Evaluation of genetic response of mesenchymal stem cells to nanosecond pulsed electric fields by whole transcriptome sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modulated by various exogenous signals have been applied extensively in regenerative medicine research. Notably, nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs), characterized by short duration and high strength, significantly influence cell phenotypes and regulate MSCs differentiation via multiple pathways. Consequently, we used transcriptomics to study changes in messenger RNA (mRNA), long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and circular RNA expression during nsPEFs application. AIM: To explore gene expression profiles and potential transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in MSCs pretreated with nsPEFs. METHODS: The impact of nsPEFs on the MSCs transcriptome was investigated through whole transcriptome sequencing. MSCs were pretreated with 5-pulse nsPEFs (100 ns at 10 kV/cm, 1 Hz), followed by total RNA isolation. Each transcript was normalized by fragments per kilobase per million. Fold change and difference significance were applied to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed to elucidate gene functions, complemented by quantitative polymerase chain reaction verification. RESULTS: In total, 263 DEGs were discovered, with 92 upregulated and 171 downregulated. DEGs were predominantly enriched in epithelial cell proliferation, osteoblast differentiation, mesenchymal cell differentiation, nuclear division, and wound healing. Regarding cellular components, DEGs are primarily involved in condensed chromosome, chromosomal region, actin cytoskeleton, and kinetochore. From aspect of molecular functions, DEGs are mainly involved in glycosaminoglycan binding, integrin binding, nuclear steroid receptor activity, cytoskeletal motor activity, and steroid binding. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed targeted transcript regulation. CONCLUSION: Our systematic investigation of the wide-ranging transcriptional pattern modulated by nsPEFs revealed the differential expression of 263 mRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 65 lncRNAs. Our study demonstrates that nsPEFs may affect stem cells through several signaling pathways, which are involved in vesicular transport, calcium ion transport, cytoskeleton, and cell differentiation.

The CoNUT score predicts the length of hospital stay and the risk of long CoVID / La puntuación CONUT predice la duración de la estancia hospitalaria y el riesgo de COVID persistente

Objective: the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an objective tool widely used to assess nutritional status of patients. We aimed toinvestigate the value of CONUT score on predicting length of hospital stay (LOS) and the risk of long COVID in patients with COVID-19.Methods: a total of 151 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled for analysis. Patients were followed up for two years from three months after theonset of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONUT score was calculated on admission. The correlation between CONUT score and LOS were assessed bySpearman’s rank correlation coefficient and multivariate linear analysis. The association between different CONUT grade and long COVID wasevaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models.Results: Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient showed that CONUT scores were positively correlated with LOS (r = 0.469, p < 0.001). Multivari-ate linear analysis showed that CONUT score is the only independent determinant of LOS (B 2.055, 95 % CI: 1.067-3.043, p < 0.001). A total of 53(35.10 %) patients with long COVID were identified. Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival curves and Cox proportional hazards analyses showed thatthe incidence of long COVID in patients with a higher CONUT score was significantly higher than in patients with lower CONUT score (p < 0.001).Conclusions: higher CONUT score predicts longer LOS and the risk of long COVID in patients with COVID-19. The CONUT score might be usefulfor risk stratification in COVID-19 patients and help to develop new nutritional treatment strategies for long COVID.(AU)

