Second dorsal metacarpal artery-based index finger dorsal island flap for the management of thumb defects

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Second dorsal metacarpal artery-based index finger dorsal island flap for the management of thumb defects Via Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Sep 17:S1748-6815(21)00403-4. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.08.016. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Index finger dorsal island flaps were frequently utilized by hand surgeons to reconstruct thumb defects. However, the blood supply of the traditional index finger dorsal island flap comes from the first dorsal metacarpal artery, which has a smaller diameter, more anatomical variation, and can be injured in conjunction with thumb injuries. Therefore, we design an alternative index finger dorsal island flap based on the second dorsal metacarpal artery to treat thumb skin defects. From August 2015 to October 2018, we used the index finger dorsal island flaps with the second dorsal metacarpal artery to treat 11 patients with thumb skin defects. All the flaps and skin grafts survived completely without complications. At the last follow-up, the mean 2PD of the flap was 6.4 mm (45.5% for excellent, 54.5% for good) , the mean ROM of the injured thumbs was 115.9° (72.7% for excellent, 27.3% for good), and the mean cosmetics score was 8.6. Our results demonstrate that the index finger dorsal island flap with the second dorsal metacarpal artery is suitable for the reconstruction of thumb skin defects. The flap has an excellent survival rate and good coverage with satisfactory results and represents a promising treatment for the selected patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic, level IV. PMID:34627716 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.08.016 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma with orbit involvement: Survival and visual outcomes after eye‐sparing multidisciplinary management in eight patients

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Primary Ewing's sarcoma with orbit involvement: Survival and visual outcomes after eye‐sparing multidisciplinary management in eight patients Via Head & Neck Abstract Background To describe the clinical presentation, treatment, and overall prognosis in eight patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma (ES) involving the orbit. Methods A retrospective interventional study of all biopsy-proven cases of primary ES involving the orbit was done. Results There were seven males and one female with a median age of 14 years. Imaging showed osseous involvement in all eight cases with extraorbital extension in four. Complete tumor resection was done in four, partial resection in three, and biopsy followed by sinus surgery in one. EWSR1 gene rearrangement analysis was done to confirm diagnosis. All patients received multidrug systemic chemotherapy and seven patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Eye salvage was achieved in all patients. At a mean follow-up duration of 52.63 months, seven patients were doing well with no evidence of disease. Conclusions ES involving the orbit is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation. Aggressive multimodality treatment can help salvage the globe and improve overall survival. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

miR-489-3p overexpression inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis, inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation via targeting Toll-like receptor 4

