[Analysis of clinical manifestations and imaging features of facial nerve schwannomas].

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics, and to clarify the imaging value in the diagnosis of facial nerve schwannomas. Methods:Retrospectively analyze the data of 23 patients with facial nerve schwannomas confirmed by surgery and pathology in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University from September 2020 to September 2022, including 8 males and 15 females, aged 18-66 years old. Summarize and analyze their clinical symptoms, specialized examinations, and imaging findings. Results:The clinical manifestations were facial nerve paralysis in 15 cases（2 cases of HB Ⅳ, 6 cases of HB Ⅴ, 7 cases of HB Ⅵ）, hearing loss in 14 cases（5 cases of conductive deafness, 2 cases of mixed deafness, and 7 cases of severe sensorineural hearing loss）, 8 cases tinnitus, 7 cases ear pain, 4 cases dizziness, 4 cases headache, 2 cases ear pus, and parotid gland tumors in 6 cases presenting as local masses. Endoscopic examination revealed 8 cases of external ear canal tumors and 3 cases of intratympanic tumors. Combining temporal bone HRCT, MRI enhanced scanning, and CPR imaging techniques, 1 case involved the internal auditory canal segment, 2 cases in the tympanic segment, 6 cases in the parotid gland area. A total of 14 cases involved two or more segments of the internal auditory canal segment, the labyrinthine segment, geniculate ganglion, the tympanic segment, and the mastoid segment. When the tumors were large, adjacent structures were involved. It was found that 8 cases invaded the external auditory canal and tympanic cavity, ossicles were displaced or bony destruction; 3 cases invaded the jugular foramen area, and 1 case grew to the middle cranial fossa region with temporal lobe brain parenchymal compression. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of facial nerve schwannomas are diverse. The combination of various imaging techniques will be conducive to topical and qualitative diagnosis and provide an important basis for treatment strategies.

Inhibition and Mechanism of Protein Nonenzymatic Glycation by Lactobacillus fermentum.

Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) was first evaluated as a potential advanced glycation end-product (AGE) formation inhibitor by establishing a bovine serum albumin (BSA) + glucose (glu) glycation model in the present study. The results showed that the highest inhibition rates of pentosidine and total fluorescent AGEs by L. fermentum were approximately 51.67% and 77.22%, respectively, which were higher than that of aminoguanidine (AG). Mechanistic analysis showed that L. fermentum could capture methylglyoxal and glyoxal, inhibit carbonyl and sulfhydryl oxidation, reduce the binding of glucose and amino groups, increase total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and release intracellular substances to scavenge free radicals; these abilities were the basis of the antiglycation mechanism of L. fermentum. In addition, L. fermentum significantly prevented conformational changes in proteins during glycation, reduced protein cross-linking by 35.67%, and protected the intrinsic fluorophore. Therefore, the inhibition of L. fermentum on glycation mainly occurs through antioxidation, the capture of dicarbonyl compounds, and the protection of the BSA structure. These findings collectively suggest that Lactobacillus is an inhibitor of protein glycation and AGE formation and has the potential for nutraceutical applications.

Lipid metabolic reprogramming mediated by circulating Nrg4 alleviates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease during the early recovery phase after sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery that contribute to the alleviation of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have been reported. However, the processes and mechanisms underlying the contribution of lipid metabolic reprogramming after bariatric surgery to attenuating MASLD remain elusive. METHODS: A case-control study was designed to evaluate the impact of three of the most common adipokines (Nrg4, leptin, and adiponectin) on hepatic steatosis in the early recovery phase following sleeve gastrectomy (SG). A series of rodent and cell line experiments were subsequently used to determine the role and mechanism of secreted adipokines following SG in the alleviation of MASLD. RESULTS: In morbidly obese patients, an increase in circulating Nrg4 levels is associated with the alleviation of hepatic steatosis in the early recovery phase following SG before remarkable weight loss. The temporal parameters of the mice confirmed that an increase in circulating Nrg4 levels was initially stimulated by SG and contributed to the beneficial effect of SG on hepatic lipid deposition. Moreover, this occurred early following bariatric surgery. Mechanistically, gain- and loss-of-function studies in mice or cell lines revealed that circulating Nrg4 activates ErbB4, which could positively regulate fatty acid oxidation in hepatocytes to reduce intracellular lipid deposition. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the rapid effect of SG on hepatic lipid metabolic reprogramming mediated by circulating Nrg4 alleviates MASLD.

