BACKGROUND:Although obesity is associated with osteoarthritis,it remains unclear whether visceral adipose tissue has a causal relationship with osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between visceral adipose tissue and osteoarthritis using two-sample Mendelian randomization methods. METHODS:A total of 221 single nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with visceral adipose tissue without linkage disequilibrium were screened from the genome-wide association study (GWAS). Pooled data for osteoarthritis were derived from a large genome-wide association analysis that included up to 826690 subjects (177517 osteoarthritis patients and 649173 controls) from nine different populations. We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses to assess the causal associations between visceral adipose tissue and early-onset any-site osteoarthritis (before age 45),any-site osteoarthritis,knee osteoarthritis,hip osteoarthritis,knee or hip osteoarthritis,spinal osteoarthritis,thumb osteoarthritis,and finger osteoarthritis. Inverse variance weighting was employed as the primary Mendelian randomization analysis method,with weighted median and MR-Egger methods used for supplementary clarification. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Inverse variance weighting results revealed a positive causal effect of visceral adipose tissue on eight types of osteoarthritis:early-onset any-site osteoarthritis[odds ratio (OR)=1.91,95％ confidence interval (CI):1.64-2.24,P=6.04×10-16],any-site osteoarthritis (OR=1.44,95％ CI:1.38-1.49,P=3.65×10-75),knee osteoarthritis (OR=1.87,95％ CI:1.75-2.00,P=1.29×10-79),hip osteoarthritis (OR=1.34,95％ CI:1.24-1.45,P=2.84×10-14),knee or hip osteoarthritis (OR=1.71,95％ CI:1.62-1.80,P=2.97×10-83),spinal osteoarthritis (OR=1.42,95％ CI:1.31-1.54,P=8.89×10-17),thumb osteoarthritis (OR=1.26,95％ CI:1.10-1.44,P=6.21×10-4),and finger osteoarthritis (OR=1.29,95％ CI:1.13-1.49,P=2.68×10-4). Sensitivity analyses showed no heterogeneity,pleiotropy,or outliers in the causal effects of visceral adipose tissue on the eight types of osteoarthritis. These findings indicate that visceral adipose tissue is a risk factor of osteoarthritis,and excessive visceral adipose tissue may increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Background and purpose:Internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy(IMSLNB)is a minimally invasive diagnostic technique for regional lymph nodes in breast cancer,which can provide accurate lymph staging and guide adjuvant treatment decision,but its clinical application has been controversial.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognosis of IMSLNB in early breast cancer.Methods:In this study,a retrospective cohort of 7 949 patients with breast cancer from January 1,2016 to December 31,2021 was analyzed.After applying propensity score matching,the patients were divided into IMSLNB group and no-IMSLNB group,and the regional recurrence-free survival(RRFS),local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS),disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)of the two groups were compared.This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shandong First Medical University(approval number:SDTHEC20130324).Results:A total of 990 patients were included in the final analysis(330 in the IMSLNB group and 660 in the no-IMSLNB group).IMSLN metastasis was found in 54 patients in the IMSLNB group,including 47 patients with axillary lymph node(ALN)metastasis and 7 patients with IMSLN metastasis only.The IMSLN transfer rate was 16.4%.The median follow-up of 41 months showed that the IMSLNB group demonstrated better 3-year DFS[98.4%vs 94.2%,hazard ratio(HR)=0.509;95%CI:0.312-0.828,P=0.007]and 5-year DFS(92.5%vs 87.3%,HR=0.214,95%CI:0.206-0.222,P=0.011)compared with no-IMSLNB group.However,no significant differences were observed in 3-year OS(99.1%vs 99.4%,HR=0.618,95%CI:0.231-1.655,P=0.338)or 5-year OS(98.5%vs 99.1%,HR=0.52,95%CI:0.51-0.53,P=0.392)between the two groups.The 3-year RRFS in the IMSLNB group was better compared with the no-IMSLNB group(99.09%vs 97.73%,HR=0.066;95%CI:0.061-0.071,P=0.048),while no significant differences were observed in 3-year LRFS(99.70%vs 98.19%,HR=0.209;95%CI:0.201-0.217,P=0.130)or DMFS(95.76%vs 96.06%,HR=0.865,95%CI:0.858-0.872,P=0.820)between the two groups.The exploratory subgroup analysis of DFS revealed that patients in the following subgroups could significantly benefit from IM-SLNB(P＜0.05):diagnosis age(≤50 years),premenopausal status,BMI(≤24),lymphovascular invasion(LVI,present),tumor location(lateral),molecular subtype[hormone receptor positive(HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative(HER2-)],histological type(invasive ductal carcinoma),and axillary lymph node status(positive).Conclusion:IMSLNB can provide more accurate regional lymph node staging for early breast cancer,help optimize adjuvant radiotherapy strategies,and improve patients'DFS and RRFS.It can be promoted as a minimally invasive staging technique for regional lymph nodes.