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader miR-489-3p overexpression inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis, inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation via targeting Toll-like receptor 4 Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1323. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10758. Epub 2021 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common disease with a high morbidity rate, which results in a significant deterioration in the quality of life of patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs that influence target genes and serve critical roles in numerous biological processes. However, the role of miR-489-3p in lumbar disc degeneration is yet to be elucidated. In the present study, human NP cells were treated with 10 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h to investigate the role of miR-489-3p in IDD in an in vitro model. Reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR was performed to determine the expression levels of miR-489-3p. Then, the TargetScan database was used to predict the potential binding sites between miR-489-3p and Toll-like receptor (TLR)4, and a dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the findings. Subsequently, RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to analyze the expression levels of TLR4. In addition, human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were transfected with a miR-489-3p mimic and TLR4 overexpression plasmid to study the effects of miR-489-3p on LPS-induced human NP cells. Cell apoptosis and cell viability were also determined using flow cytometry and MTT assays, respectively. Finally, ELISAs were performed to analyze the levels of inflammatory factors. The expression levels of miR-489-3p were discovered to be downregulated in LPS-treated human NP cells. In addition, TLR4 was revealed to be a direct target gene of miR-489-3p, and its expression levels were upregulated in LPS-treated human NP cells. miR-489-3p was found to inhibit the LPS-induced decreases in cell viability and increases in apoptosis, and the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, miR-489-3p suppressed the LPS-induced decreases in extracellular matrix deposi tion via decreasing the expression levels of aggrecan and collagen type II in human NP cells. Finally, the results revealed that miR-489-3p inhibited the LPS-induced activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in human NP cells. Conversely, all of the effects of miR-489-3p on LPS-induced human NP cells were reversed by the TLR4 overexpression plasmid. These findings suggested that miR-489-3p may represent a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of IDD. PMID:34630677 | PMC:PMC8495590 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10758 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Efficacy and safety of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate in nucleoside analogue treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Efficacy and safety of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate in nucleoside analogue treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1325. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10760. Epub 2021 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) is a first-line drug for the antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. In the present study, the efficacy and renal safety of TAF were evaluated in treatment-naive patients with CHB. Patients with CHB who had not been previously treated with nucleoside analogues (NAs) were recruited before TAF treatment was initiated. Changes in the levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were analyzed at 24 and 48 weeks using immunoassays. In addition, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) were analyzed using transient elastography, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, calcium (Ca) and inorga nic phosphorus (IP) levels were measured using biochemistry assay. In addition, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated. After 48 weeks, the ALT normalization rate was 95.24% (40/42), the complete virological response (HBV DNA <20 IU/ml) rate was 69.05% (29/42) and the HBeAg seroconversion rate was 8.57% (3/35). The levels of HBV DNA and HBsAg were significantly decreased from the baseline at 5.49±1.95 to 1.26±0.66 log10 IU/ml and from 3.59±0.81 to 3.32±0.55 log10 IU/ml after 48 weeks of treatment, respectively. Compared with that in the baseline measurements, LSM at 48 weeks was significantly decreased from 13.00±8.15 to 8.66±4.45 kPa. No significant differences were observed in the TG, TC, LDL-C, CAP, eGFR, Ca and IP measurements. According to the baseline ALT levels, patients were divided into group A [ALT ≤1 x upper limit of normal (ULN); ULN=50 U/l; n=21], group B (1 x ULN < ALT <2 x ULN; n=22) and group C (ALT ≥2 x ULN; n=18). A significant decrease in HBsAg levels was observed in group B (3.63±0.68 vs. 3.53±0.63 log10 IU/ml) and group C (4.15±0.57 vs. 3.66±0.48 log10 IU/ml) at 24 weeks compared with the baseline. In conclusion, TAF was found to be effective and safe in NA treatment-naive patients with CHB. Moreover, the higher the ALT levels, the more prominent the curative effect from TAF treatment. Therefore, NA treatment-naive CHB patients could benefit from TAF treatment in real world. PMID:34630679 | PMC:PMC8495544 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10760 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Yiqi Huoxue preserves heart function by upregulating the Sigma-1 receptor in rats with myocardial infarction

