Robot-assisted versus traditional fixation for the treatment of calcaneal fractures: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: With the development of surgical technology, the level of digital medicine is constantly improving. The birth of new technologies has a certain impact on traditional methods. At present, robot-assisted technology has been applied to patients with calcaneal fractures, which poses a challenge to traditional surgery. We aimed to assess whether robot-assisted internal fixation confers certain surgical advantages through a literature review. DESIGN: The databases PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform were systematically searched for both randomized and nonrandomized studies involving patients with calcaneal fractures. MAIN RESULTS: Five studies were identified that compared clinical indexes. For the clinical indexes, robot-assisted surgery is generally feasible because of intraoperative fluoroscopy, complications, the Gissane angle, the calcaneal width, and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score 3 and 6 months after the operation (P < 0.05). However, on the operation time, Böhler's angle at 3 and 6 months, Gissane angle and calcaneal width at 6 months after the operation did not show good efficacy compared with those of the traditional group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current evidence, the advantages of robot-assisted fixation over traditional fixation are clear. The long-term clinical effects of the two methods are also good, and the short-term effect of robot assistance is better. However, the quality of some studies is low, and more high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed for further verification.

Robot-assisted versus traditional surgery in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures: a meta-analysis.

Intramedullary nail fixation of intertrochanteric fractures assisted by orthopedic surgical robot navigation is a new surgical method, but there are few studies comparing its efficacy with traditional intramedullary nail fixation. We aimed to assess whether robot-assisted internal fixation confers certain surgical advantages through a literature review. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wan fang Data Knowledge service Platform were searched to collect randomized and non-randomized studies on patients with calcaneal fractures. Five studies were identified to compare the clinical indexes. For the clinical indexes, the technology of robot-assisted is generally feasible, in time to operation, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, blood loss, pine insertion, tip apex distance (TAD), and Harris score (P < 0.05). However, on the complication and excellent and good rate after operation did not show good efficacy compared with the traditional group (P > 0.05). Based on the current evidence, For the short-term clinical index, the advantages of robot-assisted are clear. The long-term clinical effects of the two methods are also good, but the robot-assisted shows better. However, the quality of some studies is low, and more high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed for further verification.

Evidence-Based Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Clean Hand Surgeries: An Educational Intervention to Decrease Use.

PURPOSE: Evidence for the use of prophylactic antibiotics in clean hand surgery is limited, yet surgeons continue to administer antibiotics to prevent postoperative infections. We sought to assess the effect of a program directed at reducing the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in carpal tunnel release surgery and elicit reasons for continued use. METHODS: A surgeon leader implemented a program between September 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019 to reduce antibiotic prophylaxis in clean hand surgeries in a hospital system of 10 medical centers. It consisted of (1) an evidence-based educational session for all participating orthopedic and hand surgeons during which the elimination of the use of antibiotics in clean hand surgeries was requested and (2) a year-long, monthly antibiotic use audit and feedback cycle using carpal tunnel release (CTR) as a proxy for clean hand surgery. The rate of antibiotic use in the year of the intervention was compared to the rate prior to the intervention. Multivariable regression was used to determine patient-related risk factors for receiving antibiotics. Participating surgeons completed a survey to elucidate factors that contributed to continued use. RESULTS: Antibiotic prophylaxis decreased from 1223/2379 (51%) in 2017-2018 to 531/2550 (21%) in 2018-2019. During the last month of evaluation, the rate decreased to 28/208 (14%). Logistic regression revealed a higher rate of antibiotic use during the period after the intervention among patients who had diabetes mellitus or who were operated upon by an older surgeon. The follow-up surgeon survey revealed a strong positive correlation between surgeon willingness to administer antibiotics and patient hemoglobin A1c and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of antibiotic use in carpal tunnel release decreased from 51% the year prior to 14% the final month of implementing a surgeon-led program to reduce antibiotic prophylaxis. Multiple barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practice were identified. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.

