Worldwide productivity and research trend of publications concerning extracellular vesicles role in fibrosis: A bibliometric study from 2013 to 2022.

Background: Fibrosis is a heavy burden on the global healthcare system. Recently, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication under both physiological and pathological conditions. This study aimed to explore the role of extracellular vesicles' in fibrosis using bibliometric methods. Methods: Original articles and reviews related to extracellular vesicles and fibrosis were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database on November 9, 2022. VOSviewer was used to obtain general information, including co-institution, co-authorship, and co-occurrence visualization maps. The CiteSpace software was used to analyze citation bursts of keywords and references, a timeline view of the top clusters of keywords and cited articles, and the dual map. R package "bibliometrix" was used to analyze annual production, citation per year, collaboration network between countries/regions, thematic evolution map, and historiography network. Results: In total, 3376 articles related to extracellular vesicles and fibrosis published from 2013 to 2022 were included in this study, with China and the United States being the top contributors. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has the highest number of publications. The main collaborators were Giovanni Camussi, Stefania Bruno, Marta Tepparo, and Cristina Grange. Journals related to molecular, biology, genetics, health, immunology, and medicine tended to publish literature on extracellular vesicles and fibrosis. "Recovery," "heterogeneity," "degradation," "inflammation," and "mesenchymal stem cells" are the keywords in this research field. Literature on extracellular vesicles and fibrosis associated with several diseases, including "kidney disease," "rheumatoid arthritis," and "skin regeneration" may be the latest hot research field. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive perspective on extracellular vesicles and fibrosis through a bibliometric analysis of articles published between 2013 and 2022. We identified the most influential countries, institutions, authors, and journals. We provide information on recent research frontiers and trends for scholars interested in the field of extracellular vesicles and fibrosis. Their role in biological processes has great potential to initiate a new upsurge in future research.

METFORMIN MITIGATES SEPSIS-ASSOCIATED PULMONARY FIBROSIS BY PROMOTING AMPK ACTIVATION AND INHIBITING HIF-1α-INDUCED AEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS.

ABSTRACT: Recent research has revealed that aerobic glycolysis has a strong correlation with sepsis-associated pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, at present, the mechanism and pathogenesis remain unclear. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-induced aerobic glycolysis play a central role in septic pulmonary fibrogenesis. Cellular experiments demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide increased fibroblast activation through AMPK inactivation, HIF-1α induction, alongside an augmentation of aerobic glycolysis. By contrast, the effects were reversed by AMPK activation or HIF-1α inhibition. In addition, pretreatment with metformin, which is an AMPK activator, suppresses HIF-1α expression and alleviates PF associated with sepsis, which is caused by aerobic glycolysis, in mice. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α knockdown demonstrated similar protective effects in vivo . Our research implies that targeting AMPK activation and HIF-1α-induced aerobic glycolysis with metformin might be a practical and useful therapeutic alternative for sepsis-associated PF.

Eosinophilic granuloma of the clavicle in an 11-year-old Chinese girl: A case report.

