Diseases Of Urinary System Research Articles

Correlation of pre-existing comorbidities with disease severity in individuals infected with SARS-COV-2 virus.

Shortly after the first publication on the new disease called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), studies on the causal consequences of this disease began to emerge, initially focusing only on transmission methods, and later on its consequences analyzed in terms of gender, age, and the presence of comorbidities. The aim of our research is to determine which comorbidities have the greatest negative impact on the worsening of the disease, namely which comorbidities indicate a predisposition to severe Covid-19, and to understand the gender and age representation of participants and comorbidities. The results of our study show that the dominant gender is male at 54.4% and the age of 65 and older. The most common comorbidities are arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. The dominant group is recovered participants aged 65 and older, with comorbidities most frequently present in this group. The highest correlation between patients with different severity of the disease was found with cardiovascular diseases, while the coefficient is slightly lower for the relationship between patients with different disease severity and urinary system diseases and hypertension. According to the regression analysis results, we showed that urinary system diseases have the greatest negative impact on the worsening of Covid-19, with the tested coefficient b being statistically significant as it is 0.030 < 0.05. An increase in cardiovascular diseases affects the worsening of Covid-19, with the tested coefficient b being statistically significant as it is 0.030 < 0.05. When it comes to arterial hypertension, it has a small impact on the worsening of Covid-19, but its tested coefficient b is not statistically significant as it is 0.169 > 0.05. The same applies to diabetes mellitus, which also has a small impact on the worsening of Covid-19, but its tested coefficient b is not statistically significant as it is 0.336 > 0.05. Our study has shown that comorbidities such as urinary system diseases and cardiovascular diseases tend to have a negative impact on Covid-19, leading to a poor outcome resulting in death, while diabetes mellitus and hypertension have an impact but without statistical significance.

A Novel Three-Point Localization Method for Bladder Volume Estimation.

The measurement of bladder volume is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of urinary system diseases. Ultrasound imaging, with its non-invasive, radiation-free, and repeatable scanning capabilities, has become the preferred method for measuring residual urine volume. Nevertheless, it still faces some challenges, including complex imaging methods leading to longer measurement times and lower spatial resolution. Here, we propose a novel three-point localization method that does not require ultrasound imaging to calculate bladder volume. A corresponding triple-element ultrasound probe has been designed based on this method, enabling the ultrasound probe to transmit and receive ultrasound waves in three directions. Furthermore, we utilize the Hilbert Transform algorithm to extract the envelope of the ultrasound signal to enhance the efficiency of bladder volume measurements. The experiment indicates that bladder volume estimation can be completed within 5 s, with a relative error rate of less than 15%. These results demonstrate that this novel three-point localization method offers an effective approach for bladder volume measurement in patients with urological conditions.

Cohort profile: China undergraduate cohort for environmental health study

The China Undergraduate Cohort (CUC) is an ambispective cohort study with its major purpose to better understand the effects of lifetime environmental exposures on health outcomes. We recruited 5322 college students with an average age of 18.3 ± 0.7 years in China from August 23, 2019 to October 28, 2019. Follow-up surveys were conducted annually. The dataset comprises individual demographic data (e.g. age, sex, height, weight, birth date, race, home address, annual family income, contact information), health-related behavior data (smoking status, smoking cessation, passive smoking exposure, drinking habit, physical activity, dietary status), lifestyle data (physical exercise, dietary habit, length of time spent outdoors), disease history (respiratory disease history, cardiovascular disease history, urinary system disease history, etc.), mental health status data (sleep quality, self-reported stress, anxiety and depression symptoms), lung function and blood samples data. Preliminary results from our cohort have found the association between air pollution, summer heat and mercury exposure and lung function among young adults in China.

Causes and management of urinary system problems in children on long-term home invasive mechanical ventilation.