All-Cause and Cardiovascular-Related Mortality in CKD Patients With and Without Heart Failure: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Rationale & Objective: Heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently coexist reflective of the strong interplay between these organ systems. A better understanding of the prevalence of different types of heart failure (preserved and reduced ejection fraction) and their subsequent mortality risks among advanced CKD patients would provide important epidemiologic insights and may pave the way for more focused and proactive management strategies. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Population: Patients aged ≥18 years with incident CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤45 mL/min/1.73 m2) with and without heart failure in a large integrated health care system in Southern California. Exposure: Heart failure, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Outcomes: All-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality within one year of CKD identification. Analytical Approach: HRs were estimated using Cox proportional-hazards model for risk of all-cause mortality and Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model for risk of cardiovascular-related mortality within 1 year. Results: The study cohort included 76,688 patients with incident CKD between 2007 and 2017, of which 14,249 (18.6%) had prevalent heart failure. Among these patients, 8,436 (59.2%) had HFpEF and 3,328 (23.3%) had HFrEF. Compared with patients without heart failure, the HR for 1-year all-cause mortality was 1.70 (95% CI, 1.60-1.80) among patients with heart failure. The HRs were 1.59 (95% CI, 1.48-1.70) for patients with HFpEF and 2.43 (95% CI, 2.23-2.65) for patients with HFrEF. Compared with patients without heart failure, the 1-year cardiovascular-related mortality HR for patients with heart failure was 6.69 (95% CI, 5.93-7.54). Cardiovascular-related mortality HR was even higher among those with HFrEF (HR, 11.47; 95% CI, 9.90-13.28). Limitations: Retrospective design with a short 1-year follow-up period. Additional variables including medication adherence, medication changes, and time-varying variables were not accounted for in this intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusions: Among patients with incident CKD, heart failure was highly prevalent with HFpEF accounting for over 70% among patients with known ejection fraction. Although the presence of heart failure was associated with higher 1-year all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality, patients with HFrEF were the most vulnerable.

Association between menorrhagia and risk of intrauterine device-related uterine perforation and device expulsion: results from the Association of Uterine Perforation and Expulsion of Intrauterine Device study.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine devices are effective instruments for contraception, and 1 levonorgestrel-releasing device is also indicated for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia). OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of intrauterine device expulsion and uterine perforation in women with and without a diagnosis of menorrhagia within the first 12 months before device insertion STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in 3 integrated healthcare systems (Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Southern California, and Washington) and a healthcare information exchange (Regenstrief Institute) in the United States using electronic health records. Nonpostpartum women aged ≤50 years with intrauterine device (eg, levonorgestrel or copper) insertions from 2001 to 2018 and without a delivery in the previous 12 months were studied in this analysis. Recent menorrhagia diagnosis (ie, recorded ≤12 months before insertion) was ascertained from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The study outcomes, viz, device expulsion and device-related uterine perforation (complete or partial), were ascertained from electronic medical records and validated in the data sources. The cumulative incidence and crude incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the crude and adjusted hazard ratios using propensity score overlap weighting (13-16 variables) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Among 228,834 nonpostpartum women, the mean age was 33.1 years, 44.4% of them were White, and 31,600 (13.8%) had a recent menorrhagia diagnosis. Most women had a levonorgestrel-releasing device (96.4% of those with and 78.2% of those without a menorrhagia diagnosis). Women with a menorrhagia diagnosis were likely to be older, obese, and have dysmenorrhea or fibroids. Women with a menorrhagia diagnosis had a higher intrauterine device-expulsion rate (40.01 vs 10.92 per 1000 person-years) than those without, especially evident in the first few months after insertion. Women with a menorrhagia diagnosis had a higher cumulative incidence (95% confidence interval) of expulsion (7.00% [6.70-7.32] at 1 year and 12.03% [11.52-12.55] at 5 years) vs those without (1.77% [1.70-1.84] at 1 year and 3.69% [3.56-3.83] at 5 years). The risk of expulsion was increased for women with a menorrhagia diagnosis vs for those without (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.84 [95% confidence interval, 2.66-3.03]). The perforation rate was low overall (<1/1000 person-years) but higher in women with a diagnosis of menorrhagia vs in those without (0.98 vs 0.63 per 1000 person-years). The cumulative incidence (95% confidence interval) of uterine perforation was slightly higher for women with a menorrhagia diagnosis (0.09% [0.06-0.14] at 1 year and 0.39% [0.29-0.53] at 5 years) than those without it (0.07% [0.06-0.08] at 1 year and 0.28% [0.24-0.33] at 5 years). The risk of perforation was slightly increased in women with a menorrhagia diagnosis vs in those without (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.13). CONCLUSION: The risk of expulsion is significantly higher in women with a recent diagnosis of menorrhagia. Patient education and counseling regarding the potential expulsion risk is recommended at insertion. The absolute risk of perforation for women with a recent diagnosis of menorrhagia is very low. The increased expulsion and perforation rates observed are likely because of causal factors of menorrhagia.

