PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between dislocation and functional outcomes in supination-external rotation (SER) ankle fractures. METHODS: A retrospective case series study was performed on patients with ankle fractures treated surgically at a large trauma center from January 2015 to December 2021. The inclusion criteria were young and middle-aged patients of 18 - 65 years with SER ankle fractures that can be classified by Lauge-Hansen classification and underwent surgery at our trauma center. Exclusion criteria were serious life-threatening diseases, open fractures, fractures delayed for more than 3 weeks, fracture sites ≥ 2, etc. Then patients were divided into dislocation and no-dislocation groups. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, surgery-related outcomes, and postoperative functional outcomes were collected and analyzed. The functional outcomes of SER ankle fractures were assessed postoperatively at 1-year face-to-face follow-up using the foot and ankle outcome score (FAOS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle hindfoot score and by 2 experienced orthopedic physicians. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 by Chi-square or t-test. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 371 ankle fractures. Among them, 190 (51.2%) were SER patterns with 69 (36.3%) combined with dislocations. Compared with the no-dislocation group, the dislocation group showed no statistically significant differences in gender, age composition, fracture type, diabetes, or smoking history, preoperative waiting time, operation time, and length of hospital stay (all p > 0.05), but a significantly higher Lauge-Hansen injury grade (p < 0.001) and syndesmotic screw fixation rate (p = 0.033). Moreover, the functional recovery was poorer, revealing a significantly lower FAOS in the sport/rec scale (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that among SER IV ankle fracture patients, FAOS was much lower in pain (p = 0.042) and sport/rec scales (p < 0.001) for those with dislocations. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle hindfoot score revealed no significant difference between dislocation and no-dislocation patients. CONCLUSION Dislocation in SER ankle fractures suggests more severe injury and negatively affects functional recovery, mainly manifested as more pain and poorer motor function, especially in SER IV ankle cases.
Humans ; Ankle Fractures/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Supination ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Rotation ; Joint Dislocations/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Adolescent ; Recovery of Function ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing the differential miRNA in seminal plasma between individuals with normal and abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation index（DFI）, we aim to identify miRNA that may impact sperm DNA integrity and target genes, and attempt to analyze their potential mechanisms of action. METHODS: A total of 161 study subjects were collected and divided into normal control group, DFI-medium group and DFI-abnormal group based on the DFI detection values. Differential miRNA were identified through miRNA chip analysis. Through bioinformatics analysis and target gene prediction, miRNA related to DFI and specific target genes were identified. The relative expression levels of differential miRNA and target genes in each group were compared to explore the impact of their differential expression on DFI. RESULTS: Through miRNA chip analysis, a total of 11 differential miRNA were detected. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that miR-26a-5p may be associated with reduced sperm DNA integrity. And gene prediction indicated that PTEN was a specific target gene of miR-26a-5p. Compared to the normal control group, the relative expression levels of miR-26a-5p in both the DFI-medium group and the DFI-abnormal group showed a decrease, while the relative expression levels of PTEN showed an increase. The relative expression levels of miR-26a-5p in all groups were negatively correlated with DFI values, while the relative expression levels of PTEN showed a positive correlation with DFI values in the DFI-medium group and the DFI-abnormal group. The AUC of miR-26a-5p in the DFI-medium group was 0.740 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 73.6% and a specificity of 71.5%; the AUC of PTEN was 0.797 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 76.5% and a specificity of 78.4%. In the DFI-abnormal group, the AUC of miR-26a-5p was 0.848 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 78.1%. While the AUC of PTEN was 0.763 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 77.2% and a specificity of 80.2%. CONCLUSION miR-26a-5p affects the integrity of sperm DNA by regulating the expression of PTEN negatively. The relative expression levels of seminal plasma miR-26a-5p and PTEN have good diagnostic value for sperm DNA integrity damage, which can help in the etiological diagnosis and prognosis analysis of abnormal DFI. This provides a diagnostic and treatment approach for the study and diagnosis of DFI abnormalities without clear etiology.
Male ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase/genetics* ; Spermatozoa ; Semen/metabolism* ; DNA Fragmentation

Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Microspheres ; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology* ; Mutation ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Fluoroquinolones ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between spinous process deviation and lumbar disc herniation in young patients. METHODS: From March 2015 to January 2022, 30 treated young (under the age of 30) patients with lumbar disc herniation were included as the young group. In addition 30 middle-aged patients (quinquagenarian group) with lumbar disc herniation and 30 patients with non-degenerative spinal diseases (young non-degenerative group) were selected as control groups. The angle of the spinous process deviation was measured on CT and statistically analyzed by various groups. All the data were measured twice and the average value was taken and recorded. RESULTS: The average angle of spinous process deviation in the degenerative lumbar vertebra of young patients were (3.89±3.77) degrees, similar to the (3.72±2.98) degrees of quinquagenarian patients(P=0.851). The average angle of s spinous process deviation young non-degenerative group were (2.20±2.28) degrees, significantly less than young group(P=0.040). The spinous process deviation angle of the superior vertebral of the degenerative lumbar in the young group was (4.10±3.44) degrees, which similar to the (3.47±2.87) degrees in the quinquagenarian group (P=0.447). A total of 19 young patients had the opposite deviation direction of the spinous process of the degenerative lumbar vertebra and upper vertebra, while only 7 quinquagenarian patients had this condition(P=0.02). The type of lumbar disc herniation in young patients had no significant relationship with the direction of spinous process deflection of the degenerative or upper lumbar vertebra (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Spinous process deviation is a risk factor of young lumbar disc herniation patients. If the deviation directions of adjacent lumbar spinous processes are opposite, it will increase the incidence of lumbar disc herniation in young patients. There was no significant correlation between the type of disc herniation and the deviation direction of the spinous process of the degenerative or upper lumbar vertebra. People with such anatomical variation can strengthen the stability of spine and prevent lumbar disc herniation through reasonable exercise.
Middle Aged ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/complications* ; Vertebral Body ; Spinal Diseases ; Spinal Fusion/adverse effects* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/etiology*

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

To deepen the understanding of the acupoint indications, clarify the targeting of acupoints, and provide a basis for the composition of acupuncture prescriptions, it is suggested to add acupoint identification into the textbook Meridians and Acupoints, and a preliminary assumption that relevant acupoints can be identified by taking the indications, locations, and meridians as the key points is proposed. In this paper, acupoints for treating stomach disease, acupoints of eye region, and five-shu points of lung meridian are taken as examples, combined with ancient literature and modern scientific research achievements, the main indications of acupoint is identified, which is of great significance to the discipline's development, talent training, and achievement transformation.
Meridians ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture

