Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke patients after vertebral-basilar artery stent implantation.Methods From May 2018 to October 2022,patients with acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion who underwent mechanical thrombectomy were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups:stent occlusion group and acute atherosclerotic stenosis occlusion(ICAS)group.The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced by propensity score matching method.The successful recanalization rate,90-day good outcome rate,90-day mortality rate,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate were compared.Results We enrolled 107 patients,with 14 cases in stent occlusion group and 93 cases in ICAS group.We analyzed 14 pairs by propensity score matching,including 14 cases in stent occlusion group and 27 cases in ICAS group.The successful recanalization rate and 90-day good outcome rate was lower in stent occlusion group than in ICAS group[(78.6％(11/14)vs.100％(27/27),P=0.062,28.6％(4/14)vs.44.4％(12/27),X2=0.976,P=0.323],but there was no statistical difference.The 90-day mortality rate in the stent occlusion group was significantly higher than that in the ICAS group[57.1％(8/14)vs.25.9％(7/27),x2=3.873,P=0.049].The incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was higher in the stent occlusion group than in the ICAS group,with no statistical difference[35.7％(5/14)vs.14.8％(4/27),x2=1.289,P=0.256].Conclusion The successful recanalization rate,90-day good outcome rate,and incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in stent occlusion group did not significantly differ from those in ICAS group,but the 90-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the former group.

BACKGROUND:Immune cells are correlated with various metabolic bone diseases,yet the specific immunological mechanisms and causal relationships remain elusive.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between immune cells and the risk of metabolic bone diseases through two-sample Mendelian randomization.METHODS:Genome-wide association study(GWAS)data on 731 immune cells and metabolic bone diseases(osteonecrosis,osteomalacia,osteoporosis,and osteoporosis combined with pathological fracture)were obtained from publicly available databases.Genetic variants related to immune cells were employed as instrumental variables.The inverse variance weighting method was utilized as the primary analytical approach,while MR-Egger and weighted median methods were applied to assess the causal relationships between immune cells and the risk of metabolic bone diseases.In addition,MR-PRESSO,MR-Egger regression,Cochran's Q test,and the leave-one-out method were implemented to evaluate genetic polymorphisms and the heterogeneity of instrumental variables,and MR Steiger method was used to exclude reverse causality.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The analysis revealed that IgD-CD38dim％B cells,HLA DR on CD14+CD16-monocytes,and HLA DR on CD14+monocytes were significantly and causally associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis(P＜6.8x10-5).Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability and stability of these results.Furthermore,among the immune cell types studied,28 demonstrated potential causal associations with osteonecrosis,23 with osteomalacia,46 with osteoporosis,and 45 with the combined condition of osteoporosis and pathologic fracture(P＜0.05).(2)This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the causal influence of immune cells on metabolic bone diseases,highlighting the significant role of immune factors in the pathogenesis of these conditions,particularly osteoporosis.The findings contribute valuable insights into the relationship between immune traits and bone metabolism,laying a foundation for future research in this domain.This study utilized an international database to analyze the European population,which offers a reference for Chinese biomedical research in the realm of metabolic bone diseases,and facilitates the conduction of relevant studies for the Chinese population,thereby promoting the enhancement of the prevention and treatment of metabolic bone diseases.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke patients after vertebral-basilar artery stent implantation.Methods From May 2018 to October 2022,patients with acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion who underwent mechanical thrombectomy were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups:stent occlusion group and acute atherosclerotic stenosis occlusion(ICAS)group.The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced by propensity score matching method.The successful recanalization rate,90-day good outcome rate,90-day mortality rate,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate were compared.Results We enrolled 107 patients,with 14 cases in stent occlusion group and 93 cases in ICAS group.We analyzed 14 pairs by propensity score matching,including 14 cases in stent occlusion group and 27 cases in ICAS group.The successful recanalization rate and 90-day good outcome rate was lower in stent occlusion group than in ICAS group[(78.6％(11/14)vs.100％(27/27),P=0.062,28.6％(4/14)vs.44.4％(12/27),X2=0.976,P=0.323],but there was no statistical difference.The 90-day mortality rate in the stent occlusion group was significantly higher than that in the ICAS group[57.1％(8/14)vs.25.9％(7/27),x2=3.873,P=0.049].The incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was higher in the stent occlusion group than in the ICAS group,with no statistical difference[35.7％(5/14)vs.14.8％(4/27),x2=1.289,P=0.256].Conclusion The successful recanalization rate,90-day good outcome rate,and incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in stent occlusion group did not significantly differ from those in ICAS group,but the 90-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the former group.