Objetivo: la escala de valoración del estado nutricional CONUT es una herramienta objetiva ampliamente utilizada para evaluar el estado nutricionalde los pacientes. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar el valor de la puntuación CONUT para predecir la duración de la estancia hospitalaria (LOS) y elriesgo de COVID persistente en pacientes con COVID-19.Métodos: se inscribieron para el análisis un total de 151 pacientes con COVID-19. Los pacientes se sometieron a un seguimiento de dos añosa partir de los tres meses posteriores al inicio de la infección por SARS-CoV-2. La puntuación CONUT se calculó al ingreso. La correlación entrela puntuación CONUT y la LOS se evaluó mediante el coeficiente de correlación de rangos de Spearman y el análisis lineal multivariante. Laasociación entre diferentes grados CONUT y COVID persistente se evaluó mediante curvas de supervivencia de Kaplan-Meier con prueba derango logarítmico y modelos de riesgo proporcional de Cox.Resultados: el coeficiente de correlación de rango de Spearman mostró que las puntuaciones CONUT se correlacionaron positivamente con LOS(r = 0,469, p <0,001). El análisis lineal multivariante mostró que la puntuación CONUT es el único determinante independiente de LOS (B 2,055,IC 95 %: 1,067-3,043, p < 0,001). Se identificaron un total de 53 (35,10 %) pacientes con COVID persistente. Las curvas de supervivenciaacumulada de Kaplan-Meier y los análisis de riesgos proporcionales de Cox mostraron que la incidencia de COVID persistente en pacientes conuna puntuación CONUT más alta fue significativamente mayor que en pacientes con una puntuación CONUT más baja (p < 0,001).Conclusiones: una puntuación CONUT más alta predice una LOS más larga y el riesgo de COVID persistente en pacientes con COVID-19. Lapuntuación CONUT podría ser útil para la estratificación de riesgo en pacientes con COVID-19 y ayudar a desarrollar nuevas estrategias detratamiento nutricional para COVID persistente.(AU)

The CONUT score predicts the length of hospital stay and the risk of long COVID.

Introduction: Objective: the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an objective tool widely used to assess nutritional status of patients. We aimed to investigate the value of CONUT score on predicting length of hospital stay (LOS) and the risk of long COVID in patients with COVID-19. Methods: a total of 151 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled for analysis. Patients were followed up for two years from three months after the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONUT score was calculated on admission. The correlation between CONUT score and LOS were assessed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and multivariate linear analysis. The association between different CONUT grade and long COVID was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed that CONUT scores were positively correlated with LOS (r = 0.469, p < 0.001). Multivariate linear analysis showed that CONUT score is the only independent determinant of LOS (B 2.055, 95 % CI: 1.067-3.043, p < 0.001). A total of 53 (35.10 %) patients with long COVID were identified. Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival curves and Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that the incidence of long COVID in patients with a higher CONUT score was significantly higher than in patients with lower CONUT score (p < 0.001). Conclusions: higher CONUT score predicts longer LOS and the risk of long COVID in patients with COVID-19. The CONUT score might be useful for risk stratification in COVID-19 patients and help to develop new nutritional treatment strategies for long COVID.

Introducción: Objetivo: la escala de valoración del estado nutricional CONUT es una herramienta objetiva ampliamente utilizada para evaluar el estado nutricional de los pacientes. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar el valor de la puntuación CONUT para predecir la duración de la estancia hospitalaria (LOS) y el riesgo de COVID persistente en pacientes con COVID-19. Métodos: se inscribieron para el análisis un total de 151 pacientes con COVID-19. Los pacientes se sometieron a un seguimiento de dos años a partir de los tres meses posteriores al inicio de la infección por SARS-CoV-2. La puntuación CONUT se calculó al ingreso. La correlación entre la puntuación CONUT y la LOS se evaluó mediante el coeficiente de correlación de rangos de Spearman y el análisis lineal multivariante. La asociación entre diferentes grados CONUT y COVID persistente se evaluó mediante curvas de supervivencia de Kaplan-Meier con prueba de rango logarítmico y modelos de riesgo proporcional de Cox. Resultados: el coeficiente de correlación de rango de Spearman mostró que las puntuaciones CONUT se correlacionaron positivamente con LOS (r = 0,469, p <0,001). El análisis lineal multivariante mostró que la puntuación CONUT es el único determinante independiente de LOS (B 2,055, IC 95 %: 1,067-3,043, p < 0,001). Se identificaron un total de 53 (35,10 %) pacientes con COVID persistente. Las curvas de supervivencia acumulada de Kaplan-Meier y los análisis de riesgos proporcionales de Cox mostraron que la incidencia de COVID persistente en pacientes con una puntuación CONUT más alta fue significativamente mayor que en pacientes con una puntuación CONUT más baja (p < 0,001). Conclusiones: una puntuación CONUT más alta predice una LOS más larga y el riesgo de COVID persistente en pacientes con COVID-19. La puntuación CONUT podría ser útil para la estratificación de riesgo en pacientes con COVID-19 y ayudar a desarrollar nuevas estrategias de tratamiento nutricional para COVID persistente.

