PeerJ

BackgroundCutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is a causative agent in the development of acne vulgaris, and this bacteria has been reported to show resistance against conventional antibiotics. One of the vital factors contributing to antibiotic …

BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a common cause of chronic constipation which can reciprocally exacerbate pelvic floor burden. However, the characteristics and evolution of pelvic floor structures in patients with constipation …

BACKGROUND: High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is an emerging non-invasive therapy for breast fibroadenoma. However, its efficacy across different breast glandular types, which may influence acoustic energy deposition, remains underex…

BACKGROUND: Caesarean section plays a crucial role in ensuring the health of both mother and newborn, especially when complications arise or are anticipated. However, the increasing global prevalence of caesarean section brings along signif…

BACKGROUND: Live birth rate (LBR) has been associated with ethnicity and race in Europe and the United States. However, the impact of ethnicity on LBR among multiethnic Chinese infertile women has remained unexplored. This study aims to inv…

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is the progressive, widespread loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, which happens as a result of aging. This study aims to analyze the alterations in serum protein profiles and explore a biomarker of …

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of growth hormone (GH) as an adjuvant treatment for enhancing embryo quantity in patients with poor ovarian response (POR) who previously had no viable embryos in in vitro fertilization …

BACKGROUND: After early pregnancy loss (EPL), couples often seek counselling on how long to wait before attempting to conceive again. However, the optimal interpregnancy interval (IPI) between EPL and the next pregnancy is controversial. Ad…

BACKGROUND: IL20RB, interleukin 20 receptor subunit beta, functions as a cytokine receptor subunit coding gene and has been discovered to serve an essential function in human malignancies. However, the link between IL20RB expression, clinic…

PURPOSE: This study investigates metabolic profiles in follicular fluid of patients with endometriosis (EM), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), tubal blockage (TB), and unexplained infertility (UEI), assessing their associations with follicu…

BACKGROUND: The single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) achieves a scarless appearance through a single umbilical approach. However, the restricted surgical field of view, frequent instrument collisions limit its clinical applic…

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) who were undergoing outpatient follow-up at a university hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted in…

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of sperm chromatin condensation defects (SCCD) on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to clarify the effects of SCCD on embryonic development, pregnancy, and neonatal…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis (EM) is a disease related to reproductive dysfunction. The mechanism of epigenetic factors (EF) in EM still needs to be studied. Emerging evidence suggests that EF plays a role in the development of EM. However, th…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis severely affects women's physical and mental health; it is particularly important to find targets for the treatment and diagnosis of endometriosis. METHOD: This research aimed to investigate the circRNA expression…

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationships between the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and semen parameters and its application in fresh embryos via in vitro fertilization and transfer. METHODS: A retrospective propensity score matching (P…

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-based interventions like pain neuroscience education (PNE), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness meditation are popular for managing chronic pain. Despite their wides…

Endometrial dysfunction underlies many common gynecologic disorders, such as endometriosis, endometrial cancer, intrauterine adhesions, and endometritis, which affect many women around the world. Extracellular vesicles play an important rol…

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is a significant global health concern, ranking as the seventh most common cancer and the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Annually, it claims the lives of approximately 207,000 women wor…

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to analyse the overall satisfaction level of patients undergoing diagnostic and/or therapeutic hysteroscopy in an ambulatory setting and examine factors related to satisfaction. METHODS: A retrospective …

In certain cell systems, small extracellular vesicles bearing PD-L1 (PD-L1+ sEVs) have been shown to suppress T-cell immunity. We investigated whether a distinct profile of PD-L1+ sEVs exists in human follicular fluid (FF), a microenvironme…

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of changes in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels during ovulation induction using flexible gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-A) regimens in POSEIDON groups 1 and 2 on the clinical outcomes of …

Tryptophan (Trp) is one of the essential amino acids, and its metabolic pathway is essential for the maintenance of normal human physiological activities. Among them, various metabolites and rate-limiting enzymes of the tryptophan-kynurenin…

BACKGROUND: To train highly qualified medical talent in 5-year programs and improve students' analytical and problem-solving abilities, it is necessary to change the traditional teaching method. This study introduces the combined teaching m…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a condition of the female reproductive system associated with pelvic pain. Chronic pain can affect physical performance by limiting the functional activities, thus, it is hypothesized that women with endometrios…