BACKGROUND:Our previous studies have shown that a soft substrate has a significant effect on morphology and cytoskeleton of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of polyacrylamide gels as soft substrates with different elastic moduli on the chondrogenic differentiation of human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels.
METHODS:The synovium was harvested from patients with osteoarthritis under sterile conditions, and primary human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels were separated using limiting dilution assay. The flow cytometry and multi-directional differentiation experiments were used to identify the cel surface markers and function of the human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels, respectively. The polyacrylamide gels with the elastic modulus of 0.4, 6, 30 kPa, which were made using various amounts of acrylamide and bis-acrylamide, were used to culture human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels under induction with transforming growth factor-β1 for 7 and 14 days. RT-PCR was used to test the expression of chondrogenic genes, type II colagen gene and cartilage acidic protein 1. The 6-wel cel culture plates served as controls.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels showed different cel morphology in the different elastic modulus of polyacrylamide gels. The expression of type II colagen gene and cartilage acidic protein 1 were affected by the different elastic modulus of polyacrylamide gels and culture time, and there was an interaction between these two factors. At 7 days of induction, the expression of cartilage acidic protein 1 gene on 6 kPa polyacrylamide gels was the highest (F=44.350,P=0.000); meanwhile, the expression of type II colagen gene on 0.4 kPa polyacrylamide gels was the highest (F=6.384,P=0.005). These findings indicate that polyacrylamide gels with lower elastic modulus are superior to routine culture plates to promote the chondrogenic differentiation of human synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cels.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with femoral neck fracture in Tianjin Hospital.Methods:Data of femoral neck fracture patients discharged from Tianjin Hospital from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The gender, age, fracture type, injury mechanism and treatment method were collected.Results:Total of 2,150 eligible patients including 736 males and 1414 females were selected. There were significant differences in the gender distribution in different age groups ( χ2=91.63, P<0.001). Among young patients, males were more than females, while among middle-aged and elderly patients, females were more than males. The main type of fracture was displaced type (75.56%, 1,646/2,150), the displaced rate was the lowest in young patients (55.17%, 64/116), while it was the highest in old patients (81.91%, 1,159/1,415). The main injury mechanism of the three age groups were falls [young 61.21% (71/116), middle 80.29% (497/619), eldly 91.24% (1,291/1,415)]. There was a significant difference in the treatment methods between different age groups ( χ2=1,057.11, P<0.001). The main treatment method for young and middle-aged patients was internal fixation, no matter whether the fracture was displaced or not. The proportion of undisplaced patients with internal fixation (86.22%, 169/196) was higher than that of displaced patients with internal fixation (62.88%, 266/423) in middle-aged group ( χ2=34.93, P<0.001). In the elderly, more patients used internal fixation in undisplaced group, while more patients used hemiarthroplasty in displaced group. The age of old femoral neck fracture (median age was 74) was older than that of fresh fracture (median age was 70) ( Z=-2.777, P=0.005). And the displaced rate of patients with old femoral neck fracture (92.41%, 73/79) was higher than that of the fresh ones (75.95%, 1,573/2,071)( χ2=11.48, P=0.001). The patients with old femoral neck fracture usually adopt total hip replacement, while the proportion of three kinds of operation (internal fixation, hemiarthroplasty, total hip replacement) were similar among the fresh ones, and the internal fixation was the most. Conclusion:Femoral neck fracture is the most common in elderly women. The patients with displaced fracture are more than that with undisplaced fracture. Falling is the main injury mechanism in both young and old people. Internal fixation is commonly used in young and middle-aged patients, while arthroplasty is often used in elderly patients.