Many ventilator-dependent children have comorbid conditions including urinary tract disorders. We aimed to present a focused review of the literature describing the causes and management of urinary system problems in children with long-term home mechanical ventilation. We performed a literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science with keywords "children," "home mechanical ventilation," "urinary system," "urinary tract," "neurogenic bladder," "clean intermittent catheterization," "urinary tract infection," "urolithiasis," and "acute kidney injury." We included original articles, reviews, guidelines, and case reports published in English. Ventilator-dependent children may have neurogenic bladder/bowel dysfunction which renders them prone to urinary tract infection, high bladder pressure, vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis, and renal dysfunction. These children require bladder catheterization, medications affecting parasympathetic/sympathetic nervous systems, or surgical procedures to prevent urinary infections, and to maintain continence and renal functions. However, bladder catheterization or surgical procedures like augmentation cystoplasty may also be complicated with urinary infections, urolithiasis, or urethral strictures. Urolithiasis frequency is also increased due to immobilization-related hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia caused by antiepileptic drugs, urinary stasis, and urinary infections. On the other hand, mechanical ventilation can impair renal function by reduction of cardiac output, redistribution of intrarenal blood flow and stimulation of sympathetic and hormonal pathways. Children requiring long-term invasive home mechanical ventilation may have other comorbid conditions, including urinary system diseases, which become manifest as these patients are being kept alive due to the advances in ventilation strategies. These children must be carefully observed for urological complications and managed accordingly to prevent kidney injury.

TGFβ2 mediates oxidative stress–induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of bladder smooth muscle

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is the primary clinical manifestation of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the most common urinary system disease in elderly men, and leads to associated lower urinary tract symptoms. Although BOO is reportedly associated with increased systemic oxidative stress (OS), the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The elucidation of this mechanism is the primary aim of this study. A Sprague–Dawley rat model of BOO was constructed and used for urodynamic monitoring. The bladder tissue of rats was collected and subjected to real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), histological examination, and immunohistochemical staining. Through bioinformatics prediction, we found that transforming growth factor β2 (TGFβ2) expression was upregulated in rats with BOO compared with normal bladder tissue. In vitro analyses using primary bladder smooth muscle cells (BSMCs) revealed that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced TGFβ2 expression. Moreover, H2O2 induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by reducing E-cadherin, an endothelial marker and CK-18, a cytokeratin maker, and increasing mesenchymal markers, including N-cadherin, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) levels. The downregulation of TGFβ2 expression in BSMCs using siRNA technology alleviated H2O2-induced changes in EMT marker expression. The findings of the study indicate that TGFβ2 plays a crucial role in BOO by participating in OS-induced EMT in BSMCs.

Ethnobotanical study of Zhuang medicinal herbs of Ardisia: variety systematization, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and toxicity.

This study aimed to systematize the Zhuang medicinal herbs of Ardisia (ZMHA) in China, to clarify the traditional use in Zhuang medicine and the dynamics of international research on phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and toxicity. There are 25 species of ZMHA, approximately 938 compounds from the different part, including triterpenoids, phenolics, volatile oils, etc. Pharmacological activity studies have also shown that this genus has anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, etc., and significant effects on respiratory, digestive, urinary, and musculoskeletal system diseases without toxic side effects. The Ardisia has a medicinal history of nearly a thousand years, mainly for treating diseases of the injuries, musculoskeletal, and symptomatic system in Zhuang medicine. Some plants, such as A. crenata, A. gigantifolia, and A. japonica, are also commonly used in folk Zhuang medicine formulas, to treat musculoskeletal, injury, respiratory, and urinate systems disease. These diseases are related to inflammation. These could provide a new direction for future new drug development research. Therefore, species identification and resource investigation should be strengthened, and conducted in vitro mechanism, in vivo pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and toxicology studies and establish a perfect quality standard system.

Management of Renal Calculus through Ayurveda: A Case Report

Introduction: Renal calculus is one of the most common and prevalent diseases of urinary system. It affects all countries of the world with an approximate global lifetime prevalence of 15–20%. The etiology of renal calculus is multifactorial. It bears closest resemblance to Vrikkashmari in Ayurveda. Existing non-invasive treatment modalities available in contemporary medical science have limitations in terms of efficacy and cause various adverse effects. Hence, this study is aimed to explore effective alternate in the traditional systems for satisfactory management of this disease condition. Materials and Methods: A 50-year-old female patient visited the OPD of an Ayurveda hospital with complaints of pain in the right and left flanks radiating to the lower back, burning micturition, and nausea and vomiting for 20 days. The USG report revealed about two renal calculi measuring 6 mm and 8 mm in the right and left kidneys, respectively. Ayurvedic medicines such as Shweta Parpati, Hazrulyahud Bhasma, Gokshuradi Guggulu, Chandraprabha Vati, and Varunadi Kwatha were given to the patient for 1 month. Results: A significant remission was reported in clinical symptoms as well as in imaging findings after the use of this Ayurvedic treatment protocol.

