Stefin B alleviates the gouty arthritis in mice by inducing the M2 polarization of macrophages.

The present study aims to explore the therapeutic effect of Stefin B on gouty arthritis (GA) and the polarization of macrophages in mice. Stefin B-overexpressed or knockdown M0 macrophages were constructed. The GA model was established in mice by injecting 25 mg/mL MSU, followed by a single injecting of Stefin B-overexpressing adenovirus vector (GA model + Stefin B OE) or an empty vector (GA model + Stefin B OE NC). Stefin B was found lowly expressed in M1 macrophages. CD206 was markedly upregulated and IL-10 release was signally increased in Stefin B-overexpressed macrophages. In gouty arthritis mice, marked redness and swelling were observed in the ankle joint. Dramatical infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed in the GA model and GA model + Stefin B OE NC groups, which was suppressed in the Stefin B OE group. Increased proportion of F4/80+CD86+ cells observed in GA mice was markedly repressed by Stefin B overexpression, accompanied by the declined level of Caspase-1 and IL-17. Collectively, Stefin B alleviated the GA in mice by inducing the M2 polarization of macrophages.

Endowing Polyetheretherketone with Anti-Infection and Immunomodulatory Properties through Guanidination Carbon Dots Modification to Promote Osseointegration in Diabetes with MRSA Infection.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and compromised immunity are the severe complications associated with implantation surgery in diabetes mellitus. Enhancing the antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties of implants represents an effective approach to improve the osseointegration of implant in diabetes mellitus. Herein, guanidination carbon dots (GCDs) with antibacterial and immunoregulatory functions are synthesized. The GCDs demonstrate killing effect on MRSA without detectable induced resistance. Additionally, they promote the polarization of macrophages from the M1 to M2 subtype, with the inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoting anti-inflammatory factors. Correspondingly, GCDs are immobilized onto sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SP@GCDs) using a polyvinyl butyraldehyde (PVB) coating layer through soaking-drying technique. SP@GCDs maintain stable antibacterial efficacy against MRSA for six consecutive days and retain the immunomodulatory function, while also possessing the long-term storage stability and biocompatibility of more than 6 months. Moreover, SP@GCDs significantly promote the proliferation and mineralization of osteoblasts. SP@GCDs facilitate osteogenesis through immunoregulatory. Additionally, SP@GCDs exert stable antibacterial and immune regulatory functions in implantation site of a diabetes rat, effectively promoting implant osseointegration regardless of the MRSA infection. These findings provide valuable insights into implant modification through designing nanomaterials with multifunction for enhancing osseointegration of diabetes mellitus, suggesting the promising clinical application prospects.

Global research trends and hotspots of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the field of osteoarthritis: A bibliometric study.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway has gradually become a new target for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Numerous studies of PI3K/Akt signaling in OA have been published in the past few years. By analyzing these research characteristics and qualities, we aimed to reveal the current research focus and emerging trends in PI3K/Akt signaling in OA. We searched the Web of Science database for relevant articles concerning the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in OA published from inception to October 31, 2022. The following data were extracted: author name, article title, keywords, topic, publication country/region, institution, publication journal, journal impact factor, number of times cited, and H-index. VOSviewer and Excel 2019 were used to conduct the bibliometric study and visualize the analysis. A total of 374 publications were included in this study. In all selected articles, "orthopedics" was the dominant topic (252 of 374, 67.38%). The most productive year was 2021. Frontiers in Pharmacology published the most articles. The People's Republic of China has published the most articles worldwide. The top 5 keywords were "OA," "expression," "apoptosis," "chondrocytes," and "inflammation." The keywords "autophagy," "mitochondrial dysfunction," "inflammatory response," "cartilage degeneration," and "network pharmacology" have increased in recent years. Our study showed a growing trend in published articles related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in OA. Inflammatory response, cartilage degeneration, and apoptosis remain central topics in the field. Research on autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and network pharmacology is on the rise, and the focus on PI3K/Akt will continue to increase.