Causes of Death in End-Stage Kidney Disease: Comparison between the United States Renal Data System and a Large Integrated Health Care System.

INTRODUCTION: Using a large diverse population of incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients from an integrated health system, we sought to evaluate the concordance of causes of death (CODs) between the underlying COD from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) registry and CODs obtained from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed among incident ESKD patients who had mortality records and CODs reported in both KPSC and USRDS databases between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2016. Underlying CODs reported by the KPSC were compared to the CODs reported by USRDS. Overall and subcategory-specific COD agreements were assessed using Cohen's weighted kappa statistic (95% CI). Proportions of positive and negative agreement were also determined. RESULTS: Among 4,188 ESKD patient deaths, 4,118 patients had CODs recorded in both KPSC and USRDS. The most common KPSC CODs were circulatory system diseases (35.7%), endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases (24.2%), genitourinary diseases (12.9%), and neoplasms (9.6%). Most common USRDS CODs were cardiac disease (46.9%), withdrawal from dialysis (12.6%), and infection (10.1%). Of 2,593 records with causes listed NOT as "Other," 453 (17.4%) had no agreement in CODs between the USRDS and the underlying, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary causes recorded by KPSC. In comparing CODs recorded within KPSC to the USRDS, Cohen's weighted kappa (95% CI) was 0.20 (0.18-0.22) with overall agreement of 36.4%. CONCLUSION: Among an incident ESKD population with mortality records, we found that there was only fair or slight agreement between CODs reported between the USRDS registry and KPSC, a large integrated health care system.

Design of the Association of Uterine Perforation and Expulsion of Intrauterine Device study: a multisite retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine devices are effective and safe, long-acting reversible contraceptives, but the risk of uterine perforation occurs with an estimated incidence of 1 to 2 per 1000 insertions. The European Active Surveillance Study for Intrauterine Devices, a European prospective observational study that enrolled 61,448 participants (2006-2012), found that women breastfeeding at the time of device insertion or with the device inserted at ≤36 weeks after delivery had a higher risk of uterine perforation. The Association of Uterine Perforation and Expulsion of Intrauterine Device (APEX-IUD) study was a Food and Drug Administration-mandated study designed to reflect current United States clinical practice. The aims of the APEX-IUD study were to evaluate the risk of intrauterine device-related uterine perforation and device expulsion among women who were breastfeeding or within 12 months after delivery at insertion. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the APEX-IUD study design, methodology, and analytical plan and present population characteristics, size of risk factor groups, and duration of follow-up. STUDY DESIGN: APEX-IUD study was a retrospective cohort study conducted in 4 organizations with access to electronic health records: Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Regenstrief Institute in Indiana. Variables were identified through structured data (eg, diagnostic, procedural, medication codes) and unstructured data (eg, clinical notes) via natural language processing. Outcomes include uterine perforation and device expulsion; potential risk factors were breastfeeding at insertion, postpartum timing of insertion, device type, and menorrhagia diagnosis in the year before insertion. Covariates include demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and procedure-related variables, such as difficult insertion. The first potential date of inclusion for eligible women varies by research site (from January 1, 2001 to January 1, 2010). Follow-up begins at insertion and ends at first occurrence of an outcome of interest, a censoring event (device removal or reinsertion, pregnancy, hysterectomy, sterilization, device expiration, death, disenrollment, last clinical encounter), or end of the study period (June 30, 2018). Comparisons of levels of exposure variables were made using Cox regression models with confounding adjusted by propensity score weighting using overlap weights. RESULTS: The study population includes 326,658 women with at least 1 device insertion during the study period (Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 161,442; Kaiser Permanente Southern California, 123,214; Kaiser Permanente Washington, 20,526; Regenstrief Institute, 21,476). The median duration of continuous enrollment was 90 (site medians 74-177) months. The mean age was 32 years, and the population was racially and ethnically diverse across the 4 sites. The mean body mass index was 28.5 kg/m2, and of the women included in the study, 10.0% had menorrhagia ≤12 months before insertion, 5.3% had uterine fibroids, and 10% were recent smokers; furthermore, among these women, 79.4% had levonorgestrel-releasing devices, and 19.5% had copper devices. Across sites, 97,824 women had an intrauterine device insertion at ≤52 weeks after delivery, of which 94,817 women (97%) had breastfeeding status at insertion determined; in addition, 228,834 women had intrauterine device insertion at >52 weeks after delivery or no evidence of a delivery in their health record. CONCLUSION: Combining retrospective data from multiple sites allowed for a large and diverse study population. Collaboration with clinicians in the study design and validation of outcomes ensured that the APEX-IUD study results reflect current United States clinical practice. Results from this study will provide valuable information based on real-world evidence about risk factors for intrauterine devices perforation and expulsion for clinicians.