Objective:To investigate the relationship of CD4+T lymphocytes and related cytokines with the prognosis of pa-tients with chronic heart failure.Methods:The relevant data of 200 patients with chronic heart failure admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University between January 2018 and November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.T lymphocytes and re-lated cytokines in all patients were measured.The patients were followed up for 1 year to evaluate the prognosis,and dividied the levels of CD4+T lymphocytes and related cytokines in the good prognosis group and the poor prognosis group were compared.The patients'da-ta were analyzed to screen the prognostic factors.Results:The incidence of poor prognosis was 20.5%.The level of Th1 cells and Th1/Th2 in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group,and the level of Th2 cells was signifi-cantly lower than that in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interferon-gamma(IFN-γ)in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group.The levels of IL-4 and IL-6 were lower than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased levels of Th2 cells and Hb,increased Th1 cells,BNP and cardiac function were prognostic factors(P<0.05).Conclusion:The levels of CD4+T lymphocytes and related cytokines are abnormal in patients with chronic heart failure,which are closely related to the prognosis.

Objective:To compare the clinical results and costs of treatment between internal fixation and total hip replacement in patients aged 60 to 75 years with femoral neck fractures, in order to provide a reference basis for choosing the appropriate surgical procedure for patients in this age group.Methods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 69 patients treated with internal fixation and 88 patients treated with total hip replacement for femoral neck fractures, and collected relevant data to analyze the differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis between the two groups.Results:The total hip replacement group was older than the internal fixation group[68(64, 72) vs.63(61, 68), Z=-4.536, P<0.001]. There were 20 men(29.0%)and 49 women(71.0%)in the internal fixation group, and 13 men(14.8%)and 75 women(85.2%)in the total hip replacement group.Both groups had more women than men( χ2=4.706, P=0.030). The ratio of the displaced type to the non-displaced type was higher in the total hip replacement group than in the internal fixation group(90.9% vs.46.4%, χ2=37.510, P<0.001). Postoperative serum albumin levels were lower than preoperative levels in both groups, with greater decreases in the total hip replacement group than in the internal fixation group[(9.06±3.45)g/L vs.(7.07±3.37)g/L, t=-3.393, P=0.001]. The total hip replacement group had a higher intraoperative bleeding volume and blood transfusion volume than the internal fixation group( P<0.05), and the days of hospitalization[12(9, 14)d]and hospitalization costs[￥89222.1(84826.8, 93040.0)]were higher than those in the internal fixation group[9(8, 10)d; ￥51158.9(47816.5, 54098.4), Z=-5.138, -10.737, P<0.001 for both]. Weight-bearing after total hip replacement occurred earlier than the internal fixation group[32.0(28.0, 36.5)d vs.92.0(89.3, 95.5)d, Z=-10.228, P<0.001]. There were no significant differences between the two types of surgery for non-displaced femoral neck fractures at 1 year after surgery in the Harris hip score and the quality of life score EQ-5D.For patients with displacement, the rates of excellent and good outcomes based on the Harris score for the total hip replacement group were significantly higher than those for the internal fixation group at 1 year after surgery(97.5% vs.81.3%, χ2=6.697, P=0.010); the postoperative quality of life score EQ-5D was also better than that of the internal fixation group[0.9(0.7, 1.0) vs.1.0(1.0, 1.0), Z=-4.785, P<0.001], and the incidence of postoperative pain and anxiety was lower than that in the internal fixation group(6.3% vs.28.1%, 1.3%, vs.50.0%, χ2=7.928, 38.032, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The mortality and short-term postoperative complications between internal fixation and total hip replacement have no significant differences.There is no significant difference in postoperative function between the two surgical methods for patients with non-displaced femoral neck fractures.For patients with displacement, total hip arthroplasty is superior to internal fixation.The cost of initial hospitalization for internal fixation is significantly lower than for total hip replacement.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of matrix metalloproteinas-es(MMPs)and toll-like receptor 9(TLR9)in patients with acute leukemia.Methods A total of 44 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)were enrolled in the ALL group,30 patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)were included in AML group,and 44 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination during the same period were included in the control group.Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in all three groups.The expression of TLR9 mRNA and TLR9 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and western blot,respectively.