Water quality criteria derivation and tiered ecological risk evaluation of antifouling biocides in marine environment.

This study provides a comprehensive compilation of published toxicological and environmental data further used to assess the ecological risks of six antifouling biocides, including tributyltin (TBT), Irgarol 1051, Diuron, Chlorothalonil, 4,5-Dichloro-N-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone (DCOIT), and Dichlofluanid. The standard maximum concentration and standard continuous concentration of antifouling biocides were derived by the species susceptibility distribution method. Following that, the ecological risk assessment of antifouling biocides in the aquatic environment was conducted using the hazard quotient, margin of safety, joint probability curve, and Monte Carlo random sampling method. The following is a concise list of the antifouling biocide dangers associated with acute and chronic risks: Irgarol 1051 > TBT > Diuron > DCOIT > Chlorothalonil > Dichlofluanid. It is strongly advised that systematic and ongoing monitoring of these biocides in coastal areas take place, as well as the creation of acceptable and efficient environmental protection measures, to safeguard the coastal environment's services and functions.

Adult Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Coverage in China from 2011 to 2021: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The most effective way to prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is vaccination. Synthesized data on vaccination coverage in adults against hepatitis B in China are scarce. We aimed to estimate the hepatitis B vaccination rate in adults in China. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, and Sinomed databases for observational studies published between 1 January 2011 and 1 October 2021. Data were extracted using a standardized form to estimate the pooled vaccination coverage rate and 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subgroup analysis was employed to explore heterogeneity. This study is registered in PROSPERO, CRD42021293175. RESULTS: We identified 5128 records, of which 21 articles that included 34,6571 adults. The pooled coverage rate and 95% confidence intervals were 26.27% and 22.73-29.82%, respectively. The pooled coverage rates were 22.06% (95% CI: 15.35-28.78%), 33.81% (95% CI: 28.77-38.85%) and 23.50% (95% CI: 17.37-29.64%) in eastern China, central China and western China, respectively. Furthermore, males had a pooled hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate of 23.47% (95% CI: 15.61-31.33%), whereas, in females, the coverage rate was 26.60% (95% CI: 18.73-34.47%). The pooled hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate in the age group younger than 40 years was 36.93% (95% CI: 28.35-45.50%), while in the ≥40-year-old group, the pooled hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate was 17.09% (95% CI: 10.18-24.00%). The pooled hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate in urban areas (40.29%, 95% CI: 20.91-59.67%) was higher than in rural areas (16.54%, 95% CI: 7.80-25.29%). The average weighted, pooled hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate was 26.53% (20.25-32.81%) in 2011-2015 and 26.12% (22.04-30.20%) in 2016-2021. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides the hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate of adults in China (26.27%). The low prevalence of vaccine-mediated immunity among adults in China underscores the urgent need for targeted immunization strategies for vulnerable Chinese adults to ensure progress toward the target of eliminating hepatitis B by 2030.

Risk factors and new diagnostic index for deep venous thrombosis of lower extremities in elderly patients with traumatic femoral neck fracture.

Purpose: To determine the incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremities at admission in elderly Chinese patients with femoral neck fracture, and to establish and evaluate a new DVT predictor based on these risk factors. Methods: Patients who were hospitalized from January 2018 to December 2020 at three independent centers were reviewed. According to the results of lower extremities vascular ultrasound at admission, they were divided into DVT group and non-DVT group. Single and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied to identify independent risk factors for DVT occurrence, and then a prediction formula for DVT based on the risk factors was developed. The new predictive index of DVT was calculated by the formula. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic value of different factors and the new predictive index. Results: There were 203 elder patients were included in the final analysis after application of the exclusion criteria. Thirty seven patients (18.2%) were diagnosed as DVT by ultrasound, including 33 patients (89.2%) of peripheral type, 1 patient (2.7%) of central type and 3 patients (8.1%) of mixed type.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that four factors including injured side, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, d-dimer were the independent risk factors for the incidence of DVT. On this basis, a new formula for DVT predictive factor was constructed: New predictive index = 0.895 * injured side (right = 1, left = 0) + 0.899 * hemoglobin (<109.5 g/L = 1, > 109.5 g/L = 0) + 1.19 * fibrinogen (>4.24 g/L = 1, < 4.24 g/L = 0) + 1.221* d-dimer (>2.4 mg/L = 1, < 2.4 mg/L = 0). The AUC value of this new developed index was 0.735. Conclusions: This work showed that the incidence of DVT in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture in China was high at admission. New DVT predictive value can be used as an effective diagnosis strategy for evaluation of thrombosis at admission.