Identifying Ectopic Pregnancy in a Large Integrated Health Care Delivery System: Algorithm Validation.

BACKGROUND: Surveillance of ectopic pregnancy (EP) using electronic databases is important. To our knowledge, no published study has assessed the validity of EP case ascertainment using electronic health records. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the validity of an enhanced version of a previously validated algorithm, which used a combination of encounters with EP-related diagnostic/procedure codes and methotrexate injections. METHODS: Medical records of 500 women aged 15-44 years with membership at Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California between 2009 and 2018 and a potential EP were randomly selected for chart review, and true cases were identified. The enhanced algorithm included diagnostic/procedure codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, used telephone appointment visits, and excluded cases with only abdominal EP diagnosis codes. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall performance (Youden index and F-score) of the algorithm were evaluated and compared to the validated algorithm. RESULTS: There were 334 true positive and 166 true negative EP cases with available records. True positive and true negative EP cases did not differ significantly according to maternal age, race/ethnicity, and smoking status. EP cases with only one encounter and non-tubal EPs were more likely to be misclassified. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the enhanced algorithm for EP were 97.6%, 84.9%, 92.9%, and 94.6%, respectively. The Youden index and F-score were 82.5% and 95.2%, respectively. The sensitivity and NPV were lower for the previously published algorithm at 94.3% and 88.1%, respectively. The sensitivity of surgical procedure codes from electronic chart abstraction to correctly identify surgical management was 91.9%. The overall accuracy, defined as the percentage of EP cases with correct management (surgical, medical, and unclassified) identified by electronic chart abstraction, was 92.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the enhanced algorithm for EP case ascertainment in integrated health care databases is adequate to allow for use in future epidemiological studies. Use of this algorithm will likely result in better capture of true EP cases than the previously validated algorithm.

Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring.

Importance: Although the safety of labor epidural analgesia (LEA) for neonates has been well documented, the long-term health effects of LEA on offspring remain to be investigated. Objective: To assess the association between maternal LEA exposure and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in offspring. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data for this retrospective longitudinal birth cohort study were derived from electronic medical records from a population-based clinical birth cohort. A total of 147 895 singleton children delivered vaginally between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015, in a single integrated health care system were included. Children were followed up from the age of 1 year until the first date of the following occurrences: clinical diagnosis of ASD, last date of health plan enrollment, death, or the study end date of December 31, 2018. Exposures: Use and duration of LEA. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was clinical diagnosis of ASD. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of ASD associated with LEA exposure. Results: Among the cohort of 147 895 singleton children (74 425 boys [50.3%]; mean [SD] gestational age at delivery, 38.9 [1.5] weeks), 109 719 (74.2%) were exposed to maternal LEA. Fever during labor was observed in 13 055 mothers (11.9%) in the LEA group and 510 of 38 176 mothers (1.3%) in the non-LEA group. Autism spectrum disorders were diagnosed in 2039 children (1.9%) in the LEA group and 485 children (1.3%) in the non-LEA group. After adjusting for potential confounders, including birth year, medical center, maternal age at delivery, parity, race/ethnicity, educational level, household income, history of comorbidity, diabetes during pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, gestational age at delivery, and birth weight, the HR associated with LEA vs non-LEA exposure was 1.37 (95% CI, 1.23-1.53). Relative to the unexposed group, the adjusted HR associated with LEA exposure of less than 4 hours was 1.33 (95% CI, 1.17-1.53), with LEA exposure of 4 to 8 hours was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.20-1.53), and with LEA exposure of more than 8 hours was 1.46 (95% CI, 1.27-1.69). Within the LEA group, there was a significant trend of ASD risk associated with increasing duration of LEA exposure after adjusting for covariates (HR for linear trend, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.09] per 4 hours). Adding fever to the model did not change the HR estimate associated with LEA exposure (adjusted HR for LEA vs non-LEA, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.22-1.53]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that maternal LEA may be associated with increased ASD risk in children. The risk appears to not be directly associated with epidural-related maternal fever.

