Syndactyly release with the use of the Pelnac™ artificial dermal substitute without skin grafting.

We present our results of one-stage resurfacing following syndactyly release with the Pelnac™ artificial dermal substitute. From 2016 to 2020, raw areas after digit release were restored with an artificial dermal substitute in 145 webs from 62 patients (average age, 33.1 months) including 65 simple incomplete web spaces, 29 simple complete web spaces, 20 complex complete web spaces, and 31 complex complicated web spaces. Fourteen patients were syndromic. The average follow-up period was 33.4 months (range, 7-55 months). Postoperative outcomes assessed as according to the Vancouver scar scale (0-14) averaged 1.8 (range, 0-11) and web creep score (0-5) averaged 0.7 (range, 0-4). Patient- and family-provided visual analog scale scores averaged 1.1 (range, 0-10) for appearance. In conclusion, the Pelnac™ artificial dermal substitute is a minimally invasive, simple, and effective option for one-stage resurfacing of defects in syndactyly release.

Virologic and clinical characteristics for prognosis of severe COVID-19: a retrospective observational study in Wuhan, China

BackgroundThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has progressed to a pandemic associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The WHO and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued interim clinical guidance for management of patients with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but there is limited data on the virologic and clinical characteristics for prognosis of severe COVID-19. MethodsA total of 50 patients with severe COVID-19 were divided into good and poor recovery groups. The dynamic viral shedding and serological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 were explored. The risk factors associated with poor recovery and lung lesion resolutions were identified. In addition, the potential relationships among the viral shedding, the pro-inflammatory response, and lung lesion evolutions were characterized. ResultsA total of 58% of the patients had poor recovery and were more likely to have a prolonged interval of viral shedding. The longest viral shedding was 57 days after symptom onset. Older age, hyperlipemia, hypoproteinemia, corticosteroid therapy, consolidation on chest computed-tomography (CT), and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 IgM positive were all associated with poor recovery. Additionally, the odds of impaired lung lesion resolutions were higher in patients with hypoproteinemia, hyperlipemia, and elevated levels of IL-4 and ferritin. Finally, viral shedding and proinflammatory responses were closely correlated with lung lesion evolutions on chest CT. ConclusionsPatients with severe COVID-19 have prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and delayed intermittent viral shedding. Older age, hyperlipemia, hypoproteinemia, corticosteroid usage, and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 IgM positive might be utilized as predicative factors for the patients with poor recovery.

Analysis of role change and function of microsurgery staff in fighting against COVID-19 / 中华显微外科杂志

The outbreak of COVID-19 around the world has made more than two millions of confirmed patients and serious shortages of healthcare resources and medical staff in many countries. In the battle of fighting COVID-19 in Wuhan, many microsurgery staff across China were sent to Wuhan and put on duty in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this article is to review the personal experiences of microsurgery staff in fighting against COVID-19 as well as to analyse how to act professionally when facing the challenges and change of roles and meanwhile having to give full play to the professional advantages subject to make contributions to the battle of COVID-19. A reference is hereby provided for the microsurgery staff in dealing with a sudden and major epidemic outbreak in the future.

Effect of TGF-β1 and CTGF on skeletal muscle fibrosis in nerve compression / 中华显微外科杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate expression of TGF-β1,CTGF and collagen deposition in skeletal muscle during chronic entrapment of peripheral nerve. MethodsFifty rats were separated into two groups,control group and experimental group. At different time points after operation, the right gastrocnemius of 5rats from each group were collected for further analysis such as HE, Masson stain, immunohistochemical staining,RT-PCR and Western-blot. Results It was observed that axon degeneration occurred during chronic nerve entrapment,and which was in line with reports from other groups.Moreover,it had been demonstrated that after nerve entrapment,skeletal muscles may form fibrosis and degeneration consequently.Within this pathological procedure,expression of TGF-β1. CTGF and deposition of collagenⅠ changed rapidly when compared with control group.ConclusionOverall,these results indicated that these factors may be important during skeletal muscle degeneration after chronic nerve entrapment.

Role of transforming growth factor-ß1 in the process of fibrosis of denervated skeletal muscle.

