Osteoclasts differential-related prognostic biomarker for osteosarcoma based on single cell, bulk cell and gene expression datasets.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common primary bone malignant tumors. Osteoclasts have been shown to have a valuable role in OS. In the present study, we analyzed the differentiation states of osteoclasts in OS and their prognostic significance based on integrated scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data. Osteoclasts in distinct differentiation states were characterized, and 661 osteoclasts differentiation-related genes (ODRGs) were obtained. ORDGs in distinct differentiation states were enriched in distinct functions and pathways. TPM1, S100A13, LOXL1, PSMD10, ST3GAL4, PEF1, SERPINE2, TUBB, FAM207A, TUBA1A, and DCN were identified as the significant survival-predicting ODRGs. We successfully developed a risk score model based on these survival-predicting ODRGs. In addition, we generated a nomogram applicable for clinical with both ODRGs signatures and clinicopathological parameters, and validated in OS cohorts to predict OS patient outcome. This study proposed and verified the important roles of osteoclasts differentiation in the prognosis of patients with OS, suggesting promising therapeutic targets for OS.

Comparison of hidden blood loss and clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

PURPOSE: Hidden blood loss (HBL) is a growing area of interest for spinal surgeons. Simultaneously, spine surgeons' pursuit of minimally invasive spine surgery has never ceased, as evidenced by the increasing number of articles comparing percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mis-TLIF). However, there has been no comparison of HBL between Endo-TLIF and Mis-TLIF. This study aimed to compare HBL, visible blood loss (VBL), and total blood loss (TBL) following Endo-TLIF and Mis-TLIF and evaluate the clinical significance of these procedures. METHODS: Between October 2017 and October 2019, 370 patients underwent lumbar interbody fusion at our institution and were followed up for at least 24 months. Our study included 41 Endo-TLIF and 43 Mis-TLIF cases. We recorded each patient's age, height, weight, and haematocrit and calculated the TBL, which was used to indirectly obtain the HBL. Additionally, we compared the clinical outcomes of these two groups, including visual analogue scores for the lumbar spine and leg (VAS-Back; VAS-Leg), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, disease type, operative segment, and intervertebral fusion and complication rates. RESULTS: Endo-TLIF had significantly lower HBL, VBL, and TBL values than Mis-TLIF (P < 0.05 for all). Although Endo-TLIF contained significantly less HBL than Mis-TLIF, the HBL to TBL ratio was statistically greater in Endo-TLIF (91%) than in Mis-TLIF (87%). Concerning clinical outcomes, VAS-Back, VAS-Leg, ODI, JOA, and Endo-TLIF demonstrated greater improvement rates than Mis-TLIF one week post-operatively. However, at the final follow-up, VAS-Back, VAS-Leg, ODI, and JOA scores all demonstrated a trend toward sustained improvement, with no statistically significant between-procedure difference. There were no statistically significant between-procedure differences in disease type, surgical segment, and complication or fusion rates. CONCLUSION: Endo-TLIF significantly reduced HBL, VBL, and TBL compared to Mis-TLIF and improved short-term clinical outcomes; however, long-term clinical outcomes and fusion rates remained comparable between the two groups, as did the incidence of peri-operative complications.

Percutaneous endoscopic-assisted direct repair of pars defect without general anesthesia could be a satisfying treatment alternative for young patient with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis: a technique note with case series.

BACKGROUND: Multiple surgical procedures are applied in young patients with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis when conservative treatments fail. Although the optimal surgical procedure option is controversial, the treatment paradigm has shifted from open surgery to minimally invasive spine surgery. To date, a limited number of studies on the feasibility of percutaneous endoscopic-assisted direct repair of pars defect have been carried out. Herein, for the first time, we retrospectively explore the outcomes of pars defect via percutaneous endoscopy. METHODS: We retrospectively examined young patients with spondylolysis treated using the percutaneous endoscopic-assisted direct repair of pars defect supplemented with autograft as well as percutaneous pedicle screw fixation between September 2014 and December 2018. Six patients with a mean age of 18.8 years were enrolled in the study. We used preoperatively computed tomographic (CT) scans to evaluate the size of pars defect, and graded disc degeneration using Pfirrmann's classification through magnetic resonance images (MRI). We assessed the clinical outcomes using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) as well as Visual Analogue Scale for back pain (VAS-B). RESULTS: Our findings revealed that pain intensity and function outcomes, including VAS-B, ODI, and SF-36 (PCS and MCS) scores, were markedly improved after surgery and at the final follow-up visit. The change in the gap distance of the pars defect was remarkably significant after surgery and during the follow-up period. Only one of the 12 pars repaired was reported as a non-union at the final follow-up visit. Moreover, no surgery-related complications were reported in any of the cases. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous endoscopic-assisted direct repair of pars defect without general anesthesia, a minimally invasive treatment option, supplemented with autograft and percutaneous pedicle screw fixation, could be a satisfying treatment alternative for young patients with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis.