Objective:To investigate the effect of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF)and cervical spine stability in patients with two-segment cervical spondylosis.Methods:The clinical data of 60 patients with two-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy in Anqing Municipal Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.They were divided into group A(30 cases)and group B(30 cases)according to the communication results between doctors and patients.The control group was given anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion(ACCF),and the observation group was given ACDF.The clinical effects(cervical brace protection time,hospital stay,operation time and intraoperative blood loss),postoperative pain degree[visual analogue score(VAS)],neurological function[Japanese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons(JOA)],cervical spine function[cervical spine dysfunction index(NDI)],cervical spine stability(C3-6 segment Cobb angle,intervertebral height and cervical spine curvature)and complication rate were compared between the two groups.Results:There were no significant differences in cervical brace protection time,hospital stay and operation time between the two groups(P>0.05).The VAS score in ACDF group was lower than that in ACCF group at 1,3 and 6 months after operation(t=4.312,3.864 and 9.338,P<0.05).The JOA score was higher than that of ACCF group(t=6.482,6.366,5.059,P<0.05).The NDI score was lower than that of ACCF group(t=4.922,6.178,8.859,P<0.05).Six months after operation,the Cobb angle,intervertebral height and cervical curvature of cervical vertebra 3-6(C3-6)in ACDF group were higher than those in ACCF group.The difference was statistically significant(t=5.011,2.171 and 3.386,P<0.05).The incidence of complications between the two groups was not different(P>0.05).Conclusion:ACDF for two-segment cervical spondylosis can effectively improve cervical spine function and nerve function,reduce postoperative pain,and reduce intraoperative blood loss,which is safe and effective.

Background and purpose:Internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy(IMSLNB)is a minimally invasive diagnostic technique for regional lymph nodes in breast cancer,which can provide accurate lymph staging and guide adjuvant treatment decision,but its clinical application has been controversial.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognosis of IMSLNB in early breast cancer.Methods:In this study,a retrospective cohort of 7 949 patients with breast cancer from January 1,2016 to December 31,2021 was analyzed.After applying propensity score matching,the patients were divided into IMSLNB group and no-IMSLNB group,and the regional recurrence-free survival(RRFS),local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS),disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)of the two groups were compared.This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shandong First Medical University(approval number:SDTHEC20130324).Results:A total of 990 patients were included in the final analysis(330 in the IMSLNB group and 660 in the no-IMSLNB group).IMSLN metastasis was found in 54 patients in the IMSLNB group,including 47 patients with axillary lymph node(ALN)metastasis and 7 patients with IMSLN metastasis only.The IMSLN transfer rate was 16.4%.The median follow-up of 41 months showed that the IMSLNB group demonstrated better 3-year DFS[98.4%vs 94.2%,hazard ratio(HR)=0.509;95%CI:0.312-0.828,P=0.007]and 5-year DFS(92.5%vs 87.3%,HR=0.214,95%CI:0.206-0.222,P=0.011)compared with no-IMSLNB group.However,no significant differences were observed in 3-year OS(99.1%vs 99.4%,HR=0.618,95%CI:0.231-1.655,P=0.338)or 5-year OS(98.5%vs 99.1%,HR=0.52,95%CI:0.51-0.53,P=0.392)between the two groups.The 3-year RRFS in the IMSLNB group was better compared with the no-IMSLNB group(99.09%vs 97.73%,HR=0.066;95%CI:0.061-0.071,P=0.048),while no significant differences were observed in 3-year LRFS(99.70%vs 98.19%,HR=0.209;95%CI:0.201-0.217,P=0.130)or DMFS(95.76%vs 96.06%,HR=0.865,95%CI:0.858-0.872,P=0.820)between the two groups.The exploratory subgroup analysis of DFS revealed that patients in the following subgroups could significantly benefit from IM-SLNB(P＜0.05):diagnosis age(≤50 years),premenopausal status,BMI(≤24),lymphovascular invasion(LVI,present),tumor location(lateral),molecular subtype[hormone receptor positive(HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative(HER2-)],histological type(invasive ductal carcinoma),and axillary lymph node status(positive).Conclusion:IMSLNB can provide more accurate regional lymph node staging for early breast cancer,help optimize adjuvant radiotherapy strategies,and improve patients'DFS and RRFS.It can be promoted as a minimally invasive staging technique for regional lymph nodes.

