H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus Downregulates FcRY Expression in Chicken Macrophage Cell Line HD11 by Activating the JNK MAPK Pathway.

The H9N2 avian influenza virus causes reduced production performance and immunosuppression in chickens. The chicken yolk sac immunoglobulins (IgY) receptor (FcRY) transports from the yolk into the embryo, providing offspring with passive immunity to infection against common poultry pathogens. FcRY is expressed in many tissues/organs of the chicken; however, there are no reports investigating FcRY expression in chicken macrophage cells, and how H9N2-infected HD11 cells (a chicken macrophage-like cell line) regulate FcRY expression remains uninvestigated. This study used the H9N2 virus as a model pathogen to explore the regulation of FcRY expression in avian macrophages. FcRY was highly expressed in HD11 cells, as shown by reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions, and indirect immunofluorescence indicated that FcRY was widely expressed in HD11 cells. HD11 cells infected with live H9N2 virus exhibited downregulated FcRY expression. Transfection of eukaryotic expression plasmids encoding each viral protein of H9N2 into HD11 cells revealed that nonstructural protein (NS1) and matrix protein (M1) downregulated FcRY expression. In addition, the use of a c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activator inhibited the expression of FcRY, while a JNK inhibitor antagonized the downregulation of FcRY expression by live H9N2 virus, NS1 and M1 proteins. Finally, a dual luciferase reporter system showed that both the M1 protein and the transcription factor c-jun inhibited FcRY expression at the transcriptional level. Taken together, the transcription factor c-jun was a negative regulator of FcRY, while the live H9N2 virus, NS1, and M1 proteins downregulated the FcRY expression through activating the JNK signaling pathway. This provides an experimental basis for a novel mechanism of immunosuppression in the H9N2 avian influenza virus.

CA916798 predicts poor prognosis and promotes Gefitinib resistance for lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Our previous studies have identified CA916798 as a chemotherapy resistance-associated gene in lung cancer. However, the histopathological relevance and biological function of CA916798 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains to be delineated. In this study, we further investigated and explored the clinical and biological significance of CA916798 in LUAD. METHODS: The relationship between CA916798 and clinical features of LUAD was analyzed by tissue array and online database. CCK8 and flow cytometry were used to measure cell proliferation and cell cycle of LUAD after knockdown of CA916798 gene. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to detect the changes of cell cycle-related genes after knockdown or overexpression of CA916798. The tumorigenesis of LUAD cells was evaluated with or without engineering manipulation of CA916798 gene expression. Response to Gefitinib was evaluated using LUAD cells with forced expression or knockdown of CA916798. RESULTS: The analysis on LUAD samples showed that high expression of CA916798 was tightly correlated with pathological progression and poor prognosis of LUAD patients. A critical methylation site in promoter region of CA916798 gene was identified to be related with CA916798 gene expression. Forced expression of CA916798 relieved the inhibitory effects of WEE1 on CDK1 and facilitated cell cycle progression from G2 phase to M phase. However, knockdown of CA916798 enhanced WEE1 function and resulted in G2/M phase arrest. Consistently, chemical suppression of CDK1 dramatically inhibited G2/M phase transition in LUAD cells with high expression of CA916798. Finally, we found that CA916798 was highly expressed in Gefitinib-resistant LUAD cells. Exogenous expression of CA916798 was sufficient to endow Gefitinib resistance with tumor cells, but interference of CA916798 expression largely rescued response of tumor cells to Gefitinib. CONCLUSIONS: CA916798 played oncogenic roles and was correlated with the development of Gefitinib resistance in LUAD cells. Therefore, CA916798 could be considered as a promising prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for LUAD.

Transition Metal ß-Diketonate Adhesion Promoters in Epoxy-Anhydride Resin.

Epoxy to copper adhesion supports the reliability of numerous structures in electronic packaging. Compared to substrate pre-treatment, processing and cost considerations are in favor of adhesion promoters loaded in epoxy formulations. In this work, first row transition metal ß-diketonates present such a compelling case when added in epoxy/anhydride resins: over 30% (before moisture aging) and 50% (after moisture aging) enhancement in lap shear strength are found using Co(II) and Ni(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate. From extensive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses on the adhesively failed sample surfaces, increased population of oxygen-containing functional groups, especially esters, is linked to the adhesion improvement. Assisted by XPS depth profile on the fractured epoxy side and in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the previously discovered latent cure characteristics endowed by the metal chelates interacting with phosphine catalysts are regarded pivotal for pacing the anhydride consumption and allowing interfacial esterification reactions to occur. Further examinations on the XPS binding energy shifts and dielectric properties of the doped epoxy also reveal metal-polymer coordination that contribute to the adhesion and moisture resistance properties. These findings should stimulate future research of functional additives targeting at cure kinetics control and polar group coordination ideas for more robust epoxy-Cu joints.