RATIONALE: Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) - the most common form of Langerhans cell histiocytosis - occurs rarely, and manifestations with only rib and clavicle involvement are extremely rare. EG symptoms often include pain, swelling, and soft tissue mass. The clinical diagnosis of bone EG is complex, and the differential diagnosis includes Ewing sarcoma, tuberculosis, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, primary bone malignancy, and other osteolytic lesions. PATIENTS CONCERN: The patient was an 11-year-old female who found a subcutaneous mass at the junction of the right clavicle and sternum 2 days before presenting at the clinic without apparent triggers. Initially, we considered a subcutaneous cyst or inflammatory mass. Color ultrasound and computed tomography examination revealed osteomyelitis. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with EG after a pathological tissue biopsy, and the child recovered after surgery and anti-infective treatment. DIAGNOSIS: The patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor at a specialist hospital and was diagnosed with EG by pathological examination. INTERVENTION: The patient went to a specialist hospital for surgery to remove the mass and underwent anti-infective treatment. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered after surgical resection and antibiotic treatment. LESSONS: In this report, we emphasize that the clinical presentation of EG in children is not specific. Furthermore, examining age, history, presence of symptoms, and the number of sites is essential to make a correct diagnosis, and a histological examination is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Scars of COVID-19: A bibliometric analysis of post-COVID-19 fibrosis.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) becomes a worldwide public health threat. Increasing evidence proves that COVID-19-induced acute injuries could be reversed by a couple of therapies. After that, post-COVID-19 fibrosis (PCF), a sequela of "Long COVID," earns rapidly emerging concerns. PCF is associated with deteriorative lung function and worse quality of life. But the process of PCF remains speculative. Therefore, we aim to conduct a bibliometric analysis to explore the overall structure, hotspots, and trend topics of PCF. Materials and methods: A comprehensive search was performed in the Web of Science core database to collect literature on PCF. Search syntax included COVID-19 relevant terms: "COVID 19," "COVID-19 Virus Disease," "COVID-19 Virus Infection," "Coronavirus Disease-19," "2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease," "2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection," "SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection," "COVID-19 Pandemic," "Coronavirus," "2019-nCoV," and "SARS-CoV-2"; and fibrosis relevant terms: "Fibrosis," "Fibroses," and "Cirrhosis." Articles in English were included. Totally 1,088 publications were enrolled. Searching results were subsequentially exported and collected for the bibliometric analysis. National, organizational, and individual level data were analyzed and visualized through biblioshiny package in the R, VOSviewer software, the CiteSpace software, and the Graphical Clustering Toolkit (gCLUTO) software, respectively. Results: The intrinsic structure and development in the field of PCF were investigated in the present bibliometric analysis. The topmost keywords were "COVID-19" (occurrences, 636) surrounded by "SARS-CoV-2" (occurrences, 242), "coronavirus" (occurrences, 123), "fibrosis" (occurrences, 120), and "pneumonia" (occurrences, 94). The epidemiology, physiopathology, diagnosis, and therapy of PCF were extensively studied. After this, based on dynamic analysis of keywords, hot topics sharply changed from "Wuhan," "inflammation," and "cytokine storm" to "quality of life" and "infection" through burst detection; from "acute respiratory syndrome," "cystic-fibrosis" and "fibrosis" to "infection," "COVID-19," "quality-of-life" through thematic evolution; from "enzyme" to "post COVID." Similarly, co-cited references analysis showed that topics of references with most citations shift from "pulmonary pathology" (cluster 0) to "COVID-19 vaccination" (cluster 6). Additionally, the overview of contributors, impact, and collaboration was revealed. Summarily, the USA stood out as the most prolific, influential, and collaborative country. The Udice French Research University, Imperial College London, Harvard University, and the University of Washington represented the largest volume of publications, citations, H-index, and co-authorships, respectively. Dana Albon was the most productive and cited author with the strongest co-authorship link strength. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis topped the list of prolific and influential journals. Conclusion: Outcomes gained from this study assisted professionals in better realizing PCF and would guide future practices. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutics were study hotspots in the early phase of PCF research. As the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and progress in this field, recent attention shifted to the quality of life of patients and post-COVID comorbidities. Nevertheless, COVID-19 relevant infection and vaccination were speculated to be research trends with current and future interest. International cooperation as well as in-depth laboratory experiments were encouraged to promote further explorations in the field of PCF.

Novel compound heterozygous variants in the TAF6 gene in a patient with Alazami-Yuan syndrome: A case report.

