Association between incorrect postures and curve magnitude of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in china.

BACKGROUND: Despite advancements in school scoliosis screening (SSS), there are still no effective indicators to estimate the severity of spinal curvature. We aim to investigate the association between incorrect postures and curve magnitude of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: In this SSS program, we examined the incorrect posture, Adam's forward bending test (FBT) results, and angle of trunk rotation (ATR) in adolescents. Those with suspected scoliosis were referred for a standing anteroposterior whole-spine radiography as outpatients. The radiographic data of 426 students with lateral Cobb angles were collected from 2016 to 2022 and the associations were studied using logistic regression (LR) models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Univariate LR revealed that female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.67-5.09, P < 0.001], age 16-19y (OR = 2.83, 95%CI 1.10-7.28, P = 0.031), right shoulder height (OR = 2.15, 95%CI 1.23-3.75, P = 0.007), right scapula tilt (OR = 2.03, 95%CI 1.18-3.50, P = 0.010), right rib hump (OR = 1.88, 95%CI 1.23-2.85, P = 0.003), right thoracic rotation ≥ 5° (OR = 2.14, 95%CI 1.43-3.20, P < 0.001), and left thoracolumbar kyphosis (OR = 3.79, 95%CI 1.06-13.56, P = 0.041) were all significantly associated with the severity of the curve magnitude. Multivariate LR showed that female gender [adjusted OR (AOR) = 3.23, 95%CI 1.81-5.73, P < 0.001], those aged 16-19y (AOR = 5.08, 95%CI 1.86-13.91, P = 0.002), and with a right rib hump (AOR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.11-2.64, P = 0.015) presented with a higher risk of severe curve magnitude than men, those aged 7-12y, and without a rib hump, respectively. ROC curves further proved that sex, age, shoulder-height difference, scapula tilt, flat back, rib hump, angle of thoracic rotation were the risk predictors for curve magnitude. CONCLUSION: Incorrect posture and ATR, especially the right rib hump, were significantly associated with the curve magnitude of AIS. Early screening for incorrect postures and ATR could be an effective and economical strategy to predict the severity of AIS through SSS in Chinese adolescents.

Three new species of the genus Sulcolotis Miyatake (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae, Sticholotidini) from the Philippines.

The genus Sulcolotis Miyatake, 1994 is reviewed. Three new species (S. threadis sp. n., S. ovalis sp. n., and S. xanthomarginalis sp. n.) from the Philippines are described and illustrated in the present paper. A key to species of the genus Sulcolotis is also provided.

Panax notoginseng saponin reduces IL-1ß-stimulated apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress of nucleus pulposus cells by suppressing miR-222-3p.

Background: It is well documented that the malignant biological behaviors of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) could trigger intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS) is a traditional Chinese medicine that inhibits osteoclastogenesis. However, its effects on the phenotypes of NPCs in IDD remains largely unknown. This study sought to examine the role of PNS in IDD and its regulatory mechanism. Methods: First, human NPCs (hNPCs) were treated with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) to induce an IDD cell model. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were estimated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. Western blot was employed to examine the levels of proteins related to apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to test inflammatory factors levels. Immunofluorescence (IF) assays were used to determine the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB) p65. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)was used to detect miR-222-3p expression. Results: We discovered that PNS enhanced the viability but reduced the apoptosis, inflammation, and ER stress response of IL-1ß-induced hNPCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, PNS significantly reduced miR-222-3p expression in the IL-1ß-induced hNPCs. Notably, these PNS effects were reversed by the upregulation of miR-222-3p. Conclusions: In summary, PNS appears to facilitate the proliferation and attenuate the apoptosis, inflammatory response, and ER stress response of IL-1ß-induced hNPCs by inhibiting miR-222-3p expression. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for a novel drug application in IDD research.