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to explore the correlations of the malignancy of different clinical subtypes of acute leukemia with the expression levels of MMPs and TLR9 protein.Results Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were significantly higher in the ALL and AML groups compared to the control group,with the AML group showing higher levels than the ALL group(P＜0.01).The relative expressions of TLR9 mRNA and TLR9 protein in PBMCs in both the ALL and AML groups were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the AML group had lower expression than the ALL group(P＜0.01).Spearman's rank correlation a-nalysis revealed positive correlations of serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 with the malig-nancy of both ALL and AML(P＜0.05),while the relative expression of TLR9 protein was negatively correlated with the malignancy of both ALL and AML(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 are significantly elevated in patients with acute leukemia,while TLR9 expression is significantly reduced in PBMCs.The abnormal overexpression of MMPs may promote extramedullary infiltration and immune escape of acute leukemia cells by inhibiting TLR9 expres-sion,thereby accelerating the malignant progression of the tumor.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of matrix metalloproteinas-es(MMPs)and toll-like receptor 9(TLR9)in patients with acute leukemia.Methods A total of 44 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)were enrolled in the ALL group,30 patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)were included in AML group,and 44 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination during the same period were included in the control group.Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in all three groups.The expression of TLR9 mRNA and TLR9 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and western blot,respectively.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to explore the correlations of the malignancy of different clinical subtypes of acute leukemia with the expression levels of MMPs and TLR9 protein.Results Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were significantly higher in the ALL and AML groups compared to the control group,with the AML group showing higher levels than the ALL group(P＜0.01).The relative expressions of TLR9 mRNA and TLR9 protein in PBMCs in both the ALL and AML groups were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the AML group had lower expression than the ALL group(P＜0.01).Spearman's rank correlation a-nalysis revealed positive correlations of serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 with the malig-nancy of both ALL and AML(P＜0.05),while the relative expression of TLR9 protein was negatively correlated with the malignancy of both ALL and AML(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum levels of MMP-2,MMP-7,and MMP-9 are significantly elevated in patients with acute leukemia,while TLR9 expression is significantly reduced in PBMCs.The abnormal overexpression of MMPs may promote extramedullary infiltration and immune escape of acute leukemia cells by inhibiting TLR9 expres-sion,thereby accelerating the malignant progression of the tumor.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells in hyperbaric oxygen caused pulmonary oxygen toxicity.Methods Mice were divided into the control group that was exposed to normal air,and hyperbaric oxygen exposure groups treated with phosphate buffer saline(PBS)or exosomes,respectively.PBS and exosome treatment were given one day prior to exposure.Mice were subjected to 0.23 MPa pure oxygen for 8 hours.The lung wet-dry ratio,inflammation,exudation and pathological injury were analyzed,while cell death and antioxidant related molecules were detected.Results Pretreatment with exosome significantly attenuated lung injury caused by hyperbaric oxygen exposure by decreasing the lung wet-dry ratio,inflammation,and cell apoptosis.Conclusion Prophylactic administration of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells can alleviate hyperbaric oxygen induced pulmonary oxygen poisoning by attenuating cell death and inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between serum 25(OH) vitamin D and liver fat content in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: A total of 120 patients with NAFLD admitted in our hospital between June and August, 2017 were enrolled and divided into 4 groups with different serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels: >75 nmol/L (group A, =25), 50-75 nmol/L (group B, =35), 25-50 nmol/L (group C, =32), and < 25 nmol/L (group D, =28). For all the patients, serum 25 (OH) vitamin D level was measured by ELISA, and liver fat content was determined using in-phase opposed-phase TWI sequences. The measurement data were compared among the 4 groups to assess the association between serum 25(OH) vitamin D level and liver fat content. RESULTS: The liver fat content appeared to be higher in group B (28.66±6.45%) and group C (38.74±11.47%) than in group A (22.79 ± 6.10%), but the difference was not statistically significant (>0.05); the liver fat content in group D (54.79 ± 5.28%) was significantly higher than that in the other 3 groups (>0.05). Liver fat content increased significantly as serum 25(OH) vitamin D level decreased, showing an inverse correlation between them in these patients ( < 0.05, =-0.125). CONCLUSIONS In patients with NAFLD, a decreased serum 25(OH) vitamin D level is associated with an increased liver fat content, suggesting the value of serum 25(OH) vitamin D as a predictor of NAFLD.
Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; blood ; pathology ; Vitamin D ; blood