Immediate and medium-term results of aortic valve replacement with biological prosthesis in elderly patients: experience of one center

Objective. To analyze the immediate and medium-term results of prosthetics of the aortic valve (AV) using biological prosthesis in elderly patients.&#x0D; Material and methods. The study included 198 patients with AV pathology [85 men (42.9 %)/113 women (57.1 %)]. The median age was 70 [66–73] years. There were 175 (88.4 %) patients with sclerodegenerative AV, 5 (2.5 %) – with infectious endocarditis and 30 patients (15.2 %) had bicuspid AV.&#x0D; Results. The hospital mortality was 4.5 %. The causes of mortality were multiple organ failure syndrome, in 1 case – developed peritonitis. In 14 patients (7.1 %) there was a rhythm disturbance in the form of AF, in 9 (4.5 %) – a complete AV block, in connection with which a permanent pacemaker was implanted. Four patients (2 %) underwent resternotomy for bleeding. Two patients (1 %) underwent pericardiocentesis. 8 (4 %) patients developed a stroke. No wound complications were detected. In the long-term period, 31 patients died. The causes of mortality were the following: cardiovascular diseases – 13 patients, malignant neoplasms – 5 patients, gastrointestinal diseases – 2, urinary system disease – 1 patient, COVID-19 – 1 patient, unknown cause – 9 patients. Thus, the five-year survival rate after the surgery was 63 %, respectively. During the follow-up period, 2 patients (2.9 %) underwent repeated intervention on AV.&#x0D; Conclusions. The five-year freedom from re-operation was 97.1 %. The five-year survival rate was 63 % due to the presence of a history of severe concomitant pathology as well as the middle age of patients 70 years.

The effectiveness of the use of the drug “Furinaid” in complex therapy in the treatment of idiopathic cystitis in small pets

The disease of the lower urinary tract in cats is clinically significant pathology affecting about 7% of cats. Idiopathic feline cystitis (ICC) is diagnosed in more than half of cases of lower urinary tract disease in cats under the age of ten years. The cat HCC is a diagnosis of exclusion, in other words, urolithiasis and bacterial infections of the urinary tract should be excluded from the diagnosis. There are several reasons leading to the occurrence of diseases of the lower urinary system of cats. However, the idiopathic form of this disease (idiopathic cat cystitis) is one of the most common today. Stress, as it is now known, plays a very important role in the initiation and/or aggravation of the course of HCC. Worldwide, idiopathic cystitis is the most common cause of diseases of the lower urinary tract of cats, both males and females. The development of effective methods for the treatment of idiopathic cystitis in cats is one of the promising areas of veterinary science and practice. The article presents the results of studies obtained in assessing the effectiveness of the use of the drug “Furinaid” in complex therapy in the treatment of idiopathic cystitis in cats. Based on the obtained research results, it was found that 100% of the animals recovered in all the test groups, which indicates that the animals were properly treated, but the scheme using the drug “Furinaid” was therapeutically more effective. Therefore, it can be argued that in pharmacotherapy of idiopathic cystitis in cats, the use of drugs containing glucosaminoglycans is of great importance.

Homologation of results of manual and automated urine microscopic analysis: a review of the bibliography

Introduction: urinalysis represents one of the most requested laboratory tests for the diagnosis and follow-up of urinary and renal system diseases. Although manual microscopy has been the traditional method, its process is characterized by being laborious and time-consuming. For this reason, automated systems have been introduced with the aim of improving the accuracy of the results. Objective: to establish the relevance of the homologation of manual and automated urine microscopic analysis results through a literature review.Methods: this study is based on descriptive research of bibliographic documents with a retrospective analysis. For the collection of information, various databases such as PudMED, Scielo, Google Scholar, Scopus, Elsevier were consulted. During the bibliographic search, 25 articles related to the subject of the study were found, for which the PRISMA methodology was used.Results: by analyzing the different investigations, it was found that the automated analyzers showed an adequate concordance with manual microscopy for red blood cells, white blood cells and epithelial cells. However, in the case of bacteria and casts, a lower concordance was evidenced. Conclusion: urine microscopic analysis is crucial in medical diagnosis. The transition from manual methods to automated equipment has improved the efficiency and accuracy of the results. The comparison between both methods is fundamental to ensure the reliability of the results, which contributes to provide safe and appropriate treatments for patients

