Identification of genes and pathways associated with osteoarthritis by bioinformatics analyses.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of osteoarthritis (OA) development and discover underlying genes associated with OA. DATA AND METHODS: Gene expression profile GSE48556 including 106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of osteoarthritis patients and 33 PBMCs of healthy controls was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The limma package was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by paired t-test. The functional enrichment analyses of DEGs was performed, followed by the construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. RESULTS: Total 432 DEGs including 178 up-regulated DEGs and 254 down-regulated DEGs were identified. Pathways of cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and T cell receptor signaling pathway were significantly up-regulated in OA. Biological processes of negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter and negative regulation of transcription, DNA-dependent were significantly down-regulated in OA. The platelet-derived growth factor receptor, beta polypeptide (PDGFRB), interferon, gamma (IFNG), early growth response 1 (EGR1), Fas ligand (TNF superfamily, member 6) (FASLG), H3 histone, family 3B (H3.3B) (H3F3B) and so on had higher connectivity degree in the PPI networks. CONCLUSIONS: DEGs of OA were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and T cell receptor signaling pathway. The DEGs such as PDGFRB, IFNG, EGR1, FASLG and H3F3B may be the potential targets for OA diagnosis and treatment.

Use a simple lower limb outrigger frame in intramedullary nailing fixation of a floating knee.

Closed intramedullary nailing is a classical therapeutic approach for floating knee injuries. An appropriate positioning is critical for a successful surgery. However, there is a lack of an ideal auxiliary device to facilitate the implantation of intramedullary nail. The authors developed a simple lower limb outrigger frame (SLLOF), which is made of nylon, to facilitate the nail implementation process. The SLLOF could be radiolucent and autoclavable. A total of 31 patients with floating knee injury underwent the closed intramedullary nailing assisted by SLLOF. The average operative duration was 91.0 min, and all tibial and femur fractures reached bony union. The SLLOF could assist well insertion of intramedullary nail for the treatment of floating knee injuries, with the advantages of simple operation, less manpower, easy imaging access but less radiation exposure, and more cost-effectiveness.

Study of development in an experimental animal model of a pediatric physeal slide-traction plate.

BACKGROUND: To develop a physeal slide-traction plate for children can provide rigid internal fixation of a bone fracture without inhibiting epiphyseal growth. METHODS: The slide-traction plates and standard plates were designed to configure to the femoral condyle. Twelve of thirty goats were used as normal controls and the rest were implanted with plates (right femurs were fixed with standard plates, and left femurs were fixed with slide-traction plates). All goats underwent X-ray examination at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery, and femoral length were measured. Histological staining and electron microscopy were performed to evaluate the development of the epiphyseal plate at 3 and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Compared to the standard plate, the slide-traction plate group exhibited more normal physeal growth, histologic features, safranin O staining, and electron microscopy structural features. There were significant differences in length in the femurs of goats fixed with slide-traction plates and standard plates at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery, respectively. There was no difference between femurs of the normal control group and the femurs fixed with the slide-traction plates. Thicker epiphyseal plates were found in the left vs. the right femurs of the group fixed with plates at 3 and 6 months after surgery. In the group fixed with plates, Safranin O staining showed that the epiphyseal plates of the left femurs had more fuscous staining than the right femurs at 3 and 6 months after surgery. Electron microscopy also showed that cells in the epiphyseal plates of the left femurs were healthier in appearance than cells from the right femurs in the group fixed with plates. CONCLUSION: The physeal slide-traction plate can slide with the growth of the physis and is suitable for fixation of fractures in this region.