Low Rate of Cancer Detection by Colonoscopy in Asymptomatic, Average-Risk Subjects with Negative Results From Fecal Immunochemical Tests.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Screening colonoscopies are of uncertain benefit for persons with negative results from a fecal immunochemical test (FIT). We investigated detection of CRC by colonoscopy in asymptomatic, average-risk, FIT-negative subjects. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, population-based cohort study of 96,804 subjects with an initial negative result from a FIT at ages 50-75 years, from 2008 through 2014, who then underwent colonoscopy, using the Kaiser Permanente California databases. We identified participants diagnosed with CRC from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2015 from a cancer registry. Subjects were followed until initial colonoscopy, health plan disenrollment, death, or December 31, 2015. We reviewed records from 400 randomly selected persons without CRC (controls) for risk features to estimate the proportion who underwent screening colonoscopy. We performed logistic regression to identify variables associated with CRC detection. RESULTS: Of 257 subjects with a diagnosis of CRC, 102 did not have a record of CRC risk factors; 86 of these patients (84.3%) had non-advanced-stage CRC (no regional node spread/distant metastases). Of the 400 controls, 299 (74.75%; 95% CI, 70.49%-79.01%) lacked CRC risk features, enabling estimation that 72,263 (mean age, 57.5 ± 7.0 y; 54.5% female) had undergone screening colonoscopy. CRC was detected in 1.4 per 1000 persons after 1 FIT, without association with increasing FITs (P = .97). CRC was detected in 1.3 per 1000 persons in 2 y or less after the last FIT and in 4.4 per 1000 persons more than 2 y after the last FIT (P < .001). When the last FIT was 2 y earlier or less, CRC increased from 0.7 per 1000 persons age 50-59 y to 3.1 per 1000 persons older than 70 y. Age and time from the last FIT were associated with CRC, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05-1.11) and 2.76 (95% CI, 1.28-5.95), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In asymptomatic, average-risk persons with a negative result from a FIT, CRC is infrequent within 2 y after the last FIT (especially for persons younger than 60 y), usually non-advanced, and unrelated to the number of FITs performed.

Increased cancer rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

AIMS: As previous reports show an association of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non-liver cancers, we examine the association of HCV with liver cancer and non-liver cancers. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) evaluating HCV and non-HCV patients from 1 January 2008 to 12 December 2012. Cancer diagnoses were obtained from the KPSC-SEER-affiliated registry. Logistic regression analyses were used for rate ratios and time-to-event analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, gender, race, smoking and cirrhosis. Cancer rate ratios were stratified by tobacco, alcohol abuse, diabetes and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The initial population and final population of multivariable analysis were N = 5 332 903 and N = 2 080 335 respectively. Cancer burden (all sites) was significantly higher in HCV than in non-HCV patients and HCV patients had a high rate of liver cancer. When liver cancer was excluded, cancer rates remained significantly increased in HCV. Unadjusted cancer rates were significantly higher in HCV compared to non-HCV for oesophageal, stomach, colorectal, pancreas, myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, head/neck, lung, renal and prostate cancer. After stratification for alcohol abuse, tobacco, diabetes and BMI, increased cancer rates remained significant for all cancer sites, liver cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Multivariable analyses demonstrated a strong correlation between cirrhosis and cancer. Tobacco use and diabetes were also associated with cancer. In the absence of cirrhosis, HCV, tobacco use and diabetes significantly increased the cancer risk. Mediation analyses showed that cirrhosis was responsible for a large proportion on the effect of HCV on cancer risk. CONCLUSION: This study supports the concept of HCV as a systemic illness and treating HCV regardless of disease severity and prior to progression to cirrhosis.