Revealing the structural changes of lignin in Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis) fruit as it matures.

Chinese quince fruits (Chaenomeles sinensis) contain substantial amounts of lignin; however, the exact structure of lignin remains to be investigated. In this study, milled wood lignins (Milled wood lignin (MWL)-1, MWL-2, MWL-3, MWL-4, MWL-5, and MWL-6) were extracted from fruits harvested once a month from May to October 2019 to investigate their structural evolution during fruit growth. The samples were characterized via High-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric (TGA), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and NMR (2D-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and 31P). The MWL samples in all fruit growth stages were GS-type lignin and lignin core undergoing minimal alterations during fruit development. The predominant linkage in the lignin structure was ß-O-4', followed by ß-ß' and ß-5'. Galactose and glucose were the main monosaccharides associated with MWL. In MWL-6, the lignin exhibited the highest homogeneity and thermal stability. As the fruit matured, a gradual increase in the ß-O-4' proportion and the ratio of S/G was observed. The results provide comprehensive characterization of the cell wall lignin of quince fruit as it matures. This study could inspire innovative applications of quince fruit lignin and provide the optimal harvest time for lignin utilization.

The Effects of Mindfulness for Youth (MYmind) versus Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Improving Attention and Reducing Behavioral Problems among Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Their Parents: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of studies evaluating mindfulness-based interventions for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with an evidence-based control. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effects of mindfulness for youth (MYmind) in improving children's attention, behavior, and parent-related outcomes versus cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS: A total of 138 families of children with ADHD aged 8-12 years were recruited from the community with 69 randomized to MYmind and 69 to CBT. Participants were assessed at baseline, immediately after intervention, at 3 months and 6 months. The primary outcome was the attention score of the Sky Search subtest of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch). Secondary outcomes were child behavior and parent-related assessments. Linear mixed models were used to assess the efficacy of MYmind compared with CBT. RESULTS: Both MYmind and CBT significantly improved children's attention score at 6 months (MYmind: ß = 1.48, p = 0.013, Cohen's d = 0.32; CBT: ß = 1.46, p = 0.008, d = 0.27). There were significant within-group improvements in most secondary outcomes. No significant difference was shown for both primary or secondary outcomes between the two arms at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: Both MYmind and CBT appeared to improve children's attention and behavior outcomes, although no difference was found between these two interventions. This is the largest RCT so far comparing MYmind and CBT although there was loss of follow-up assessments during the pandemic. Further RCTs adopting a non-inferiority design are needed to validate the results.

An intestinal sphingolipid confers intergenerational neuroprotection.

In animals, maternal diet and environment can influence the health of offspring. Whether and how maternal dietary choice impacts the nervous system across multiple generations is not well understood. Here we show that feeding Caenorhabditis elegans with ursolic acid, a natural plant product, improves axon transport and reduces adult-onset axon fragility intergenerationally. Ursolic acid provides neuroprotection by enhancing maternal provisioning of sphingosine-1-phosphate, a bioactive sphingolipid. Intestine-to-oocyte sphingosine-1-phosphate transfer is required for intergenerational neuroprotection and is dependent on the RME-2 lipoprotein yolk receptor. Sphingosine-1-phosphate acts intergenerationally by upregulating the transcription of the acid ceramidase-1 (asah-1) gene in the intestine. Spatial regulation of sphingolipid metabolism is critical, as inappropriate asah-1 expression in neurons causes developmental axon outgrowth defects. Our results show that sphingolipid homeostasis impacts the development and intergenerational health of the nervous system. The ability of specific lipid metabolites to act as messengers between generations may have broad implications for dietary choice during reproduction.