BACKGROUND:Immune cells are correlated with various metabolic bone diseases,yet the specific immunological mechanisms and causal relationships remain elusive.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causal relationship between immune cells and the risk of metabolic bone diseases through two-sample Mendelian randomization.METHODS:Genome-wide association study(GWAS)data on 731 immune cells and metabolic bone diseases(osteonecrosis,osteomalacia,osteoporosis,and osteoporosis combined with pathological fracture)were obtained from publicly available databases.Genetic variants related to immune cells were employed as instrumental variables.The inverse variance weighting method was utilized as the primary analytical approach,while MR-Egger and weighted median methods were applied to assess the causal relationships between immune cells and the risk of metabolic bone diseases.In addition,MR-PRESSO,MR-Egger regression,Cochran's Q test,and the leave-one-out method were implemented to evaluate genetic polymorphisms and the heterogeneity of instrumental variables,and MR Steiger method was used to exclude reverse causality.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The analysis revealed that IgD-CD38dim％B cells,HLA DR on CD14+CD16-monocytes,and HLA DR on CD14+monocytes were significantly and causally associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis(P＜6.8x10-5).Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability and stability of these results.Furthermore,among the immune cell types studied,28 demonstrated potential causal associations with osteonecrosis,23 with osteomalacia,46 with osteoporosis,and 45 with the combined condition of osteoporosis and pathologic fracture(P＜0.05).(2)This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the causal influence of immune cells on metabolic bone diseases,highlighting the significant role of immune factors in the pathogenesis of these conditions,particularly osteoporosis.The findings contribute valuable insights into the relationship between immune traits and bone metabolism,laying a foundation for future research in this domain.This study utilized an international database to analyze the European population,which offers a reference for Chinese biomedical research in the realm of metabolic bone diseases,and facilitates the conduction of relevant studies for the Chinese population,thereby promoting the enhancement of the prevention and treatment of metabolic bone diseases.

BACKGROUND:The research of dental stem cells in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering has been deepening,bringing hope for the repair of tooth-related tissues and the treatment of systemic diseases.However,there is a lack of systematic research and analysis on the biological characteristics of dental stem cells in different age groups. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biological characteristics of the human deciduous tooth and permanent tooth pulp stem cells cultured in umbilical cord blood platelet lysate to provide a reliable basis for human platelet lysates to replace fetal bovine serum. METHODS:The pulp tissues of deciduous teeth,juvenile permanent teeth and adult permanent teeth were taken out and cultured in DMEM/F-12 medium supplemented with 10%fetal bovine serum or different concentrations(5%,10%and 15%)of human platelet lysates.Cell proliferation in the four groups was detected by cytometry.The optimal concentration of human platelet lysates was selected for subsequent experiments.Under the optimal concentration of human platelet lysates,human deciduous tooth and juvenile and adult permanent tooth pulp stem cells were cultured in vitro.The cell growth status was observed under the microscope.The specific antigen on the cell surface was detected by flow cytometry.The cell proliferation ability was tested by the cell counting method and CCK-8 assay.The cell differentiation ability in vitro was observed by a three-line differentiation assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The cell proliferation rate of the 10%human platelet lysate group was the highest.(2)In all three groups,fusiform fibrous cells grew and expanded from around the tissue block.There was no significant difference between deciduous teeth and juvenile permanent tooth cells,but the adult permanent tooth cells were larger than the deciduous and juvenile permanent tooth cells of the same generation.(3)The results of flow cytometry showed that deciduous teeth,juvenile permanent teeth and adult permanent teeth conformed to the phenotypic characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells.(4)The proliferative capacity of adult permanent dental pulp stem cells was significantly lower than those of deciduous teeth and juvenile permanent dental pulp stem cells(P<0.01).(5)mRNA expressions of osteoblast-related genes alkaline phosphatase and bone morphogenetic protein 2,lipoprotein lipase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2,mRNA expressions of chondroblast related gene type II collagen α1 and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in adult pulp stem cells of permanent teeth were significantly lower than those of deciduous teeth and juvenile permanent teeth pulp stem cells(P<0.01).(6)Compared with adult dental pulp stem cells,human deciduous teeth and juvenile permanent teeth dental pulp stem cells have the stronger proliferative capacity and multidirectional differentiation potential,and are more suitable for clinical research and disease treatment.

