Association between vascular endothelial growth factor and clinical outcomes of IVF-ET/ICSI

Objective: To investigate the association between the level of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and the quality of early embryos as well as clinical outcome after embryo transplantation in embryo culture medium of patients treated with IVF-ET/ICSI, and explore the association between VEGF 936 C/T gene polymorphisms and IVF-ET/ICSI clinical outcomes

Study design: Case-control study

Place and duration of study: The Reproductive Medical Center, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China, from January to December 2016

Methodology: Ninety-eight patients undergoing IVF-ET/ICSI treatment were divided into pregnant group [n=58] and nonpregnant group [n=40], based on clinical outcomes. Average age, infertility duration, body mass index, number of previous grafts, basic follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] levels, luteinizing hormone [LH] levels, chorionic gonadotropin [HCG] intimal thickness, estrogen [E2] levels, progesterone [P] levels, and other relevant indicators were compared between the two groups. The vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] levels in the embryo culture medium were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Meanwhile, VEGF 936 C/T genotype and allele frequency [%] were compared between the two groups

Results: There was no significant difference in average age, infertility duration, number of previous grafts, basic folliclestimulating hormone [FSH] levels, luteinizing hormone [LH] levels, chorionic gonadotropin [HCG] intimal thickness, estrogen [E2] level, progesterone [P] level, number of retrieved oocytes, embryo number, quality embryo number, quality embryo rate, and cumulative embryo score [CES] of transplanted embryo between the two groups [P=0.601, 0.180, 0.741, 0.119, 0.693, 0.282, 0.064, 0.505, 0.712, 0.822, 0.663, 0.150, 0.178, 0.204 and 0.263, respectively]. VEGF level in embryo culture medium was lower in pregnant group than non-pregnant group, with statistically significant difference [p<0.001]. VEGF level in the culture medium of grade I embryos was significantly lower than that of grade II embryos [p<0.001]. The frequencies of CC genotype and C allele in VEGF 936 in the non-pregnant group were higher than those in the pregnant group [p=0.003, and 0.005, respectively]

Conclusion: VEGF level in the embryo culture medium can be used as one reference indicator for predicting embryo quality and pregnancy outcome. The VEGF 936 C/T gene polymorphism may be related to IVF-ET/ICSI treatment outcome, and C allele may be a susceptibility gene for IVF-ET/ICSI failure

Electrophysiologial evaluation of ozone in treating of lumbar disc herniation with curving sheath-needle multi-direction rotating injection / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare electrophysiological changes in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with ozone by curving sheath-needle multi-direction rotating injection (CSNMRI) and conventional injection method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From May 2005 to June 2009,100 patients with LDH were studied, included 68 males and 32 females, ranging in age from 25 to 58 years with an average of 44 years, in course of disease from 3 months to 8 years with an average of 8.8 months. All patients were numbered according to sequence of visit, and were completely randomly divided into group A and group B with DPS software, 50 cases in each group. All patients were injected ozone into lesion of intervertebral disc, in group A with CSNMRI and in group B with conventional method. The electrophysiologic study of all patients was performed respectively before treatment and at the 3 month after treatment. The electromyogram (EMG) of the main muscle groups of involved lower limb and the corresponding segments of sacrospinal muscle was tested; the duration and multiphase-wave rate of MUP were calculated. H-reflex of tibial nerve in both lower limbs was observed and the number of abnormal H-reflex and the H-wave latency were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the number of muscles with abnormal EMG was reduced to different degrees in each group, but there was more significant reduction in group A (P < 0.05 or 0.01); the duration and multiphase-wave rate of MUP in the two groups were both reduced and close to the normal level (P < 0.01), yet the changes in group A was more than that of group B (P < 0.05 or 0.01). There was no significant difference in the number of abnormal H-reflex before treatment between two groups, whereas was markedly lower in group A than that of group B after treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment, H-wave latency in two groups was shortened and become close to normal, but group B was more statistically significant than group B (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The neural electrophysiological abnormalities can reflect the degree of nerve root compression and damage, and is one of the objective indicators to estimate neuromuscular function. It can better meliorate abnormal electrophysiology to inject ozone to treat LDH with CSNMRI than conventional method.</p>

Analysis of relationship between the detection of Enterococcus faecalis in post-treatment endodontic disease and clinical symptom or sign / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in post-treatment endodontic disease, and to analyze the relationship between the occurrence of E. faecalis and clinical symptom.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>108 teeth which need root canal retreatment were collected, and the clinical symptoms and physical signs were recorded. Bacterium samples from root canal were taken, and genome DNA from bacterial samples were extracted. The occurrence of E. faecalis by means of the polymerase chain reaction was investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The detection rate of E. faecalis in cases of root canal retreatment was 47.2%, while in cases with symptoms or signs, or cases with both symptoms and signs, the root canal E. faecalis detection rates were 52.6%, 57.9%, 62.5%. The detection rates of E. faecalis between cases with clinical symptom and without clinical symptom demonstrated statistical significance (P < 0.05). The detection rates between cases with both clinical symptom and manifestly aneretic root and cases without clinical symptom and manifestly aneretic root had statistical significance (P < 0.05). In the group of clinical symptom, the detection rate of E. faecalis in cases with biting pain was 66.7%, clearly higher than those without biting pain (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The occurrence of E. faecalis in cases of root canal retreatment correlates with clinical symptoms.</p>