Objective:To investigate the effect of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF)and cervical spine stability in patients with two-segment cervical spondylosis.Methods:The clinical data of 60 patients with two-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy in Anqing Municipal Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.They were divided into group A(30 cases)and group B(30 cases)according to the communication results between doctors and patients.The control group was given anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion(ACCF),and the observation group was given ACDF.The clinical effects(cervical brace protection time,hospital stay,operation time and intraoperative blood loss),postoperative pain degree[visual analogue score(VAS)],neurological function[Japanese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons(JOA)],cervical spine function[cervical spine dysfunction index(NDI)],cervical spine stability(C3-6 segment Cobb angle,intervertebral height and cervical spine curvature)and complication rate were compared between the two groups.Results:There were no significant differences in cervical brace protection time,hospital stay and operation time between the two groups(P>0.05).The VAS score in ACDF group was lower than that in ACCF group at 1,3 and 6 months after operation(t=4.312,3.864 and 9.338,P<0.05).The JOA score was higher than that of ACCF group(t=6.482,6.366,5.059,P<0.05).The NDI score was lower than that of ACCF group(t=4.922,6.178,8.859,P<0.05).Six months after operation,the Cobb angle,intervertebral height and cervical curvature of cervical vertebra 3-6(C3-6)in ACDF group were higher than those in ACCF group.The difference was statistically significant(t=5.011,2.171 and 3.386,P<0.05).The incidence of complications between the two groups was not different(P>0.05).Conclusion:ACDF for two-segment cervical spondylosis can effectively improve cervical spine function and nerve function,reduce postoperative pain,and reduce intraoperative blood loss,which is safe and effective.

BACKGROUND:Although obesity is associated with osteoarthritis,it remains unclear whether visceral adipose tissue has a causal relationship with osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between visceral adipose tissue and osteoarthritis using two-sample Mendelian randomization methods. METHODS:A total of 221 single nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with visceral adipose tissue without linkage disequilibrium were screened from the genome-wide association study (GWAS). Pooled data for osteoarthritis were derived from a large genome-wide association analysis that included up to 826690 subjects (177517 osteoarthritis patients and 649173 controls) from nine different populations. We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses to assess the causal associations between visceral adipose tissue and early-onset any-site osteoarthritis (before age 45),any-site osteoarthritis,knee osteoarthritis,hip osteoarthritis,knee or hip osteoarthritis,spinal osteoarthritis,thumb osteoarthritis,and finger osteoarthritis. Inverse variance weighting was employed as the primary Mendelian randomization analysis method,with weighted median and MR-Egger methods used for supplementary clarification. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Inverse variance weighting results revealed a positive causal effect of visceral adipose tissue on eight types of osteoarthritis:early-onset any-site osteoarthritis[odds ratio (OR)=1.91,95％ confidence interval (CI):1.64-2.24,P=6.04×10-16],any-site osteoarthritis (OR=1.44,95％ CI:1.38-1.49,P=3.65×10-75),knee osteoarthritis (OR=1.87,95％ CI:1.75-2.00,P=1.29×10-79),hip osteoarthritis (OR=1.34,95％ CI:1.24-1.45,P=2.84×10-14),knee or hip osteoarthritis (OR=1.71,95％ CI:1.62-1.80,P=2.97×10-83),spinal osteoarthritis (OR=1.42,95％ CI:1.31-1.54,P=8.89×10-17),thumb osteoarthritis (OR=1.26,95％ CI:1.10-1.44,P=6.21×10-4),and finger osteoarthritis (OR=1.29,95％ CI:1.13-1.49,P=2.68×10-4). Sensitivity analyses showed no heterogeneity,pleiotropy,or outliers in the causal effects of visceral adipose tissue on the eight types of osteoarthritis. These findings indicate that visceral adipose tissue is a risk factor of osteoarthritis,and excessive visceral adipose tissue may increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and 3-month outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing intravenous thrombolysis.Methods:A total of 386 patients with acute ischemic stroke received intravenous thrombolysis therapy from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019 in the Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang, Xuzhou Medical University were enrolled prospectively. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate the severity of stroke. The functional outcome was evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale at discharge or 3 months after onset. Pearson′s correlation was used to assess the relationship between SUA and NIHSS scores at baseline and discharge. Propensity score matching was used to balance confounding factors. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the correlation between SUA and prognostic outcome after thrombolysis.Results:A total of 386 eligible patients were included. Two hundred and thirty patients (59.6%) had good outcomes in the follow-up after 3 months. The levels of SUA are negatively associated with the NIHSS score at discharge ( r=-0.171, P=0.003). A positive correlation was observed between the levels of SUA and the difference of NIHSS at baseline and discharge ( r=0.118, P=0.032). Patients were divided into three groups according to the quartile of SUA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high SUA levels were independently associated with good outcome three months after stroke ( OR=0.421, 95% CI 0.327-0.541, P<0.001). Conclusion:In patients with acute ischemic stroke, elevated SUA levels can predict better recovery and short-term outcomes in patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis.

Objective:To investigate the trend of postoperative cavity status in patients with eosinophilic chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (eCRSwNP) who underwent total nasalization surgery and partial reboot surgery. And to discuss the relationship between tissue eosinophil counts and status of postoperative cavity.Methods:Patients with eCRSwNP in four tertiary medical centers (Longgang ENT Hospital, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Guangdong Clifford Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University) from March 2018 to October 2021 were divided into 2 groups. The group without previous surgery history was performed for the nasalization surgery, and another group with previous surgery history underwent the part-reboot surgery. The follow-up time after operation was defined as the following 5 stages: 6, 12, 20-24, 36 and more than 42 months. According to FESS-95 Guangzhou standard, status of sinus cavity was assessed and classified into 3 categories: good, better and bad. The association between the sinus cavity status and tissue eosinophil counts in the above 5 stages was analyzed by one-way ANOVA, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 72 eCRSwNP patients finished the follow-up in this study. There were 47 males and 25 females in these patients, aged from 11 to 67 years. A total of 50 cases underwent nasalization surgery and 22 cases underwent partial reboot surgery. With the follow-up time from 6 to 48 months, there were 72 cases (100.0%) who completed 6 months and 12 months follow up, 46 cases (63.9%) for 20-24 months, 36 cases (50.0%) for 32-36 months and 16 cases (22.2%) with the follow-up time more than 42 months. No matter what kind of surgery, there was no "bad" situation of the surgical cavity status 6 months after the operation, and the differentiation gradually occurred more than 12 months after the surgery. Moreover, the rates of "good" cavity status for the 5 stages in the group of nasalization surgery were 78.0%, 66.0%, 56.7%, 47.6% and 42.9%, and were 63.6%, 45.5%, 25.0%, 20.0% and 11.1% in the partial reboot surgery group, respectively, suggesting that the status of nasal cavity in nasalization surgery group was always better than that in partial reboot surgery group in every period. In addition, the "bad" rate was 0, 8.0%, 10.0%, 14.3% and 28.6% in the group of nasalization surgery, and was 0, 27.3%, 18.8%, 33.3% and 55.6% in the partial reboot surgery group, respectively. The average percentage of tissue eosinophil counts in the 72 cases was 42.1%, which had no obvious effect on the status of the surgical cavity ( P>0.05). Conclusions:For eCRSwNP patients, the operative cavity status in the patients without previous operation history treated with nasalization surgery is good. The time of 1-2 years after surgery is the main period for sinus lesions. The counts of tissue eosinophils has no significant influence on surgical sinus cavity status in the eCRSwNP patients.