Objectives: To summarize the clinical phenotypes and the variation spectrum of ATP7B gene in Chinese children with Wilson's disease (WD) and to investigate their significance for early diagnosis. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 316 children diagnosed as WD in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center during the period from January 2010 to June 2021. The general situations, clinical manifestations, lab test results, imaging examinations, and ATP7B gene variant characteristics were collected. The patients were divided into asymptomatic WD group and symptomatic WD group based on the presence or absence of clinical symptoms at the time that WD diagnosis was made. The χ² test, t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the differences between groups. Results: Among the 316 children with WD, 199 were males and 117 were females, with the age of 5.4 (4.0, 7.6) years at diagnosis; 261 cases (82.6%) were asymptomatic with the age of 4.9 (3.9, 6.4) years; whereas 55 cases (17.4%) were symptomatic with the age of 9.6 (7.3, 12.0) years. The main symptoms invloved liver, kidney, nervous system, or skin damage. Of all the patients, 95.9% (303/316) had abnormal liver function at diagnosis; 98.1% (310/316) had the serum ceruloplasmin lever lower than 200 mg/L; 97.7% (302/309) had 24-hour urine copper content exceeding 40 μg; only 7.4% (23/310) had positive corneal K-F rings, 8.2% (23/281) had abnormal MRI signals in the lenticular nucleus, and all of them had symptoms of damage in liver, kidney or nervous system. Compared with the group of symptomatic WD, asymptomatic group had higher levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and lower levels ceruloplasmin and 24-hour urine copper [(208±137) vs. (72±78) U/L, (55±47) vs. (69±48) mg/L, 103 (72, 153) vs. 492 (230, 1 432) μg; t=9.98, -1.98, Z=-4.89, all P<0.001]. Among the 314 patients completing genetic sequencing, a total of 107 mutations in ATP7B gene were detected, of which 10 are novel variants, and 3 cases (1.0%) had large heterozygous deletion (exons 10 to exon 11) in ATP7B gene. The percentage of missense mutation in asymptomatic WD children was significantly higher than that in symptomatic WD (81.5% (422/518) vs. 69.1% (76/110), χ²=8.47, P<0.05). WD patients carrying homozygous variant of c.2 333G>T had significantly low levels of ceruloplasmin than those not carrying this variant ((23±5) vs. (61±48) mg/L, t=-2.34, P<0.001). Conclusions: The elevation of serum ALT is an important clue for early diagnosis of WD in children, while serum ceruloplasmin and 24-hour urine copper content are specific markers for early diagnosis of WD. In order to confirm the diagnosis of WD, it is necessary to combine the Sanger sequencing with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification or other testing technologies.
Ceruloplasmin/metabolism* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Copper/metabolism* ; Copper-Transporting ATPases/genetics* ; Female ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration/genetics* ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To observe the effect of acupoint catgut embedding on the expression of inflammatory factor mRNA in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) signal pathway of vascular dementia (VD) rats, and to explore the protective mechanism of acupoint catgut embedding on the brain inflammatory response of VD rats. Methods VD model was established by the modified Pulsinelli ' s four vessel blocking method. Totally 148 male rats were randomly divided into VD model group, non acupoint catgut embedding group and acupoint catgut embedding group. On the 7th day after operation, catgut embedding at acupoints and catgut embedding at non acupoints were performed in the two treatment groups respectively, and materials were taken out 15 days later. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of COX-2 and PGE2, and real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interieukin(IL)-6, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2), IL-lβ, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 ( MCP-1 ) in rat hippocampus. Results Compared with the sham group, the expressions of COX-2, PGE2, TNF-α, ICAM-1, IL-6, MIP-2, IL-lβ and MCP-1 in hippocampus of the other three groups were significantly higher (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expressions of COX-2, PGE2 protein and TNF-α, ICAM-1, IL-6, MIP-2, IL-lβ, MCP-1 mRNA in the hippocampus of the acupoint catgut embedding group and the non acupoint catgut embedding group decreased significantly (P<0.01). Conclusion Acupoint catgut embedding can protect the brain from inflammatory injury by down-regulating the expression of related inflammatory factors in COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway and reducing the inflammatory response induced by VD rats.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Moxibustion

In order to provide a scientific basis for the establishment of a Daphnes Cortex medicinal material fungus library and the screening of endophytic fungi that promote the growth of Daphnes Cortex and increase the content of daphnetin, we used Illumina high-throughput testing technology to analyze 9 Daphnes Cortex samples from Gansu and Shanxi provinces. A total of 632 766 valid sequences were obtained, including 348 OTUs, 4 phyla, 20 classes, 48 orders, 108 families, 154 genera, and 208 species. The sum of the first 3 fungal genera account for more than 65% of the total abundance, with the highest reaching 98.4%. Alternaria and Phoma are the main genuses of Daphne giraldii Nitsche, and Altemaria is the dominant genus. The endophytic fungi community of Daphnes Cortex is rich in diversity, and the order of fungal diversity in different producing areas is: Gangu County > Wutai County > Tanchang County.