miR-33a Mediates the Anti-Tumor Effect of Lovastatin in Osteosarcoma by Targeting CYR61.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preventing cell metastasis is an effective therapeutic strategy to treat osteosarcoma and improve prognosis. Statins have been found to have anticancer effects in addition to their cholesterol-lowering action. As a new target of statins, cysteine-rich 61 (CYR61) was recently identified to promote cell migration and metastasis in osteosarcoma. However, the underlying mechanisms mediating the regulation of CYR61 expression by statins remain unknown. METHODS: Human osteosarcoma cell lines MG63 and SaOS2 were used to clarify the effect of lovastatin on CYR61 expression. Real-time PCR was performed to detect mRNA or microRNA (miRNA) levels and western blot was performed to detect protein levels. Cell invasive ability was determined using Transwell assays. Lentivirus encoding CYR61 cDNA or sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) shRNA was used to upregulate CYR61 expression or downregulate SREBP-2 expression. Binding of the CYR61 3' untranslated region (UTR) and miR-33a was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: We found that lovastatin treatment decreased CYR61 expression, inhibited cell invasion and altered epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)-related protein expression, while CYR61 overexpression abolished the effect of lovastatin. Moreover, lovastatin increased the expression of SREBP-2 and miR-33a, which were then downregulated by SREBP-2 silencing. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the CYR61 3'UTR harbored a potential miR-33a binding site and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that CYR61 was a target of miR-33a in osteosarcoma cells. Furthermore, miR-33a could inhibit cell invasion and alter EMT-related protein expression. SREBP-2 silencing or miR-33a inhibitor upregulated CYR61 expression and reversed the effects of lovastatin on cell invasion and EMT-related proteins. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest lovastatin suppresses osteosarcoma cell invasion through the SREBP-2/miR-33a/CYR61 pathway.

MicroRNA-191 promotes osteosarcoma cells proliferation by targeting checkpoint kinase 2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs of 19-25 nt that can regulate gene expression at a posttranscriptional level. Increasing evidence indicates that miRNAs participate in almost every step of cellular processes and are often aberrantly expressed in human cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional significance of miR-191 and to identify its possible target genes in osteosarcoma cells. Here, we found that the expression level of miR-191 was increased in osteosarcoma tissues in comparison with the adjacent normal tissues. The enforced expression of miR-191 was able to promote cell proliferation in Saos-2 and MG62 cells, while miR-191 antisense oligonucleotides blocked cell proliferation. At the molecular level, our results further revealed that expression of tumor suppressor gene, checkpoint kinase 2, was negatively regulated by miR-191. Therefore, we consider that miR-191 act as an onco-MicroRNA for osteosarcoma and it would offer a new way in molecular targeting cancer treatment.

Association between duration of playing video games and bone mineral density in Chinese adolescents.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between duration of playing video games and bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese adolescents. Three hundred eighty-four Chinese adolescents aged 14-18 yr (148 males and 236 females) were analyzed. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard procedures. Total body and regional BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Duration of playing video games, defined as hours per day, was measured by a self-report questionnaire. We examined the association between duration of playing video games and BMD using multiple linear regression analysis. After adjustment for age, sex, pubertal stage, parental education, body mass index, adolescents with longer video game duration were more likely to have lower legs, trunk, pelvic, spine, and total BMD (p < 0.05). We concluded that duration of video game was negatively associated with BMD in Chinese adolescents. These findings provide support for reducing duration of playing video games as a possible means to increase BMD in adolescents. Future research is needed to elucidate the underlined mechanisms linking playing video games and osteoporosis.