MicroRNA changes of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into neuronal-like cells by Schwann cell-conditioned medium.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into neurons under the induction of Schwann cells. However, key microRNAs and related pathways for differentiation remain unclear. This study screened and identified differentially expressed microRNAs in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells induced by Schwann cell-conditioned medium, and explored targets and related pathways involved in their differentiation into neuronal-like cells. Primary bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from femoral and tibial bones, while primary Schwann cells were isolated from bilateral saphenous nerves. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in unconditioned (control group) and Schwann cell-conditioned medium (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell + Schwann cell group). Neuronal differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells induced by Schwann cell-conditioned medium was observed by time-lapse imaging. Upon induction, the morphology of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells changed into a neural shape with neurites. Results of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that nestin mRNA expression was upregulated from 1 to 3 days and downregulated from 3 to 7 days in the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell + Schwann cell group. Compared with the control group, microtubule-associated protein 2 mRNA expression gradually increased from 1 to 7 days in the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell + Schwann cell group. After 7 days of induction, microRNA analysis identified 83 significantly differentially expressed microRNAs between the two groups. Gene Ontology analysis indicated enrichment of microRNA target genes for neuronal projection development, regulation of axonogenesis, and positive regulation of cell proliferation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis demonstrated that Hippo, Wnt, transforming growth factor-beta, and Hedgehog signaling pathways were potentially associated with neural differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. This study, which carried out successful microRNA analysis of neuronal-like cells differentiated from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by Schwann cell induction, revealed key microRNAs and pathways involved in neural differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. All protocols were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences on March 12, 2017 (approval number: DWLI-20170311).

Proteomics analysis of Schwann cell-derived exosomes: a novel therapeutic strategy for central nervous system injury.

Exosomes are nanometer-sized vesicles involved in intercellular communication, and they are released by various cell types. To learn about exosomes produced by Schwann cells (SCs) and to explore their potential function in repairing the central nervous system (CNS), we isolated exosomes from supernatants of SCs by ultracentrifugation, characterized them by electron microscopy and immunoblotting and determined their protein profile using proteomic analysis. The results demonstrated that Schwann cell-derived exosomes (SCDEs) were, on average, 106.5 nm in diameter, round, and had cup-like concavity and expressed exosome markers CD9 and Alix but not tumor susceptibility gene (TSG) 101. We identified a total of 433 proteins, among which 398 proteins overlapped with the ExoCarta database. According to their specific functions, we identified 12 proteins that are closely related to CNS repair and classified them by different potential mechanisms, such as axon regeneration and inflammation inhibition. Gene Oncology analysis indicated that SCDEs are mainly involved in signal transduction and cell communication. Biological pathway analysis showed that pathways are mostly involved in exosome biogenesis, formation, uptake and axon regeneration. Among the pathways, the neurotrophin, PI3K-Akt and cAMP signaling pathways played important roles in CNS repair. Our study isolated SCDEs, unveiled their contents, presented potential neurorestorative proteins and pathways and provided a rich proteomics data resource that will be valuable for future studies of the functions of individual proteins in neurodegenerative diseases.

Aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen use and the risk of venous thromboembolism in breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second most common cause of death in hospitalized patients with cancer, and cancer treatments may exacerbate VTE risk. Patients with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer usually receive adjuvant endocrine therapy for 5 years or longer. The aim of this study is to examine VTE risk following long-term use of aromatase inhibitor (AI) compared with tamoxifen use among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A prospective cohort of 12,904 postmenopausal women who were diagnosed with a first primary hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer and free from previous cardiovascular disease or VTE from 1991 to 2010 were followed through December 2011. Data elements were captured from the comprehensive electronic health records of a large California health plan, Kaiser Permanente. Women who developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) were identified as having VTE. We calculated person-year rates of VTE by endocrine therapy groups. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were applied to assess the association between time-dependent endocrine therapy and VTE risk. RESULTS: We identified 623 VTE events during a median follow-up of 5.4 years. The crude rates were 4.6 and 2.8 per 1000 person-years for DVT and PE, respectively. Compared with tamoxifen use, AI use was associated with at least 41% lower VTE risk (adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.43, 0.81). Greater risk reductions in AI users were seen in women who also underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings supplement existing evidence to inform treatment decisions that balance cancer control and cardiovascular toxic outcomes.