Rim plate in the treatment of hyperextension tibial plateau fracture: surgical technique and a series of cases.

BACKGROUND: The existence of a "bare area" at the anterior plateau has been observed in cases where anteromedial and/or anterolateral proximal tibial locking plates are used for fixation in the treatment of hyperextension tibial plateau fractures (HTPF). The objective of this study is to introduce the rim plate fixation technique and evaluate its clinical efficacy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on HTPF patients who underwent treatment with a combination of rim plate and proximal tibial locking plate at our hospital between April 2015 and December 2019. All patients were followed up for a minimum of one year. Open reduction and internal fixation were performed using anteromedial/posteromedial and/or anterolateral approaches for all cases. The surgical strategies employed for rim plate fixation were introduced, and both radiographic and clinical outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were enrolled in the study, with an average follow-up time of 4.3 years. Satisfactory reduction was achieved and radiographically maintained in all cases. Additionally, all patients exhibited satisfactory clinical functions, as evidenced by a mean hospital for special surgery (HSS) knee score of 96.2 ± 2.0 (range: 90-98). Furthermore, no wound complications or implant breakage were observed in this series. CONCLUSION: The combination of the rim plate and proximal tibial plate proved to be an effective fixation configuration, resulting in satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Abbreviated perioperative fasting management for elective fresh fracture surgery: guideline adherence analysis.

BACKGROUND: Long-term fasting for elective surgery has been proven unnecessary based on established guidelines. Instead, preoperative carbohydrate loading 2 h before surgery and recommencing oral nutrition intake as soon as possible after surgery is recommended. This study was performed to analyze the compliance with and effect of abbreviated perioperative fasting management in patients undergoing surgical repair of fresh fractures based on current guidelines. METHODS: Patients with fresh fractures were retrospectively analyzed from the prospectively collected database about perioperative managements based on enhanced recovery of surgery (ERAS) from May 2019 to July 2019 at our hospital. A carbohydrate-enriched beverage was recommended up to 2 h before surgery for all surgical patients except those with contraindications. Postoperatively, oral clear liquids were allowed once the patients had regained full consciousness, and solid food was allowed 1 to 2 h later according to the patients' willingness. The perioperative fasting time was recorded and the patients' subjective comfort with respect to thirst and hunger was assessed using an interview-assisted questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 306 patients were enrolled in this study. The compliance rate of preoperative carbohydrate loading was 71.6%, and 93.5% of patients began ingestion of oral liquids within 2 h after surgery. The median (interquartile range) preoperative fasting time for liquids and solids was 8 (5.2-12.9) and 19 (15.7-22) hours, respectively. The median postoperative fasting time for liquids and solids was 1 (0.5-1.9) and 2.8 (2.2-3.5) hours, respectively. A total of 70.3% and 74.2% of patients reported no thirst and hunger during the perioperative period, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the preoperative fasting time for liquids was an independent risk factor for perioperative hunger. No risk factor was identified for perioperative thirst. No adverse events such as aspiration pneumonia or gastroesophageal reflux were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of a real clinical practice setting, abbreviated perioperative fasting management was carried out with high compliance in patients with fresh fractures. The preoperative fasting time should be further shortened to further improve patients' subjective comfort.

Deeply Rechargeable and Hydrogen-Evolution-Suppressing Zinc Anode in Alkaline Aqueous Electrolyte.

Metallic zinc as a rechargeable anode material for aqueous batteries has gained tremendous attention. Zn-air batteries, which operate in alkaline electrolytes, are promising with the highest theoretical volumetric energy density. However, rechargeable zinc anodes develop slowly in alkaline electrolytes due to passivation, dissolution, and hydrogen evolution issues. In this study, we report the design of a submicron zinc anode sealed with an ion-sieving coating that suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction. The design is demonstrated with ZnO nanorods coated by TiO2, which overcomes passivation, dissolution, and hydrogen evolution issues simultaneously. It achieves superior reversible deep cycling performance with a high discharge capacity of 616 mAh/g and Coulombic efficiency of 93.5% when cycled with 100% depth of discharge at lean electrolyte. It can also deeply cycle ∼350 times in a beaker cell. The design principle of this work may potentially be applied to other battery electrode materials.

