Comparative Study of Modified Posterior Operation to Treat Kümmell's Disease

The present study aimed at examining the curative effect of modified posterior operation on treatment of Kümmell''s disease.About 30 patients of Kümmell''s disease with complete image and clinical data treated during June 2004 to July 2013 were conducted with anterior and posterior approaches, respectively. Kyphotic Cobb angle, fractured vertebra wedge angle, and the anterior and posterior heights of fractured vertebra were all measured through x-ray before and after operation, and the pain visual analog scale (VAS) was determined for evaluating the effect of operations. The injury and restoration of neurological function were assessed using Frankel classification.Patients in group A were treated with anterior operation, whereas group B was posterior operation. Postoperatively, VAS score, kyphotic Cobb angle, anterior vertebra height, and pathologic vertebra wedge angle were all significantly improved in patients with Kümmell''s disease receiving modified posterior operation (group B). Similar results were also observed in patients with anterior operation. The improvement of VAS and correction rate of kyphotic Cobb angle indicated equivalent effects of posterior and anterior operations. Meanwhile, alleviated neurological function damage was observed in 2 groups. Relevant factor analysis illustrated that there was no significant correlation of the severity and improvement rate of pain symptoms with age, medical history, anterior and posterior vertebra heights, kyphotic Cobb angle, and pathological vertebra wedge angle.Compared with traditional anterior approach, modified posterior operation, adopting transpedicular vertebral body grafting combined with vertebral pedicle screw fixation, could produce equivalent effects on kyphosis correction, pain relief, and improvement of neurological function in patients with Kümmell''s disease.     

Evaluation of Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis After Short Segment Decompression and Fusion

The objective of this study was to investigate short segment decompression of degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) and the efficiency of fusion treatment.After DLS surgery, the patients were retrospectively reviewed using the VAS (visual analog scale) and ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) to assess clinical outcomes. All patients underwent posterior lumbar decompressive laminectomy, pedicle screw internal fixation, and posterolateral bone graft fusion surgery. Radiographic measurements included the scoliotic Cobb angle, the fused Cobb angle, the anterior intervertebral angle (AIA), the sagittal intervertebral angle (SIA), and lumbar lordosis angle. The relationships between these parameters were examined by bivariate Pearson analysis and linear regression analysis.Preoperatively, the Cobb angle at the scoliotic segment was 15.4°, which decreased to 10.2° immediately following surgery (P < 0.05). The AIA significantly increased by the last follow-up (4.4 ± 3.4) compared with pre- and postoperative values (2.5 ± 2.8 and 2.2 ± 2.4, respectively; P < 0.05). However, the scoliotic Cobb angle and the AIA did not correlate with the VAS or ODI scores. At the final follow-up, no patients had pseudoarthrosis or internal instrumentation-related complications.Short fusion surgical treatment results in limited DLS correction, with correction loss over time. The AIA between the upper adjacent segment and proximal fused vertebra continues to increase postoperatively, which does not exacerbate clinical symptoms, as reflected by the low reoperation rates for repairing degeneration at adjacent levels.     

Prostaglandin signaling suppresses beneficial microglial function in Alzheimer’s disease models

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, perform critical inflammatory and noninflammatory functions that maintain normal neural function. For example, microglia clear misfolded proteins, elaborate trophic factors, and regulate and terminate toxic inflammation. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, beneficial microglial functions become impaired, accelerating synaptic and neuronal loss. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that contribute to microglial dysfunction is an important objective for identifying potential strategies to delay progression to AD. The inflammatory cyclooxygenase/prostaglandin E2 (COX/PGE₂) pathway has been implicated in preclinical AD development, both in human epidemiology studies and in transgenic rodent models of AD. Here, we evaluated murine models that recapitulate microglial responses to Aβ peptides and determined that microglia-specific deletion of the gene encoding the PGE₂ receptor EP2 restores microglial chemotaxis and Aβ clearance, suppresses toxic inflammation, increases cytoprotective insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling, and prevents synaptic injury and memory deficits. Our findings indicate that EP2 signaling suppresses beneficial microglia functions that falter during AD development and suggest that inhibition of the COX/PGE₂/EP2 immune pathway has potential as a strategy to restore healthy microglial function and prevent progression to AD.     