Cervical spine disease in surgeons performing arthroscopy or laparoscopy.

Minimal research exists regarding cervical spine disorders in surgeons who perform endoscopy. A confidential on-line survey regarding neck pain (NP), spine disease (SD), and radiculopathy/myelopathy (R/M) was sent to 722 surgeons from a managed, group-based health care system. 415 responded. 361 had endoscopy experience, of whom 24.4% had NP, 20.8% SD, and 3.9% R/M. Most respondents were less than 50 years of age (62.3%), and male (65.7%). Significant risk factors for NP included older age and female, whereas OB/Gyn specialty, increased age and job stress were for SD. After adjusting for age and gender, significant risk factors for NP and SD included greater surgeon experience. After also adjusting for job stress, significant risk factors for SD included increased surgeon experience and higher frequency of endoscopies. No association was found between use of digital OR. Endoscopy appears to place surgeons at higher risk of cervical disease. Level of Evidence: Level 3.

Breast Cancer Outcomes in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Cohort of Insured Women.

Background: It is unknown how subsequent breast cancer outcomes vary by biologic subtype and race/ethnicity in a diverse cohort of breast cancer survivors. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 6,154 insured breast cancer survivors (AJCC TNM stages 0-IV) diagnosed between 1996-2007 and followed them through 1/1/2010 for subsequent breast cancer events (recurrence, contralateral breast cancer, metastasis, mortality). We compared subsequent breast cancer rates by race/ethnicity groups and biologic subtype (luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and triple negative). We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for sociodemographics, cancer treatments, and tumor characteristics. Results: The cohort was diverse: 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 13.2% Hispanic, 14.9% African American, and 9.5% Asian. We identified 1,456 subsequent breast cancer events over 22,830 person-years. Although certain Asian women had higher crude subsequent breast cancer rates compared with Whites, within each biologic subtype category, these disparities disappeared in the multivariable analyses. After accounting for race/ethnicity, compared with women with luminal A tumors (reference), women with luminal B (adjusted HR=3.65, 95% CI: 3.08-4.32), HER2-enriched (adjusted HR=2.81, 95% CI: 2.25-3.51) and triple negative (adjusted HR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.54) tumors had statistically increased risks of subsequent breast cancer. Factors that were statistically significantly associated with increased risk included higher stage, larger tumor size, positive lymph nodes, and no adjuvant endocrine or chemotherapy (all P<.025). Discussion: Our data suggest that disparities in subsequent breast cancer outcomes were more strongly associated with tumor characteristics and non-use of adjuvant treatments than race/ethnicity.

Urate-Lowering Therapy in Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease.

CONTEXT: Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for progression of kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether lowering serum uric acid level (sUA) to below 6 mg/dL (target) improves mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) and whether CKD stage influences the benefit of lowering sUA to target. DESIGN: Retrospective epidemiologic cohort study conducted over 8 years. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was required in the 6 months preceding the index date (defined as first occurrence of sUA < 7 mg/dL), and at least 1 sUA and eGFR were required during follow-up. Patients were urate-lowering therapy (ULT) naïve, aged 18 years or older, and had CKD Stages 2 to 4 at baseline. Health Plan enrollment with drug benefit was required. Exclusions included active cancer, dialysis, or other kidney disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 30% decrease or 30% improvement in eGFR from baseline. RESULTS: A total of 12,751 patients met inclusion criteria; 2690 patients received ULT during follow-up and 10,061 did not. Target sUA was achieved in 1118 patients (42%) receiving ULT. A 30% improvement in eGFR was likelier in patients who achieved the target (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78, p < 0.001). Pairwise comparison of CKD stages showed a 30% improvement in eGFR in CKD Stage 2 (OR = 2.26, p = 0.017) and Stage 3 (OR = 2.23, p < 0.001) but not Stage 4 (OR = 1.50, p = 0.081). CONCLUSION: Patients who achieve an American College of Rheumatology target sUA below 6 mg/dL during ULT have higher rates of eGFR improvement, especially in CKD Stages 2 and 3.