BACKGROUND: This case report describes a novel genotypic and phenotypic presentation of Alazami-Yuan syndrome, and contributes to the current knowledge on the condition. CASE SUMMARY: We report an 11-year-old boy with Alazami-Yuan syndrome. The main clinical manifestations were rapid development of puberty, typical facial features of Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and normal intelligence. Peripheral blood DNA samples obtained from the patient and his parents were sequenced using high-throughput whole-exosome sequencing, which was verified by Sanger sequencing. The results showed that there was a compound heterozygous mutation of c.1052delT and c.76A>T in the TATA-Box Binding Protein Associated Factor 6 (TAF6) gene. The mutation of c.1052delT was from his mother and the mutation of c.76A>T was from his father. CONCLUSION: This study extends the mutation spectrum of the TAF6 gene, and provides a molecular basis for the etiological diagnosis of Alazami-Yuan syndrome and genetic consultation for the family.

[Clinical Study of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery in Peri-operative Management of Total Hip Arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect and rehabilitation benefit of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) model in perioperative management of total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: A retrospective study were conducted in THA patients from the database of big data Research Center of Biomedicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 2013 to 2016. The differences of rehabilitation quality, rehabilitation efficiency and hospitalization cost between ERAS model (ERAS group) and traditional model (traditional group) were compared. RESULTS: 915 THA patients were included in the study, of which 497 patients were given ERAS peri-operative management and 418 patients in the traditional group. The rate of overall complications in the ERAS group was significantly lower than that in the traditional group (4.8% vs. 8.6%, P < 0.05), with lower rate of deep venous thrombosis (0.8% vs. 3.1%) and pulmonary infection (0.6% vs. 2.4%) in the ERAS group. Compared with the traditional group, the average length of stay in hospital was shorter in the ERAS group 〔(7.6±2.0) d vs. (10.9±2.9) d, P=0.039〕, as well as postoperative length of stay in hospital 〔(5.6±0.9) d vs. (8.6±2.0) d, P=0.028)〕. And the ERAS model reduced the total hospitalization cost by 4.8% to 7.1% (P < 0.05), of which the drug cost decreased by 17.2% to 24.9% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ERAS model in THA is safe and effective. It can reduce hospitalization cost and help to control medical cost.

[Early outcomes of elective surgery for colon cancer with preoperative mechanical bowel preparation: a randomized clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compared the early outcomes of patients undergoing elective surgeries for colon cancer with and without preoperative mechanical bowel preparation. METHODS: Between July, 2014 and February, 2016, patients undergoing elective surgery for colon cancer with primary anastomosis were randomly assigned into control group with mechanical bowel preparation 12 h before surgery and treatment group without mechanical bowel preparation. Baseline data collection was completed within 12 h after the operation. The levels of hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, prealbumin and albumin0.05) between the two 2 groups. The first flatus time (P=0.03) and prealbumin level on the first postoperative day (P=0.03) differed significantly between the two groups, but the operation time was similar between them (P=0.06). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing elective surgeries for colon cancer, preoperative mechanical bowel preparation is associated with increased postoperative complications, delayed recovery of intestinal motility and poorer nutrition status early after the operation.

[Detection and clinical features of human rhinovirus in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection in eastern areas of Guangdong province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and clinical features of human rhinovirus (HRV) infection in hospitalized children with acute respiratory (ARI) in eastern areas of Guangdong province from 2008 to 2010. METHODS: From Oct. 2008 through Sep. 2010, nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected prospectively, from hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory tract infection at the Second Hospital, affiliated to the Shantou University Medical College. Multiplex PCR was applied to detect ten kinds of viruses including HRV, RSV in the hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection. Clinical data on HRV-positive cases or RSV-positive cases were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Among all the 1335 specimens, 124 were confirmed as HRV-positive cases (9.3%), with IVA-positive rate as the highest (25.1%), followed by RSV-positive rate (15.1%). HRV infection occurred sporadically around the year, with the highest HRV-positive rate seen in spring 2009 and autumn in 2010. Symptoms, signs, chest X-ray, leukocyte count and CRP count did not differ between patients with co-infection or single HRV infection. Clinical symptoms or signs were similar between those with single HRV infection or single RSV infection in children, but the single RSV infected children were more frequently seen with wheeze and cough. 28.4% of the single RSV infected children had bronchiolitis while 10.7% of single HRV infected children were seen (χ(2) = 0.281, P = 0.596). CONCLUSION: HRV was a relatively common cause for acute respiratory infections in the eastern areas of Guangdong province. The highest HRV-positive rate was slightly different in different years. Infants and young children were generally susceptible to rhinovirus infection. Bronchiolitis, wheeze and cough associated with HRV infection happened less than those caused by RSV.

[Role of platelet membrane glycoprotein II b/III a receptor activation in no-reflow after myocardial reperfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes in the activity of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor following the occurrence of no-reflow after myocardial reperfusion, to explore the measures for clinical management of this condition. METHODS: Nine canine models of no-reflow following myocardial ischemia verified by reperfusion myocardial contrast echocardiography were used in this investigation. The peripheral venous blood (PVB) and sinus venous blood (SVB) were sampled before myocardial reperfusion (after a 3-hour myocardial ischemia) and after a 3-hour reperfusion for determinating GP IIb/IIIa receptor activities by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The activity of platelet GP IIb/IIIa of PVB, either in 3-hour ischemic group or in 3-hour reperfusion group, was elevated significantly (P < 0.001), suggesting platelet activation. Elevated platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptor activity in SVB occurred only in 3-hour ischemic group, and the 3-hour reperfusion group (P < 0.001) and the no-reflow group had significantly decreased activities, which was more obvious in the latter group (P < 0.01). The findings signified the consumption of the platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptors in the myocardial microcirculation and the presence of platelet aggregation. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial ischemia may activate the platelets to express GP IIb/IIIa receptors through stress response mechanism and damage the endothelia of the microvasculature to incur adhesion and aggregation of the platelets within the microcirculation, which may be one of the pathogeneses for myocardial no-reflow phenomenon.

Clinical analysis of 51 cases of aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of different treatments on the prognosis of aortic dissection. METHOD: Different treatment modalities including drug therapy, surgical resection and stent implantation were performed in 37, 9, and 5 cases of aortic dissection (AD) respectively, and the clinical outcome of the patients was observed during the follow-up study. RESULTS: The survival rate in drug therapy group was 70.3% (26) while death occurred in 11 cases (29.7%). Four (44.4%) of the nine cases were cured surgically, leaving a mortality of 55.6%. Stent implantation yielded cures in 4 cases, with death occurring in 1 case, and complications arose in none of the cases. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection is superior to drug therapy in the treatment of type A AD cases, while stent implantation should be the first choice for type B AD cases for causing less complications and injuries and resulting in high cure rate.

[Discrepancy between the blood flow in hyperperfused epicardial coronary vessels and myocardial microcirculation following reperfusion: a study in canines].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hemodynamic changes in the epicardial coronary blood flow (ECBF) and myocardial microcirculation (MMC) during reactive hyperemia (RH) in response to reperfusion following 2-min ischemia in the left anterior descending coronary artery of canines. METHODS: Twelve adult mongrel dogs were used, whose left anterior descending coronary artery was separated and ligated for 2 min twice below the first branch. The heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, ECBF and MMC were measured respectively before and after the ligation and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 s after reperfusion. ECBF was determined with Doppler coronary flowmeter and MMC derived from the ultrasonic intensity measured by myocardial contrast echocardiography. RESULTS: During the course of RH, ECBF and MMC both evinced responses to hyperperfusion but in manners different in view of their hemodynamic changes, demonstrating the mismatch between them in this condition. ECBF exhibited a much higher peak flow increase than MMC. CONCLUSIONS: RH occurs in response to reperfusion after short-term (2 min) myocardial ischemia, when the discrepancy arises between ECBF and MMC. The primary mechanism might involve the recruitment of the capillaries and the opening of the shunt through the capillaries, and as a consequence, the myocardial perfusion is increased at the cost of decreased reserve of the coronary microcirculation.