EphB3 Stimulates Cell Migration and Metastasis in a Kinase-dependent Manner through Vav2-Rho GTPase Axis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Eph receptors, the largest subfamily of transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors, have been increasingly implicated in various physiologic and pathologic processes, and the roles of the Eph family members during tumorigenesis have recently attracted growing attentions. In the present study, we explored the function of EphB3, one member of Eph family, in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We found that the expression of EphB3 was significantly elevated in PTC. Either overexpression of EphB3 or activation of EphB3 by EfnB1-Fc/EfnB2-Fc stimulated in vitro migration of PTC cells. In contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of EphB3 or EphB3-Fc treatment, which only blocked EphB3-mediated forward signaling, inhibited migration and metastasis of PTC cells. A mechanism study revealed that EphB3 knockdown led to suppressed activity of Rac1 and enhanced activity of RhoA. Moreover, we found that Vav2, an important regulator of Rho family GTPases, was activated by EphB3 in a kinase-dependent manner. Altogether, our work suggested that EphB3 acted as a tumor promoter in PTC by increasing the in vitro migration as well as the in vivo metastasis of PTC cells through regulating the activities of Vav2 and Rho GTPases in a kinase-dependent manner.

Salmonella infection may alter the expression of toll like receptor 4 and immune related cells in chicken bursa of Fabricius.

Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), eosinophils and mast cells play significant role in host immunity during several pathogenic infections. However in vivo tissue expression of TLR4 and distribution pattern of eosinophils and mast cells in chicken bursa of Fabricius (BF) during Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) infection is poorly studied. Therefore, herein, following immunostaining, we found localization of TLR4 in follicular cortex and medulla and its expression was statistical increased after 36 h and 72 h of STm stimulation. Chromotrope 2R staining revealed that eosinophils were mostly distributed in follicular cortex, inter-follicular spaces and in or around blood vessels and their number in BF were statistical increased after 72 h of STm stimulation. The presence of eosinophils was confirmed using immunostaining with anti-rabbit eosinophil cationic protein antibody. Toluidine blue stained mast cells were mostly distributed in connective tissues between inter-follicular spaces while some were also present in follicular cortex of BF. However, STm stimulation illustrated non-significant effect on the number of mast cells or their de-granulation, instead their number were gradually decreased in BF with advancement in age of chickens. Hence, this study provided novel information about in vivo tissue distribution of TLR4, eosinophils and mast cells in BF during STm infection.

Lipopolysaccharide mediates immuno-pathological alterations in young chicken liver through TLR4 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces acute liver injury and the complex mechanisms include the activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in many species. However, immuno-pathological changes during TLR4 signaling under LPS stress in acute liver injury is poorly understood in avian species. The present investigation was therefore carried out to evaluate these alterations in TLR4 signaling pathway during acute liver injury in young chickens. RESULTS: After intraperitoneal injection of LPS or saline, liver samples were harvested at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24, 36, 72 and 120 h (n = 6 at each time point) and the microstructures were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and caspase-3 enzyme activity was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and TLR4 protein expressions were determined by immunohistochemistry. Gene expressions of PCNA, caspase-3, caspase-8, TLR4 and its downstream molecules were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). LPS injection induced significantly higher ALT activity, severe fatty degeneration, necrotic symptoms, ballooning degeneration, congestion, enhanced inflammatory cell infiltration in liver sinusoids, decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis and significant up-regulation in TLR4 and its downstream molecules (MyD88, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß and TGF-ß) expression at different time points. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that TLR4 signaling and its downstream molecules along with certain cytokines play a key role in acute liver injury in young chickens. Hence, our findings provided novel information about the histopathological, proliferative and apoptotic alterations along with changes in ALT and caspase-3 activities associated with acute liver injury induced by Salmonella LPS in avian species.

Toll like receptor 4 signaling pathway participated in Salmonella lipopolysaccharide-induced spleen injury in young chicks.

Spleen is one of the crucial sites for cellular and humoral immunity but it easily damaged during pathogenic infections resulting in immunosuppression. The current study was therefore performed to explore the mechanism of acute spleen injury induced by salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in young chicks. Healthy one-day-old Cobb strain broiler chicks were intra-peritoneally injected with saline or LPS. LPS treatment caused significant decreases in body and spleen weights at 36 and 72 h. Histological analysis showed the changes of ellipsoid structures with beginning of nuclear pyknosis and karyolysis similar to steatosis at 12 h, maximum histopathological lesions were seen at 36 h, however these were disappeared at 72 h post LPS stimulation. Cell proliferation was decreased (low PCNA positivity) and apoptosis increased (high ssDNA positivity) in the spleen at 12 and 36 h after LPS treatment. The expression levels of mRNA for caspase-3, caspase-8, B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), tumor protein p53 or p53 and Bcl-2 homologous antagonist killer (BAK) showed slight increase at some time points following LPS stimulation. LPS treatment also induced significant up-regulation in toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) at 36 h post LPS stimulation and slight increase in expressions of its downstream molecules (MyD88 and NF-κB) at 12 h post LPS treatment. The keystone cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) exhibited significant up-regulation at 12 h following LPS stimulation. Our findings provided novel information about the histopathological as well as apoptotic and proliferative alterations in spleen mediated by TLR4 signaling induced by Salmonella LPS in avian species.

Augmented expression of gamma-glutamyl transferase 5 (GGT5) impairs testicular steroidogenesis by deregulating local oxidative stress.

An increasingly pro-oxidant environment has been widely implicated in causing dysfunction of testicular steroidogenesis, but little progress has been made in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism. Here, we report that gamma-glutamyl transferase 5 (GGT5), a key metabolism component responsible for the catalysis of important anti-oxidant glutathione (GSH), is predominantly expressed in mammalian Leydig cells (LCs). Deregulated GGT5 expression negatively correlates with testosterone deficiency in the testes of type 2 diabetic mice. Consistently, overexpression of GGT5 potentiates the susceptibility of TM3 LCs to spontaneous oxidative stress during luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulated steroidogenesis. From a mechanistic standpoint, the deleterious effect of GGT5 overexpression on testicular steroidogenesis may stem from an alteration of the local redox state because of GSH deficiency. The above-mentioned response might involve the impairment of extracellular signal-related kinase activation mediated directly by oxidative injury or indirectly by abnormal P38 activation, which in turn inhibits steroidogenic acute regulatory protein abundance in mitochondria and thus significantly sabotages the rate-limiting step during LH-induced steroidogenesis. Alternatively, GGT5 overexpression induces heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression, which, as a key catalyst responsible for the oxidative degradation of heme, may inhibit the activities of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, thus substantially impairing testicular steroidogenesis. These results, coupled with the differential roles of mitogen-activated protein kinases and HO-1 signaling in spermatogenesis, lead us to propose a model in which a delicate balance between these two pathways modulated by the GGT5/oxidative stress cascade plays a central role during LH-stimulated steroidogenesis.

The effect of growing Rod treatment on coronal balance during serial lengthening surgeries in early onset scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Gaining and maintaining spinal balance after surgery is of great importance for early onset scoliosis (EOS). However, tendency of balance on the coronal plane after growing rod surgery has not been studied before. This study evaluated the effect of growing rod treatment on coronal balance (CB) during serial lengthening surgeries in EOS. METHODS: All EOS patients treated with growing rod technique in our hospital from August 2002 to June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographic data before the sixth lengthening surgery were measured on the posteroanterior X-ray images, including global CB (C7 plumbline-central sacral vertical line, C7PL-CSVL), regional CB (apical vertebrae-CSVL), Cobb angle of the main curve and pelvic inlet width (PIW). Global CB index and regional CB index were calculated as dividing global CB and regional CB by PIW, respectively. The changes of these parameters during repeated lengthening surgeries were analyzed. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy Radiographs of 67 patients, including 134 images before and after growing rod insertion surgeries and 436 images pre- and post-lengthening surgeries were measured. Global CB and global CB index did not show significant differences between every two set points during lengthening procedures (P > 0.05). The percentage of patients with C7PL-CSVL distance more than 20 mm roughly ranged from 30 to 45 % during the lengthening process. With regards to regional CB and main curve Cobb angles, there were significant differences between every two adjacent set points during the first five lengthening surgeries (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Global CB did not significantly change during serial lengthening surgeries and C7PL-CSVL distances of greater than 20 mm comprised of over one third of patients during growing rod treatment. However, worsening regional CB and Cobb angles of the main curve during lengthening intervals were corrected by lengthening manipulation and maintained at a stable level.

Discovery of a 6-(pyridin-3-yl)benzo[d]thiazole template for optimization of hedgehog and PI3K/AKT/mTOR dual inhibitors.