Analysis of the Effectiveness and Detection Rate of Urine Occult Blood Test in the Diagnosis of Urinary System Diseases

Objective: To analyze the application effect and detection rate of urine occult blood test in the diagnosis of urinary system diseases. Methods: 80 patients with definite diagnoses of urinary system diseases admitted from February 2022 to February 2023 were selected. Their urine samples were collected, urine sediment occult blood test and urinalysis were performed on each urine sample. The test results obtained from the two methods and their turnaround time were compared. Results: For the positive detection rates of white blood cells, red blood cells, proteins, and casts in the urine samples, there was no significant difference between the two methods (P &gt; 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the detection rates of various urinary system diseases between the two methods (P &gt; 0.05). Urinalysis has a significantly shorter turnaround time compared to urine sediment occult blood test (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The urine occult blood test has a high detection rate in diagnosing urinary system diseases, with satisfactory application effect.

Association between PM10 pollution and the hospitalization of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with comorbidity: evidence in 17 cities of Henan, Central China.

Particulate matter (PM10) changes have been confirmed as one of the contributory factors affecting human health, the association between PM10 pollution and the hospitalization of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with comorbidity diseases was rarely reported. The same inpatient more than twice times admissions with COPD illness from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2021 were identified from hospitals in the 17 cities of Henan, Central China. City-specific associations were firstly estimated using the case time series (CTS) model and then combined to obtain the regional average association. The multivariate meta-analytic model produces pooled estimates of the set of coefficients representing the PM10-COPD hospitalizations association across the 17 cities. Cause-specific hospitalization analyses were performed by COPD patients with different comorbidity combinations. A total of 34,348 elderly (age 65) subjects were analyzed and with a total of 35,122.35 person-years. These coefficients can be used to compute the linear exposure-response curve expressed as relative risk (RR) in per 10µg/m3 increase in PM10 at lag03, which was 1.0091 (95% CI 1.0070-1.0112) for COPD with comorbidity, 1.0089 (95% CI 1.0067-1.0110) for COPD with circulatory system diseases, 1.0079 (95% CI 1.0052-1.0105) for COPD with respiratory system diseases, 1.0076 (95% CI 1.0032-1.0121) for COPD with endocrine system diseases, and 1.0087 (95% CI 1.0013-1.0162) for COPD with genitourinary system diseases, respectively. Some heterogeneity was found across cities, with estimates ranging from 1.0227 in the Puyang and Jiaozuo to 1.0053 in Henan Provance, China. The effect of higher PM10, on average, was higher in studies for northern cities, with a steeper raise in risk: per 10µg/m3 increase in PM10, the RR from 1.0062 (95% CI 1.0030-1.0093) for the 10th percentile of latitude to 1.0124 (95% CI 1.0089-1.0160) for the 90th percentile. Our findings indicated that PM10 exposure may increase the risk of hospitalizations for COPD with comorbidity. Moreover, there might be a higher morbidity risk associated with PM10 in northern latitudes, indicating that stricter air quality standards could potentially reduce PM10-related morbidity among individuals with COPD. These findings have implications for the implementation of effective clean air interventions aligned with national climate policies.

COMPARISON OF POPULATION MORBIDITY IN SOME WATER SUPPLY ZONES OF A LARGE URBAN AGGLOMERATION AND PERMANGANATE OXIDIZABILITY OF DRINKING WATER

