ABSTRACT Objective: Recently, several studies have found that obesity had a protective effect against varicocele, but no meta-analysis has confirmed this finding. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and varicocele. Material and Methods: We searched for studies in PubMed, Science Direct and the Cochrane Library from inception until February 2018. The association between BMI and varicocele was assessed by pooling the odds ratios (ORs). Results: Eleven eligible studies with a total study population of 1.376.658 participants were included in our analysis. According to BMI, the subjects were defined as belonging to the obese, overweight and underweight groups. Our results showed that the obese group had a lower risk of varicocele when compared with the normal weight group (odds ratio [OR] 0.46, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 0.37-0.58). Additionally, an overweight BMI had a protective effect against varicocele (OR 0.70, 95% CIs, 0.56-0.86). However, underweight patients had a more than 30% higher risk of varicocele (OR 1.31, 95% CI, 1.04-1.64). Furthermore, there was no publication bias in any of the analyses. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that BMI is negatively associated with the presence of varicocele.

Abstract Background: Mast cells (MCs) have been found to play a critical role during development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that characterized by dysregulation of inflammation and impaired intestinal barrier function. However, the function of MCs in IBD remains to be fully elucidated. Results: In our study, we used exosomes isolated from human mast cells-1 (HMCs-1) to culture with NCM460, HT-29 or CaCO2 of intestinal epithelial cells (lECs) to investigate the communication between MCs and lECs. We found that MCs-derived exosomes significantly increased intestinal epithelial permeability and destroyed intestinal barrier function, which is attributed to exosome-mediated functional miRNAs were transferred from HMCs-1 into lECs, leading to inhibit tight junction-related proteins expression, including tight junction proteins 1 (TJP1, ZO-1), Occludin (OCLN), Claudin 8 (CLDN8). Microarray and bioinformatic analysis have further revealed that a panel of miRNAs target different tight junction-related proteins. Interestingly, miR-223 is enriched in mast cell-derived exosome, which inhibit CLDN8 expression in IECs, while treatment with miR-223 inhibitor in HT-29 cells significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of HMCs-1-derived exosomes on CLDN 8 expression. Most importantly, enrichment of MCs accumulation in intestinal mucosa of patients with IBD compared with those healthy control. Conclusions: These results indicated that enrichment of exosomal miR-223 from HMCs-1 inhibited CLDN8 expression, leading to destroy intestinal barrier function. These finding provided a novel insight of MCs as a new target for therapeutic treatment of IBD.

Resumo Fundamento: A análise dos fatores de risco para previsão de complicações relacionadas não foi relatada até o momento. Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar retrospectivamente os fatores de risco de complicações relacionadas da ablação miocárdica septal transluminal percutânea (PTSMA) para cardiomiopatia hipertrófica obstrutiva (CMHO). Método: Dados clínicos e resultados de acompanhamento de um ano de pacientes com CMHO submetidos a PTSMA entre janeiro de 2000 e julho de 2013 no Departamento de Cardiologia do Hospital Popular da Província de Liaoning, província de Liaoning, China, foram analisados retrospectivamente para determinar fatores de risco para complicações operatórias com análise de regressão logística múltipla. Todos os valores de p são bilaterais, com valores de p < 0,05 sendo considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados: Entre os 319 pacientes com CMHO, a PTSMA foi realizada em 224 pacientes (120 homens e 104 mulheres, com idade média de 48,20 ± 14,34 anos). A incidência de complicações relacionadas ao procedimento PTSMA foi de 36,23% (66/224), incluindo três mortes cardíacas, dois choques cardíacos, um infarto do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento de ST, duas fibrilações ventriculares e 20 bloqueios atrioventriculares (AV) de terceiro grau (quatro pacientes receberam implantes de marca-passo permanente), 32 bloqueios completos de ramo direito, dois bloqueios completos de ramo esquerdo e quatro complicações relacionadas com a punção. Após análise de regressão logística multivariada, verificou-se que idade, sexo, doenças coronarianas, diabetes, frequência cardíaca, função cardíaca à admissão, número de ablações septais e volume de álcool não foram fatores de risco independentes correlacionados com as complicações totais, exceto para hipertensão (OR: 4,856; IC 95%: 1,732-13,609). A experiência principiante parece estar associada à ocorrência de complicações. Conclusão: A hipertensão arterial foi um fator de risco independente para complicações relacionadas com o procedimento de PTSMA. Pode ser muito mais seguro e eficiente se os procedimentos de PTSMA forem restritos a centros experientes, de acordo com os resultados da análise para a curva de aprendizado.

Abstract Background: The analysis of risk factors for predicting related complications has not been reported to date. Objective: This study aims to investigate the risk factors of related complications of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) retrospectively. Method: Clinical data, and one-year follow-up results of patients with HOCM, who underwent PTSMA between January 2000 and July 2013 in the Department of Cardiology, Liaoning Province People’s Hospital, Liaoning Province, China, were retrospectively analyzed to determine risk factors for operative complications with multiple logistic regression analysis. All p values are two-sided, with values of p < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Results: Among 319 patients with HOCM, PTSMA was performed in 224 patients (120 males and 104 females, mean age was 48.20 ± 14.34 years old). The incidence of PTSMA procedure-related complications was 36.23% (66/224), which included three cardiac deaths, two cardiac shocks, one ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction, two ventricular fibrillations, 20 third-degree atrioventricular (AV) blocks (four patients were implanted with a permanent pacemaker (PPM)), 32 complete right bundle branch blocks, two complete left bundle branch blocks, and four puncture-related complications. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that age, gender, coronary artery diseases, diabetes, heart rate, cardiac function on admission, the number of septal ablations, and the volume of alcohol were not independent risk factors correlated to the whole complications, except for hypertension (OR: 4.856; 95% CI: 1.732-13.609). Early experience appears to be associated with the occurrence of complications. Conclusion: Hypertension was an independent risk factor for PTSMA procedure-related complications. It might be much safer and more efficient if PTSMA procedures are restricted to experienced centers, according to the analysis results for the learning curve.

We wish to report a set of seventeen ketones bearing nabumetone and trifluoro- methylaniline(TFMA) moieties. Synthesized via direct Mannich reaction in a solution of ethanol- chloroform catalyzed by concentrated hydrochloric acid, the chemical structures of these compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI MS and HR MS. Studies on their antidiabetic activities revealed that all title compounds possessed moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory activities and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP 1B) inhibitory activities. Among them, a few compounds also exhibit considerable peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor response element (PPRE) agonist activity, in particular the relative PPRE agonist activity of compounds 1r and 1l reached 54.02% and 57.60%, respectively. These results represent significant examples of new molecular type for antidiabetic agents that merit further evaluation.