Enhanced effect and mechanism of nano Fe-Ca bimetallic oxide modified substrate on Cu(II) and Ni(II) removal in constructed wetland.

In this study, Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) and CaO NPs were loaded on the zeolite sphere carrier to create nano Fe-Ca bimetallic oxide (Fe-Ca-NBMO) modified substrate, which was introduced into constructed wetland (CW) to remove Cu(II) and Ni(II) via constructing "substrate-microorganism" system. Adsorption experiments showed that the equilibrium adsorption capacities of Fe-Ca-NBMO modified substrate for Cu(II) and Ni(II) were respectively 706.48 and 410.59 mg/kg at an initial concentration of 20 mg/L, 2.45 and 2.39 times of gravel. The Cu(II) and Ni(II) removal efficiencies in CW with Fe-Ca-NBMO modified substrate respectively reached 99.7% and 99.9% at an influent concentration of 100 mg/L, significantly higher than those in gravel-based CW (47.0% and 34.3%). Fe-Ca-NBMO modified substrate could promote Cu(II) and Ni(II) removal by increasing electrostatic adsorption, chemical precipitation, as well as the abundances of resistant microorganisms (Geobacter, Desulfuromonas, Zoogloea, Dechloromonas, and Desulfobacter) and functional genes (copA, cusABC, ABC.CD.P, gshB, and exbB). This study provided an effective method to enhance Cu(II) and Ni(II) removal of electroplating wastewater by CW with Fe-Ca-NBMO modified substrate.

Bio-clogging mitigation in constructed wetland using microbial fuel cells with novel hybrid air-photocathode.

Excessive accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in constructed wetland (CW) substrate can lead to bio-clogging and affect the long-term stable operation of CW. In this study, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was coupled with air-photocathode to mitigate CW bio-clogging by enhancing the micro-electric field environment. Because TiO2/biochar could catalyze and accelerate oxygen reduction reaction, further promoting the gain of electric energy, the electricity generation of the tandem CW-photocatalytic fuel cell (CW-PFC) reached 90.78 mW m-3. After bio-clogging was mitigated in situ in tandem CW-PFC, the porosity of CW could be restored to about 62.5 % of the initial porosity, and the zeta potential of EPS showed an obvious increase (-14.98 mV). The removal efficiencies of NH4+-N and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in tandem CW-PFC were respectively 31.8 ± 7.2 % and 86.1 ± 6.8 %, higher than those in control system (21.1 ± 11.0 % and 73.3 ± 5.6 %). Tandem CW-PFC could accelerate the degradation of EPS into small molecules (such as aromatic protein) by enhancing the electron transfer. Furthermore, microbiome structure analysis indicated that the enrichment of characteristic microorganisms (Anaerovorax) for degradation of protein-related pollutants, and electroactive bacteria (Geobacter and Trichococcus) promoted EPS degradation and electron transfer. The degradation of EPS might be attributed to the up-regulation of the abundances of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. This study provided a promising new strategy for synergic mitigation and prevention of bio-clogging in CW by coupling with MFC and photocatalysis.

Understanding the impact of pectin physicochemical variation on browning of simulated Maillard reaction system in thermal and storage processing.

Maillard reaction browning is one of the quality deterioration in dried fruit products, but how pectin affects Maillard reaction in the fruit drying and storage process is not clear. This study aimed at investigating the mechanism of pectin variation impact on the browning of Maillard reaction by using simulated system (l-lysine, d-fructose and pectin) in thermal (60 °C and 90 °C for 8 h) and storage (37 °C for 14 days) process. Results showed that apple pectin (AP) and sugar beet pectin (SP) significantly enhanced the browning index (BI) of the Maillard reaction system by 0.01 to 134.51 in the thermal and storage processes, respectively, which were methylation degree of pectin-dependent. The pectin depolymerization product participated Maillard reaction by reacting with l-lysine, and increasing the 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) content (1.25-11.41-fold) and Abs420nm (0.01-0.09). It also produced a new product (m/z 225.1245), which finally increased browning level of the system.