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Yiqi Huoxue preserves heart function by upregulating the Sigma-1 receptor in rats with myocardial infarction Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1308. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10743. Epub 2021 Sep 16. ABSTRACT Yiqi Huoxue (YQHX) is widely used in traditional Chinese medical practice due to its reported cardioprotective effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism underlying these effects of YQHX via the regulation of the Sigma-1 receptor. The Sigma-1 receptor is a chaperone protein located on the mitochondrion-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. It serves an important role in heart function by regulating intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and enhancing cellular bioenergetics. In the present study, male Sprague Dawley rats with myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure were used. MI rats were administered different treatments, including normal saline, YQHX and fluvoxamine, an agonist of the Sigma-1 receptor. Following four weeks of treatment, YQHX was revealed to improve heart function and attenuate my ocardial hypertrophy in MI rats. Additionally, YQHX increased the ATP content and improved the mitochondrial ultrastructure in the heart tissues of MI rats in comparison with acontrol. Treatment was revealed to attenuate the decreased expression of the Sigma-1 receptor and increase the expression of inositol triphosphate type 2 receptors (IP3R2) in MI rats. By exposing H9c2 cells to angiotensin II (Ang II), YQHX prevented cell hypertrophy and normalized the decreased ATP content. However, these positive effects were partially inhibited when the Sigma-1 receptor was knocked down via small interfering RNA transfection. The results of the present study suggested that the Sigma-1 receptor serves an important role in the cardioprotective efficacy of YQHX by increasing ATP content and attenuating cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. PMID:34630662 | PMC:PMC8461621 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10743 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Skin anomalies in acromegalic patients (Review of the practical aspects)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Skin anomalies in acromegalic patients (Review of the practical aspects) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1330. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10765. Epub 2021 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder which occurs as the result of growth hormone (GH) and insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) over-secretion; both hormones are related to skin anomalies. The skin acts as a large endocrine organ, hosting GH receptors in every cell while IGF-1 receptors are expressed only in keratinocytes. This review is a literature review of skin anomalies found in acromegaly, either related to the disease itself or associated with related complications such as secondary diabetes mellitus, or involving associated conditions such as genetic syndromes. The following clinical points are mentioned as follows. Excessive skin and enlargement of soft tissue are due to glycosaminoglycan deposits, edema, and hyperhidrosis (mostly facial and acral). Acanthosis nigricans, a body fold dermatosis associated with insulin resistance, involves local o r diffuse hyperkeratotic plaques with or without hyperpigmentation, caused by growth factors including GH/IGF-1. Other findings include cherry angiomas (due to the effects of lipid anomalies on small vessels); oily skin features with keratosis, epidermoid cysts, crochordons, pseudo-acanthosis nigricans; a potentially higher prevalence of varicose veins and psoriasis; low level of evidence for basal cell carcinoma, respective hidroadenitis suppurativa has been noted. In addition, complicated uncontrolled secondary diabetes mellitus (DM) may result in necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic dermopathy, skin bacterial infections, dermatological complications of diabetic neuropathy, and nephropathy. Finally, associated hereditary syndromes may cause collagenomas, fibromas/angiofibromas, lipomas in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome; café-au-lait macules, early onset neurofibromas, juvenile xanthogranuloma (involving non-Langerhans cell histiocytes), and intertrigi nous freckling in neurofibromatosis type 1. Clinical findings are differentiated from pseudo-acromegaly such as pachydermoperiostosis. Iatrogenic rash, lipodystrophy (lipoatrophy with/without lipohypertrophy) are rarely reported after pegvisomant/somatostatin analogues or after insulin use for DM. Experiments using human cell lines have shown that GH/IGF-1 over-secretion are prone to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in melanoma. In non-acromegalic subjects, the exact role of GH/IGF-1 in skin tumorigenesis is yet to be determined. Skin in acromegaly speaks for itself, either as the first step of disease identification or as a complication or part of a complex syndromic context. PMID:34630684 | PMC:PMC8495547 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10765 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Effects of Psoralea corylifolia L. seed extract on AGEs-induced cell proliferation and fibrotic factor expression in mesangial cells