Vismodegib is the first FDA approved cancer therapy based on inhibition of aberrant hedgehog signaling. Like most cancer therapies, vismodegib suffered from resistance, even during clinical development. Numerous reports demonstrated that simultaneous blockage of hedgehog and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways resulted in significantly superior outcomes compared with single agent alone in a number of animal disease models. The dual hedgehog and PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibition represented a promising approach not only to overcoming the resistance but also to delaying its onset. Here we report a series of compounds based on a 6-(pyridin-3-yl)benzo[d]thiazole template which have demonstrated significant inhibition of both hedgehog and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. This new scaffold can serve as a lead for further optimization.

Exploration of the linkage elements of porcupine antagonists led to potent Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors.

The Wnt signaling pathway is a pivotal developmental pathway. It operates through control of cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration and polarity. Aberrant Wnt signaling has been implicated in the formation and metastasis of tumors. Porcupine is a component of the Wnt signaling pathway. It is a member of the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase family of proteins. Porcupine catalyzes the palmitoylation of Wnt proteins, a process which is essential to their secretion and activity. Here we report a novel series of compounds obtained by a scaffold hybridization strategy from two known porcupine inhibitor classes. The leading compound 62 demonstrated subnanomolar (IC50 0.11 nM) inhibition of Wnt signaling in a paracrine cellular reporter gene assay. Compound 62 also potently inhibited Wnt secretion into culture medium, an indication of direct inhibition of the porcupine protein. Furthermore, compound 62 showed excellent chemical, plasma and liver microsomal stabilities. Collectively, these results strongly support further optimization of this novel scaffold to develop better Wnt pathway inhibitors.

Different locations of RANTES and its receptors on mouse epididymal spermatozoa.

Our previous study showed that the chemokine regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) originating from the mouse epididymis bound to the midpiece of luminal spermatozoa. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association between RANTES and epididymal spermatozoa and to determine whether the association is mediated by the RANTES receptors CCR1, CCR3 or CCR5. The use of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that RANTES secreted by apical and narrow cells of mouse epididymal ducts was associated with luminal spermatozoa. Flow cytometric analysis and immunofluorescent labelling revealed that the association between RANTES and spermatozoa of different regions weakened gradually as the spermatozoa moved along the epididymis. Moreover, CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5 were expressed in epididymal spermatozoa and located on the head of epididymal spermatozoa, while RANTES was generally located at the midpiece. In conclusion, RANTES and its receptors were not in the same sperm location, suggesting that RANTES binding to mouse epididymal spermatozoa is independent of CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5.

Risk factors of proximal junctional angle increase after selective posterior thoracolumbar/lumbar fusion in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PURPOSE: To analyze risk factors for an increase in proximal junctional angle (PJA) after posterior selective thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve fusion in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). METHODS: AIS patients that underwent selective posterior TL/L curve fusion with a minimum of 2-year follow-up were identified. Demographic and radiographic data were collected before surgery, at first erect after surgery and at final follow-up. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relation of PJA changes during follow-up and eight potential risk factors, including locations of upper instrumented vertebra (UIV), locations of lower instrumented vertebra (LIV), length of fusion segments, types of pedicle screw alignment, lumbar lordosis (LL) at first erect after surgery, LL changes before and after surgery, sagittal vertical axis (SVA) at first erect after surgery and SVA changes before and after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients were included in this study. There were 37 female and 4 male with a mean age of 14.7 years at surgery. PJA was increased from 5.5° immediately after surgery to 10.8° at the last follow-up (P < 0.0001). Regression analysis showed that locations of LIV, LL changes before and after surgery and SVA changes before and after surgery were risk factors for increased PJA. Pearson correlation test showed that postoperative LIV inclination was significantly correlated with PJA changes. CONCLUSIONS: Location of LIV above or equal to L3, higher postoperative LL and deteriorative negative SVA with surgery were potential risk factors for increased PJA during follow-up. Postoperative LIV inclination more than 5ºmight be also an indicator for an increase in PJA.

Dual growing rod treatment in early onset scoliosis: the effect of repeated lengthening surgeries on thoracic growth and dimensions.