Elevated plasma pyruvate kinase M2 concentrations are associated with the clinical severity and prognosis of coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) was involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). We tested whether plasma PKM2 concentrations were correlated with clinical severity and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in CAD patients. Materials and methods: A total of 2443 CAD patients and 238 controls were enrolled. The follow-up time was two years. Plasma PKM2 concentrations were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (Cloud-Clone, Wuhan, China) using SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader (Molecular Devices, San Jose, USA). The predictors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. The association between PKM2 concentration in different quartiles and MACEs was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models. The predictive value of PKM2 and a cluster of conventional risk factors was determined by Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The net reclassification improvement (NRI) and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were utilized to evaluate the enhancement in risk prediction when PKM2 was added to a predictive model containing a cluster of conventional risk factors. Results: In CAD patients, PKM2 concentration was the independent predictor of ACS (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival curves and Cox proportional hazards analyses revealed that patients with a higher PKM2 concentration had higher incidence of MACEs compared to those with a lower PKM2 concentration (P < 0.001). The addition of PKM2 to a cluster of conventional risk factors significantly increased its prognostic value of MACEs. Conclusion: Baseline plasma PKM2 concentrations predict the clinical severity and prognosis of CAD.

Achilles tendon thickening does not affect elasticity and functional outcome after surgical repair of Achilles rupture: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have confirmed that Achilles tendon occurs Achilles thickening after repair surgery of the rupture. Although this mechanism has been elucidated in the laboratory, there are few reports on its impact on clinical function. We designed a retrospective study to investigate the Achilles thickening after Achilles tendon rupture repair and its correlation between the elasticity and postoperative function. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, patients who underwent surgical treatment for acute Achilles tendon rupture from April 2016 to April 2020 were included. All the patients were regularly followed up at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. American Orthopaedic Foot Ankle Surgeon (AOFAS) scale and Leppilahti score were used to evaluate functional outcomes. Achilles elasticity was measured by ultrasound shear wave of elasticity. Achilles thickening was calculated as maximal transverse and longitudinal diameter in cross-sectional plane of magnetic resonance scan. Sample t-tests was used for different follow-up periods. Correlation between Achilles thickening and other factors were analyzed using Pearson's method. p < 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference. RESULTS: AOFAS scale and Leppilahti score at 1 year were significantly higher than at 3 months postoperatively (both p < 0.001). These functional scales were also improved at 2-year follow-up significantly (both p < 0.001). The dorsiflexion difference showed gradually recovery in each follow-up period (t = -17.907, p < 0.001). The elasticity of the Achilles appeared to continuously decreases during the postoperative follow-up period in all position sets (p < 0.001). In thickening evaluation, the cross-sectional area of the thickest plane of Achilles was significantly higher at 1 year postoperatively (310.5 ± 25.2) mm2 than that at 3 months postoperatively ((278.0 ± 26.2) mm2, t = -8.219, p < 0.001) and became thinner in 2-year magnetic resonance scan ((256.1 ± 15.1) mm2, t = 16.769, p < 0.001). The correlations between Achilles thickening, elasticity, and functional outcome did not show statistical significance (p > 0.05) in every follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Achilles tendon thickens after surgery in the 1st year, but begins to gradually return to thinning about 2 years after surgery. There was no significant correlation between the increase and decrease of thickening and the patients' clinical function scores, Achilles elasticity, and bilateral ankle dorsiflexion difference.