Associations of fat mass and fat distribution with bone mineral density in Chinese obese population.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the associations of fat mass (FM) and fat distribution with bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese obese population. Three hundred and forty-seven Chinese obese females and 339 males aged 20-39 years were analyzed. Lean mass (LM), FM, percent body fat (%BF), android FM, gynoid FM, and total and regional BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat distribution was assessed by android-to-gynoid FM ratio (AOI). As a result, increased central body fat had an inverse association with total and leg BMD in females but not in males. Increased FM and %BF were positively associated with arm, trunk, and pelvic BMD in Chinese obese females. Increased FM was positively associated with total, rib, and trunk BMD in Chinese obese males. The results remained almost unchanged after adjusting for LM, and LM was significantly positively associated with spine BMD in female group. FM was positively associated with trunk BMD in male group after adjusting for LM. AOI was inversely associated with total and leg BMD, and %BF was positively associated with arm, trunk, and pelvic BMD when replacing FM with %BF in female group. The results remained almost unchanged after adjusting for LM. There is no significant association in male group when replacing FM with %BF. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that there are different associations of FM and fat distribution with BMD, and AOI has a negative association with BMD.

Hemostatic techniques following multilevel posterior lumbar spine surgery: a randomized control trial.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective, randomized controlled clinical study. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of absorbable gelatin sponge in reducing blood loss, as well as shortening the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing multilevel posterior lumbar spinal surgery. BACKGROUND: Absorbable gelatin sponge is reported to decrease postoperative drain output and the length of hospital stay after multilevel posterior cervical spine surgery. However, there is a dearth of literature on prospective study of the efficacy of absorbable gelatin sponge in reducing postoperative blood loss, as well as shortening the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing multilevel posterior lumbar spinal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 82 consecutive patients who underwent multilevel posterior lumbar fusion or posterior lumbar interbody fusion between June 2011 and June 2012 were prospectively randomized into one of the 2 groups according to whether absorbable gelatin sponge for postoperative blood management was used or not. Demographic distribution, total drain output, blood transfusion rate, the length of stay, the number of readmissions, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Total drain output averaged 173 mL in the study group and 392 mL in the control group (P=0.000). Perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion rate were lower in the Gelfoam group (34.1% vs. 58.5%, P=0.046); moreover, length of stay in patients with the use of absorbable gelatin sponge (12.58 d) was significantly shorter (P=0.009) than the patients in the control group (14.46 d). No patient developed adverse reactions attributable to the absorbable gelatin sponge. CONCLUSIONS: Application of absorbable gelatin sponge at the end of multilevel posterior lumbar fusion can significantly decrease postoperative drain output and length of hospital stay.

Unraveling the relationship between serum parathyroid hormone levels and trabecular bone score: a cross-sectional study.

The TBS is a new method for clinicians to assess the bone quality. It is directly related to the mechanical strength of bone and helps predict fracture risk. The present analysis aimed to investigate the associations between serum PTH levels and TBS by analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A total of 3516 participants from the NHANES 2005-2006 were included in this cross-sectional study. The independent variable was serum PTH, and the outcome variable was TBS. The associations of serum PTH levels with TBS were examined using multivariable linear regression models. After adjusting for covariates, there was a negative association between serum PTH level and TBS (ß = - 0.0034; 95% confidence interval, - 0.0050 to - 0.0017). However, in the subgroup analysis stratified by gender, race, and age, this association became negative only in Non-Hispanic White (ß = - 0.0047, 95% CI: -  0.0071 to -  0.0048) and young people (age < 60) (ß = - 0.0036, 95% CI: - 0.0057, - 0.0016), regardless of gender. In addition, the association of serum PTH with TBS was an U-shaped curve, with a point of inflection at 6.71 pmol/L. This study showed that serum PTH level was negatively associated with TBS. Maintaining PTH levels in a lower reasonable clinical range may be beneficial to bone health, especially for young non-Hispanic white.

Effect of Tranexamic Acid on Hidden Blood Loss in Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PE-TLIF) has become one of the most popular minimally invasive surgeries today. However, the issue of hidden blood loss (HBL) in this surgery has received little attention. This study aims to examine the HBL in PE-TLIF surgery and the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) on blood loss. Methods: In our research, We conducted a retrospective analysis of 300 patients who underwent PE-TLIF from September 2019 to August 2023. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether they received intravenous TXA injection before surgery. The variables compared included: demographic data, pre-and postoperative hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), platelets (PLT), red blood cells (RBC), total blood loss (TBL), visible blood loss (VBL), HBL, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, inflammatory markers, coagulation parameters, and adverse events. Results: Regarding demographic characteristics, besides the operation time, no significant differences were observed between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the TXA group showed a significant reduction trend in TBL, HBL, and VBL (P < 0.05). On the first day after surgery, there were significant differences in prothrombin (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and D-dimer (D-D) levels between the two groups. Similarly, HCT also found similar results on the third day after surgery. No adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusion: Research has found that there is a significant amount of HBL in patients undergoing PE-TLIF. Intravenous injection of TXA can safely and effectively reduce perioperative HBL and VBL. Additionally, compared to the control group, the TXA group shows a significant reduction in operation time.

