are interconnected and could be combined to improve attendance rates. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) implementation strategy could be cost-effective for screening women through targeted interventions, especially in identified clusters.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the effect of hormonal status on aerobic conjunctival flora in women. METHODS: One hundred fifty-eight women [reproductive-aged (n=55), pregnant (n=51), and postmenopausal (n=52)] who admitted to outp...AIM: To evaluate the effect of hormonal status on aerobic conjunctival flora in women. METHODS: One hundred fifty-eight women [reproductive-aged (n=55), pregnant (n=51), and postmenopausal (n=52)] who admitted to outpatient clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Denizli State Hospital were enrolled. Age, body-mass index (BMI), obstetric history, cigarette smoking, drug usage, presence of systemic disease, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were recorded for each patient. The samples were taken from the lower fornix with two culture swabs and directly incubated in culture containing 5% sheep blood, eosin-methylene blue and chocolate agar. The other swab specimen was Gram stained. All growths and microscopic results were analyzed. RESULTS: The coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the predominant organism isolated in the conjunctival samples in both three groups. The aerobic microorganism growth rate for all isolated aerobic organisms revealed no significant change in the three groups (P>0.05). The conjunctival culture positivity rates were similar in the three groups (49% in reproductive-aged, 57% in pregnant and 58% in postmenopausal women) (P>0.05). Age, IOP, BMI, gravidity, parity, cigarette smoking, drug usage, and presence of systemic diseases did not have an effect on culture positivity in three groups. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that conjunctival aerobic flora and bacterial colonization did not differ between reproductive-aged, pregnant and postmenopausal women.展开更多
Exosome-like small-extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extracellular vesicles that act in intercellular communication and are involved in several biologic and pathologic processes. While sEVs increase the stability of t...Exosome-like small-extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extracellular vesicles that act in intercellular communication and are involved in several biologic and pathologic processes. While sEVs increase the stability of their cargo molecules, there is still a need for standardization of sampling and isolation of these microvesicles. We aimed to determine the best sampling method for isolation of sEVs from peripheral blood from reproductive-aged women. Material and Methods: We included samples of plasma from our biobank collected in 2014 by venipuncture in heparin tubes and stored at -80°C. We also included blood samples collected in heparin tubes and Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes and stored at -80°C for one to two weeks prior processing. All blood samples were collected from the same nine reproductive-aged female volunteers. sEVs were isolated from plasma by ultracentrifugation and filtration and indirectly quantified using Pierce BCA Protein Assay kit. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Nano Tracking Analysis (NTA) were performed to confirm the isolation of sEVs. Results and Discussion: TEM and NTA confirmed the isolation of sEVs. Protein concentration of short-time stored heparin samples was not statistically different from long-time stored heparin samples (1847.2 ± 651.4 vs. 2363.2 ± 1025.1, p = 0.14). There was no difference between heparin and EDTA plasma samples recently collected (2363.2 ± 1025.1 vs. 2044.8 ± 653.2, p = 0.44). In conclusion, blood samples may be collected using heparin or EDTA for isolation of sEVs. Long-time stored plasma samples maintain sEVs integrity and may be used, especially in comparative studies.展开更多
Menstrual cycle characteristics constitute one of the significant female fertility indicators.Previous epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to environmental chemicals could affect menstrual cycle character...Menstrual cycle characteristics constitute one of the significant female fertility indicators.Previous epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to environmental chemicals could affect menstrual cycle characteristics,but the knowledge remains limited overall.Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS)have been identified as potential reproductive toxicants,while previous studies mainly focused on several legacy PFAS chemicals but generally failed to explore the outcomes from exposure to a complex mixture of both legacy and emerging PFAS.Besides,the modification effect of physical activity is rarely considered.In the present study,we explored the associations of exposure to a suite of legacy and emerging PFAS and menstrual cycle regularity as well as the potential modification by physical activity based on a pre-conception cohort in Shanghai(China)with the participation of 1001 reproductive-aged women.A total of 20 PFAS chemicals with detection frequency>80%,which were derived from the PFAS exposure profile of the same population in our previous study,were included in the confounder-adjusted logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression(BKMR)analysis.In individual