In order to investigate the biological function of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) during fibrosis in denervated skeletal muscle, we recruited sciatic nerve injury model of SD rats in which denervated gastrocnemius was isolated for analysis. At different time points after operation, denervated muscle was examined by several methods. Masson trichrome staining showed morphological changes of denervated skeletal muscle. Quantitative RT-PCR detected the rapid increase of TGF-ß1 expression at mRNA level after nerve injury. It was found that a peak of TGF-ß1 mRNA expression appeared one week post-operation. The expression of collagen I (COL I) mRNA was up-regulated in the nerve injury model as well, and reached highest level two weeks post-injury. Immunoblot revealed similar expression pattern of TGF-ß1 and COL I in denervated muscles at protein level. In addition, we found that the area of the gastrocnemius muscle fiber was decreased gradually along with increased interstitital fibrosis. Interestingly, this pathological change could be prevented, at least partly, by local injection of TGF-ß1 antibodies, which could be contributed to the reduced production of COL I by inhibiting function of TGF-ß1. Taken together, in this study, we demonstrated that the expression of TGF-ß1 was increased significantly in denervated skeletal muscle, which might play a crucial role during muscle fibrosis after nerve transection.

Role of transforming growth factor-β1 in the process of fibrosis of denervated skeletal muscle / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

In order to investigate the biological function of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) during fibrosis in denervated skeletal muscle, we recruited sciatic nerve injury model of SD rats in which denervated gastrocnemius was isolated for analysis. At different time points after operation, denervated muscle was examined by several methods. Masson trichrome staining showed morphological changes of denervated skeletal muscle. Quantitative RT-PCR detected the rapid increase of TGF-β1 expression at mRNA level after nerve injury. It was found that a peak of TGF-β1 mRNA expression appeared one week post-operation. The expression of collagen I (COL I) mRNA was up-regulated in the nerve injury model as well, and reached highest level two weeks post-injury. Immunoblot revealed similar expression pattern of TGF-β1 and COL I in denervated muscles at protein level. In addition, we found that the area of the gastrocnemius muscle fiber was decreased gradually along with increased interstitital fibrosis. Interestingly, this pathological change could be prevented, at least partly, by local injection of TGF-β1 antibodies, which could be contributed to the reduced production of COL I by inhibiting function of TGF-β1. Taken together, in this study, we demonstrated that the expression of TGF-β1 was increased significantly in denervated skeletal muscle, which might play a crucial role during muscle fibrosis after nerve transection.

Pleiotrophin and peripheral nerve injury.

The proto-oncogene pleiotrophin, discovered in 1989, was considered as a multifunctional growth factor, which played an important role in tumor occurrence, development, and central nervous system. The latest research showed that pleiotrophin signal pathway probably participated in neural repair after peripheral nerve injury, especially in the following critical points, such as the protection of spinal cord neuron, the promotion of the speed of neuron axon regeneration, the guidance of neuron axon regeneration, skeleton muscle reinnervation, and so on. It potentially plays a key role in the guidance of neural axon regeneration in peripheral nervous system and muscle reinnervation. With the deepening of related researches, pleiotrophin gene would become a controllable target for improving the repairing effect of peripheral nerve injury and reconstruction of the neuromuscular junction.

Skeletal muscle-derived stem cells exhibit cardiocyte competences / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Adult stem cells from skeletal muscle cells were induced to differentiate into cardiocytes to see if stem cells from another different but histologically-comparable tissues can differentiate to the target cells. Skeletal muscles-derived stem cells (MDSCs) were isolated from adult skeleton muscle tissues by differential adhesion, and immunocytochemically identified by using Sca-1. In order to induce the proliferation but not differentiation of MDSCs, the cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 (DMEM/F12) supplemented with 1:50 B27, 20 ng/mL basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 20 ng/mL epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a suspension for 6 days. Then these stem cells were treated with 5 mumol/L 5-azacytidine for 24 h in an adherence culture. The characteristics of induced cells were examined by immunocytochemistry, quantitative real time RT-PCR and morphological observation of cell phenotype. Our results showed that the appearance of some cells gradually changed from spindle-shape into polygonal or short-column-shape. Some of these post-treated cells could contract spontaneously and rhythmically. The expression of GATA-4 and cTnT was increased 1 and 2 week(s) after the treatment. And about 16.6% of post-treated cells were cTnT-positive. Therefore, we are led to conclude that skeletal muscle-derived stem cells could differentiate into cardiocyte-like cells, which exhibited some characteristics of cardiocytes.

Pleiotrophin and neural repair after peripheral nerve injury / 国际外科学杂志

Pleiotrophin, discovered in 1989, was thought as a muhi-funetional growth factor; It plays an important role in tumor occurrence and central neural system. The latest research showed pleiotrophin signal pathway probably takes part in neural repair after peripheral nerve injury, especially in the followed crisis point, such as the protection of spinal cord neuron, the promotion of the speed of neuron axon regeneration, the guidance of neuron axon regeneration, skeleton muscle reirmervation. It potentially makes a key role in the guidance of neural axon regeneration in peripheral neural system and muscle reianervation. Along with the related researches go deep, pleiotrophin gene might become a controllable target for promoting the result of peripheral neural repair and reconstructing the neuromuscular junction.