Determining the learning curve for percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PELIF) is one of the least invasive procedures for lumbar degenerative disorders (LDD). There is limited knowledge of the learning curve for PELIF. METHODS: A total of 93 consecutive patients who underwent PELIF performed by a single spine surgeon for LDD failed with conservative treatment were retrospectively reviewed. The case series was split into three groups based on timing: A (earliest third of patients); B (middle third of patients); and C (latest third of patients). The following were also recorded: operating time, X-ray exposure time, complications, radiologic fusion rates, pre- and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) scores (visual analogue scale (VAS) for back pain, VAS for leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association, Oswestry Disability Index and MacNab criteria), length of hospital stay, and need for revision surgeries. A learning curve was then developed by a logarithmic curve-fit regression analysis. RESULTS: The operative time gradually decreased over time, and an asymptote was reached after about 25 cases. Compared with group B or C, group A had significantly longer operative time, significantly longer length of hospital stay, needed significantly more x-ray exposure time. Though not significantly different, there are fewer complications and revision surgeries over time. There is no significant difference over time in PROMs scores except for the VAS back scores. CONCLUSIONS: PELIF is an alternative for minimal invasive surgery for LDD, PELIF presents a learning curve to the practicing spine surgeon with regard to operative time, x-ray exposure time, length of hospital stay, clinical PROMs and radiographic outcomes and complications. The presented PELIF learning curve provided valuable insight to surgeons interested in performing this surgery.

Global trends and frontiers of research on total disc replacement: A bibliometric analysis.

With the increased risk of complications associated with traditional spinal fusion for the treatment of degenerative disc disease, total disc replacement (TDR) has received increasing attention in recent years. Despite the rapid development of its related research fields, its research status and the hotspot analysis are still unclear. Our goal was to identify and analyze the global research trends on TDR using bibliometric tools. All TDR data were obtained from the WoSCC. The information of research field was collected, including title, author, institutions, journals, countries, references, total citations, and years of publication for further analysis. From 1993 to 2022, a total of 1167 articles and 11,348 references were included in this field. These publications are mainly from 53 countries/regions and 174 journals, led by the United States and China. According to the citation report, the US was absolutely in the leading position in this research field. The most contribution institution and author were Sichuan University and Liu H. Spine and European Spine Journal were the most active journal on TDR research, with 205 and 118 articles. Meanwhile, they were also the most frequently cited journals. The "bone loss," "cervical arthroplasty," "hybrid surgery" were the most frequently cited areas of TDR research. Meanwhile, the latest research hotspots and directions were "cervical disc arthroplasty," "7 year follow up," "heterotopic ossification." The scientific research on TDR has increased considerably in recent years. This study clarifies the current research status and future development trends in order to guide clinicians and researchers in the field of TDR. It can be inferred that cervical disc arthroplasty and bone loss will be the research focus in the future.

Cross-sectional analysis of the correlation between serum uric acid and trabecular bone score: NHANES 2005-2008.

Serum uric acid (SUA) has been discovered to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but its relationship with trabecular bone score (TBS) remains unclear. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the association between SUA levels and TBS. Our study included 5895 individuals over 20 years old (3061 men and 2834 women) from NHANES 2005-2008. To analyze the association between SUA and TBS, multivariate linear regression models with covariate adjustments were applied. Furthermore, population description, stratified analysis, single factor analysis, smooth curve fitting, interaction analysis, and threshold effect and saturation effect analysis were also conducted. After adjusting for covariates, SUA showed a strong negative relationship with total TBS (ß = 0.319; 95% CI 0.145-0.494; P < 0.001). The relationship between SUA levels and total TBS was found to be nonlinear, with inflection points at 4.8 mg/dL for the overall population, 4.2 mg/dL for women, and 5.7 mg/dL for non-Hispanic whites, indicating a saturation effect. Additionally, no interactions were found in any of the subgroups. Our study found a negative association between SUA and total TBS in adults. Maintaining SUA at a saturated level can benefit in preventing osteoporosis and fractures.