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of <em>Psoralea corylifolia</em> L. seed extract on AGEs-induced cell proliferation and fibrotic factor expression in mesangial cells Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1332. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10767. Epub 2021 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Diabetic nephropathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes that is characterized by mesangial expansion and thickening of the glomerular basement membrane. The production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) increases in diabetic patients. Activation of the receptor of AGE (RAGE) signaling pathway induces mesangial expansion via the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated production of pro-inflammatory and extracellular matrix molecules. The Psoralea corylifolia L. seed (PCS) is a widely used herbal medicine with various biological activities. The current study investigated the effect of PCS extract on mesangial cell proliferation and the RAGE signaling pathway in SV40 MES 13 cells. SV40 MES 13 cells were harvested after treatment with various concentrations of PCS extract at 10 µg/ml AGEs for 24 h. The results revealed that the PCS extract inhibited AGEs-induced mesangial cell proliferation and cyclin protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the AGEs-induced expression of fibrotic factors, such as transforming growth factor β, fibronectin and collagen, was reduced in mesangial cells after exposure to the PCS extract. The PCS extract also reduced RAGE expression and inhibited the expression of its downstream signaling pathways, such as NADPH oxidase, intracellular ROS and phospho-NF-κB. In conclusion, the data suggested that the PCS extract attenuated AGEs-induced renal mesangial cell proliferation and fibrosis via the suppression of oxidative stress and the downregulation of inflammatory and fibrotic factor expression. PMID:34630686 | PMC:PMC8495585 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10767 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Spongiotic reaction patterns in autoimmune bullous dermatoses (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Spongiotic reaction patterns in autoimmune bullous dermatoses (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1334. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10769. Epub 2021 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Spongiosis or a spongiotic reaction pattern is the histological hallmark of intercellular epidermal edema, viewed as clear spaces within the epidermis. Although considered a histopathological term, spongiosis has clinical correlations, with the variable degrees of spongiotic reaction leading to different dermatological findings. This review aimed to highlight the spongiotic reactive patterns found in different autoimmune bullous dermatoses, considering the paucity of publications in this domain. The pathogenesis of spongiosis assumes the passage of extravasated edema fluid from the dermis into the epidermis, frequently accompanied by dermal inflammatory cells, and classification of the spongiotic reaction patterns, as well as their associated spongiotic dermatitis, take into consideration the type and distribution of these inflammatory cells. It is mandatory to consider different reactive processes, specific for other skin disorders, which act as simulants of different spongiotic patterns for the diagnosis. Considering the possible transient occurrence, the heterogeneity and non-specificity of the histopathological features of these diseases, the diagnosis is very complex, requiring clinicopathological correlations and additional analyses. A deep insight into spongiosis pathogeny may open the perspectives of a classification refinement of autoimmune bullous dermatoses. PMID:34630688 | PMC:PMC8495556 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10769 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Panax notoginseng saponins alleviate osteoporosis and joint destruction in rabbits with antigen-induced arthritis

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader <em>Panax notoginseng</em> saponins alleviate osteoporosis and joint destruction in rabbits with antigen-induced arthritis Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1302. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10737. Epub 2021 Sep 16. ABSTRACT Although a number of anti-rheumatic drugs and biologics may be used to alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), these compounds have been associated with bone loss and joint destruction; thus, alternative treatment approaches are required. In the present study, various plant extracts were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit joint destruction, and Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Panax notoginseng, was identified as such a compound. Therefore, a rabbit antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) model was generated by immunization with ovalbumin in Freund's complete adjuvant, followed by treatment with PNS for 3 months. The morphology of the quadriceps femoris muscle, cartilage chondrocytes and skeletal elements was histologically observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as micro-computed tomography. The results revealed that PNS significantly reduced the histopathological alterations associated with arthritic muscular atrophy and inflammation. In addition, TEM demonstrated that PNS protected chondrocytes from RA-associated damage. Furthermore, the bone density and microarchitecture in rabbits treated with PNS were markedly improved compared with those of the model group. Collectively, these data indicated that treatment with PNS may relieve osteoporosis and prevent joint and bone destruction in AIA. PMID:34630657 | PMC:PMC8461612 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10737 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Enhanced expression of KIF4A in osteosarcoma predicts a poor prognosis and facilitates tumor growth by activation of the MAPK pathway

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Enhanced expression of KIF4A in osteosarcoma predicts a poor prognosis and facilitates tumor growth by activation of the MAPK pathway Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1339. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10774. Epub 2021 Sep 22. ABSTRACT The present study aimed to explore the prognostic value and role of kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) expression in human osteosarcoma. KIF4A expression was evaluated in human osteosarcoma tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was then applied to assess KIF4A level in both osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues. The association between KIF4A expression and clinical results in patients with osteosarcoma was detected by survival analysis. MTT assays and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the effects of KIF4A on osteosarcoma cell proliferation. The results indicated that the level of KIF4A was increased and associated with a poor prognosis in osteosarcoma tissues. Knockdown of KIF4A was shown to inhibit osteosarcoma cellular proliferation by affecting the MAPK pathway . The level of KIF4A was high in the human osteosarcoma tissues and this could be considered as a tumor induction gene, which may be used as an indicator of prognosis. PMID:34630693 | PMC:PMC8495555 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10774 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.