BACKGROUND:Due to the very limited ability of articular cartilage to repair itself,articular cartilage defects caused by natural degeneration or trauma often cannot be repaired on their own,which triggers or aggravates osteoarthritis and even leads to severe disability.Therefore,the repair treatment after articular cartilage injury has become an urgent clinical problem. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the hot research topics and development trends in the field of articular cartilage repair using bibliometric analysis. METHODS:Literature related to articular cartilage repair was searched from the Web of Science Core Collection from 2000 to 2023,and bibliometric and visualization analyses were carried out using VOSviewer,Citespeace and Bibliometrix R-package. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The annual publication volume in the field of articular cartilage repair shows an overall increasing trend,with the United States,China,and Germany being the top three countries in terms of publication volume,and the research institutions focus on universities and hospitals,with Harvard University,New York Hospital for Special Surgery,and Shanghai Jiao Tong University being the top three institutions in terms of publication volume.AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE is the journal that publishes the most research literature in the field,and BIOMATERIALS is the journal with the highest number of citations in the field."Injectable hydrogels for cartilage and bone tissue engineering"is the most cited document published in the last decade,and the author with the most publications is Madry Henning,an active author in the field.The active authors in this field have formed a number of stable research teams with each other,and the cooperation between different teams needs to be further strengthened.Intra-articular injections,high tibial osteotomies,hydrogels,drug delivery,inflammation,cartilage regeneration,and scaffolds are the current hot topics of research in this field,and the application of 3D printing technology,bio-inks,silk proteins,injectable hydrogels,and exosomes in articular cartilage repair may be the frontier of research in this field.Integrating various innovative technologies and methods for more effective,durable and functional cartilage tissue regeneration and repair,and facilitating the clinical translation of the relevant technologies and methods by conducting more high-quality clinical studies may be the future research trend in this field.

Objective To compare the reflux characteristics between reflux esophagitis (RE) patients with Los Angeles (LA) classification grade A and grades B/C based on esophageal pH-impedance monitoring results. Methods A total of 74 RE patients at Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen Branch), Fudan University from June 2021 to June 2024 were enrolled, and were divided into the LA-A group (n＝46) and the LA-B/C group (n＝28) based on the endoscopic diagnosis results. The general clinical data, symptom questionnaire score, and esophageal 24-hour pH-impedance monitoring results were compared between the two groups. Results There were no statistically significant differences in demographic data and the response rate of acid suppression therapy between the two groups. 24-hour esophageal pH-impedance monitoring results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in upright, supine, and total reflux indices, including reflux episodes, acid exposure time (AET), AET percentage (AET%), long acid reflux episodes, longest reflux duration, and total DeMeester score between the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in distal reflux episodes, proximal reflux episodes, and high reflux (acid, weak acid, and non-acidic reflux) episodes, mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) between the two groups. The rates of pathological reflux (AET%≥6%) in LA-A group and LA-B/C group were 67.4% and 71.4%, respectively; there were no statistically significant differences in the ratio of AET% composition and the count of impedance reflux exceeding 80 during 24 h between the two groups. Conclusions LA-A grade RE based on the endoscopic diagnosis facilitates the identification of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the Chinese population

