[Clinical evaluation of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of early and middle stage knee osteoarthritis under 3.0T MRI T2 mapping sequence].

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the clinical effect of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) intra-articular injection for early and middle stage knee osteoarthritis(KOA) treatment by 3.0T MRI T2 mapping sequence. Methods: Clinical data of 26 patients with early or middle stage KOA who received treatment from April to December 2021 at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,the Second Affiliated Hospital,Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed. In total, 8 patients were male and 18 were female,with age of (66.4±12.0)years(range:51 to 94 years). Four patients were bilateral KOA and 22 patients were unilateral KOA.All patients received PRP intra-articular injection. Patients underwent 3.0T MRI T2 mapping sequence scanning pre-treatment,3-month-after and 6-month-after treatment respectively. Those were used to measure and compare T2 values of medial and lateral femoral articular surface and patellofemoral articular surface. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score were recorded and evaluated. The results were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA followed by Bonferroni multiple comparison test.The correlation between WOMAC scores and T2 values at pre-treatment and 6 months post-treatment was analyzed using Pearson correlation test. Results: After treatment, the patients' International Cartilage Regeneration＆Joint Preservation Society(ICRS) classification were partly improved(one case improved from grade Ⅲ to grade Ⅱ, one case improved from grade Ⅱ to grade Ⅰ),and all patients generally improved after treatment in clinical symptoms. Compared with pre-treatment,VAS and WOMAC scores of grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ of 6-month after treatment were declined significantly(all P<0.05).The T2 values of articular cartilage declined to varying degrees(the decrease in T2 values was about 2.06 ms in grade Ⅰ, 2.66 ms in grade Ⅱ, and 3.72 ms in grade Ⅲ).Three-month (VAS:4.8±1.3,WOMAC:21.5±4.0) and 6-month (VAS:4.2±1.4,WOMAC:17.2±2.9) after treatment, the VAS and WOMAC score were significantly higher than those before treatment (VAS:6.0±1.2, WOMAC:29.0±2.3) (F=48.846, F=346.746;both P<0.01). Multiple comparisons showed a statistically significant difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment VAS (P<0.01) and it also was significantly different between 3-month and 6-month post-treatment (P<0.01).At 3- and 6-month after treatment,WOMAC scores were significantly different from before treatment.And it also was significantly different between 3-month and 6-month post-treatment (P<0.01).There was a statistically significant improvement in T2 values of patellofemoral articular surface, medial and lateral femoral articular surface at pre-treatment((44.64±4.02)ms,(44.17±3.64)ms and(43.53±3.91)ms) and 3-month ((43.19±3.91)ms,(43.24±3.34)ms and (42.47±3.80)ms), 6-month ((41.49±3.64)ms,(41.83±3.15)ms and (41.10±3.42)ms) after treatment(F=148.845,F=73.657,F=86.268;all P<0.01).The results of the multiple comparisons showed a statistically significant difference in the T2 values of medial and lateral femoral articular surface and patellofemoral articular surface at each time point(all P<0.01).The Pearson correlation analysis suggested that the WOMAC score at pre-treatment was positively correlated with the medial condyle (r=0.856,P<0.01) and the patellofemoral joint surface T2 values (r=0.840,P<0.01);The WOMAC score at 6-month post-treatment was positively correlated with the medial condyle (r=0.731,P<0.01) and the patellofemoral joint surface T2 values (r=0.691,P<0.01). Conclusions: In the treatment of early and mid-stage KOA,MRI T2 mapping sequences are able to indicate the integrity of cartilage morphology and quantitatively evaluate cartilage repair. PRP has a good therapeutic effect on cartilage repair and reconstruction.