Cost-effectiveness of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of non-squamous NSCLC: Evidence from China.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone as the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without targetable epidermal growth factor receptor or anaplastic lymphoma kinase genetic aberrations in patients in China. Methods: A partitioned survival model was constructed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of non-squamous NSCLC from a Chinese healthcare perspective. Survival analysis was performed to calculate the proportion of patients in each state using data from trial NCT03134872. The cost of drugs was obtained from Menet, and the cost of disease management was obtained from local hospitals. Health state data were obtained from published literature. Both deterministic sensitivity analyses (DSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were adopted to verify the robustness of the results. Results: Compared with chemotherapy alone, camrelizumab plus chemotherapy provided 0.41 incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at an incremental cost of $10,482.12. Therefore, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy was $25,375.96/QALY from the Chinese healthcare perspective, much lower than three times the GDP per capita of China in 2021 ($35,936.09) as the willingness-to-pay threshold. The DSA indicated that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was most sensitive to the utility value of progression-free survival, followed by the cost of camrelizumab. The PSA illustrated that camrelizumab had 80% probability of being cost-effective at the threshold of $35,936.09 per QALY gained. Conclusion: The results suggest that camrelizumab plus chemotherapy is a cost-effective choice in the first-line treatment for patients with non-squamous NSCLC in China. Although this study has limitations such as short time of use of camrelizumab, no adjustment of Kaplan-Meier curves and the median overall survival that has not been reached, the difference in results caused by these factors is relatively small.

Selective processing in attention and memory in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of the negative priming effect.

Individuals with schizophrenia show impairments in a variety of selective attention tasks. Research on the negative priming (NP) effect in schizophrenia has yielded mixed evidence. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the NP effect exhibited by patients with schizophrenia and the impact of study methodology on findings. The methods and reporting of this meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guideline. Eligible studies were identified through primary literature search in MEDLINE, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and Embase and secondary search based on included studies and important reviews. Three-level random effects-models were used to summarize between-group differences in the raw NP score, as well as the NP ratio and baseline reaction time (RT) as secondary outcomes. We identified 1383 studies published between 1966 and 2022 and reviewed 27 studies that consist of 627 patients with schizophrenia and 653 controls in total. Compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed a mildly reduced raw NP score with marginal significance, Hedges' g = -0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.35 to 0.02, p = 0.084. However, analysis of a subsample of studies indicated a significant, moderate reduction in the NP ratio among patients, g = -0.52, 95% CI -0.91 to -0.14; p = 0.014. Moderator analyses revealed a longer illness duration as predictive of a more reduced NP effect. This meta-analysis lends tentative evidence to impaired attention or memory process as measured by the NP task in schizophrenia. More research is needed to substantiate our results and clarify the impact of study design and patient characteristics on findings.

Understanding the impact of pectin on browning of polyphenol oxidation system in thermal and storage processing.

Browning of some processed fruit products was affected not only by polyphenol oxidation but also by cell wall polysaccharides (pectin). The study was performed to understand the mechanism of browning in the pectin system. The catechin/chlorogenic acid oxidation system in three pectins significantly enhanced their browning during thermal storage with pectin structure- and concentration-dependent. Particularly, the structural and physicochemical properties of pectin were examined to determine its effects on the kinetics of polyphenol oxidation and the stability of free polyphenols. Moreover, pectin impacted the fluorescence characteristics of polyphenols by cross-linking with the aromatic ring of polyphenols. In turn, the interaction between polyphenols and pectin impacted the chemical bond vibration of pectin, thereby affecting its optical features and browning. The correlation analysis revealed that the monosaccharide composition, Ratio 1, Ratio 2, Ratio 3, methyl esterification, ζ-potential, and polydispersity index of pectin were significantly correlated with the browning of the pectin-polyphenol oxidation system.

Multiconfiguration b-AsP-based doping systems with enriched elements (C and O): novel materials for spintronic devices.