Objective To investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of endovascular treatment(EVT)for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion(AVBAO)within 24 h of onset of disease.Methods General and clinical data of AVBAO patients admitted to the Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases,Henan Provincial People's Hospital who received EVT within 24h of onset from October 2020 to September 2023 were retrospectively and consecutively included,including age,sex,stroke-related risk factors(hyperlipidemia,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,atrial fibrillation,coronary artery disease,smoking,and previous stroke),preoperative National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score,preoperative modified Rankin scale(mRS)score,form of onset,preoperative intravenous thrombolysis,posterior circulation Alberta stroke program early CT score(pc-ASPECTS),basilar artery on computed tomography angiography(BATMAN)score,site of occlusion(intracranial segment of vertebral artery,basilar artery),and surgical procedure(direct aspiration and/or stent-retrieval,balloon dilatation,stenting,etc.First-line stenting or balloon dilatation is direct angioplasty;if blood flow cannot be maintained after thrombectomy,further balloon dilatation and/or stenting is required as remedial angioplasty),onset-to-puncture time,puncture-to-recanalization time,and postprocedure immediate modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(mTICI)grading(successful recanalization was defined as mTICI grading 2b or 3),and perioperative complications(intraprocedural thrombus migration,intraprocedural reocclusion,intraprocedural dissection,postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3 d,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage[sICH]).Patient prognosis was assessed by mRS score at 90 d postoperatively.The mRS score≤3 was classified as good prognosis,and mRS score＞3 was classified as poor prognosis.Indicators with P＜0.1 in the results of univariate analysis were included,and variables were screened by backward elimination and subjected to multifactorial Logistic regression analysis to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of AVBAO patients undergoing EVT within 24 h of the onset of the disease.Results A total of 149 AVBAO patients who underwent EVT were included,including 79 patients with good prognosis,70 patients with poor prognosis,145 patients with successful revascularization,34 patients with perioperative complications,and 32 patients with death.(1)The results of univariate analysis showed that compared with patients with poor prognosis,patients with good prognosis had lower preoperative NIHSS scores(16.0[12.0,23.0]vs.24.5[16.8,31.3],Z=-4.280,P＜0.01)and preoperative mRS scores(4[4,4]vs.5[4,5],Z=-4.711,P＜0.01),a lower percentage of diabetes mellitus(15.2％[12/79]vs.35.7％[25/70],x2=8.376,P=0.004),and the incidence of postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3d(7.6％[6/79]vs.25.7％[18/70],x2=-0.246,P=0.003)and the incidence of sICH(1.3％[1/79]vs.14.3％[10/70],x2=-0.249,P=0.002)were significantly lower in patients with good prognosis than that in patients with poor prognosis.(2)Age,hyperlipidemia,diabetes mellitus,preoperative NIHSS score,preoperative mRS score,postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3 d and sICH were included in multifactorial Logistic regression analysis,which showed that hyperlipidemia(OR,2.433,95％CI 1.088-5.441),diabetes mellitus(OR,2.797,95％CI 1.168-6.701),high preoperative NIHSS score(OR,3.715,95％CI 1.684-8.195),and postoperative sICH within 3 d(OR,19.681,95％CI 1.984-195.192)were the independent risk factors for poor prognosis of patients with AVBAO who underwent EVT within 24 h of onset(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Hyperlipidemia,diabetes mellitus,high preoperative NIHSS score,and postoperative sICH within 3 d were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in AVBAO patients who underwent EVT within 24 h of onset.