Irisin alleviates hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia through activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common pulmonary injury among premature infants, which is often caused by hyperoxia exposure. Irisin is a novel hormone-like myokine derived mainly from skeletal muscles as well as adipose tissues. Many studies have indicated that Irisin exert a variety of properties against hyperoxia-induced inflammation and oxidative stress (OS). We aimed to evaluate the effects of irisin on hyperoxia-induced lung injury explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: BPD model was established after exposing newborn mouse to 85% oxygen. BPD mouse received continuous intraperitoneal injection of irisin at a dose of 25 µg/kg/day. Lung tissues were collected for histological examination at 7 and 14 days after birth. The alveolarization and alveolar vascularization of each animal was assessed. Levels of oxidative stress indicators, and the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in lung tissues were detected at 14 days after birth. RESULTS: Hyperoxia exposure induced a markedly alveolar simplification and a disrupted alveolar angiogenesis, which was ameliorated by irisin treatment. The hyperoxia-induced increase in these oxidative stress indicators was significantly reversed by irisin treatment. The Nrf2/HO-1 pathway is inducted in the hyperoxia-induced BPD mouse model, which is further activated by irisin treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the beneficial effects of irisin in reducing the OS, enhancing alveolarization, and promoting vascular development through activation of Nrf2/HO-1 axis in a hyperoxia-induced experimental model of BPD.

[Analysis on the Characteristics of Quality Variation of National Medical Device Supervision and Inspection in 2020].

This study is based on the summary of the characteristics of quality variation of national medical device supervision and inspection in 2020. According to the results of the national medical device supervision and inspection through comparative analysis, this study puts forward suggestions on the medical device production and supervision measures for the post-marketing products, so as to further improve the level of the medical device and ensure the safety use of medical device.

MELD-XI score predict no-reflow phenomenon and short-term mortality in patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

INTRODUCTION: No-reflow phenomenon (NRP) is one of the complications that mostly occur during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this study, we comprehensively examined the relationship between the model for end-stage liver disease-XI (MELD-XI) score and NRP. Moreover, we discussed whether the MELD-XI score could be considered as an accurate risk assessment score of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who are candidates for PCI. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 693 patients with acute STEMI and who underwent an emergency PCI. They were divided into a normal reflow group or a no-reflow group on the basis of the flow rate of post-interventional thrombolysis in myocardial infarction. Univariate, multivariate logistic regression, and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the independent predictors of NRP in both groups. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to estimate the predictive values of the MELD-XI score. RESULTS: MELD-XI score was found to be an independent indicator of NRP (odds ratio: 1.247, 95% CI: 1.144-1.360, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis also revealed that the MELD-XI score is an independent prognostic factor for 30-day all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.155, 95% CI: 1.077-1.239, P < 0.001). Moreover, according to the ROC curves, the cutoff value of the MELD-XI score to predict NRP was 9.47 (area under ROC curve: 0.739, P < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier curves for 30-day all-cause mortality revealed lower survival rate in the group with a MELD-XI score of > 9.78 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The MELD-XI score can be used to predict NRP and the 30-day prognosis in patients with STEMI who are candidates for primary PCI. It could be adopted as an inexpensive and a readily available tool for risk stratification.

A possible prediction of dystocia at the time of cesarean delivery: Gluteal muscle contracture, a single center experience from China.

The study assessed the pelvic dimensions by computed tomography (CT) performed for gluteal muscle contracture women, and evaluated the impact of malformations on several essential obstetric parameters.The CT pelvimetry was retrospectively performed in 25 gluteal muscle contracture women selected consecutively whether they had delivery history or not. Among the pelvic inlet plane, the mid plane and the outlet plane, 12 indicators including the transverse diameter of the pelvic inlet, the conjugate vera, the diagonal conjugate, the biischial diameter, the anteroposterior diameter of the middle pelvis, transverse outlet, the posterior sagittal diameter of outlet, the conjugate of the outlet, the anterior sagittal diameter of the outlet, the curvature and length of the sacrum, the angle of pubic arch were collected.Finally, the mean age of these women was 26.6 ±â€Š5.0 years. Most pelvises had anteroposterior elliptical appearance in inlet and size of the female pelvis. The most statistically different and most clinically significant indicator was the biischial diameter, gluteal muscle contracture women were 95.6 ±â€Š9.3 mm and the normal women from other study were 105.0 ±â€Š7.9 mm, the comparison showed a significant difference (P < .001).Generally, most gluteal muscle contracture women had features of anthropoid pelvis which were quite different from normal Chinese female. These results may serve as a basis for future studies to assess its utility and prognostic value for a safe vaginal delivery in gluteal muscle contracture women.