Correlation between Pain Scores and Disc Height Changes after Discectomy in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Surgery can reduce and improve lumbar disc herniation, but some patients still have pain after surgery, and the relationship between lumbar disc height and pain after surgery is still unclear. Objective: The main objective is to investigate the relationship between lumbar disc height and postoperative pain. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, the Cochrane library, and Embase online for cohort studies or RCT studies on discectomy and assessed the quality of the included articles using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS scale), with disc height (DH) and postoperative back pain as the main clinical outcome indicators, and the correlation coefficient between DH and back pain as the statistic to assess the pooled effect size. Results: 10 kinds of literature were included in this study for quantitative analysis. A total of 589 patients participated in the study. The follow-up time was between 1 and 2.3 years. Meta-analysis showed that after surgery, the relief of back pain was statistically significant (MD = -2.57, 95% CI (-3.10,-2.04), Z = -9.570, P < 0.0001), the reduction of disc height was statistically significant (MD = -0.82, 95% CI (-1.11, -0.52), Z = -5.477, P < 0.0001), the combined value of correlation coefficient Fisher's Z value was 0.33, 95% CI (0.25,0.42), with statistical significance (P < 0.00001), suggesting that the degree of back pain after surgery showed a moderate positive correlation with disc height in the short term. Discussion. After discectomy, the degree of pain is relieved, the disc height is reduced, and low back pain in the short term and disc height showed a moderate positive correlation, but the long-term correlation remains to be studied in depth.

A narrative review of multiple mechanisms of progranulin in cancer: a potential target for anti-cancer therapy.

Progranulin (PGRN) is an autocrine growth factor and has important effects on regulation of cell growth, motility, tissue repair and embryonic development. Recent years, several researches found the expression of PGRN was at higher levels in a number of cancer cells and its high levels are associated with poor outcome of patients. More and more studies investigated the role of PGRN in cancer and found PGRN exerted various biological functions in cancer cells, such as promoting proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, inducing migration and invasion of cells, accelerating angiogenesis and enhancing the effectiveness of chemoresistance and radiation. Now the effects of PGRN have been demonstrated in several cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and bladder cancer. In addition, several signaling pathways and molecules are involved in the effects of PGRN on cancer cells, including Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclin D1. Therefore, PGRN is probably a significant diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for cancer and may be a potential target for anti-cancer therapy. Here, we reviewed the advancing field of PGRN in cancer as well as several signaling pathways activated by PGRN and confirmed PGRN is a key role in cancer. Moreover, future studies are still necessary to elucidate the biological functions and signaling pathways of PGRN in cancer.

DNA methylation of AHCY may increase the risk of ischemic stroke.

Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Of these, epigenetic modifications provide a new direction for the study of ischemic stroke pathogenesis. This study aimed to determine the correlation between DNA methylation of the gene encoding S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) and the risk of ischemic stroke in 64 ischemic stroke patients and 138 patients with traumatic brain injury (control group). The methylation level of AHCY was analyzed using quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Statistically significant differences in AHCY methylation levels were observed between the case group [medians (interquartile range): 0.13% (0.09%, 0.27%)] and the control group [0.06% (0.00%, 0.17%), p < 0.0001], and these associations remained significant in both male (p = 0.003) and female (p = 0.0005) subjects. A subgroup analysis by age revealed a considerably higher percentage of methylated AHCY in the case group than the control group in all age groups (age < 60 years, p = 0.007; age ≥ 60 years, p < 0.0001). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed a trend toward a role for AHCY methylation as an indicator of risk in all ischemic patients [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.70, p = 0.0001], male patients (AUC = 0.67, p = 0.004), and female patients (AUC = 0.75, p = 0.0002). Our study confirmed a significant association between the AHCY DNA methylation level and the risk of ischemic stroke, suggesting that this gene methylation pattern may be a potential diagnostic marker of ischemic stroke.

Methylation of the CDKN2A Gene Increases the Risk of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

Brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) and intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are the results of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic factors also play an important role in the pathogenesis of these disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of DNA methylation at the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) gene on the risk of BAVMs and IAs. A total of 70 intracranial vascular malformation patients (22 patients with BAVMs and 48 patients with IAs) and 26 patients with cerebral trauma (used as controls) were included in this study. DNA methylation levels of eight cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides present in the CDKN2A gene were measured using bisulfite pyrosequencing technology. Significant differences in methylation at CpG1 (p = 0.005), CpG5 (p = 0.011), and CpG8 (p = 0.017) were observed between BAVM patients and controls. CDKN2A methylation levels in BAVM patients were much higher than those in IA patients (CpG5: p = 0.004; CpG8: p = 0.010). Significant differences were observed between female IA patients and female BAVM patients (CpG5: p = 0.006; CpG8: p = 0.005; mean: p = 0.015). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the CDKN2A gene methylation trended toward a diagnostic indicator in BAVM patients (area under curve = 0.711, p = 0.013). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the CDKN2A gene methylation levels are significantly correlated with the occurrence of BAVMs, and thus, have potential for use in the early diagnosis of BAVMs. Future research on the pathogenesis of BAVMs should focus on the role of genetic factors in aberrant venous development. The association of the CDKN2A gene with venous development also deserves further study.