Objective To investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of endovascular treatment(EVT)for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion(AVBAO)within 24 h of onset of disease.Methods General and clinical data of AVBAO patients admitted to the Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases,Henan Provincial People's Hospital who received EVT within 24h of onset from October 2020 to September 2023 were retrospectively and consecutively included,including age,sex,stroke-related risk factors(hyperlipidemia,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,atrial fibrillation,coronary artery disease,smoking,and previous stroke),preoperative National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score,preoperative modified Rankin scale(mRS)score,form of onset,preoperative intravenous thrombolysis,posterior circulation Alberta stroke program early CT score(pc-ASPECTS),basilar artery on computed tomography angiography(BATMAN)score,site of occlusion(intracranial segment of vertebral artery,basilar artery),and surgical procedure(direct aspiration and/or stent-retrieval,balloon dilatation,stenting,etc.First-line stenting or balloon dilatation is direct angioplasty;if blood flow cannot be maintained after thrombectomy,further balloon dilatation and/or stenting is required as remedial angioplasty),onset-to-puncture time,puncture-to-recanalization time,and postprocedure immediate modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(mTICI)grading(successful recanalization was defined as mTICI grading 2b or 3),and perioperative complications(intraprocedural thrombus migration,intraprocedural reocclusion,intraprocedural dissection,postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3 d,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage[sICH]).Patient prognosis was assessed by mRS score at 90 d postoperatively.The mRS score≤3 was classified as good prognosis,and mRS score＞3 was classified as poor prognosis.Indicators with P＜0.1 in the results of univariate analysis were included,and variables were screened by backward elimination and subjected to multifactorial Logistic regression analysis to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of AVBAO patients undergoing EVT within 24 h of the onset of the disease.Results A total of 149 AVBAO patients who underwent EVT were included,including 79 patients with good prognosis,70 patients with poor prognosis,145 patients with successful revascularization,34 patients with perioperative complications,and 32 patients with death.(1)The results of univariate analysis showed that compared with patients with poor prognosis,patients with good prognosis had lower preoperative NIHSS scores(16.0[12.0,23.0]vs.24.5[16.8,31.3],Z=-4.280,P＜0.01)and preoperative mRS scores(4[4,4]vs.5[4,5],Z=-4.711,P＜0.01),a lower percentage of diabetes mellitus(15.2％[12/79]vs.35.7％[25/70],x2=8.376,P=0.004),and the incidence of postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3d(7.6％[6/79]vs.25.7％[18/70],x2=-0.246,P=0.003)and the incidence of sICH(1.3％[1/79]vs.14.3％[10/70],x2=-0.249,P=0.002)were significantly lower in patients with good prognosis than that in patients with poor prognosis.(2)Age,hyperlipidemia,diabetes mellitus,preoperative NIHSS score,preoperative mRS score,postoperative hemorrhagic transformation within 3 d and sICH were included in multifactorial Logistic regression analysis,which showed that hyperlipidemia(OR,2.433,95％CI 1.088-5.441),diabetes mellitus(OR,2.797,95％CI 1.168-6.701),high preoperative NIHSS score(OR,3.715,95％CI 1.684-8.195),and postoperative sICH within 3 d(OR,19.681,95％CI 1.984-195.192)were the independent risk factors for poor prognosis of patients with AVBAO who underwent EVT within 24 h of onset(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Hyperlipidemia,diabetes mellitus,high preoperative NIHSS score,and postoperative sICH within 3 d were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in AVBAO patients who underwent EVT within 24 h of onset.

Aristolochic acid (AA), extracted from Aristolochiaceae plants, plays an essential role in traditional herbal medicines and is used for different diseases. However, AA has been found to be nephrotoxic and is known to cause aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN).AA-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome in AAN with a high morbidity that manifests mitochondrial damage as a key part of its pathological progression. Melatonin primarily serves as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. However, its mitochondrial protective role in AA-induced AKI is barely reported. In this study, mice were administrated 2.5 mg/kg AA to induce AKI. Melatonin reduced the increase in Upro and Scr and attenuated the necrosis and atrophy of renal proximal tubules in mice exposed to AA. Melatonin suppressed ROS generation, MDA levels and iNOS expression and increased SOD activities in vivo and in vitro. Intriguingly, the in vivo study revealed that melatonin decreased mitochondrial fragmentation in renal proximal tubular cells and increased ATP levels in kidney tissues in response to AA. In vitro, melatonin restored the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in NRK-52E and HK-2 cells and led to an elevation in ATP levels. Confocal immunofluorescence data showed that puncta containing Mito-tracker and GFP-LC3A/B were reduced, thereby impeding the mitophagy of tubular epithelial cells. Furthermore, melatonin decreased LC3A/B-II expression and increased p62 expression. The apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells induced by AA was decreased. Therefore, our findings revealed that melatonin could prevent AA-induced AKI by attenuating mitochondrial damage, which may provide a potential therapeutic method for renal AA toxicity.