[Osteopractic total flavone promoting rat extra-articular tendon-bone healing through mTOR pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To explore function and related molecular mechanism of osteopractic total flavone (OTF) on tendon healing in rats. METHODS: Ten male rats aged for 8 weeks were collected and weighted from 180 to 220 g. Tendon stem cells were cultivated, the third tendon stem cells were used for experiment. OTP treated with 0, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml were added into tendon stem cells, and expression change of ALP, Runx2, OCN, VEGF, P-S6, P-4E/BP1 were detected after 14 days. Forty male rats aged for 8 weeks (weighted 180 to 220 g) were established extra-articular tendon-bone transplanting healing model, and divided into experimental group and control group. Experimental group were treated with OTF(100 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), while control group was treated by normal saline with the same volume. Tendon-bone healing degree were detected by biomechanical testing at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery, histological detection were applied to detect tendon-bone healing and number of new vessles. RESULTS: After treated by OTP, ALP staining and active index detection showed there were statistical differences among 0, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml group. After 14 days' cultivation, western blotting results showed mTOR downstream marker protein P-S6 protein expression were gradually increased with increase of density of OTP, expression of P-4E/BP1 was reduced, while expression of Runx2, OCN, VEGF were increased. Biological detection results showed that there was no significant difference in mechanical strength between experimental group(0.78±0.05) N/mm and control group (0.51±0.02) N/mm at 3 weeks after surgery, while mechanical strength in experimental group (1.36±0.09) N/mm was higher than control group (1.01±0.08) N/mm at 6 weeks after surgery. Histological results showed maturity of tendon-bone surface cell were higher at 3 and 6 weeks in experimental group, sharpey fiber growth more density, calcification extent of mesenchyme was high, and new bone, vessels were increased. CONCLUSIONS: OTF could promote osteogenic differentiation of tendon stem cells through mTOR signaling in vitro, and stimulate tendon-bone healing in bone tunnel and enhance connection quality between tendon and bone.

Are "normal hips" being labeled as femoroacetabular impingement due to EE angle?

Gluteal muscle contracture (GMC) is a clinical syndrome characterized by gait abnormality and limb dysfunction, as well as secondary deformities of pelvis and femur. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) typically could be diagnosed on the basis of computed tomography (CT) such as the equatorial-edge angle (EE angle), but it did not work well in GMC patients. In this study, we retrospected all image data and found small EE angles in GMCs, which meant retroverted acetabulum; however, none of them showed no symptoms and signs of FAI. Therefore, we had reasons to think that, some normal hips with unbalanced hip myodynamia as same as GMCs, may be incorrectly diagnosed as FAI through measuring EE angle only.In consequence, the paper was designed to assess the use of the EE angle in the assessment of FAI in the diagnosis, as described by Werner.Twenty-three patients (46 hips) were collected and calculated with the "equatorial-edge angle" (EE angle) by CT scans. All of them were excluded from FAI.Review of the hips showed a mean EE angle was 12.93°, with a minimum of -3.42° and a maximum of 24.08°. The mean value for males and females were 13.52° and 12.40°, respectively, without statistical significance, although the mean value of left hips and right sides reached 13.32° and 12.54° individually, not having statistical differences neither. There were not any symptoms or signs of FAI in all patients. Thus, the reduced EE angle could suggest the local excessive coverage of the femoral head by the anterior acetabular edge, but might not be a reasonably good predictor of FAI.GMC patient's acetabular deformity mainly manifests as increased retroversion, which may be the anatomical basis for FAI and lead to high risks of the acetabular impingement. However, all patients in this study showed no symptoms and signs of FAI, suggesting that the measurement of EE angle can only be applied to assessing those people with normal hip myodynamia, and the bone deformity and the muscular disorder should be both considered in the diagnosis of FAI.