Frequency and Type of Ponticulus Posticus and Lateralis in a Chinese Population: A CT-Based Analysis of 4047 Cases.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and type of ponticulus posticus (PP) and ponticulus lateralis (PL) in the Chinese population by analyzing computed tomography (CT) scans, and to uncover the pathogenesis of PP and PL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 4,047 cases were included in this study. We evaluated cervical spine CT scans with three dimensional reconstructions and collected age, gender, and presence of PP and PL in each case. If either or both were present, location and type were recorded. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PP was 8.01%. The age of patients with PP was significantly higher than those without. Men had a higher prevalence of PP than women. The presence of PP was more common on the left side than the right. According to our previous classification, the most common type of a PP was AC (32.41%), followed by CC (20.06%) and CA (16.98%). The overall prevalence of PL was 4.67%, with no differences between age groups, genders or by location. The most common type of PL was AC (43.92%), followed by CA (35.98%) and CC (20.11%). The prevalence of PP and PL occurring in the same patient was 1.26%. CONCLUSION: Based on cervical spine CT scans of 4,047 Chinese patients, we found that the prevalence of PP and PL were 8.01% and 4.67%, respectively. PP was more common in older patients, which strongly suggests that PP may be a congenital osseous anomaly of the atlas that mineralizes during aging.

Establishment and Verification of Prognostic Nomograms for Young Women With Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis.

Purpose: The prognosis of patients with metastatic breast cancer usually varies greatly among individuals. At present, the application of nomogram is very popular in metastatic tumors. The present study was conducted to identify independent survival predictors and construct nomograms among young women with breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM). Patients and Methods: We searched the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify young women diagnosed with BCBM between 2010 and 2016. We first analyzed the potential risk factors of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) by applying univariate Cox regression analysis. Then we conducted multivariate Cox analysis to identify independent survival predictors. Based on significant independent predictors, we developed and validated novel prognostic nomograms by using the R version 4.1.0 software. Results: We finally identified 715 eligible young women with BCBM for survival analysis, of which 358 patients were in the training set, and 357 patients in the validation set. Approximately four-fifths of patients are between 31 and 40 years old. The 5-year OS and CSS rates of this research population were 41.9 and 43.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed seven independent predictors of both OS and CSS, including race, tumor subtype, tumor size, surgical treatment, brain metastasis, liver metastasis, and lung metastasis. Based on these predictors, we developed and validated OS and CSS nomograms. The C-index of the OS nomogram reached 0.728 and 0.73 in the training and validation sets, respectively. The C-index of the CSS nomogram reached 0.743 and 0.695 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Meanwhile, high quality calibration plots were revealed in both OS and CSS nomograms. Conclusion: The current novel nomograms can provide an individualized survival evaluation of young women with BCBM and instruct clinicians to treat them appropriately.

A Worldwide Bibliometric Analysis of Published Literature on Osteoporosis Vertebral Compression Fracture.

Background: With the aging population growth in the world, the prevalence of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is rapidly increasing and receiving widespread attention. Although there are numerous articles on the topic, the research status and hotspot analysis are unclear. Objective: The goal of this study is to identify trends in the OVCF field and to analyze the most highly cited original articles published in the Web of Science Index on OVCF using bibliometric analysis. Methods: All OVCF data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection, and the number of citations, institutions, journals, countries, and years of publication in this field were visually analyzed using VOSviewer, the bibliometrics online analysis platform, and Excel software. Simultaneously, the top 100 most cited articles were extracted and analyzed. Results: A total of 756 publications were related to OVCF were included from 1900 to 2022. In recent years, the number of articles on OVCF significantly increased. They are mainly from 41 countries/regions and 202 journals, led by China and the United States. Among all countries, China had the most significant contribution on OVCF (n = 363), and it also was cited most often (n = 3337). The institution with the most articles was Soochow University (n = 40). Osteoporosis International was the journal with most studies and has published 50 on this field. The journal of Spine was cited most often (n = 1968). The most productive periods were from 2016 to 2020, which received 294 articles and 4868 citations. After the analysis, the "vertebroplasty" and "kyphoplasty" of OVCF have been the most common research hotspots. Conclusion: This study represents an updated bibliometric analysis of OVCF. The aim is to identify current research hotspots and future trends to guide clinicians and researchers in this field.