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of stress hyperglycemia for the functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang, Xuzhou Medical University from September 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020 were enrolled prospectively. The glucose to glycated hemoglobin ratio (GAR) was used to express stress hyperglycemia. The functional outcome was evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale at 3 month after discharge, 0-2 was defined as a good outcome and >2 as a poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent related factors of functional outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of GAR for poor functional outcome. Results:A total of 1 286 patients with AIS were included. Their median age was 67 years old, and 762 were males (59.3%). The median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 2. The median fasting blood glucose level was 5.48 mmol/L, the median glycosylated hemoglobin was 6.00%, and the median GAR was 0.92. Eight hundred and twelve patients (63.1%) had good outcomes and 474 (36.9%) had poor outcomes. The GAR in the good outcome group was significantly lower than that in the poor outcome group (0.86 vs. 1.03; P<0.001). All patients were divided into 4 groups (GAR1, GAR2, GAR3, and GAR4) according to the GAR quartile from low to high. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, GAR4 (taking the GAR1 as a reference, odds ratio [ OR] 8.896, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 5.775-13.702; P<0.001), age ( OR 1.041, 95% CI 1.027-1.055; P<0.001) and baseline NIHSS score classification ( OR 25.898, 95% CI 14.221-47.163; P<0.001) were closely associated with the poor outcomes at 3 months. Further subgroup analysis showed that the higher level of GAR was significantly and independently correlated with the poor functional outcome, regardless of whether the patients had diabetes or not. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of GAR predicting poor outcome at 3 months was 0.705 (95% CI 0.675-0.735; P<0.001), and the predictive value was significantly higher than that of glycosylated hemoglobin and fasting blood glucose. When the cut-off value of GAR was 0.97, the Yoden index was the largest, which was 0.370. The sensitivity and specificity of its predicting the poor outcome at 3 months were 61.6% and 75.4%. Conclusion:Whether or not diabetes is present, GAR is an independent predictor of the poor outcomes in patients with AIS.

Objective: To assess the relationship between hemoglobin A₁c (HbA₁c) and hemorrhagic cerebral infarction (HI) in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods: From January 2014 to June 2016, in the Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, 426 patients with acute anterior circulation infarction were included. The blood sugar status before stroke was expressed by HbA₁c. HbA₁c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were measured on the second day after admission. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess the severity of neurological function at admission. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the prognosis at discharge. CT or MRI/SWI examination was performed to determine whether there was HT. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk factors for HT and short-term prognosis after cerebral infarction. Results: Of the 426 patients enrolled, 93 (21.8%) appeared HT, 60 (14.1%) had hemorrhagic cerebral infarction (HI) and 33 (7.7%) had parenchymal hemorrhage (PH). Multivariate analysis showed that HbA₁c and infarct volume were independent predictor of HT. When patients were grouped according to fasting blood glucose (FBG<7.8 mmol/L or ≥ 7.8 mmol/L), the predictive effect of HbA₁c on HT was found in both groups. In multiple Logistic regression analysis, HbA₁c was also a predictor of poor prognosis after stroke (OR=1.482, 95% CI 1.228 -1.788). Conclusions In patients with ischemic stroke, elevated HbA₁c is independently associated with post-infarction HT, and this result doesn′t change even in patients with well-controlled blood glucose. HbA₁c is also a predictor of poor prognosis after stroke. These findings are important for blood glucose management in patients with diabetes and acute anterior circulation infarction.