Longitudinal study on catch-up growth in preterm infants with small for gestational age at corrected ages 0-24 months / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To understand the growth and development status and differences between small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) preterm infants during corrected ages 0-24 months, and to provide a basis for early health interventions for preterm infants.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study was conducted, selecting 824 preterm infants who received regular health care at the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from July 2019 to July 2022, including 144 SGA and 680 AGA infants. The growth data of SGA and AGA groups at birth and corrected ages 0-24 months were analyzed and compared.@*RESULTS@#The SGA group had significantly lower weight and length than the AGA group at corrected ages 0-18 months (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences between the two groups at corrected age 24 months (P>0.05). At corrected age 24 months, 85% (34/40) of SGA and 79% (74/94) of AGA preterm infants achieved catch-up growth. Stratified analysis by gestational age showed that there were significant differences in weight and length at corrected ages 0-9 months between the SGA subgroup with gestational age <34 weeks and the AGA subgroups with gestational age <34 weeks and 34 weeks (P<0.05). In addition, the weight and length of the SGA subgroup with gestational age 34 weeks showed significant differences compared to the AGA subgroups with gestational age <34 weeks and 34 weeks at corrected ages 0-18 months and corrected ages 0-12 months, respectively (P<0.05). Catch-up growth for SGA infants with gestational age <34 weeks and 34 weeks mainly occurred at corrected ages 0-12 months and corrected ages 0-18 months, respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#SGA infants exhibit delayed early-life physical growth compared to AGA infants, but can achieve a higher proportion of catch-up growth by corrected age 24 months than AGA infants. Catch-up growth can be achieved earlier in SGA infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks compared to those with 34 weeks.

Bushen Qiangji Granule () medicated serum inhibits osteogenic differentiation of fibroblasts in ankylosing spondylitis by inhibiting the BMP/Smads signal pathway in vitro / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of Bushen Qiangji Granule (, BSQJ) in restraining the osteogenic differentiation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) fifibroblasts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hip joint capsules were obtained from AS patients (n=10) receiving total hip replacement and healthy hip joint capsules from patients with hip fracture (n=10) receiving surgery as a control. Finite fifibroblast lines were established from these tissue samples to observe the effect of BSQJ on suppressing osteogenic differentiation of fifibroblasts. The expression of osteogenic marker gene corebinding factor a1 (Cbfa1) and Smad family proteins were examined by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mRNA expression level of Cbfa1 was significantly higher in AS fibroblasts than that in normal fibroblasts and the expression of pSmad1, pSmad5, Smad4 and Cbfa1 in AS fibroblasts was also higher, demonstrating the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway in AS fifibroblasts. BSQJ-medicated serum not only restrained the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cbfa1 and inhibited protein expression level of Smad4 but also decreased the expression quantities of pSmad1 and pSmad5.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BSQJ can inhibit osteogenic differentiation of AS fifibroblasts in vitro by suppressing the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway. This may be the important molecular mechanism of BSQJ in regulating AS ossifification.</p>