The prevalence of GDM is very high worldwide. The specific pathogenesis of GDM is currently not very clear. Recent research suggests that changes in the intestinal flora during pregnancy play a key role in it. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the characteristics of the intestinal flora of patients with gestational diabetes in the third trimester of pregnancy and at finding the intestinal flora with significant differences in healthy pregnant women to provide a basis for future clinical attempts of using intestinal microecological agents to treat gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We sequenced the V3-V4 regions of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene from stool samples of 52 singleton pregnant women at >28 weeks of gestation. Our results showed that there were significant differences between the NOR group vs. GDM group and the G group vs. LG group among Bacteroides, Firmicutes, and Firmicutes/Bacteroides. At the species level, there were significant differences in the abundance of eight species in the NOR and GDM groups. Among them, the relative abundance of Clostridium_spiroforme, Eubacterium_dolichum, and Ruminococcus_gnavus was positively correlated with FBG, and Pyramidobacter_piscolens was negatively correlated with FBG, whereas there were significant differences in the abundance of five species in the G and LG groups. Functional analysis showed that there were differences in the biosynthesis and metabolism of polysaccharides, digestive system, classification, and degradation of the intestinal microbes between the NOR and GDM groups and between the G and LG groups. These results indicated that the gut microbes between GDM patients in the third trimester of pregnancy and healthy controls had essential characteristic changes and might be involved in the regulation of patients’ blood glucose levels.

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BACKGROUND: Low-dose aspirin has been the most widely studied preventive drug for preeclampsia. However, guidelines differ considerably from country to country regarding the prophylactic use of aspirin for preeclampsia. There is limited evidence from large trials to determine the effect of 100 mg of aspirin for preeclampsia screening in women with high-risk pregnancies, based on maternal risk factors, and to guide the use of low-dose aspirin in preeclampsia prevention in China. OBJECTIVE: The Low-Dose Aspirin in the Prevention of Preeclampsia in China study was designed to evaluate the effect of 100 mg of aspirin in preventing preeclampsia among high-risk pregnant women screened with maternal risk factors in China, where preeclampsia is highly prevalent, and the status of low-dose aspirin supply is commonly suboptimal. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial at 13 tertiary hospitals from 11 provinces in China between 2016 and 2019. We assumed that the relative reduction in the incidence of preeclampsia was at least 20%, from 20% in the control group to 16% in the aspirin group. Therefore, the targeted recruitment number was 1000 participants. Women were randomly assigned to the aspirin or control group in a 1:1 allocation ratio. Statistical analyses were performed according to an intention-to-treat basis. The primary outcome was the incidence of preeclampsia, diagnosed along with a systolic blood pressure of !140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure of !90 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation, with a previously normal blood pressure (systolic blood pressure of <140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of <90 mm Hg), and complicated by proteinuria. The secondary outcomes included maternal and neonatal outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the significance of difference of preeclampsia incidence between the groups for both the primary and secondary outcomes. Interaction analysis was also performed. RESULTS: A total of 1000 eligible women were recruited between December 2016 and March 2019, of which the final 898 patients were analyzed (464 participants in the aspirin group, 434 participants in the control group) on an intention-to-treat basis. No significant difference was found in preeclampsia incidence between the aspirin group (16.8% [78/ 464]) and the control group (17.1% [74/434]; relative risk, 0.986; 95% confidence interval, 0.738e1.317; P¼.924). Likewise, adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Meanwhile, the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage between the 2 groups was similar (6.5% [30/464] in the aspirin group and 5.3% [23/ 434] in the control group; relative risk, 1.220; 95% confidence interval, 0.720e2.066; P¼.459). We did not find any significant differences in preeclampsia incidence between the 2 groups in the subgroup analysis of the different risk factors. CONCLUSION: A dosage of 100 mg of aspirin per day, initiated from 12 to 20 gestational weeks until 34 weeks of gestation, did not reduce the incidence o...

We explored the effects of different doses of letrozole on the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) after oocyte retrieval during in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients with high-risk OHSS. A total of 88 patients were randomly divided into a control group, and groups treated with 2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 7.5 mg of letrozole. We found that from the fifth day after human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) treatment, the E2 level decreased and there were statistical differences between the four groups (p < 0.05). From the eighth day after hCG treatment, the luteinizing hormone (LH) level increased, but the progesterone (P) level decreased. There were statistical differences between groups (p < 0.05). From the fifth day after hCG treatment, the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased in the control, but decreased in the letrozole groups in a dose-dependent manner. There were statistically significant differences between groups (p < 0.001). The incidence of moderate and severe OHSS was lower in the 7.5 mg group than in the control group (p < 0.05). In the patients with high-risk OHSS undergoing whole embryo frozen transfer, treatment with 7.5 mg letrozole may be useful to limit OHSS.

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common form of mRNA modification under the field of “RNA epigenetics.” However, its role in ovarian cancer (OC) development is poorly understood. In the current study, we aimed to identify gene signatures and prognostic values of m6A RNA methylation regulators. Method: Specifically, we downloaded Mutations and Copy number variant (CNV) data from the TCGA database for 579 OC patients, then analyzed gene expression and prognosis value using integrative bioinformatics. Thereafter, we verified the related biological processes of Wilms’ tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) gene using Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results: Results showed that almost all ovarian cancer patients (99.31%) have CNVs with at least 1 m6A regulatory gene, whereas 83.76% of cases exhibited concurrence of CNVs in more than 4 m6A regulatory genes. Additionally, alteration of m6A regulators was associated with historical grade, whereas integrative bioinformatics and Cox multivariate model analysis revealed a significant correlation between high WTAP expression and worse ovarian cancer outcomes. Moreover, GSEA revealed that high WTAP expression was associated with cell cycle regulation and MYC targets. Conclusion: Overall, our findings demonstrate the significance of high-frequency genetic alterations of m6A RNA methylation regulators and WTAP’s poor prognosis value in OC. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of m6A methylation in OC, and will be vital in guiding development of novel treatment therapies.

The incidence of placenta increta and placenta percreta is likely to increase in China. The depth of placenta implantation is associated with the severity of outcomes. Placenta percreta tends to have worse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

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