Chitosan-modified Phellinus igniarius polysaccharide PLGA nanoparticles ameliorated inflammatory bowel disease.

In many clinical studies, prebiotics have been used as adjuvant therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Phellinus igniarius polysaccharide (PIP) possesses great anti-inflammatory and prebiotic activities. Herein, we developed an orally deliverable PIP-loaded chitosan-modified PLGA nanomedicine (CS-PIPP) to investigate its anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model was established to evaluate the preventive effect of CS-PIPP on IBD. This study characterized that CS-PIPP had a size of 288.7 ± 5.49 nm, positive zeta potential, and showed good stability over four weeks. The in-vitro study suggested that CS-PIPP had enhanced phagocytosis by macrophages, which could further significantly inhibit M1-like macrophages phenotype and regulate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cytokines. The in-vivo study revealed that CS-PIPP prominently prevented intestinal inflammatory damage and protected the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Moreover, CS-PIPP increased the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and positively regulated the gut microbiota. Specifically, CS-PIPP reduced enteropathogenic microorganisms while increasing the beneficial microbiota, including Lactobacillus and Akkermansia, which revealed the potential of CS-PIPP as prebiotics. Generally, CS-PIPP promoted the anti-inflammatory effect of PIP, so it could be regarded as a novel and potent nanoformulation to treat IBD.

Decorated Polyetheretherketone Implants with Antibacterial and Antioxidative Effects through Layer-by-Layer Nanoarchitectonics Facilitate Diabetic Bone Integration with Infection.

Patients suffering diabetic bone defects still need some new and effective strategies to achieve enhanced prognostic effects. Although medical implants are the common treatment of bone defects, the excessive oxidative stress and high risk of bacterial infection in diabetes mellitus lead to a higher risk of implant failure. To improve the healing ability of diabetic bone defects, herein, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) was modified through a developed layer-by-layer (LBL) construction strategy to obtain multifunctional PEEK (SP@(TA-GS/PF)*3) by the assembly of tannic acid (TA), gentamicin sulfate (GS) and Pluronic F127 (PF127) on the basis of prepared porous PEEK through sulfonation (SPEEK). The prepared SP@(TA-GS/PF)*3 exhibited sustained antimicrobial activity and enhanced the differentiation of osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) for needed osteogenesis. Moreover, SP@(TA-GS/PF)*3 scavenged excessive oxidative stress to promote the growth of H2O2 damaged HUVEC with enhanced secretion of VEGF for neovascularization. In addition, the remarkable in vivo outcomes of angiogenesis and osseointegration were revealed by the subcutaneous implant model and bone tissue implant model in diabetic rats, respectively. The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that modified PEEK with multifunction can be an attractive tool for enhancing bone integration under diabetic conditions, underpinning the clinical application potential of modified implants for diabetic osseointegration.

Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage Rates and Associated Factors: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Beijing, 2019-2020.

Hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates are low throughout most populations in China. Factors influencing low coverage rates, including population-specific hepatitis B vaccination barriers, may inform policies that promote vaccination. A cross-sectional survey of residents from 43 communities assessed their vaccination status and identified associated factors via uni- and multivariable logistic regression and subgroup analyses. In total, 11,280 of 36,007 respondents received a hepatitis B vaccine, indicating a 31.33% coverage rate. Multivariable logistic regression revealed non-Beijing (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.76-0.85) and residents who self-rated their health as very healthy (OR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68-0.99) were unlikely to be vaccinated. Farmers (OR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.51-1.86), commerce and service workers (OR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.63-2.04), government employees (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.38-1.77), professionals and technicians (OR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.63-2.09), and students (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.10-2.59) had increased hepatitis B vaccination rates. The multivariable assessment revealed hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates are associated with confirmed or suspected family cases, vaccination unwillingness or uncertainty, and unawareness of its prevention of the hepatitis B virus. Low hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates among Beijing subpopulations highlight the need for improved strategies, including those that target specific populations.

Effect of a Community-Based Hepatitis B Virus Infection Detection Combined with Vaccination Program in China.

Evidence on the effectiveness of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection screening and vaccination programs remains rare in China. We used a quasi-experimental method, propensity score matching, to evaluate the effects of a community-based HBV infection detection combined with vaccination (HBVIDV) program in a pilot. Data were retrieved from the HBVIDV program implemented between July 2019 and June 2020. Outcomes were the difference between the treatment and control groups in hepatitis B vaccination (≥1 dose), hepatitis B vaccine series completion (≥3 doses), and serologic evidence of vaccine-mediated immunity. Altogether, 26,180 individuals were included, where 6160 (23.5%) individuals were assigned to the treatment group, and 20,020 (76.5%) individuals were assigned to the control group. After propensity score matching, 5793 individuals were matched. The rates of hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis B vaccine series completion, and prevalence of vaccine-mediated immunity in the treatment and control groups were 29.0% vs. 17.8%, 22.1% vs. 13.1%, and 38.2% vs. 27.6%, respectively. The HBVIDV program was significantly associated with increased hepatitis B vaccination rate (OR, 1.884, 95% CI 1.725-2.057), hepatitis B vaccine series completion rate (OR, 1.872, 95% CI 1.696-2.065), and prevalence of vaccine-mediated immunity (OR, 1.623, 95% CI 1.501-1.755). The greater magnitude of association between HBVIDV program and outcomes was observed among adults aged 35-54 years and adults who live in rural areas. The HBVIDV program was effective in increasing the hepatitis B vaccination rate, hepatitis B vaccine series completion rate, and prevalence of vaccine-mediated immunity among adults in the pilot. Further focusing the program on special populations and regions may produce more effective results.

Facile surface functional polyetheretherketone with antibacterial and immunoregulatory activities for enhanced regeneration toward bacterium-infected bone destruction.

Existing biologically inert or unmodified implants to treat infectious bone defects or osteomyelitis still cannot effectively solve bacterial infection and osseointegration. In this work, a simple co-deposition strategy was developed to modify porous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) with improved antibacterial activity and controllable immunoregulatory ability. After PEEK was treated by H2SO4 to obtain porous PEEK (SPEEK), the self-polymerization of dopamine was operated on SPEEK in the solution of dopamine and gentamicin sulfate (GS) to prepare polydopamine (pDA) and GS layer-modified SPEEK (labeled as SPEEK-pDA-GS). The morphology, surface property, and molecular structure of SPEEK-pDA-GS were investigated. Besides the antibacterial property of SPEEK-pDA-GS ascribed to the successful immobilization of GS, SPEEK-pDA-GS exhibited promoted osseointegration through the results of mineralization, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels and osteogenic gene expression. Furthermore, the evaluation of the cell proliferation suggested that SPEEK-pDA-GS possessed the biocompatibility and the immunoregulatory ability that induced macrophages to anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Using rat as model, in vivo results containing X-ray, µ-CT, immunohistochemistry, and pathological analysis showed the excellent healing effect of SPEEK-pDA-GS on bone defect with infection with biological safety. This work illustrates a new insight into the simple and effective modification of PEEK and other implants with antibacterial, immunoregulatory, and osseointegration abilities for clinical requirement.