Background: In recent years, Candida parapsilosis is recognized as a species complex and is composed of Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis. Candida parapsilosis complex prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is rare and the survival rate is still low despite of optimal therapeutic strategies. In our report, it is novel to report cases as Candida parapsilosis complex PVE at species and identify Candida parapsilosis using MALDI-TOF MS. Case presentation A series of 4 cases of Candida parapsilosis complex PVE from our institution was reported. Three were infected by Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto and one was infected by Candida metapsilosis. The condition of two cases got better and the other died. Conclusions: More attention should be paid to Candida parapsilosis complex PVE and early diagnosis and prompt antibiotic therapy may play a role in the treatment for Candida parapsilosis complex PVE. It is recommended to identify Candida parapsilosis complex at species level and MALDI-TOF MS as an easy, fast and efficient identification method is worth promoting in clinical microbiology

Reports on the association of prediabetes with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality are inconsistent. Objective. To evaluate the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in association with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Prospective cohort studies with data on prediabetes and mortality were included. The relative risks (RRs) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were calculated and reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Twenty-six studies were included. The risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were increased in participants with prediabetes defined as IFG of 110-125 mg/dL (IFG 110) (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05-1.20; and RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.35, respectively), IGT (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.24-1.42; RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.36, respectively), or combined IFG 110 and/or IGT (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11-1.32; RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.36, respectively), but not when IFG was defined as 100-125 mg/dL (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.92-1.26; and RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.94-1.42, respectively). Prediabetes, defined as IFG 110, IGT, or combined IFG 110 and/or IGT, was associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

To date, the miRNA expression profile of plasma exosomes in women whose pregnancy is complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has not been fully clarified. In this study, differentially expressed miRNAs in plasma exosomes were identified by high-throughput small-RNA sequencing in 12 pregnant women with GDM and 12 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and validated in 102 pregnant women with GDM and 101 with NGT. A total of 22 exosomal miRNAs were found, five of which were verified by real-time qPCR. Exosomal miR-423–5p was upregulated, whereas miR-122–5p, miR-148a-3p, miR-192–5p, and miR-99a-5p were downregulated in women whose pregnancy was complicated by GDM. IGF1R and GYS1 as target genes of miR-423–5p, and G6PC3 and FDFT1 as target genes of miR-122–5p were associated with insulin and AMPK signaling pathways and may participate in the regulation of metabolism in GDM. The five exosomal miRNAs had an area under the curve of 0.82 (95%CI, 0.73, ∼0.91) in early prediction of GDM. Our study demonstrates that dysregulated exosomal miRNAs in plasma from pregnant women with GDM might influence the insulin and AMPK signaling pathways and could contribute to the early prediction of GDM.