Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are characterized by multidifferentiation and immunoregulatory potential and have been used in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), but direct transplantation may limit effectiveness due to their quick diffusion. The role of macrophages in healing is being increasingly recognized because of their ability to polarize into pro- and anti-inflammatory phenotypes. In the present study, nerve-guide collagen scaffold (CS) combined with rat MSCs was developed. After CS was confirmed to minimize MSC distribution in vivo by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, the repair capacity of combined implantation of CS and MSCs and the effect on classically activated macrophage/alternatively activated macrophage (M2) polarization was assessed in a hemisected SCI rat model. In vivo studies showed that, compared to the control group, the rats in the combined implantation group exhibited more significant recovery of nerve function evidenced by the 21-point Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score and footprint analysis. Morphological staining showed less macrophage infiltration, apoptosis and glial fibrillary acidic protein, and more neurofilaments, and the fibres were guided to grow through the implant. More M2 were observed in the combined implantation group. The data suggest that the combined implantation could support MSCs to play a protective role of SCI, not only through inhibiting chronic scar formation and providing linear guidance for the nerve, but also benefitting M2 polarization to form an anti-inflammatory environment. Thus, the combination of biomaterial and MSCs might be a prominent therapeutic treatment for SCI. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and secondary hyperosteogenesis. Genetic factors are associated with the occurrence of OA. While several studies have shown that the matrix metalloproteinase-1- (MMP-1-) 1607 1G/2G (rs1799750) polymorphism may be related to the occurrence and development of OA, there is inconsistency in the literature. To better estimate the relationship between the MMP-1 gene polymorphism and OA, a comprehensive meta-analysis of relevant literature was carried out. Results. In total, seven studies comprising 1245 OA patients and 1230 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The combined results revealed no significant association between the MMP-1-1607 1G/2G polymorphism and risk of OA in the five genetic models. However, after Bonferroni correction, the results of subgroup analysis revealed a significant correlation between the MMP-1-1607 1G/2G polymorphism and OA susceptibility in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) OA subgroup (allelic: 2G vs. 1G: OR=1.575, 95%CI=1.259–1.972, P<0.01; recessive: 2G2G vs. 1G1G+1G2G: OR=2.411, 95%CI=1.658–3.504, P<0.01; and homozygote: 2G2G vs. 1G1G: OR=2.313, 95%CI=1.341, 3.991, P=0.003), the younger subgroup (aged less than 60 years; allelic: 2G vs. 1G: OR=1.635, 95%CI=1.354, 1.974, P<0.01; dominant: 2G1G+2G2G vs. 1G1G: OR=1.622, 95%CI=1.158, 2.271, P=0.005; recessive: 2G2G vs. 1G1G+1G2G: OR=2.209, 95%CI=1.718, 2.840, P<0.01; and homozygote: 2G2G vs. 1G1G: OR=2.578, 95%CI=1.798, 3.696, P<0.01), the larger subgroup (N>300), and the hospital-based case-control study (HCC) subgroup. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the results of the meta-analysis were stable and reliable. Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s test indicated that there was no publication bias in this study. Conclusion. Our meta-analysis indicated that although the MMP-1-1607 1G/2G polymorphism was not significantly associated with OA susceptibility among the whole sample, it played a key role in the etiology and development of TMJ OA and OA in people aged less than 60 years.

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Background The purpose was to assess the contribution of tumor size to the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Methods Patient data were sourced from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) database. Cox proportional risk regression was performed to determine the prognostic role of tumor size. Kaplan-Meier curves were conducted to calculate survival curves. Consistency index (c-index) and subject exercise curve (ROC) were utilized to assess the predictive ability of each factor on the prognosis of gastric cancer. Results Tumor size is preferable to other widely accepted prognostic clinical features in forecasting the survival of patients with gastric cancer. Conclusions The discriminatory ability of tumor size at T1 stage is superior to many other clinical prognostic factors.