Bergapten promotes bone marrow stromal cell differentiation into osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo.

Many recent studies have suggested that bergapten (BP), a class of native compound with numerous biological activities such as anti-resorptive properties, may exert protective effects against postmenopausal bone loss. However, it remains unknown whether BP regulates or improves the osteogenic function of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. In our study, BMSCs were cultured in osteogenic induction medium with the addition of BP for 2 weeks and an ovariectomized mouse model of osteoporosis was used to investigate the anti-resorptive effect of BP by gavage administration for 3 months. The concentrations of BP used were 0.1, 1, and 10 µmol/L in vitro and the gavage dose was 20 mg/kg/d. The result of our study indicated that BP promotes the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by BMSCs in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, as revealed by ALP staining. Runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin were up-regulated both in vitro and vivo, while osterix and collagen Iα1, assessed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, were correspondingly raised in the presence of BP in BMSCs in vitro. In addition, a protective effect of BP against ovariectomy-induced bone loss was found by distal femur micro-CT scanning, with improvements of bone metabolism parameters such as bone mineral density, trabecular number, and trabecular separation. Furthermore, WNT/ß-catenin signaling was activated in the presence of BP in BMSCs in osteogenic culture. Finally, BP promoted differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts by up-regulation of the WNT/ß-catenin pathway.

Congenital heart disease in adolescents with gluteal muscle contracture.

Gluteal muscle contracture (GMC), presented with hip abduction and external rotation when crouching, is common in several ethnicities, particularly in Chinese. It remains unclear that the reasons why these children are weak and have no choice to accept repeated intramuscular injection. Here, we found some unique cases which may be useful to explain this question. We describe a series of special GMC patients, who are accompanied with congenital heart disease (CHD). These cases were first observed in preoperative examinations of a patient with atrial septal defect (ASD), which was proved by chest X-ray and cardiac ultrasound. From then on, we gradually identified additional 3 GMC patients with CHD. The original patient with ASD was sent to cardiosurgery department to repair atrial septal first and received arthroscopic surgery later. While the other 3 were cured postoperative of ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), respectively, and had surgery directly. The study gives us 3 proposals: (1) as to CHD children, it is essential to decrease the use of intramuscular injection, (2) paying more attention to cardiac examination especially cardiac ultrasound in perioperative period, and (3) taking 3D-CT to reconstruct gluteal muscles for observing contracture bands clearly in preoperation. However, more larger series of patients are called for to confirm these findings.

[Anatomical evaluation and clinical significance of lateral ankle ligament].

OBJECTIVE: To measure anatomy of anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) and their relationship to adjacent osseous structures, in order to provide anatomical reference to surgical procedures. METHODS: Twenty-six human ankle cadavers were used in this study. The mean value of length, insertion width, insertion angle and distance to adjacent osseous structures were measured. RESULTS: The lengths of ATFL and CFL were (20.08 ± 2.16) mm and (32.72 ± 9.17) mm. The width of ATFL were (8.75 ± 1.8) mm (proximal) and (9.26 ± 1.34) mm (distal) respectively. The distance of distal ATFL footprint to the upper-surface of talus neck were (12.92 ± 0.93) mm, the distance of proximal ATFL footprint to fibular tip were (11.44±0.61) mm. The width of CFL were (4.76 ± 0.62) mm (proximal) and (5.08 ± 0.77) mm (distal) respectively. The distance of proximal CFL footprint to fibular tip were (3.74 ± 0.55) mm, The distance of distal CFL footprint to the surface of subtalar joint were (12.62 ± 2.08) mm. The insertion angle with fibular axis in lateral view of ATFL and CFL were 81° ± 11°and 47° ± 16° respectively. ATFL in anterioposterior view had 67° ± 7° angle with fibular axis. CONCLUSION: The length and width of ATFL and CFL were relatively constant. The lateral insertion angle was relatively with large variation. These data may provide reference for reconstructing lateral ankle ligaments.

