BACKGROUND: Incidence rate of cervical osteoarthritis in the middleaged and elderly is high. Some researches on risk factor causing cervical osteoarthritis have been performed abroad, but most of the factors are being discussed.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurring cervical osteoarthritis risk factors in the middle-aged and elderly from different regions of China and provide evidences for prevention and intervention of cervical osteoarthritis in community.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: Beijing Hospital, Ministry of Health, together with Second Hospital of Xi'an Jiantong University, Institute of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine of Hebei Medical University, Shanghai Huadong Hospital, Nanfang Hospital, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University.PARTICIPANTS: The investigation was conducted from July to August2005. On the basis of stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method, 6 218formal registered permanent residents of over 40 years old from Xi'an,Shijiazhuang, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Harbin and Chengdu were enrolled.They all agreed to join the investigation voluntarily. There were 2 916males of 40-94 years and 3 302 females of 40-86 years.METHODS: Questionnaire investigation of epidemiology of cervical osteoarthritis was performed in the testees, and radiograph was used in the persons with clinical symptom. The basic sample unit was neighborhood committee (city) and village committee (countryside). Sampling method:Taking each city as a whole, composed of two levels, namely city and countryside, in the first phase the persons were extracted from district (county),in the second phase from sub-district (countryside), in the third phase from neighborhood committee (village eommittee). Diagnosis standard of cervical osteoarthritis was positive clinical symptom and 2 grade or above of radiograph Kellgren & Lawrence grading. The content of questionnaire contained 6 aspects: general condition, history of present illness, history of past illness, physical check-up, radiographs and disease diagnosis, totally94 questions and 141 variation indexes. Influential factors of prevalence rate of cervical osteoarthritis were analyzed using multifactor non-conditional Logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio (OR) was used for expressing index of strength of relationship between disease and exposures. If OR ＞ 1,it was indicated that there was positive correlation between disease occurrence and exposures. If OR ＜ 1, it was suggested that there was negative correlation between disease occurrence and exposures.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence rate of cervical osteoarthritis in each city and OR.RESULTS: Totally 6 218 investigational subjects were included in the result analysis, without drop out. ①Total prevalence rate of cervical osteoarthritis in population of 40 years or above from 6 domestic cities was23.6%. There was significnat difference of prevalence rate in each city (P＜0.01). ②Result of Logistic regression analysis: Age (OR=1.010-1.058),defecation with squat ting pot (OR =1.024-1.997) and history of hypertension (OR =1.815-3.078) were common risk factor in most areas. In northern area the common risk factor compos ed of daily stair climbing or grade climbing (OR =1.018-1.020), while drinking colored wine (OR=3.451, Xi'an), history of osteoarthri tis of father (OR =2.491, Xi'an), history of diabetes (OR =5.013, Shijiazhuang), history of osteoarthritis of mother (OR =2.045, Shanghai), smoking (OR =6.857, Guangzhou), age of starting drinking (OR =3.044, Guangzhou) and full-time athletic sports (OR=9.020, Harbin), etc. emerged in different areas.CONCLUSION: The onset of cervical osteoarthritis has the same risk factor in 6 domestic areas, and main risk factor in different areas has certain differences, which can provide reference data for the prevention and cure of cervical osteoarthritis for the future and reduce waster of medical resources.

Objective To explore the role of apoptosis signal regulating kinase 1(ASK1) in inflammatory mediated secondary injury after spinal cord injury(SCI) in rats.Methods The rat contusion SCI model was used.Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group(Sham),normal saline(Saline group) and inflammatory factors group (Cytokine group) respectively.The expressions of ASK1 and phosphorylated ASK1(pASK1) were detected by using Western blot.The Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) scores and Grid Walking method were performed to assess the behavior changes of injured rat hindlimbs.Somatosensory evoked potential(SEP) and motor evoked potential(MEP) were used to examine the electrophysiological change.Results The expression levels of ASK1 mRNA and protein had no obvious change at 1 week after SCI;the pASK1 expression level in the Cytokine group was significantly up-regulated compared with the Saline group(P=0.002);the BBB scores at 3 or 4 weeks after SCI in the Cytokine group was significantly decreased compared with the Saline group (P =0.000,P =0.000);the hindlimbs missed step rate at 4 weeks following SCI in the Cytokine group was increased compared with the Saline group (P =0.032);the latent period of SEP and MEP in the Cytokine group was prolonged(P =0.043,P =0.045),while the wave peak value had no obvious changed (P =0.889,P=0.434).Conclusion Inflammatory cytokines may lead the hindlimbs movement dysfunction to be aggravated after SCI in rat,its mechanism may be related with the phosphorylation elevation of ASK1.

BACKGROUNDGenetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, but less is known about the genetic determinants of osteoporosis treatment. We aimed to explore the association between the gene polymorphisms of key enzyme farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDPS) in mevalonate signaling pathway of osteoclast and response to alendronate therapy in osteoporotic postmenopausal women in China.

METHODSThe study group comprised 639 postmenopausal women aged (62.2 ± 7.0) years with osteoporosis or osteopenia who had been randomly assigned to low dose group (70 mg/2 w) or standard dose group (70 mg/w) of alendronate in this 1-year study. We identified allelic variant of the FDPS gene using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme Faul. Before and after treatment, serum levels of calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cross linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) were detected. Bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured. The association was analyzed between the polymorphisms of FDPS gene and the changes of BMD, bone turnover biomarkers after the treatment.

RESULTSThe FDPS rs2297480 polymorphisms were associated with baseline BMD at femoral neck, and patients with CC genotype had significantly higher baseline femoral neck BMD ((733.6 ± 84.1) mg/cm(2)) than those with AC genotypes ((703.0 ± 86.9) mg/cm(2)) and AA genotypes ((649.8 ± 62.4) mg/cm(2)) (P < 0.01). No significant difference in BMD at lumbar spine was observed among different genotypes of FDPS. The percentage change of serum ALP level was significantly lower in patients with CC genotype (-22.9%) than that in those with AC genotype (-24.1%) and AA genotype (-29.8%) of FDPS after 12 months of alendronate treatment (P < 0.05). Neither percentage change of BMD nor β-CTX level after alendronate treatment had association with FDPS genotype.

CONCLUSIONSFDPS gene was probably a candidate gene to predict femoral neck BMD at baseline. FDPS gene alleles could predict change percentage of ALP after treatment of alendronate, but possibly had no significant relationship with the responsiveness of BMD to alendronate therapy.

Alendronate ; therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Geranyltranstransferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic