Type III NRG-1 plays a regulatory role in the regeneration process of nerves from the beginning of transplantation.

The present study investigated the effect of type III Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) on changes in the myelin sheath and the recovery of nerve function during the regeneration process following autologous nerve transplantation. Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a Blank, Model and (antisense oligonucleotide, ASON) group. The Model and ASON groups of SD rats were subjected to autologous nerve transplantation, and the Blank group only had the sciatic nerve exposed. The Model and ASON groups were given local injections of 2 ml PBS buffer solution and 2 ml ASON of Type III NRG-1, respectively, the NRG-1 type III was inhibited by ASON. Changes in the sciatic nerve functional index (SFI) and conduction velocities were observed at different 6 time points. Regeneration of the myelin sheath was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Type III NRG-1 protein was detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and NRG-1 mRNA was detected using PCR. The SFI of the ASON group was lower than the Model group after transplantation. The conduction velocities of the ASON group on the 14th and 21st days after autologous nerve transplantation were lower than the Model group (P < 0.01). The protein and mRNA expression of type III NRG-1 in the ASON group was lower than the Model group at all 6 time points. The area of medullated nerve fibres was significantly different between the ASON group and the Model group on the 3rd day (P < 0.05), as was the number of medullated nerve fibres per unit area (P < 0.01). The diameter of axons was obviously different between the two groups (P < 0.01). Type III NRG-1 played an important regulatory role in the regeneration process of the nerve from the beginning of transplantation to the 28th day.

The association between hemoglobin at admission and mortality of older patients with hip fracture: a mean 3-year follow-up cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture patients often have a large drop in hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration that is associated with the initial trauma. However, there is no study of a correlation between Hgb concentration at admission and short-term mortality. Thus, we evaluated a possible linear and nonlinear association between Hgb and mortalityfor older patients with hip fracture. METHODS: Consecutive older patients who had hip fractures were screened between January 2015 and September 2019. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Linear and nonlinear multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify association between Hgb at admission and mortality. All analyses were performed with EmpowerStats and R software. RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred eighty-nine patients were included in the study. There were 849 men and 1740 women. The mean age was 79.6 ± 6.8 years. The mean follow-up was 39.0 months. Nine hundred seven (35.0%) patients died for all-cause reasons. The mean Hgb at admission was 11.07 ± 1.95 g/dL. Linear multivariate Cox regression models showed Hgb at admission was associated with mortality ([Hazard Ratio] HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.87-0.95, P < 0.0001) after adjusting for confounding factors. However, the linear association was unstable, and nonlinearity was found between Hgb at admission and mortality. The Hgb concentration of 9.8 g/dL was an inflection point. A Hgb at admission < 9.8 g/dL was associated with mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74-0.89, P < 0.0001), whereas > 9.8 g/dL was not a risk factor for mortality (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.92-1.04, P = 0.4730). CONCLUSIONS: The Hgb concentration at admission was nonlinearly associated with mortality of older patients with hip fracture, and Hgb at admission < 9.8 g/dL was a risk predictor of 3-year mortality. RESEARCH REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2200057323.

Changes in Type II NRG-1 Expression during Regeneration Following Autologous Nerve Transplantation in Rats.

AIM: To investigate the changes in type II neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) during the regeneration process following autologous sciatic nerve transplantation in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 40 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of clean grade with body weights between 250 g and 300 g were randomly divided into an experimental and control group, with 20 rats per group. Five time points were set, including the 3 < sup > rd < /sup > , 7 < sup > th < /sup > , 14 < sup > th < /sup > , 21 < sup > st < /sup > and 28 < sup > th < /sup > days after surgery. In the experimental group, reversed autologous transplantation of the sciatic nerve was performed, while in the control group, the sciatic nerve was simply exposed without autologous transplantation. At the different time points, changes in the rat footprints were observed, the sciatic functional index (SFI) was calculated, changes in the regeneration of the myelin sheath at the nerve end after transplantation were observed by transmission electron microscopy, changes in type II NRG-1 protein expression were detected by a western blot analysis, and changes in type II NRG-1 mRNA expression were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The SFI in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group at all time points after surgery, and the SFI in the experimental group gradually increased; these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The expression of type II NRG-1 protein in the experimental group was significantly increased on the 3rd day after nerve transplantation and peaked on the 7 < sup > th < /sup > day, which continued until the 28 < sup > th < /sup > day after surgery, indicating a significant difference from the control group (p < 0.01). NRG-1 mRNA expression was markedly increased on the 7th day after nerve transplantation, further increased, and peaked on the 14 < sup > th < /sup > day (p < 0.01). The area of medullated nerve fibers (?m2) in the experimental group significantly differed from that in the control group on the 7 < sup > th < /sup > , 14 < sup > th < /sup > , 21 < sup > st < /sup > and 28 < sup > th < /sup > days (p < 0.01), and the diameters of the axons in the experimental group notably differed from those in the control group on the 7 < sup > th < /sup > , 14 < sup > th < /sup > and 21 < sup > st < /sup > days (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Type II NRG-1 expression peaked between the 3 < sup > rd < /sup > day and 14 < sup > th < /sup > day after autologous nerve transplantation and is likely involved in the regulation of myelin sheath regeneration during this period.

Vitamin E-Enhanced Liners in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Adding vitamin E to highly cross-linked polyethylene liners is frequently performed in clinical practice, aiming at reducing liner wear, increasing liner survival, and delaying revision surgery. This study is aimed at evaluating the revision rate, total femoral head penetration, and postoperative clinical function of highly cross-linked polyethylene liners with and without vitamin E in total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search to identify the use of highly cross-linked vitamin E liners compared to other liners in patients who received total hip arthroplasty (THA) before April 2021. The study quality assessment and data collection were conducted by two independent reviewers. Studies were artificially grouped, and vitamin E-enhanced liners (VE-PE) were compared with vitamin E-free liners (non-VE-PE). Analyses were executed using Review Manager version 5.4.1. RESULTS: From the preliminary screening of 568 studies, fourteen studies met the research criteria. Compared to non-VE-PE, using VE-PE reduced the all-cause revision rate (odds ratio = 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40, 0.73; P < 0.0001). The total femoral head penetration of the VE-PE was lower than that of the non-VE-PE (mean difference = -0.10; 95% CI -0.17, -0.03; P = 0.007). However, there was no difference in clinical function, including the Harris Hip Score and EuroQol Five-Dimension Questionnaire scores. CONCLUSION: Compared to the liners without vitamin E, the addition of vitamin E to liners could reduce the all-cause revision rate by approximately 46% in the short-term follow-up. In addition, even though addition of vitamin E could also slow down femoral head penetration, there is no contribution to clinical function.

The Role of Preoperative Computed Tomography on the Quality of Reduction and Outcomes in Intertrochanteric Fracture: A Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The study is aimed at assessing the role of preoperative computerised tomography (CT) examination in the quality of reduction and outcomes in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture. METHODS: The elderly patients with an intertrochanteric fracture who were treated with proximal femoral nail antirotation were included. The patients were divided into the CT group and the no-CT group according to the presence of preoperative CT examination. Patients' baseline characteristics, quality of reduction, and function were recorded at follow-up. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Harris hip scores (HHS). RESULTS: Totally, the study included 182 patients with intertrochanteric fractures, with 85 in the CT group and 97 in the no-CT group, admitted between January 2018 and June 2019. There was no difference in the quality of reduction, HHS, the fracture healing, or postoperative complications between the CT group and the no-CT group. However, the CT group experienced the shorter mean operative time and blood transfusion, compared to the no-CT group. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative CT examination seems to be excessive for elderly patients with an intertrochanteric fracture.

Effects of alendronate for treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Alendronate has been used to prevent or treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO), data regarding its efficacy are inconsistent. We conducted the current systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate both efficacy and safety of alendronate in the treatment of GIO. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry, and the China Academic Journal Network Publishing Databases were searched up through March 1, 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients which received alendronate treatment were included. Outcome measures were bone mineral density (BMD) changes, bone fractures, and adverse reactions. Data from the individual studies were pooled using random or fixed effect models based on heterogeneity. Effect size was reported as standardized mean differences (SMD) for continuous outcomes and pooled odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous outcomes, with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Overall, 10 studies involving 1002 patients were included in the present investigation. Alendronate treatment significantly increased BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck during 6 to 24 months. These beneficial effects were apparent at 12 months after treatment for the lumbar spine but not the femoral neck BMD. Alendronate treatment did not significantly change fracture risk nor induce significant differences in adverse gastrointestinal effects. CONCLUSION: Alendronate significantly increases BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck in patients with GIO, but does not appear to reduce the risk of fractures. As relatively insufficient data regarding the GIO fracture incidence has been reported, more RCTs need to be carried out to determine the efficacy of alendronate in the prevention of GIO fracture.

Effects of teriparatide versus alendronate for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis remains a clinical challenge. Teriparatide is an anabolic drug and alendronate is an antiresorptive agent; both are used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Comprehensive reviews investigating the comparative safety and efficacy of teriparatide versus alendronate are scarce. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of teriparatide versus alendronate for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review of the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry, and the China Academic Journal Network Publishing databases for relevant RCTs of teriparatide versus alendronate in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. Outcome measures were percentage change in lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and incidence of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures. Effect size was reported as weighted mean differences (WMDs) for continuous outcomes and odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous outcomes, with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Six trials involving 618 patients were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant increase in lumbar spine BMD (WMD: 3.46, 95% CI: 2.15-4.77, P < .00001), but not femoral neck BMD (WMD = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.04-2.95, P = .04), in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients treated with teriparatide compared with alendronate for 6 to 18 months. These beneficial effects were apparent in the lumbar spine at 12 months of treatment (WMD: 4.49, 95% CI: 2.57-6.40, P < .01). Teriparatide was not superior to alendronate in reducing fracture risk (OR: -0.03, 95% CI: -0.12 to 0.07; P = .52). CONCLUSION: Teriparatide may be superior to alendronate for increasing lumbar spine BMD in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The efficacy and safety of long-term teriparatide and alendronate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporosis should be further investigated in clinical trials.