There has been researched the relationship between permanganate oxidizability of drinking water and the primary and total population turnover in polyclinics of the city, located in the areas supplied with drinking water from surface water intake, infiltration water intake, as well as in the area located in the mixing zone of water from surface and infiltration water intakes, for the following diseases: malignant neoplasms, blood diseases, endocrine diseases, diseases of the circulatory system, respiratory diseases, diseases of the digestive organs, skin diseases. The method of correlation and regression analysis has been used to find the relationship between the indicator of drinking water quality and the number of applications (primary and/or general) of the population to polyclinics. Different manifestations of relationships between diseases of the population and permanganate oxidizability of drinking water have been revealed. Thus, permanganate oxidizability can positively or negatively affect respiratory diseases, blood diseases and congenital deformities.&#x0D; Differences in manifestation of relations between population diseases and permanganate oxidizability of water in the zone of surface water intake, the zone of mixing of surface and infiltration water intakes, as well as the zone of infiltration water intake have been established. The maximum number of correlation coefficients characterizing the relationship between the indicator and malignant neoplasms, diseases of urogenital system and skin diseases is noted for the zone of infiltration water intake, while in the other two zones the correlation coefficients are either absent or their occurrence is minimal. Correlation coefficients characterizing the relationship between the indicator and the same disease in the zones of influence of surface water intake, mixing zone and zone of influence of infiltration water intake can have different signs.&#x0D; It should be noted that correlation coefficients of moderate, noticeable and high association do not mean that there is a risk of one or another disease, but only indicate that there is some relationship between permanganate oxidizability and these diseases.

Glaucoma Prediction Models Based on Ocular and Systemic Findings

Introduction: Our aim was to explore the impact of various systemic and ocular findings on predicting the development of glaucoma. Methods: Medical records of 37,692 consecutive patients examined at a single medical center between 2001 and 2020 were analyzed using machine learning algorithms. Systemic and ocular features were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses followed by CatBoost and Light gradient-boosting machine prediction models were performed. Main outcome measures were systemic and ocular features associated with progression to glaucoma. Results: A total of 7,880 patients (mean age 54.7 ± 12.6 years, 5,520 males [70.1%]) were included in a 3-year prediction model, and 314 patients (3.98%) had a final diagnosis of glaucoma. The combined model included 185 systemic and 42 ocular findings, and reached an ROC AUC of 0.84. The associated features were intraocular pressure (48.6%), cup-to-disk ratio (22.7%), age (8.6%), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of red blood cell trend (5.2%), urinary system disease (3.3%), MCV (2.6%), creatinine level trend (2.1%), monocyte count trend (1.7%), ergometry metabolic equivalent task score (1.7%), dyslipidemia duration (1.6%), prostate-specific antigen level (1.2%), and musculoskeletal disease duration (0.5%). The ocular prediction model reached an ROC AUC of 0.86. Additional features included were age-related macular degeneration (10.0%), anterior capsular cataract (3.3%), visual acuity (2.0%), and peripapillary atrophy (1.3%). Conclusions: Ocular and combined systemic-ocular models can strongly predict the development of glaucoma in the forthcoming 3 years. Novel progression indicators may include anterior subcapsular cataracts, urinary disorders, and complete blood test results (mainly increased MCV and monocyte count).

New insights into the prevention of ureteral stents encrustation

Abstract Ureteral stents are commonly used medical devices for the treatment of urinary system diseases. However, while providing benefits to patients, they often give rise to various issues, with stent encrustation being a major concern for clinical physicians. This phenomenon involves the formation of attached stones on the stent’s surface, leading to potential complications such as increased fragility and laxity of the ureter, difficulties in stent removal, and a higher risk of stent fracture. Therefore, this review starts from the pathological mechanisms of stone formation and discusses in detail the two major mechanisms of stent encrustation: the conditioning film and the biofilm pathway. It also examines multiple risk factors associated with ureteral stents and patients. Furthermore, the review updates the research progress on the structure, materials, and bio-coatings of ureteral stents in the prevention and treatment of stent encrustation. It presents new insights into the prevention and treatment of stent encrustation. This includes individualized and comprehensive clinical guidance, the use of novel materials, and early intervention based on physiological and pathological considerations. Ultimately, the study offers an encompassing overview of the advancements in research within this field and provides the latest insights into strategies for preventing and treating stent encrustation.

Study on the potential mechanism of Qingxin Lianzi Yin Decoction on renoprotection in db/db mice via network pharmacology and metabolomics