PURPOSE: To investigate changes in thoracic dimensions (TDs) following repeated lengthening surgeries after dual growing rod treatment of early onset scoliosis and thereby its effect on thoracic growth. METHODS: All EOS patients treated with dual growing rod technique in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2004 to June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Thoracic spine height (T1-T12), total spine height (T1-S1), maximal coronal chest width and pelvic inlet width (PIW) were measured on the posteroanterior X-ray images after initial growing rod insertion surgery and after each lengthening surgery. Absolute TDs measurements were normalized by PIW. Changes of absolute and normalized TDs measurements with age and number of lengthening surgeries were analyzed. RESULTS: Radiographs of 229 surgeries of 53 EOS patients were measured, including 49 images after initial growing rod insertion surgery and 180 images of lengthening surgeries. Significant positive correlations between age and all three absolute TDs were found (P < 0.01) whereas significant negative correlations between age and all three normalized TDs (P < 0.01) were identified. Similarly, negative correlations were also identified between number of lengthening surgeries and the three normalized TDs (P < 0.01). Significant differences of normalized TDs were identified between initial surgery and the first lengthening through covariance analysis (P < 0.01). Yet, such differences were seldom seen between every two adjacent lengthening surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Growing rod technique could maintain TDs growth through repeated lengthening procedures but the growth rate was compromised as the number of lengthening procedures increased.

Multilevel thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum coexisted with/without lumbar spinal stenosis: staged surgical strategy and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is a progressively disabling disease. Isolated or continuous TOLF has been frequently reported in literature, however there are very few reports of multilevel or non-continuous TOLF. The purpose of the study was to discuss the surgical strategy of multilevel TOLF and evaluate safety and efficacy of a two-stage operation regimen. METHODS: From October 2007 to May 2014, eleven patients (4 males, 7 females) that underwent two-stage surgery for multilevel spinal stenosis were retrospectively reviewed. The follow-up period lasted at least 12 months. Demographic data, radiological findings as well as operative data were collected. Postoperative functional outcomes evaluated by the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA) and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients ranged in age from 30 to 65 years (average, 50.2 ± 11.8 years), and comprised 4 men and 7 women. All patients exhibited significant improvements in neurological deficits. The mJOA score improved from a mean of 3.5 ± 2.2 preoperatively to 4.6 ± 2.3 before second-stage surgery and to 7.5 ± 2.2 at final follow-up. The improvement was statistically significant in the average mJOA improvement rate at final follow-up. No staging-related complications were noted in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Staged surgery can effectively achieve neurological functional recovery in patients with multi-segment spinal stenosis in thoracic and lumbar regions, with favorable efficacy and safety. Yet, slight neurological deterioration was observed during the intervals of these two index surgeries.

Surgical treatment of tumor-induced osteomalacia: a retrospective review of 40 cases with extremity tumors.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare syndrome typically caused by mesenchymal tumors. It has been shown that complete tumor resection may be curative. However, to our knowledge, there has been no report of a large cohort to exam different surgical approaches. This study was aimed to assess outcomes of different surgical options of patients with tumor-induced osteomalacia at a single institution. METHODS: Patients with extremity tumors treated in our hospital from January, 2004 to July, 2012 were identified. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months. Patient's demography, tumor location, preoperative preparation, type of surgeries were summarized, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Successful treatment was defined as significant symptom improvement, normal serum phosphorus and significant improvement or normalization of bone mineral density at the last follow-up. Differences between patients with soft tissue tumors and bone tumors were compared. RESULTS: There were 40 (24 male and 16 female) patients identified, with an average age of 44 years. The tumors were isolated in either soft tissue (25 patients) or bone (12 patients) and combined soft tissue and bone invasion was observed in 3 patients. For the primary surgery, tumor resection and tumor curettage were performed. After initial surgical treatment, six patients then received a second surgery. Four patients were found to have malignant tumors base on histopathology. With a minimum follow-up period of 12 months, 80% of patients (32/40) were treated successfully, including 50% of patients (2/4) with malignant tumors. Compared to patients with bone tumor, surgical results were better in patient with soft tissue tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment was an effective way for TIO. Other than tumor curettage surgery, tumor resection is the preferred options for these tumors.

[Application and research advances of metabolomics in the field of orthopedics].

Metabolomics is a subject of systematic, qualitative and quantitative analysis of all metabolites in all organisms, which is applied to finding biomarkers and studying pathogenesis of diseases. Study procedures of metabolomics include data acquisition by spectroscopic/spectrometric techniques, multivariate statistical analysis and projection of the acquired metabolomic information. In recent years, metabolomics have gained popularity in orthopedic field. Metabolomic study of osteoarthritis was firstly conducted and widely developed. Metabolite profiles of different samples, including serum/plasma, urine, synovial fluid and synovial tissue, were studied and dozens of differential metabolites and several disturbed metabolic pathways were found. In addition, metabolomic studies of osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis and bone tumors were also conducted, which identified many potential biomarkers and made further understanding of pathogenesis of corresponding disease. However, metabolomic studies in orthopedic field just begin. More orthopedic diseases will be researched thank to the satisfactory results of previous reports.