Electroacupuncture Improves Cerebral Vasospasm and Functional Outcome of Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Cerebral vasospasm is the major cause of a poor outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), and effective treatments for vasospasm are limited. The purpose of this study was to research the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) on cerebral vasospasm and the outcomes of patients with aSAH. A total of 60 age- and sex-matched aSAH patients were collected from Ningbo First Hospital between December 2015 and June 2017. All patients were given a basic treatment of nimodipine and randomized into two groups. The study group was treated with EA therapy on the Baihui (GV20) acupoint, and the control group was given mock transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Cerebral vasospasm was measured by computed tomographic perfusion (CTP) and transcranial doppler (TCD). The mean flow velocity (MFV) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), and mean transit time (MTT) of the patients were analyzed. The CBV and MTT exhibited significant differences between the study and control groups on the 1st (p = 0.026 and p = 0.001), 7th (p = 0.020 and p < 0.001), and 14th (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001) day after surgery, whereas CBF exhibited statistical significance only on the 14th day after surgery (p = 0.002). The MFV in MCA were significantly reduced after EA treatment in all patients (all p < 0.001). Additionally, the MFV in the MCA in patients treated with EA were considerably reduced compared with those of the control group (3rd day p = 0.046; 5th day, p = 0.010; 7th day, p < 0.001). Moreover, better outcomes were noted in the EA-treated group for the 1st month (p < 0.001) and 3rd month (p = 0.001) after surgery than in the control group. In conclusion, EA represents a potential method to treat cerebral vasospasm after aSAH and can improve the outcomes of patients with aSAH.

Effects of microRNA-21 and microRNA-24 inhibitors on neuronal apoptosis in ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was aimed to investigate the effects of microRNA-21 (miR-21) and microRNA-24 (miR-24) inhibitors on ischemic stroke. METHODS: MiR-21 inhibitor or miR-24 inhibitor was delivered to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by continuous intracerebroventricular infusion. Two days later, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed to induce ischemic stroke. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to confirm transfection efficiency. The number of apoptotic neurons was detected using TUNEL method. Besides, primary hippocampal or cortical neuronal cultures were prepared from embryonic day 16-18 C57BL/6 mice. These cells were transfected with miR-21 inhibitor, miR-24 inhibitor, or negative scramble RNA. Then the cell viability was detected after transfection, as well as the protein levels of Caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-xL, and heat shock protein (HSP) 70. RESULTS: Both the levels of miR-21 and miR-24 were significantly reduced by transfection with inhibitors compared to control group or scramble RNA group (both P < 0.05). The apoptosis was significantly reduced in both hippocampal neuron and cortical neuron by miR-24 inhibitor rather than miR-21 inhibitor (P < 0.05), while the cell viability was significantly increased compared to the control group or the scramble group (P < 0.05). In addition, the levels of Bcl-xL and HSP70 were significantly increased, and the levels of Caspase-3 were statistically decreased by transfection with miR-24 inhibitor. CONCLUSION: MiRNA-24 but not miR-21 inhibitor prevents apoptosis in ischemic stroke by regulation of Bcl-xL, Caspase-3 and HSP70.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis as the initial manifestation of gastric adenocarcinoma: a case report.

Leptomeningeal involvement is usually reported as a secondary event in advanced gastric carcinoma. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), as the initial manifestation of asymptomatic gastric cancer, is exceedingly rare with only a few cases reported in recent years. The presenting neurologic symptoms include headache, vomiting and seizures and are usually clinically atypical. The diagnosis of LMC is made via identification of malignant cells that originate from epithelial cells in the cerebrospinal fluid by cytological examination and provides cues to track the primary tumor. Endoscopic examinations are crucial to confirm the presence of gastric cancer, and imaging studies, especially gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, are sometimes helpful in diagnosis. Thus far, there is no standard therapy for LMC, and despite all measures, the prognosis of the condition is extremely poor. Here, we report on the clinical features and diagnostic procedures for a patient with occult gastric cancer with Bormann type I macroscopic appearance and poor differentiation in pathology, who presented with LMC-induced neurological symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation. Additionally, we review the similar cases reported over the past years, making comparison among cases in order to provide more information for the future diagnosis.