BackgroundDiabetic nephropathy (DN) was one of the most popular and most significant microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Qingxin Lianzi Yin Decoction (QXLZY) was a traditional Chinese classical formula, suitable for chronic urinary system diseases. QXLZY had good clinical efficacy in early DN, but the underlying molecular mechanism remained unrevealed. PurposeThis study aimed to establish the content determination method of QXLZY index components and explore the mechanism of QXLZY on DN by network pharmacology and metabolomics studies. MethodsFirstly, the content determination methods of QXLZY were established with calycosin-7-O-β-d-glucoside, acteoside, baicalin and glycyrrhizic acid as index components. Secondly, pharmacological experiments of QXLZY were evaluated using db/db mice. UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS was used to carry out untargeted urine metabolomics, serum metabolomics, and kidney metabolomics studies. Thirdly, employing network pharmacology, key components and targets were analyzed. Finally, targeted metabolomics studies were performed on the endogenous constituents in biological samples for validation based on untargeted metabolomics results. ResultsA method for the simultaneous determination of multiple index components in QXLZY was established, which passed the comprehensive methodological verification. It was simple, feasible, and scientific. The QXLZY treatment alleviated kidney injury of db/db mice, included the degree of histopathological damage and the level of urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio. Untargeted metabolomics studies had identified metabolic dysfunction in pathways associated with amino acid metabolism in db/db mice. Treatment with QXLZY could reverse metabolite abnormalities and influence the pathways related to energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism. It had been found that pathways with a high degree were involved in signal transduction, prominently on amino acids metabolism and lipid metabolism, analyzed by network pharmacology. Disorders of amino acid metabolism did occur in db/db mice. QXLZY could revert the levels of metabolites, such as quinolinic acid, arginine, and asparagine. ConclusionThis study was the first time to demonstrate that QXLZY alleviated diabetes-induced pathological changes in the kidneys of db/db mice by correcting disturbances in amino acid metabolism. This work could provide a new experimental basis and theoretical guidance for the rational application of QXLZY on DN, exploring the new pharmacological effect of traditional Chinese medicine, and promoting in-depth research and development.

The present-day medical demographic situation in the Republic of Karelia

The analysis of basic medical and demographic indicators (primary morbidity and disability of adult population, mortality, age structure and life expectancy) and provision of medical care in the Republic of Karelia in 2011-2020 was carried out. It established consistently high level of primary morbidity of population with respiratory diseases; injuries, poisoning and other consequences of external causes; diseases of genitourinary system. Diseases of cardiovascular system and malignant neoplasms occupy leading positions in the structure of causes of disability and mortality of population during period under review. The levels of primary morbidity, disability and mortality of the Republic population are higher than at national level. The age structure of population has regressive type, there is long-term process of demographic aging, life expectancy is gradually increasing. Since 2011, the number of out-patient clinics increased up to 3 times and their capacity increased too. The degree of provision of population with medical personnel remained stable for a decade. The number of secondary medical personnel is decreasing, while both indicators are higher than the national indocators.

Genome-wide association study meta-analysis supports association between MUC1 and ectopic pregnancy.

Can we identify genetic variants associated with ectopic pregnancy by undertaking the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) leveraging two large-scale biobank initiatives? We identified two novel genome-wide significant associations with ectopic pregnancy, highlighting MUC1 (mucin 1) as the most plausible affected gene. Ectopic pregnancy is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite being a common early pregnancy complication, the genetic predisposition to this condition remains understudied and no large scale genetic studies have been performed so far. A GWAS meta-analysis including 7070 women with ectopic pregnancy and 248 810 controls from Estonian Biobank and the FinnGen study. We identified ectopic pregnancy cases from national registers by ICD (International Classification of Disease) codes (ICD-10 O00), and all remaining women were considered controls. We carried out standard GWAS meta-analysis and additionally annotated GWAS signals, analysed co-localization with quantitative trait loci, estimated genetic correlations and identified associated phenotypes to characterize the genetic signals, as well as to analyse the genetic and phenotypic relationships with the condition. We identified two genome-wide significant loci on chromosomes 1 (rs4971091, P = 5.32×10-9) and 10 (rs11598956, P = 2.41×10-8) potentially associated with ectopic pregnancy. Follow-up analyses propose MUC1, which codes for an epithelial glycoprotein with an important role in barrier function, as the most likely candidate gene for the association on chromosome 1. We also characterize the phenotypic and genetic correlations with other phenotypes, identifying a genetic correlation with smoking and diseases of the (genito)urinary and gastrointestinal system, and phenotypic correlations with various reproductive health diagnoses, reflecting the previously known epidemiological associations. The GWAS meta-analysis summary statistics are available from the GWAS Catalogue (GCST90272883). The main limitation is that the findings are based on European-based ancestry populations, with limited data on other populations, and we only captured maternal genomes. Additionally, further larger meta-analysis or independent studies are needed to validate these findings. This study encourages the use of large-scale genetic datasets to unravel genetic factors linked to ectopic pregnancy, which is difficult to study in experimental settings. Increased sample size might bring additional genetic factors associating with ectopic pregnancy and inform its heritability. Altogether, our results provide more insight into the biology of ectopic pregnancy and, accordingly, the biological processes governing embryo implantation. N.P.G. was supported by MATER Marie Sklodowska-Curie which received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 813707. This study was funded by European Union through the European Regional Development Fund Project No. 2014-2020.4.01.15-0012 GENTRANSMED. Computations were performed in the High-Performance Computing Center of University of Tartu. The authors declare no competing interests.