PFAS analysis,after adjustment of the covariates,∑2m-PFOS(the sum of all perfluoro-dimethylhexane sulfonates)was significantly associated with menstrual cycle irregularity with an odds ratio(OR)of 1.35(95%confidence interval,CI:1.09,1.67)as well as long cycles(OR=1.37;95%CI:1.08,1.70).In addition,a significant positive association was also found between perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid(PFNA)and long cycles(OR=1.40;95%CI:1.06,1.86).No significant associations were found between the PFAS mixture and the menstrual cycle characteristics as revealed by BKMR analysis,while the significant association between ∑2m-PFOS and menstrual cycle irregularity was also observed in the mixture exposure model.Subgroup analysis stratified by physical activity level showed that the associations between ∑2m-PFOS and menstrual cycle irregularity as well as long cycles were more pronounced in the inactive physical activity subgroup.This study suggested that branched PFOS(i.e.,∑2m-PFOS)might act as the predominant risk factor for menstrual cycle irregularity,and physical activity could influence the risks.展开更多
Background：Quantifying syphilis prevalence is important for planning interventions and advocating for resources on syphilis.However,data on large sample studies regarding the prevalence of syphilis among reproductive...Background：Quantifying syphilis prevalence is important for planning interventions and advocating for resources on syphilis.However,data on large sample studies regarding the prevalence of syphilis among reproductive-age women in rural China were not available for analysis.The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence,epidemiological characteristics,and related factors of syphilis infection among reproductive-age women in rural China.Methods：Data were obtained from a nationwide,population-based,cross-sectional study under the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project which covered all the 31 provinces in China's Mainland.Women intending to get pregnant within the next 6 months were enrolled between January 1,2010,and December 31,2012.Sociodemographic,gynecological and obstetric characteristics,and other relevant information were obtained through face-to-face interviews.Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay test was used to detect positive samples of syphilis.Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess the associations between syphilis seropositivity and related factors.Results：The overall seroprevalence of syphilis （SPS） among the 2,044,126 women who received syphilis screening test during 2010-2012 was 0.37% （95% confidence interval [CI]：0.36-0.37%）.The SPS appeared 0.24% （95% CI：0.23-0.26%） and 0.66% （95% CI：0.59-0.72%） in women at 21-24 and 40-44 years of age,respectively,showing an increase of SPS,parallel with age,and the difference was significant.SPS was significantly higher in ethnic minorities than that in Han nationality （0.58% vs.0.35%,respectively,odds ratio [OR] =1.41,95% CI：1.30-1.53） and higher in workers than that in farmers （0.45% vs.0.36%,respectively,OR =1.27,95% CI：1.14-1.41）.Women with primary school or below level had a higher SPS as compared to those with college or above educational level （0.61% vs.0.32%,respectively,OR =2.49,95% CI：2.14-2.89）,and the increase reversely correlated with the levels of education.Women whose spouses were syphilis seropositive had significant greater risk （OR =48.26,95% CI：44.38-52.48） as compared those whose spouses were seronegative.Women who reported having had a history of sexually transmitted infections were more likely to be tested positive for serological syphilis （OR =27.17,95% CI：20.44-36.11） as compared to those without.Conclusions：High SPS is seen among reproductive-age women in rural China that calls for targeted interventions on syphilis prevention and control in this target population,with emphasis on those who are 35 years of age and above,less educated,being minor ethnicity,workers,and living in the western regions of China.展开更多
文摘Purpose: There is a significant rise in mortality rates from breast and cervical cancers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In Ghana, approximately 4482 women are diagnosed with these diseases at advanced stages. Unfortunately, the early detection rate for these cancers is low compared to other women’s health services. This situation underscores the need to identify the locations of reproductive-age women who have not been screened for these cancers, to implement targeted public health interventions. This study aims to pinpoint these women’s locations for tailored interventions. Method: Bivariate analysis assessed the relationship between the independent and outcome variables. Hot spot analysis and Kriging Ordinary interpolation were employed to pinpoint the locations of these women. Results: Breast cancer examination and cervical cancer test rates were low, with a strong association between the two screening services. Several significant variables were identified: place of residence (p Conclusion: Low participation in these screening services was related to women’s age and the outreach efforts of fieldworkers. Breast and cervical cancer screenings are interconnected and could be combined to improve attendance rates. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) implementation strategy could be cost-effective for screening women through targeted interventions, especially in identified clusters.
