Abstract. The present study aimed to explore the potential diagnostic role of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) in the early stage of modified corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). A total of 20 beagles were randomly classified (1:1) into either an experimental group (LM), which were intramuscularly injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and methylprednisolone (MPS) on three consecutive days, or control (CON) group, which were injected with saline. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DTI were performed at pre-induction and 8 and 12 weeks post-induction. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the range of interest in the femoral head were quantified using DTI. Proximal femora were examined for ONFH at 8 and 12 weeks. The results demonstrated that ONFH developed in four beagles at 8 weeks and in six beagles at 12 weeks, whereas no ONFH was detected in the CON group. No abnormalities were detected by MRI and DTI, and no mortality occurred. In beagles with ONFH in the LM group, the ADC values were 4.7±0.2x10 -4 and 4.8±0.3x10 -4 mm 2 /sec at 8 and 12 weeks, respectively, which were significantly increased compared with the CON group (2.5±0.3x10 -4 and 2.4±0.3x10 -4 mm 2 , respectively) and the LM group without ONFH (2.6±0.4x10 -4 and 2.4±0.3x10 -4 mm 2 , respectively) (P<0.05). The results of the present study indicated that intramuscular injection of LPS and MPS may lead to early-stage ONFH in beagles. As such, the detection of locally elevated ADC values in the femoral head may aid in the early diagnosis of ONFH.
Heterotopic ossification secondary to traumatic brain injury results in limited range of motion in the affected joint. There is no optimal treatment for controlling heterotopic ossification. It is therefore of great importance to diagnose this condition. In order to identify potential biomarkers for heterotopic ossification, this study used proteomic techniques to compare the plasma profile of patients with traumatic brain injury with and without heterotopic ossification. Expression levels of 3 proteins were significantly lower in the heterotopic ossification group than in the control group. These proteins may be potential biomarkers of heterotopic ossification. Objective: To identify differentially expressed serum proteins that could serve as sensitive biomarkers of heterotopic ossification in patients with traumatic brain injury. Methods: From August 2014 to December 2015, 18 patients with traumatic brain injury were enrolled in the study, and blood samples were collected. Patients with traumatic brain injury were divided based on the presence (n = 9 patients, heterotopic ossification group) or absence (n = 9 patients, traumatic brain injury group or control group) of heterotopic ossification. Protein expression profiles were compared using 2-dimensional electrophoresis. Differentially expressed proteins were examined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF). The differentially expressed proteins identified were further confirmed by Western blotting. Results: Seven protein spots were differentially expressed between heterotopic ossification and traumatic brain injury groups in 2-dimensional electrophoresis analysis. Vitamin D binding protein (Gc protein), retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and haptoglobin expression decreased significantly in the heterotopic ossification group compared with the control group (p < 0.05), and this was further confirmed by Western blotting. Conclusion: Lower levels of expression of Gc protein, RBP4 and haptoglobin may be closely related to heterotopic ossification after traumatic brain injury. These proteins may be potential biomarkers of heterotopic ossification secondary to traumatic brain injury.
Objective Previous studies have shown that knee arthritis is a disease influenced by environmental and genetic factors. In this paper, we mainly investigate the association between SNPs in the DVWA gene region and the susceptibility to KOA in north Chinese Han people. Methods We performed two-center cross-sectional observational study that included 103 Chinese Han patients with KOA and 128 healthy Chinese Han volunteers. We investigated four SNPs (rs11718863, rs7639618, rs7651842 and rs7639807) in the DVWA gene region and extracted the genes using QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. We amplified the target gene fragment and sequenced the genotype.The corresponding frequency were counted and the counting results were statistically analyzed. Results The patient group was significantly older than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.001). There were no statistically significance between-group differences in gender, height, weight, or BMI (P > 0.05, respectively). The chi-square test was used to analyze the four SNPs of DVWA gene, and rs11718863 and rs7639618 polymorphism was statistically different between the two groups(P = 0.04, P = 0.04, respectively). The rs11718863 and rs7639618 was consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Logistic regression analysis showed that KOA risk was significantly increased in the rs11718863 TT genotype (3.31, 95%CI 1.32, 8.34, P = 0.011) and the rs7639618 TT genotype (OR 2.86 ,95% CI 1.16, 7.04, P = 0.023). After age adjustment, the same result was observed in the rs11718863 SNP(OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.04, 7.43, P = 0.041), and the risk of KOA disappeared in the rs7639618 SNP (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.79, 2.86, P = 0.217). The rs7651842 and rs7639807SNP were monomorphic for the T and C allele respectively. Conclusions We found that the rs11718863 SNP was associated with KOA. The TT genotype and T allele were the highest risk factors for the development of KOA in the north Chinese Han population.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease, but there is no effective treatment except surgery at present. Extracorporeal shock wave (ESW) is an emerging therapy widely used in various medical fields. In this study, we mainly investigated the effects of ESW on apoptosis and autophagy of osteoarthritic chondrocytes by analyzing the cell apoptosis and the expression of autophagy markers' mRNAs and proteins, respectively. Primary chondrocytes were isolated from articular cartilage tissue of rats. Results showed that ESW effectively inhibited the interleukin-1β-induced (IL-1β-induced) chondrocyte apoptosis. Moreover, ESW treatment elevated the mRNA and the protein expression levels of Beclin 1, Atg5, LC3B, and Collagen II. Beclin 1 plays a key role in autophagy, positively regulating autophagic activity. Atg5 is a marker of autophagic activity, and LC3 is a specific marker of autophagosome. Collagen II is an important indicator to judge the functional activity of chondrocytes. In contrast, the mRNA and the protein expression levels of P62, which is a measure of autophagic flux and is thought to be negatively correlated with autophagic degradation, were decreased in the ESW treated cells. This study reveals the role of ESW in promoting chondrocyte autophagy and suppressing cell apoptosis. Thus, ESW may protect chondrocytes against IL-1β-induced apoptosis and promote autophagy in an in vitro model of osteoarthritis.
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