This study aimed, through bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiment validation, to identify the key extracellular proteins of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). The gene expression profile of GSE23130 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Extracellular protein-differentially expressed genes (EP-DEGs) were screened by protein annotation databases, and we used Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to analyze the functions and pathways of EP-DEGs. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and identify hub EP-DEGs. NetworkAnalyst was used to analyze transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate hub EP-DEGs. A search of the Drug Signatures Database (DSigDB) for hub EP-DEGs revealed multiple drug molecules and drug-target interactions.Aims
Methods
This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of synovial fluid neutrophil extracellular traps (SF-NETs) in periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis, and compare it with that of microbial culture, serum ESR and CRP, synovial white blood cell (WBC) count, and polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage (PMN%). In a single health centre, patients with suspected PJI were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2021. The inclusion criteria were: 1) patients who were suspected to have PJI; 2) patients with complete medical records; and 3) patients from whom sufficient synovial fluid was obtained for microbial culture and NET test. Patients who received revision surgeries due to aseptic failure (AF) were selected as controls. Synovial fluid was collected for microbial culture and SF-WBC, SF-PNM%, and SF-NET detection. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of synovial NET, WBC, PMN%, and area under the curve (AUC) were obtained; the diagnostic efficacies of these diagnostic indexes were calculated and compared.Aims
Methods
Bone is a connective tissue that undergoes constant remodeling. Any disturbances during this process may result in undesired pathological conditions. A single nucleotide substitution (596T-A) in exon eight which leads to a M199K mutation in human RANKL was found to cause osteoclast-poor autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO). Patients with ARO cannot be cured by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and, without proper treatments, will die in their early age. To date, how this mutation alters RANKL function has not been characterized. We thus hypothesized that hRANKL M199 residue is a structural determinant for normal RANKL-RANK interaction and osteoclast differentiation. By sharing our findings, we aim to achieve an improved clinical outcome in treating bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis, ARO and osteoarthritis. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to create three rat RANKL mutants, replacing the methionine 200 (human M199 equivalent residue) with either lysine (M200K), alanine (M200A) or glutamic acid (M200E). Recombinant proteins were subsequently purified through affinity chromatography and visualized by Coomassie blue staining and western blot. MTS was carried out before osteoclastogenesis assay in vitro to measure the cellular toxicity. Bone resorption pit assay, immuno-fluorescent staining, luciferase reporter assay, RT-PCR, western blot and calcium oscillation detection were also conducted to explore the biological effect of rRANKL mutants. Computational modeling, thermal Shift Assay, western blot and protein binding affinity experiments were later carried out for structural analyses. rRANKL mutants M200K/A/E showed a drastically reduced ability to induce osteoclast formation and did not demonstrate features of competitive inhibition against wild-type rRANKL. These mutants are all incapable of supporting osteoclastic polarization and bone resorption or activating RANKL-induced osteoclast marker gene transcription. Consistently, they were unable to induce calcium flux, and also showed a diminished induction of IκBa degradation and activation of NF-kB and NFATc1 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, the transcriptional activation of the antioxidant response element (ARE) crucial in modulating oxidative stress and providing cytoprotection was also unresponsive to stimulation with rM200s. Structural analyses showed that rM200 is located in a hydrophobic pocket critical for protein folding. Thermal shift and western blot assays suggested that rM200 mutants formed unstructured proteins, with disturbed trimerisation and the loss of affinity to its intrinsic receptors RANK and OPG. Taken together, we first demonstrates the underlying cause of M199-meidated ARO in a cellular and molecular level by establishing a phenotype in BMMs similar to observed in human samples. Further investigation hints the structural significance of a hydrophobic pocket within the TNF-like region. Combined with pharmaceutical studies on small-molecule drugs, this finding may represent a therapeutic target motif for future development of anti-resorptive treatments.
The purpose of this study was to validate our hypothesis that centrifugation may eliminate false-positive leucocyte esterase (LE) strip test results caused by autoimmune diseases in the diagnosis of knee infection. Between January 2016 and May 2019, 83 cases, including 33 cases of septic arthritis and 50 cases of aseptic arthritis, were enrolled in this study. To further validate our hypothesis, another 34 cases of inflammatory arthritis from the Department of Rheumatology of our institution were also included. After aspiration, one drop of synovial fluid was applied to LE strips before and after centrifugation. The results were recorded after approximately three minutes according to the different colour grades on the colour chart. The differences of LE results between each cohort were analyzed.Aims
Methods
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by reduced bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, which results in increased bone fragility and fracture risk. Casein kinase 2-interacting protein-1 (CKIP-1) is a protein that plays an important role in regulation of bone formation. The effect of CKIP-1 on bone formation is mainly mediated through negative regulation of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway. In addition, CKIP-1 has an important role in the progression of osteoporosis. This review provides a summary of the recent studies on the role of CKIP-1 in osteoporosis development and treatment.
We compare the difference in expression profiles of miRNAs during fracture healing between adult and aged female mice. This study reveals the possibility to improve impaired fracture healing in aged females by regulating key miRNAs at early stage. Impaired fracture healing in aged female skeleton is still a clinical challenge (Holroyd et al., Summary
Introduction
The stable inhibition of miR-214 in the aged osteoporotic rats induced by OVX could be achieved by periodic administration of AntagomiR-214 at a dosage of 4 mg/kg and at an interval of 7 days, which will provide a potential bone anabolic strategy for treatment of osteoprosis. MiR-214 has a crucial role in suppressing bone formation and miR-214 inhibition in osteogenic cells may be a potential anabolic strategy for ameliorating osteoporosis (Wang X, et al. 2013). An aged ovariectomised rat has been regarded as a golden model to test bone anabolic agents for reversing established osteoporosis in aged postmenopausal women (Li X, et al. 2009). However, there is still lack of evidence to demonstrate bone anabolic potential of therapeutic inhibition of miR-214 within osteogenic cells in the golden model. So, it should be necessary to establish RNAi-based administration protocol toward stable inhibition of miR-214 at a low level in the golden model. A targeted delivery system specifically facilitating Antagomir-214 approaching osteogenic cells, Summary Statement
Introduction
We developed a device for the treatment of Ficat and Arlet stage II and III osteonecrosis of the femoral head. This device, which we named the “super-elastic cage,” was designed to provide mechanical support for the necrotic weight-bearing area of the femoral head to prevent its collapse. The cage was used in combination with surgical removal of necrotic bone, insertion of vascularized pedical bone graft, or impacted autologous cancellous bone graft. A total of 93 hips in 62 patients at Ficat stage II to III were included in a 8-year study. Implantations were performed by 2 different approaches: Smith-Peterson approach and minimal invasive approach by the lateral side of great trochanter. The follow-up period was between 72 and 107 months. Of the femoral heads in this study, 82.7% survived. The superelastic cage implantation technique may offer an alternative treatment to the early and middle stages of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