文摘AIM: To evaluate the effect of hormonal status on aerobic conjunctival flora in women. METHODS: One hundred fifty-eight women [reproductive-aged (n=55), pregnant (n=51), and postmenopausal (n=52)] who admitted to outpatient clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Denizli State Hospital were enrolled. Age, body-mass index (BMI), obstetric history, cigarette smoking, drug usage, presence of systemic disease, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were recorded for each patient. The samples were taken from the lower fornix with two culture swabs and directly incubated in culture containing 5% sheep blood, eosin-methylene blue and chocolate agar. The other swab specimen was Gram stained. All growths and microscopic results were analyzed. RESULTS: The coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the predominant organism isolated in the conjunctival samples in both three groups. The aerobic microorganism growth rate for all isolated aerobic organisms revealed no significant change in the three groups (P>0.05). The conjunctival culture positivity rates were similar in the three groups (49% in reproductive-aged, 57% in pregnant and 58% in postmenopausal women) (P>0.05). Age, IOP, BMI, gravidity, parity, cigarette smoking, drug usage, and presence of systemic diseases did not have an effect on culture positivity in three groups. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that conjunctival aerobic flora and bacterial colonization did not differ between reproductive-aged, pregnant and postmenopausal women.
基金We acknowledge the volunteers that had donated blood samples for this experi-ment.This work was supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation(Fapesp)(grants 2016/13616-8,2016/16618-1,2016/01340-8 and 2015/21829-9).
文摘Exosome-like small-extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extracellular vesicles that act in intercellular communication and are involved in several biologic and pathologic processes. While sEVs increase the stability of their cargo molecules, there is still a need for standardization of sampling and isolation of these microvesicles. We aimed to determine the best sampling method for isolation of sEVs from peripheral blood from reproductive-aged women. Material and Methods: We included samples of plasma from our biobank collected in 2014 by venipuncture in heparin tubes and stored at -80°C. We also included blood samples collected in heparin tubes and Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes and stored at -80°C for one to two weeks prior processing. All blood samples were collected from the same nine reproductive-aged female volunteers. sEVs were isolated from plasma by ultracentrifugation and filtration and indirectly quantified using Pierce BCA Protein Assay kit. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Nano Tracking Analysis (NTA) were performed to confirm the isolation of sEVs. Results and Discussion: TEM and NTA confirmed the isolation of sEVs. Protein concentration of short-time stored heparin samples was not statistically different from long-time stored heparin samples (1847.2 ± 651.4 vs. 2363.2 ± 1025.1, p = 0.14). There was no difference between heparin and EDTA plasma samples recently collected (2363.2 ± 1025.1 vs. 2044.8 ± 653.2, p = 0.44). In conclusion, blood samples may be collected using heparin or EDTA for isolation of sEVs. Long-time stored plasma samples maintain sEVs integrity and may be used, especially in comparative studies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42277417 and 82130097)the Major Talent Program of Guangdong Provincial(No.2021QN02Y944)+2 种基金The Shanghai Birth Cohort was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41991314 and 81530086)the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission(Nos.GWIII-26,GWIV-26,and 2020CXJQ01)the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,Xinhua Hospital and the National Human Genetic Resources Sharing Service Platform(No.2005DKA21300).