双眼外直肌后徙术与常规疗法治疗斜视临床疗效比较

目的:比较双眼外直肌后徙术与常规疗法治疗斜视的临床疗效。方法:选取2016年6月-2017年6月笔者医院收治的128例斜视患者,按治疗方式不同分成对照组和研究组,每组各64例。其中对照组患者行常规单眼外直肌后徙联合内直肌缩短术(R&R),研究组患者行双眼外直肌后徙术(BLR-rec)。术后对患者随访1年,观察术后眼位正位率、欠矫率、过矫率,视觉功能恢复情况以及并发症发生率。结果:研究组患者正位率为89.06%高于对照组的68.75%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。术前,对照组和研究组患者视近度、视远度和平均斜视度比较,两组患者融合功能和立体视功能占比比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。术后,两组患者的斜视度较治疗前均出现了明显下降(P<0.05),且研究组治疗后斜视度下降幅度明显大于对照组(P<0.05);两组患者视觉功能恢复率均明显增加(P<0.05),且研究组恢复率明显大于对照组(P<0.05)。研究组并发症发生率明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:双眼外直肌后徙术较单眼外直肌后徙联合内直肌缩短术有更好地临床效果,且安全性更高,值得临床推广。     

Association Between Patient and Physician Sex and Physician-Estimated Stroke and Bleeding Risks in Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain.

H型高血压患者舌面诊图像颜色特征参数分析＊

目的 分析H型高血压患者的舌面诊图像颜色参数特征，探讨H型高血压患者的舌诊、面诊变化规律。方法 运用上海中医药大学自行研制的Smart TCM-1型中医舌面一体仪，采集高血压患者舌面诊图像，提取特征参数，分析健康对照组、H型高血压组与非H型高血压组患者舌面颜色参数特征。结果 ①在舌色各项参数中，H型高血压组舌尖部R值、B值、V值均显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01）；非H型高血压组舌尖部B值显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01），S值较健康对照组显著增大（P < 0.05）；H型高血压组舌尖部R、V值均明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。在舌苔各项参数中，H型高血压组舌中H值、V值均明显小于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；非H型高血压组舌中V值、舌右V值均显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01）；H型高血压组舌中H值明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05），右侧舌苔S值明显大于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。②H型高血压组面色参数鼻G值、下颌G值、口唇R值、口唇V值均明显小于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；非H型高血压组前额H值、目眶H值、脸颊H值、鼻H值、下颌H值、整体H值均明显大于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；H型高血压组前额H值、目眶G值、目眶H值、脸颊H值、鼻G值、鼻H值、下颌R值、下颌G值、下颌H值、下颌V值、口唇R值、口唇G值、口唇V值、整体R值、整体G值、整体H值、整体V值均明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。结论 H型高血压患者苔色偏黄，以舌中部为主，且舌右侧黄苔积聚较明显；H型高血压患者面色为黄中带红，口唇、下颌部更为晦暗。H型高血压患者的舌、面诊特征参数的变化，与高血压病阳亢湿盛病机相符。     

Rabs and axonal regeneration

Membrane trafficking processes are presumably vital for axonal regeneration after injury, but mechanistic understanding in this regard has been sparse. A recent loss-of-function screen had been carried out for factors important for axonal regeneration by cultured cortical neurons and the results suggested that the activity of a number of Rab GTPases might act to restrict axonal regeneration. A loss of Rab27b, in particular, is shown to enhance axonal regeneration in vitro, as well as in C. elegans and mouse central nervous system injury models in vivo. Possible mechanisms underlying this new finding, which has important academic and translational implication, are discussed.