Co-expression of CXCR4 and CD133 proteins is associated with poor prognosis in stage II-III colon cancer patients.

Although CXCR4 and CD133 have been implicated in the metastatic process of malignant tumors, the clinicopathological significance of their expression in human colon cancer is not fully understood. The present study aimed to examine the expression of the CXCR4 and CD133 proteins in cases of stage II or III colon cancer and the related lymph nodes and to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of these proteins in colon cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine CXCR4 and CD133 protein expression in paraffin-embedded stage II or III primary colon cancer tissues and matched lymph nodes. The correlation between the expression of the two proteins and clinicopathological parameters and the patient 5-year survival was analyzed. CXCR4 expression was detected in 74 of the 125 tumors (59.2%) and CD133 expression was detected in 45 (36.0%). The co-expression of CXCR4 and CD133 (both CXCR4 and CD133 were positive) was detected in 29 of the 125 tumors (23.2%). Compared with the other combinations, the co-expression of the CXCR4 and CD133 proteins was significantly associated with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (P=0.029) and lymph node status (P=0.020). Log-rank analysis revealed that AJCC stage (P=0.014), lymph node status (P=0.011), CXCR4 expression (P=0.023), CD133 expression (P=0.034) and the co-expression of the CXCR4 and CD133 proteins (P=0.003) were significant prognostic indicators for the overall survival of patients. The results of the present study show that the co-expression of the CXCR4 and CD133 proteins is a risk factor for poor overall survival in stage II or III colon cancer patients, indicating that the co-expression of the CXCR4 and CD133 proteins contributes to the progression of colon cancer.

[Clinical features of pathologically confirmed metastatic bone tumors--a report of 390 cases].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: With the development of diagnostic techniques of imaging and pathology, early diagnosis of metastatic bone tumors has been greatly improved, but the clinical characteristics which are essential for diagnosis are rarely reported. In this article, the clinical features of pathologically confirmed metastatic bone tumors were analyzed for further improvement of early diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Clinical data of 390 patients with pathologically confirmed metastatic bone tumors, treated from 1980 to 2003 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, were reviewed respectively to summarize the clinical features, including disease history, predilection sites, clinical manifestation, and imaging presentations. RESULTS: Of the 390 patients, the ratio of men to women was 2.12:1; the median age was 55.7 years, and 81.5% of the patients were over 41 years old. The primary tumors were lung cancer (21.8%), prostate cancer (13.1%), breast cancer (7.4%), liver cancer (6.4%), gastrointestinal cancer (5.7%), and unknown cancers (24.6%). The common metastatic sites were spine (47.7%), pelvis (18.2%), femur (15.4%), and rib (12.6%). Multiple metastases occurred in 20.5% of the patients. The main symptoms were skeletal pain (53.3%), pathologic fractures (10.3%), dysfunction (4.9%), and paraplegia (2.1%). Primary tumor detected before metastasis accounted for 29.7% of the patients with a median metastatic time of 319 days, and the metastatic intervals were uncertain in 70.3% of the patients. Osteolytic types accounted for 80.7% of the cases in radiographic patterns, followed by osteosclerotic (10.5%) and mixed types. CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic bone tumors most frequently occur in patients older than 41 years, and commonly originate from lung, prostate, breast, and liver. Vertebrae, pelvis, femur, and rib are the most common sites of metastases. The clinical manifestation is extensive and nonspecific. Most lesions present osteolytic patterns. Metastases with unknown origin account for 24%. In spite of complexity, the clinical features should be mastered for early diagnosis and treatment.