文摘Menstrual cycle characteristics constitute one of the significant female fertility indicators.Previous epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to environmental chemicals could affect menstrual cycle characteristics,but the knowledge remains limited overall.Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS)have been identified as potential reproductive toxicants,while previous studies mainly focused on several legacy PFAS chemicals but generally failed to explore the outcomes from exposure to a complex mixture of both legacy and emerging PFAS.Besides,the modification effect of physical activity is rarely considered.In the present study,we explored the associations of exposure to a suite of legacy and emerging PFAS and menstrual cycle regularity as well as the potential modification by physical activity based on a pre-conception cohort in Shanghai(China)with the participation of 1001 reproductive-aged women.A total of 20 PFAS chemicals with detection frequency>80%,which were derived from the PFAS exposure profile of the same population in our previous study,were included in the confounder-adjusted logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression(BKMR)analysis.In individual PFAS analysis,after adjustment of the covariates,∑2m-PFOS(the sum of all perfluoro-dimethylhexane sulfonates)was significantly associated with menstrual cycle irregularity with an odds ratio(OR)of 1.35(95%confidence interval,CI:1.09,1.67)as well as long cycles(OR=1.37;95%CI:1.08,1.70).In addition,a significant positive association was also found between perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid(PFNA)and long cycles(OR=1.40;95%CI:1.06,1.86).No significant associations were found between the PFAS mixture and the menstrual cycle characteristics as revealed by BKMR analysis,while the significant association between ∑2m-PFOS and menstrual cycle irregularity was also observed in the mixture exposure model.Subgroup analysis stratified by physical activity level showed that the associations between ∑2m-PFOS and menstrual cycle irregularity as well as long cycles were more pronounced in the inactive physical activity subgroup.This study suggested that branched PFOS(i.e.,∑2m-PFOS)might act as the predominant risk factor for menstrual cycle irregularity,and physical activity could influence the risks.
文摘Background：Quantifying syphilis prevalence is important for planning interventions and advocating for resources on syphilis.However,data on large sample studies regarding the prevalence of syphilis among reproductive-age women in rural China were not available for analysis.The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence,epidemiological characteristics,and related factors of syphilis infection among reproductive-age women in rural China.Methods：Data were obtained from a nationwide,population-based,cross-sectional study under the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project which covered all the 31 provinces in China's Mainland.Women intending to get pregnant within the next 6 months were enrolled between January 1,2010,and December 31,2012.Sociodemographic,gynecological and obstetric characteristics,and other relevant information were obtained through face-to-face interviews.Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay test was used to detect positive samples of syphilis.Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess the associations between syphilis seropositivity and related factors.Results：The overall seroprevalence of syphilis （SPS） among the 2,044,126 women who received syphilis screening test during 2010-2012 was 0.37% （95% confidence interval [CI]：0.36-0.37%）.The SPS appeared 0.24% （95% CI：0.23-0.26%） and 0.66% （95% CI：0.59-0.72%） in women at 21-24 and 40-44 years of age,respectively,showing an increase of SPS,parallel with age,and the difference was significant.SPS was significantly higher in ethnic minorities than that in Han nationality （0.58% vs.0.35%,respectively,odds ratio [OR] =1.41,95% CI：1.30-1.53） and higher in workers than that in farmers （0.45% vs.0.36%,respectively,OR =1.27,95% CI：1.14-1.41）.Women with primary school or below level had a higher SPS as compared to those with college or above educational level （0.61% vs.0.32%,respectively,OR =2.49,95% CI：2.14-2.89）,and the increase reversely correlated with the levels of education.Women whose spouses were syphilis seropositive had significant greater risk （OR =48.26,95% CI：44.38-52.48） as compared those whose spouses were seronegative.Women who reported having had a history of sexually transmitted infections were more likely to be tested positive for serological syphilis （OR =27.17,95% CI：20.44-36.11） as compared to those without.Conclusions：High SPS is seen among reproductive-age women in rural China that calls for targeted interventions on syphilis prevention and control in this target population,with emphasis on those who are 35 years of age and above,less educated,being minor ethnicity,workers,and living in the western regions of China.