Patients’ radiation dose evaluation during contrast enhanced computed tomography urography procedure

Renal diseases and urinary tract disorders are causing a global burden, with an estimated prevalence of around 13%. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography urography (CE-CTU) is a well-known diagnostic technique for urinary system diseases for initial diagnosis and, very often, for follow-up. CE-CTU procedure exposes patients to high doses of ionizing radiation; hence, justification and optimization of doses are necessary to maximize the benefits and minimize the patients' risks. This study aims to evaluate radiation doses to patients during CE-CTU procedures and estimate the subsequent radiogenic risk. The study included twenty-seven patients who underwent CE-CTU examination in two different hospitals (National Ribat Hospital (NRH) and National Security Fource Hospital (NSFH)), where 16-slice CT machines from different vendors are used. The variables and significance were analyzed using SPSS and Scheffe's statistical tool. Data collected included the age of patients (19–70 years), the radiation dose received by patients: dose length product (DLP, mGy.cm) and volume CT dose index (CTDIvol (mGy)), and tube current-time product (mAs). Patients' dose measurements per CE-CTU procedure given as (mean and range) was: DLP 3098 (647–5301) (mGy.cm) and CTDIvol 44.11 (15–136) (mGy). The results revealed statistically significant differences in DLP (mGy.cm), CTDIvol (mGy), and mAs, and this could be attributed to discrepancies in protocols, machines, and operators among the hospitals and within each hospital. Considering gender, the variables (age, tube current-time product (mAs), and CTDIvol) showed no statistically significant differences. The radiogenic risks from the CE-CTU procedure were ≈1 per 400. Comparison between the two hospitals showed that the variables varied significantly between the hospitals studied, but no significant differences were found based on gender. CE-CTU with contrast medium exposes patients to high doses. Therefore, proper dose optimization is crucial.

To compare the efficiencies of shock waves extracorporeal lithotripsies (ESWL) versus ureterorenoscopy (URS) to remove proximate ureteric stones

Introduction: - Urolithiasis is a widespread health problem. The objective of this research was to contrast the use of shock waves extracorporeals lithotripsies’ (ESWL) versus ureterorenoscopy (URS) for the proximal ureteric stones treatment. Ureteric stone is a common disease of urinary system in Pakistan. Despite ongoing success in endourological stone treatment, question about optimal management of proximal ureteric stone still remains debatable amongst urologist; therefore this study is being performed to find an appropriate and effective tool to treat ureteric stones.&#x0D; Objective: - For patients with large proximal ureteric gallstones, our goal was to compare the advantages of ureterorenoscopy with shock wave extracorporeal lithotripsy (ESWL) (10–15 mm).&#x0D; Settings: The Karachi-based Sindh Hospital of Urology &amp; Transplantation's Urology Department.&#x0D; Duration: 6 months from 28-01-2022 to 28-07-2022&#x0D; Design: Randomized control trial&#x0D; Subject and Methods: Sixty people were enrolled in the trial, all of whom had a single, radio-opaque stone in the proximal ureter detected by IVU. Thirty patients received ESWL and thirty received URS, both at random. After 3 weeks, x-ray KUB was used to monitor patients in both groups. A computerized pre-structured proforma was used for all data collection.&#x0D; Result: - The victims were 27.58 6.20 years old on aggregate.There were 38(63.3%) male and 22(36.7%) female. Efficacy of URS treatment was significantly high as compare to ESWL [93.33% vs. 60%; p 0.002]. &#x0D; Conclusion: - This research shows that the results support the hypothesis that URS is more effective for proximal ureteric stone clearance than ESWL.