The role of miR-144/GSPT1 axis in gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential effects of miR-144/GSPT1 axis on the development of gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expressions of GSPT1 (G1 to S Phase Transition 1) and miR-144 were detected in gastric cancer tissues and the adjacent normal tissues. We also explored the levels of GSPT1 and miR-144 in both normal gastric cell line (GES-1) and gastric cells (SGC7901). Luciferase assay was conducted to evaluate the interaction between miR-144 and GSPT1. The effects of the miR-144/GSPT1 axis on SGC7901 cells were determined via investigating cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. RESULTS: miR-144 was found to be down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues while GSPT1 expression level was markedly increased. Bioinformatics analysis showed that GSPT1 was a direct target of miR-144. Luciferase assays confirmed our hypothesis. The subsequent experiments showed that miR-144 could promote cell proliferation, invasion and migration in gastric cancer cells via inhibiting GSPT1. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that miR-144/GSPT1 axis could be a potential therapeutic target in treatment of gastric cancer.

Expressions and correlation analysis of HIF-1α, survivin and VEGF in patients with hepatocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in patients with hepatocarcinoma as well as the correlation analysis among them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 65 patients, who were admitted to our hospital and diagnosed as hepatocarcinoma from January 2014 to October 2015, were selected as hepatocarcinoma group, while 50 healthy cases that do not have hepatocarcinoma were selected as normal control group. The expression levels of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group and normal liver tissues of control group were detected by immunohistochemical (SP) staining method; then, the correlation among them was explored. The expression levels of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF protein in hepatocarcinoma tissues and corresponding normal tissues were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group was respectively 46.2%, 55.4%, and 61.5%, significantly higher than that in cancer adjacent normal liver tissues of control group which was 2%, 2%, and 2%, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of patients with hepatocarcinoma were correlated with clinical stage, tumor differentiation degree and extrahepatic metastasis (p<0.05), but were not related to gender and tumor size (p>0.05). By Spearman rank correlation analysis, it could be seen that HIF-1α expression was positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in hepatocarcinoma tissues (r=0.683, p<0.05). Survivin expression was positively correlated with VEGF protein expression (r=0.717, p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between HIF-1α expression and survivin expression (p>0.05). The relative quantitative value of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues of hepatocarcinoma group was respectively 3.04±0.23, 2.26±0.31, and 2.57±0.36, significantly higher than that in cancer adjacent liver tissues of control group which was 1.07±0.17, 1.31±0.27, and 1.42±0.43, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). From Western blot electrophoresis scanning, it could be seen that the expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF in hepatocarcinoma tissues were higher than those in cancer adjacent normal liver tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of HIF-1α, surviving, and VEGF played important roles in the occurrence, invasion, and metastasis of hepatocarcinoma. In hepatocarcinoma tissues, HIF-1α, and survivin protein expression was positively correlated with VEGF expression, but survivin protein was not related to HIF-1α expression, which indicated that HIF-1α and survivin may inhibit the apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells and promote tumor angiogenesis by up-regulating the expression of VEGF protein, thus accelerating the occurrence and development of hepatocarcinoma.

Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: evidence from a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

OBJECTIVE: It has been demonstrated that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). This study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to characterize the relationship between MS and NAFLD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 3440 NAFLD patients. Of the 3440 subjects, 1160 were diagnosed with MS. BMI, SBP, DBP, UN, Scr, UA, FPG, Fructosamine, TC, TG, lipoprotein alpha, HDL-C, LDL-C, ALT, AST, TP, albumin, globulins, TB, DB, ALP and GGT were measured. CFA was used to identify a latent structure of NAFLD and MS, respectively. SEM approach was used to analyze the latent relationship between MS and NAFLD. RESULTS: Second-order CFA revealed that the observed variables for NAFLD could be loaded onto seven latent factors, which were further loaded together onto an unobserved NAFLD factor. CFA of MS showed that overweight, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension clustered together under a single latent factor of MS. In both MS and NAFLD models, hypertension showed higher factor loading than other factors. Factor models of MS and NAFLD showed a good fit to the data. As a latent factor, MS was significantly associated with increased risk of NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: MS may be a risk factor of NAFLD. MS and its components may play important roles in the development of NAFLD.