Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common skeletal system disease that has been partly attributed to genetic variation. However, the correlation between genetic variation and pathological changes in LSS is insufficient, and it is difficult to provide a reference for the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of spinal canal stenosis by integrating genome-wide association study summary statistics (including 661 cases and 178,065 controls) derived from Biobank Japan, and pre-computed gene expression weights of skeletal muscle and whole blood implemented in FUSION software. To verify the TWAS results, the candidate genes were furthered compared with messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles of LSS to screen for common genes. Finally, Metascape software was used to perform enrichment analysis of the candidate genes and common genes.Aims
Methods
Non-coding microRNA (miRNA) in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may promote neuronal repair after spinal cord injury (SCI). In this paper we report on the effects of MSC-EV-microRNA-381 (miR-381) in a rodent model of SCI. In the current study, the luciferase assay confirmed a binding site of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) and Wnt family member 5A (WNT5A). Then we detected expression of miR-381, BRD4, and WNT5A in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cells treated with MSC-isolated EVs and measured neuron apoptosis in culture by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. A rat model of SCI was established to detect the in vivo effect of miR-381 and MSC-EVs on SCI.Aims
Methods
Although we often encounter patients with an aortic aneurysm
who also have diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), there
are no reports to date of an association between these two conditions
and the pathogenesis of DISH remains unknown. This study therefore
evaluated the prevalence of DISH in patients with a thoracic aortic
aneurysm (AA). The medical records of 298 patients who underwent CT scans for
a diagnosis of an AA or following high-energy trauma were retrospectively
examined. A total of 204 patients underwent surgery for an AA and
94 had a high-energy injury and formed the non-AA group. The prevalence
of DISH was assessed on CT scans of the chest and abdomen and the
relationship between DISH and AA by comparison between the AA and
non-AA groups.Aims
Patients and Methods
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation was evaluated after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures in a randomized, controlled clinical study performed for United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. PEMF significantly increased fusion rates at six months, but 12-month fusion outcomes for subjects at elevated risk for pseudoarthrosis were not thoroughly reported. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of PEMF treatment on subjects at increased risk for pseudoarthrosis after ACDF procedures. Two evaluations were performed that compared fusion rates between PEMF stimulation and a historical control (160 subjects) from the FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) study: a Objectives
Methods