Trelagliptin stimulates osteoblastic differentiation by increasing runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2): a therapeutic implication in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, an aging-associated bone metabolic disease, is affecting millions of people worldwide. The deregulated process of osteoblastic differentiation has been linked with the progression of osteoporosis. Trelagliptin is a long-acting inhibitor of DPP-4 used for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, it is unknown whether Trelagliptin possesses a beneficial effect in osteoblastic differentiation. Interestingly, we found that treatment with Trelagliptin enhanced differentiation and promoted the mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells. Firstly, Trelagliptin increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and promoted osteoblastic calcium deposition. Additionally, treatment with Trelagliptin upregulated ALP, osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). Notably, Trelagliptin increased RUNX2, a major regulator of osteoblastic differentiation. Mechanistically, Trelagliptin upregulated the levels of p-AMPKα. Blockage of AMPK with compound C abolished the effects of Trelagliptin in RUNX2 and osteoblastic differentiation, suggesting the involvement of AMPK. Our findings suggest that Trelagliptin might possess a potential for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Identification and comparison of novel circular RNAs with associated co-expression and competing endogenous RNA networks in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as crucial regulators in various human diseases. So far, the expression profile and regulatory mechanism of circRNAs in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) are less studied and should be deciphered urgently. Herein, we aimed to reveal key circRNAs affecting PMOP and clarify their compounding regulatory actions. METHODS: To reveal key circRNAs affecting PMOP and clarify their compounding regulatory actions, whole transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs). The expression pattern and regulatory networks of DECs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were unearthed. RESULTS: A total of 373 DECs comprising 123 intronic, 100 antisense, 70 exonic, 55 intergenic, and 25 sense-overlapping circRNAs were identified. Among these, 73 circRNAs were upregulated and 300 were downregulated. These DECs exerted pivotal functions in the pathogenesis of PMOP as demonstrated by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA co-expression network comprising 28 DECs, 145 miRNAs, and 175 differentially expressed mRNAs predicted the possible mechanism of the pathogenesis and progression of PMOP. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study provided a further comprehension of circRNA-associated competing endogenous RNA regulatory mechanism in PMOP. The steadily expressed and disease-specific DECs may serve as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PMOP.

Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Scientific Publications on Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament Based on Web of Science.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been increasing study of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), leading to many articles on this topic. We aimed to identify trends in OPLL-related research and to analyze the most highly cited scientific articles on OPLL. METHODS: We searched the Web of Science Core Collection database for all articles on OPLL. The years of publication, countries, journals, institutions, and total citations were extracted and analyzed. Results related to countries, institutions, and keywords were subjected to co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer software. The top 100 most-cited articles on OPLL were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 876 articles related to OPLL were identified. The frequency of publication on OPLL has increased substantially over time. Among all countries, Japan has contributed the most articles on OPLL (n = 349). The most productive institution has been Hirosaki University (n = 57). Spine topped the list of journals and has published 120 OPLL-related articles, which received 4221 total citations. The surgical treatment of OPLL has been the most common research focus in the OPLL literature. CONCLUSIONS: The scientific literature on OPLL has rapidly expanded in recent years. This study represents the first bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on OPLL and can serve as a useful guide to clinicians and researchers in the field.

Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Literature on Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been increasing research on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), leading to many publications on this topic. To our knowledge, no study has focused on the research trends in this field. METHODS: Using the Web of Science Core Collection database for all articles on AIS, the number of citations, authorship, year of publication, journal of publication, country and institution of origin, and keywords were subjected to co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer software. The top 100 most-cited articles on AIS were analyzed. RESULTS: Between 1985 and 2020, 2266 articles related to AIS were identified. The frequency of publication on AIS has increased substantially over time. Among all countries, the United States has contributed the most articles on AIS (n = 671). The most productive institution has been Nanjing University (n = 154). Spine topped the list of journals and has published 569 AIS-related articles, which received 19,862 total citations. The clinical description of AIS has been the most common research focus in the AIS literature. CONCLUSIONS: The scientific literature on AIS has rapidly expanded in recent years. This study represents the updated bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on AIS and provides a research trend for the first time, which aims to give a unique insight into the development of AIS research focus and serve as a useful guide to clinicians and researchers in the field.