Treatment and rehabilitation of post-traumatic elbow stiffness with heterotopic ossification.

AIM: To investigate surgical treatment, postoperative rehabilitation and prevention of heterotopic ossification (HO) in patients with post-traumatic elbow stiffness. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with post-traumatic elbow stiffness combined with HO between 2007 and 2021. This study was performed on a total of 15 patients (18 elbows) admitted to our hospital, consisting of 12 males and 3 females, with post-traumatic stiffness of the elbow combined with HO, where elbow function could not be recovered by rehabilitation and orthosis treatment. Fifteen patients were treated by surgical excision of heterotopic bones and release of elbow contracture combined with postoperative rehabilitation and orthosis-wearing. Comprehensive treatments, including radiation, oral ibuprofen medication, and manipulation techniques to improve range of motion, were used to prevent HO recurrence. The flexion-extension arc and functional score of the elbow were measured after treatment and compared with the preoperative measurements. Roentgenography was used to observe HO recurrence. RESULTS: After surgical treatment and postoperative rehabilitation, the patients' range of motion improved, and the functional score improved considerably. The postoperative flexion-extension arc and The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) functional score were statistically significantly higher than the preoperative values (p < 0.01). Roentgenographic examination showed no HO recurrence during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Surgical excision of heterotopic bones and elbow contracture release combined with postoperative rehabilitation and preventative HO measures can be an effective treatment for cases of post-traumatic elbow stiffness combined with HO, for which conservative treatment is ineffective.

Compound Dahuang Baiji Spray Improves Acute Radiodermatitis by Down-Regulating the Expression of ALOX5.

Acute radiodermatitis is a type of skin injury caused by tumor radiotherapy. Compound Dahuang Baiji spray (CDBS) is a traditional Chinese medicine spray made from Dahuang and Baiji decoction. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CDBS on radiation dermatitis. We analyzed the main components of CDBS using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Through network pharmacology prediction, the target of Dahuang and Baiji was identified as arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5), associated with inflammation. Therefore, we constructed radiodermatitis rat models and treated them with CDBS for 14 d. Skin samples were collected from the rats' injured skin tissues, and pathological changes, oxidative stress indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and ALOX5 expression were detected using techniques such as HE staining, blood parameters analysis, ELISA, Real-time qPCR, and Western blot. The characteristic appearances of radiodermatitis were observed in different rat groups which indicated that the skin injury score in the model group was at grade II and was at grade I in the CDBS group. In addition, the HE results showed that CDBS reduced the necrosis of collagen fibers and inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis of the radiodermatitis rats. Moreover, compared to the model group, CDBS significantly decreased leukocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in the blood, as well as levels of IL-2, LTB4, 5-LO, NO, and ALOX5 expression in rat blood. Our findings suggest the therapeutic effect of CDBS on radiodermatitis by downregulating ALOX5 to inhibit inflammation, potentially serving as a radiodermatitis therapy.

Comparison of gene expression profiles in healthy individuals and people with lung cancer using the meta-analysis method.

Advances in the early detection of cancer are a way for treatment to be effective. However, due to the inability of early diagnose and treatment for lung cancer, the death rate of this type of cancer is high. Usually, a high percentage of patients are diagnosed at a stage where they are not able to receive treatment. The purpose of this study was the comparison of gene expression profiles in healthy individuals and people with lung cancer. The raw data sets GSE10072 and GSE19804 were taken from the GEO online database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the non-tumor and tumor tissue samples using a meta-analysis investigation. Then, gene ontology and biological pathway analysis were performed with the Enrichr online server. The protein-protein interaction network of genes obtained from the meta-analysis investigation was drawn and analyzed using the String Online database and Cytoscape Software. Meta-analysis results showed a total of 515 differentially expressed genes. The results of the functional processes and biological pathway revealed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in positive regulation of cell differentiation, regulation of cell population proliferation, regulation of epithelial cell differentiation, positive regulation of epithelial cell proliferation, response to growth factor, defense response to the tumor cell, cellular response to UV, regulation of cell cycle process, cell adhesion molecules, PPAR signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, p53 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and Cell cycle. Finally, key genes related to lung cancer, including IL6, MMP9, VWF, PECAM1, FOS, and CAV1 were identified. In conclusion, comparisons of gene expression profiles in healthy individuals and people with lung cancer identified some key genes that can act as lung cancer markers and can be used to predict new findings on cancer. These genes can play an important role in diagnosis and early cancer treatment.