Medication adherence, molecular monitoring, and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in a large HMO.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the association between adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and molecular monitoring and the risk of disease progression or mortality among patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). DESIGN: We assembled a retrospective cohort of patients with CML (chronic phase, no prior cancer history, and confirmed to be Philadelphia chromosome positive) using data from electronic health records and chart reviews. Medication possession ratio (MPR) was used to measure drug adherence. SETTING: A large, community-based, integrated health plan in Southern California. PARTICIPANTS: The cohort consisted of 245 adult patients (≥18 years old) with Philadelphia positive chronic phase CML diagnosed from 2001 to 2012 and followed through 2013. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In survival analyses, we examined the association of TKI adherence (MPR) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) monitoring test frequency with the composite clinical outcome, progression to accelerated phase disease-blast crisis or mortality (progression-free survival). The cohort was followed for a maximum of 13 years (median 4.6 years). RESULTS: Over 90% of the cohort initiated TKI therapy within 3 months of diagnosis, and the mean MPR was 88% (SD 18%). Virtually all patients (96%) started on imatinib. The rates of progression to accelerated phase-blast crisis and mortality were lower in patients with greater TKI adherence (20.4/1000 person-years) versus lower adherence (27.0/1000 person-years). Patients who underwent PCR monitoring had a significantly reduced risk of progression or mortality, which was seen in patients with high and low TKI adherence status from both the groups (hazard ratio [HR] 0.07 [95% CI 0.03-0.19 if MPR >90%] and HR 0.70 [95% CI 0.02-0.21 if MPR<90%]). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that close clinical monitoring, which includes PCR monitoring in patients with high and low TKI drug adherence, is associated with a lower risk of progression or mortality.

Minimally invasive percutaneous plates versus conventional fixation techniques for distal tibial fractures: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis was performed to determine the effects of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) versus conventional fixation techniques (CFT) for treating distal tibial fractures. METHODS: A literature search was performed in EMBASE, Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The trials searched were evaluated for eligibility. The Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager software was used to perform meta-analyses. RESULTS: Eight studies were enrolled, including five randomized controlled trials, one control-matched trial and two retrospective cohort trials. The meta-analysis revealed that MIPO has a longer operating time, longer radiation time and higher incidence rate of soft tissue irritation symptoms than those of CFT. There was no significant difference between the two techniques with regard to union time, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), infection rate and various other complications. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis showed that MIPO did not have obvious advantages over CFT in the treatment of distal tibia fracture. However, more rigorous randomized controlled trials are required in the future.

Risk of Gastric Cancer Among Patients With Intestinal Metaplasia of the Stomach in a US Integrated Health Care System.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a common finding from routine endoscopies. Although GIM is an early step in gastric carcinogenesis, there is controversy regarding routine surveillance of patients with GIM in regions with a low prevalence of gastric cancer. We aimed to determine the incidence of gastric cancer among patients with GIM and risk factors for gastric cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California region diagnosed with GIM from 2000 through 2011. GIM was identified by a keyword search of pathology reports; gastric cancer cases were identified by cross-reference with an internal cancer registry. The incidence of gastric cancer in patients with GIM (n = 923; median age at diagnosis, 68 y) was compared with that of an age- and sex-matched reference population (controls). Risk factors such as ethnicity, smoking status, history of Helicobacter pylori infection, and family history of gastric cancer were evaluated by individual Cox proportional hazards regression. We then performed a second case-cohort study to evaluate the risk of gastric cancer based on the location and extent of GIM. The median duration of follow-up evaluation was 4.6 years (interquartile range, 3.0-6.7 y). RESULTS: We identified 25 patients with GIM who developed gastric cancers. Seventeen cases of cancer were diagnosed at the same time as the diagnosis of GIM. Eight cases of cancer were identified within a median time period of 4.6 years after a diagnosis of GIM (interquartile range, 2-5.7 y). The overall incidence rate for the cohort was 1.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-3.39). Among the risk factors evaluated, only family history (hazard ratio, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-9.7; P = .012) and extent of GIM (odds ratio, 9.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-50.4) increased the risk for gastric cancer. The incidence rate for gastric cancer in patients with a positive family history was 8.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.67-23.73). CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of patients with GIM listed in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California database, 2.7% were diagnosed with gastric cancer; almost 70% of cases of gastric cancer were detected at the time of GIM diagnosis. Family history and extensive metaplasia were associated with an increased risk of subsequent gastric cancer. Targeted surveillance of patients with these criteria could increase early detection of gastric cancer.