[Application value of bone cement containing rhbFGF and RHBMP-2 in PKP treatment of osteoporotic lumbar compression fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of bone cement containing recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (rhbFGF) and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in percutaneous kyphoplasty(PKP)treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture(OVCF). METHODS: A total of 103 OVCF patients who underwent PKP from January 2018 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 40 males and 63 females, aged from 61 to 78 years old with an average of (65.72±3.29) years old. The injury mechanism included slipping 33 patients, falling 42 patients, and lifting injury 28 patients. The patients were divided into three groups according to the filling of bone cement. Calcium phosphate consisted of 34 patients, aged(65.1±3.3) years old, 14 males and 20 females, who were filled with calcium phosphate bone cement. rhBMP-2 consisted of 34 patients, aged (64.8±3.2) years old, 12 males and 22 females, who were filled with bone cement containing rhBMP-2. And rhbFGF+rhBMP-2 consisted of 35 patients, aged (65.1±3.6) years old, 14 males and 21 females, who were filled with bone cement containing rhbFGF and rhBMP-2. Oswestry disability index (ODI), bone mineral density, anterior edge loss height, anterior edge compression rate of injured vertebra, visual analog scale (VAS) of pain, and the incidence of refracture were compared between groups. RESULTS: All patients were followed for 12 months. Postoperative ODI and VAS score of the three groups decreased (P<0.001), while bone mineral density increased (P<0.001), anterior edge loss height, anterior edge compression rate of injured vertebra decreased first and then slowly increased (P<0.001). ODI and VAS of group calcium phosphate after 1 months, 6 months, 12 months were lower than that of rhBMP-2 and group rhbFGF+rhBMP-2(P<0.05), bone mineral density after 6 months, 12 months was higher than that of rhBMP-2 and group calcium phosphate(P<0.05), and anterior edge loss height, anterior edge compression rate of injured vertebra of group rhbFGF+rhBMP-2 after 6 months and 12 months were lower than that of group rhBMP-2 and group calcium phosphate(P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of re-fracture among the three groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Bone cement containing rhbFGF and rhBMP-2 could more effectively increase bone mineral density in patients with OVCF, obtain satisfactory clinical and radiological effects after operation, and significantly improve clinical symptoms.

Correction to: Viral integration drives multifocal HCC during the occult HBV infection.

In the original publication of this article [1], Fig. 6 is wrong and the updated figure is shown below.

Viral integration drives multifocal HCC during the occult HBV infection.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although the prognosis of patients with occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) is usually benign, a small portion may undergo cirrhosis and subsequently hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied the mechanism of life-long Integration of virus DNA into OBI host's genome, of which may induce hepatocyte transformation. METHODS: We applied HBV capture sequencing on single cells from an OBI patient who, developed multiple HCC tumors and underwent liver resection in May 2013 at Tongji Hospital in China. Despite with the undetectable virus DNA in serum, we determined the pattern of viral integration in tumor cells and adjacent non-tumor cells and obtained the details of the viral arrangement in host genome, and furthermore the HBV integrated region in cancer genome. RESULTS: HBV captured sequencing of tissues and individual cells revealed that samples from multiple tumors shared two viral integration sites that could affect three host genes, including CSMD2 on chr1 and MED30/EXT1 on chr8. Whole genome sequencing further indicated one hybrid chromosome formed by HBV integrations between chr1 and chr8 that was shared by multiple tumors. Additional 50 poorly differentiated liver tumors and the paired adjacent non-tumors were evaluated and functional studies suggested up-regulated EXT1 expression promoted HCC growth. We further observed that the most somatic mutations within the tumor cell genome were common among the multiple tumors, suggesting that HBV associated, multifocal HCC is monoclonal in origin. CONCLUSION: Through analyzing the HBV integration sites in multifocal HCC, our data suggested that the tumor cells were monoclonal in origin and formed in the absence of active viral replication, whereas the affected host genes may subsequently contribute to carcinogenesis.

A transcription/translation-based gene signature predicts resistance to chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Although chemotherapy is widely used to treat human cancers, most chemotherapeutic agents only benefit a small fraction of patients because of the heterogeneity of cancers. Therefore, identifying of the sensitivity of cancers toward various chemotherapies would be important for choosing of chemotherapeutic regime. In this study, a 23-gene chemoresistance signature was developed from chemoresistant breast cancers. Functions of the genes in the signature were related with transcription and translation. The signature was indicative of chemoresistance and associated with poor prognosis in multiple chemotherapeutic agents and cancer types. Furthermore, by applying computational approaches, we identified several compounds that might specifically affect the chemoresistant signature. Decitabine (DAC) was the compound most likely to target the signature. In vitro and clinical analysis confirmed effect of DAC toward both breast cancer cell lines and ovarian cancers respectively. In conclusion, our study identified a chemoresistant signature that is both predictive and prognostic, and the signature-related chemoresistance could be suppressed by DAC treatment.

A 20-gene signature in predicting the chemoresistance of breast cancer to taxane-based chemotherapy.

To date, there is no effective marker to predict chemoresistance in cancers. In this study, we aimed to find a signature that can detect chemoresistance to taxane-based therapies in breast cancer. By studying the gene-expression profiling in discovery cohorts with 92 taxane-resistant and 68 taxane-sensitive patients, a 20-gene taxane-based chemotherapy signature (TAXSig) and a TAXSig equation were developed. The TAXSig and its equation were later validated in five further independent datasets with a total of 659 patients. In general, the TAXSig equation easily and effectively discriminated between chemoresistant and chemosensitive individuals. The TAXSig-identified groups showed significant differences in clinical outcomes both in estrogen-receptor-positive and -negative (ER(-)) breast cancer patients, while the TAXSig was especially powerful in identifying ER(-) patients who had a good prognosis and were chemosensitive. In conclusion, the TAXSig is a reliable, effective, and reproducible means of classifying chemoresistance to taxane-based therapies in breast cancer.

Transcatheter closure with use of the SHSMA occluder in 180 patients with congenital heart defects: preliminary results.

Transcatheter closure of congenital heart defects with the use of septal occluders has been widely accepted as a preferred treatment; however, the high cost of these devices limits their clinical application in some countries. Few clinical data are available regarding lower-cost products. Accordingly, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the Chinese-made Shanghai Shape Memory Alloy (SHSMA) occluder in patients with congenital heart defects. From December 2001 through December 2008, a total of 180 patients with congenital heart defects (ages, 3-68 yr; mean age, 17.35 ± 13.22 yr) underwent transcatheter closure with use of the SHSMA occluder: 73 had atrial septal defects; 64, ventricular septal defects; 40, patent ductus arteriosus; and 3, complex congenital defects. The mean diameters of the defects were 20 ± 7.6 mm (atrial septal), 4.9 ± 2.1 mm (ventricular septal), and 5.6 ± 2.2 mm (patent ductus arteriosus). The procedural success rates were 98.6% for atrial defects, 98.4% for ventricular defects, and 100% for patent ductus arteriosus and for complex defects. The overall incidences of sequelae were 5.5%, 9.4%, 2.5%, and 0, respectively. Six months postprocedurally, complete occlusion was associated with a significant decrease in the right ventricular Tei index in atrial septal defect patients (P < 0.05) and with improvement of body mass index in 11 children. These results suggest that the SHSMA occluder is a safe, effective device for the transcatheter closure of congenital heart defects. For confirmation, a randomized controlled trial with more patients and a longer follow-up period is warranted.