Black arsenical phosphorus (b-AsP), a derivative of black phosphorus, is a bimetallic alloy compound with the advantage of high carrier mobility, high stability, and tailorable configuration. However, lack of an effective tool to facilitate the application of AsP as a magnetic device. Herein, band gap modulation and the introduction of magnetism can be achieved by doping non-metallic atoms in three different AsP configurations. And the doping of the same atom will cause variation in the electronic structure depending on the configuration. Surprisingly, doping with both enriched elements C and O transforms AsP into a magnetic material. Furthermore, the source of the magnetic moment is explained by solving the wave function of the doped AsP, which is caused by the orbital coupling of the C and O atoms to AsP. To excavate the potentials of this magnetic AsP system for magnetic devices, field-effect transistors based on two doped armchair AsP3 nanoribbons are simulated. The devices show considerable negative differential conductivity effect and good spin filtering efficiency. These findings suggest that AsP doping with enriched elements C and O could be an excellent candidate for future spintronics applications.

Long-term outcomes in health-related quality of life influence chronic disease management in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Significantly improved survival in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) has raised interest in maintaining a good quality of long-term survivorship. In this study, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurement was used to assess the long-term changes of physical and mental outcomes. Methods: A total of 559 consecutive inpatients with PH completed generic HRQOL (Short Form-36) who were diagnosed with PH by right heart catheterization. Assessments were carried out at short-term (1 year), midterm (3 years), and long-term (5 years) follow-ups. Results: Patients with PH suffered more severe impairments in both physical and emotional domains than the U.S. population normative values. Patients with PH due to chronic lung disease had the worst physical component summary (PCS) score, but there was no difference in mental component summary (MCS) score among different PH types. A reduced PCS score was correlated with WHO FC severity and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). The Z score showed that the changing trend of mental conditions continuously declined from baseline to midterm and long-term follow-ups, but the PCS score seemed to be stable or improved. Cox regression analysis indicated increased baseline PVR and WHO FC III and IV, and decreased physical subscale of role physical, mental subscale of social functioning, and the MCS score have increased risk of mortality in the long-term follow-up. Conclusion: Patients with PH have poor HRQOL. The long-term change of physical status seemed to be stable, but the mental state was continuously worse. These suggested identifying and intervening mental health progresses is a noteworthy issue in PH chronic management.

Structural variation of lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC) in Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis) fruit as it ripens.

Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis) fruits are rich in lignin, and too sour, astringent and woody to be eaten raw. More than 50 % of lignin in plant cell walls is covalently associated with carbohydrates to form lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC). In this study, LCC preparations were extracted from fruits harvested on the 15th day of the month from May-October 2019. A variety of chemical and instrumental analytical approaches were used to characterize the LCC fractions, including HPAEC, TGA, GPC, FT-IR, and 2D HSQC NMR. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging assays. Results showed that the LCC fractions from October fruits had better thermal stability and homogeneity. NMR results revealed that the lignin-lignin linkages in LCC-AcOH preparations included ß-O-4', ß-ß' and ß-5', but ß-5' linkages were not present in LCC preparations. And the NMR signals of carbohydrate confirmed the presence of lignin-pectin complexes, which was consistent with sugar analysis. All LCC preparations showed good antioxidant activity, among which Björkman LCC from October fruits showed best. This study will facilitate understanding the chemical bonds of LCC macromolecules in the plant cell wall. More specifically, it provides information critical for specific industrial applications of quince fruits.

Frontier and Hot Topics of Pulsed Fiber Lasers via CiteSpace Scientometric Analysis: Passively Mode-Locked Fiber Lasers with Real Saturable Absorbers Based on Two-Dimensional Materials.

Pulsed fiber lasers, with high peak power and narrow pulse widths, have been proven to be an important tool for a variety of fields of application. In this work, frontier and hot topics in pulsed fiber lasers were analyzed with 11,064 articles. Benefitting from the scientometric analysis capabilities of CiteSpace, the analysis found that passively mode-locked fiber lasers with saturable absorbers (SAs) based on two-dimensional (2D) materials have become a hot research topic in the field of pulsed fiber lasers due to the advantages of self-starting operation, high stability, and good compatibility. The excellent nonlinear optical properties exhibited by 2D materials at nanometer-scale thicknesses have become a particularly popular research topic; the research has paved the way for exploring its wider applications. We summarize the performance of several typical 2D materials in ultrafast fiber lasers, such as graphene, topological insulators (TIs), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and black phosphorus (BP). Meanwhile, we review and analyze the direction of the development of 2D SAs for ultrafast fiber lasers.

Performance and mechanism of azo dyes degradation and greenhouse gases reduction in single-chamber electroactive constructed wetland system.

A single-chamber microbial fuel cell-microbial electrolytic cell with a novel constructed wetland system was proposed for synergistic degradation of congo red and reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. The closed-circuit system showed higher chemical oxygen demand and congo red removal efficiencies by 98 % and 96 % on average, respectively, than traditional constructed wetland. It could also significantly reduce the emissions of CH4 and N2O (about 52 % CO2-equivalents) by increasing the electron transfer. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that the progressive enrichment of dye-degrading microorganisms (Comamonas), electroactive bacteria (Tolumonas, Trichococcus) and denitrifying microorganisms (Dechloromonas) promoted pollutant removal and electron transfer. Based on gene abundance of xenobiotics biodegradation, the congo red biodegradation pathway was described as congo red â†’ naphthalene and alcohols â†’ CO2 and H2O. In summary, the single-chamber closed-circuit system could significantly improve the degradation of congo red and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by influencing electron transfer and microbial activity.

Synaptic branch stability is mediated by non-enzymatic functions of MEC-17/αTAT1 and ATAT-2.

Microtubules are fundamental elements of neuronal structure and function. They are dynamic structures formed from protofilament chains of α- and ß-tubulin heterodimers. Acetylation of the lysine 40 (K40) residue of α-tubulin protects microtubules from mechanical stresses by imparting structural elasticity. The enzyme responsible for this acetylation event is MEC-17/αTAT1. Despite its functional importance, however, the consequences of altered MEC-17/αTAT1 levels on neuronal structure and function are incompletely defined. Here we demonstrate that overexpression or loss of MEC-17, or of its functional paralogue ATAT-2, causes a delay in synaptic branch extension, and defective synaptogenesis in the mechanosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Strikingly, by adulthood, the synaptic branches in these animals are lost, while the main axon shaft remains mostly intact. We show that MEC-17 and ATAT-2 regulate the stability of the synaptic branches largely independently from their acetyltransferase domains. Genetic analyses reveals novel interactions between both mec-17 and atat-2 with the focal adhesion gene zyx-1/Zyxin, which has previously been implicated in actin remodelling. Together, our results reveal new, acetylation-independent roles for MEC-17 and ATAT-2 in the development and maintenance of neuronal architecture.

Altered Expression of the Hedgehog Pathway Proteins BMP2, BMP4, SHH, and IHH Involved in Knee Cartilage Damage of Patients With Osteoarthritis and Kashin-Beck Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway proteins in knee articular cartilage from Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. METHODS: Knee articular cartilage samples were collected from normal (N), OA, and KBD adults (aged 38-60 years) and divided into 3 groups with 6 subjects in each group. The localization of the HH pathway proteins bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and Indian hedgehog (IHH) was observed with the microscope after immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Positive staining cell rates of each proteins were compared. RESULTS: The strongest stainings of all proteins were observed in the middle zones of all 3 groups. The positive staining rates of BMP4 and IHH were significantly lower in the OA and KBD groups than those in the N group in all 3 zones. The positive staining rates of BMP2 and SHH tend to be lower in the OA and KBD groups than those in the N group in the deep zone, while higher in the OA and KBD groups than those in the N group in superficial and middle zones. CONCLUSIONS: Altered expression of the HH pathway proteins BMP2, BMP4, SHH, and IHH was found in OA and KBD articular cartilage. There seemed to be a compensatory effect between SHH and IHH in cartilage damage. Further studies on the pathogenesis of OA and KBD may be carried out from these aspects in the future.