ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of posterior and anterior psoas abscess debridement and local chemotherapy in abscess cavity combined with focus debridement, bone grafting, and fixation via posterior approach in treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis, and explore the feasibility of psoas abscess debridement via posterior approach.MethodsBetween June 2012 and December 2015, the clinical data of 37 patients with thoracolumbar spine tuberculosis and psoas abscess were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients underwent posterior focus debridement, bone grafting, and internal fixation, and were divided into two groups according to different approaches to psoas abscess debridement. Twenty-one patients in group A underwent abscess debridement and local chemotherapy in abscess cavity via posterior approach; 16 patients in group B underwent abscess debridement and local chemotherapy in abscess cavity via anterior approach. No significant difference was found between two groups in gender, age, disease duration, involved segments, preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP), side of psoas abscess, maximum transverse diameter and sagittal diameter of psoas abscess, accompanying abscess, abscess cavity separation, preoperative Cobb angle of involved segments, preoperative American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, time of abscess absorption and bone fusion were recorded and compared between 2 groups. The change of pre- and post-operative involved segments Cobb angle was observed. Neurological function was assessed according to ASIA classification.ResultsExcept that the operation time of group B was significantly longer than that of group A (t=–2.985, P=0.005), there was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, time of abscess absorption and bone fusion between 2 groups (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 18-47 months (mean, 31.1 months). No cerebrospinal ?uid leakage occurred intra- and post-operation. Four patients in group A underwent second-stage operation of abscess debridement and local chemotherapy in abscess cavity via anterior approach. All patients got abscess absorption, meanwhile ESR and CRP level normalized at last follow-up. The involved segments Cobb angle improved significantly when compared with preoperative values in both 2 groups (P<0.05); and there was no significant difference between 2 groups at last follow-up (P>0.05). Nine patients with spinal cord injury had significant neurological recovery at last follow-up (Z=–2.716, P=0.007).ConclusionPosterior focus debridement, bone grafting, and internal fixation combined with abscess debridement and local chemotherapy in abscess cavity is effective in treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis, but in some cases anterior abscess debridement is still required.
Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its high morbidity and mortality have posed a serious threat to global public health. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is a proteolytic enzyme involved in regulating extracellular matrix degradation and remodeling. MMP is highly expressed in pulmonary tuberculosis, and its expression is regulated by genes, epigenetic modifications, cellular signaling pathways, immune regulation, and cellular environment. MMP is a potential target for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, this article summarizes the expression and related mechanisms of MMP in pulmonary tuberculosis, aiming to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the safety and effectiveness of polymethylmethacrylate-augmented screw fixation (PASF) in the treatment of elderly thoracolumbar tuberculosis combined with severe osteoporosis.MethodsThe clinical data of 20 elderly patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis and severe osteoporosis who underwent PASF after anterior or posterior debridement and bone grafting and met the selection criteria between December 2012 and December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 8 males and 12 females with an average age of 68.5 years (range, 65-72 years). T value of bone mineral density was ?4.2 to ?3.6, with an average of ?3.9. There were 12 cases of thoracic tuberculosis, 3 cases of thoracolumbar tuberculosis, and 5 cases of lumbar tuberculosis. The diseased segments involved T3-L4, including 11 cases of single-segment disease, 6 cases of double-segment disease, and 3 cases of multi-segment disease. The disease duration was 3-9 months, with an average of 6 months. The preoperative spinal nerve function of the patients was evaluated by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading. There were 2 cases of grade A, 5 cases of grade B, 6 cases of grade C, 4 cases of grade D, and 3 cases of grade E. Postoperative imaging examination was used to evaluate the bone graft fusion and paravertebral abscess absorption, and to measure the Cobb angle of the segment to evaluate the improvement of kyphosis. The levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were tested. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and ASIA grading were used to evaluate the effectivreness before operation, at 1 month after operation, and at last follow-up. The clinical cure of tuberculosis was also evaluated.ResultsAll operation successfully completed. The operation time was 154-250 minutes, with an average of 202 minutes; the intraoperative blood loss was 368-656 mL, with an average of 512 mL. All 20 patients were followed up 18-42 months, with an average of 26.8 months. The postoperative pain and symptoms of tuberculosis in all patients relieved, and the paravertebral abscess was absorbed, reaching the cure standard for spinal tuberculosis. All bone grafts fusion achieved within 1 year after operation. Only 1 case had asymptomatic bone cement leakage into the paravertebral veins, and the remaining patients had no serious complications such as bone cement leakage in the spinal canal, pulmonary embolism, and neurovascular injury. At last follow-up, spinal cord nerve function significantly improved when compared with preoperative one. Among them, ASIA grading were 7 cases of grade C, 8 cases of grade D, and 5 cases of grade E, showing significant difference when compared with preoperative one (Z=2.139, P=0.000). VAS score, ODI score, segmental Cobb angle, ESR, and CRP at 1 month after operation and at last follow-up were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05); there was no significant difference between 1 month after operation and last follow-up (P>0.05). During the follow-up, no complications such as failure of internal fixation, proximal junctional kyphosis, or tuberculosis recurrence occurred.ConclusionFor elderly patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis and severe osteoporosis, PASF treatment is safe and effective.
Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of three LTBI screening strategies: the tuberculin skin test (TST), the T-SPOT.TB and the combination of TST and T-SPOT (TST+T.SPOT), to provide economic evidence for T.SPOT application in China. Methods A decision analysis model evaluated three strategies among a cohort of 1000 tuberculosis (TB) close contacts, using incremental cost-effectiveness of prevention a active TB patient (1 year post contact). Meta analyses were conducted to calculate the key parameters of T.SPOT and TST. The official data or literature was searched and the unaccessible data was to specify other parameters, such as cost, LTBI prevalence, etc. The one-way sensitivity analysis was performed, varying key parameters over a wide range of reasonable values to evaluate the impact of data uncertainties and to determine the robustness of our overall conclusion. Results a) As for the total cost, the TST+T.SPOT strategy (?212 213.81 per 1 000 contacts) cost the least, while the single T.SPOT strategy cost the most; b) Subsequently, the TST+T.SPOT strategy required less contacts to be treated to prevent an active case of TB (8.31) than the single TST strategy (25.67); c) the TST+T.SPOT strategy shared the most cost-effectiveness (?3 063.50 per active TB case prevented) than the single TST or T.SPOT strategy; and d) The results of one-way sensitivity analyses showed that cost-effectiveness values were sensitive to changes in LTBI prevalence (gt;60%), Sen and Spn of TST test (gt;70%), with the single TST being superior to the single T.SPOT. Conclusion The Single T.SPOT strategy enjoys the most cases prevented from active TB, while the TST+S.SPOT strategy is the most cost-effective. The conclusion is sensitive to a few parameters, such as LTBI prevalence, but the TST+T.SPOT strategy is always the best.
Objective To review current status of surgical treatment for angular kyphosis in spinal tuberculosis and provide reference for clinical treatment. Methods The literature on the surgical treatment for angular kyphosis of spinal tuberculosis in recent years was extensively reviewed and summarized from the aspects of surgical indications, surgical contraindications, surgical approach, selection of osteotomy, and perioperative management. Results Angular kyphosis of spine is a common complication in patients with spinal tuberculosis. If kyphosis progresses gradually, it is easy to cause neurological damage, deterioration, and delayed paralysis, which requires surgical intervention. At present, surgical approaches for angular kyphosis of the spine include anterior approach, posterior approach, and combined anterior and posterior approaches. Anterior approach can be performed for patients with severe spinal cord compression and small kyphotic Cobb angle. Posterior approach can be used for patients with large kyphotic Cobb angle but not serious neurological impairment. A combined anterior and posterior approaches is an option for spinal canal decompression and orthosis. Osteotomy for kyphotic deformity include Smith-Peterson osteotomy (SPO), pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), vertebral column resection(VCR), vertebral column decancellation (VCD), posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR), deformed complex vertebral osteotomy (DCVO), and Y-shaped osteotomy. SPO and PSO are osteotomy methods with relatively low surgical difficulty and low surgical risks, and can provide 15°-30° angular kyphosis correction effect. VCR or PVCR is a representative method of osteotomy and correction. The kyphosis correction can reach 50° and is suitable for patients with severe angular kyphosis. VCD, DCVO, and Y-shaped osteotomy are emerging surgical techniques in recent years. Compared with VCR, the surgical risks are lower and the treatment effects also improve to varying degrees. Postoperative recovery is also a very important part of the perioperative period and should be taken seriously. Conclusion There is no consensus on the choice of surgical treatment for angular kyphosis in spinal tuberculosis. Osteotomy surgery are invasive, which is a problem that colleagues have always been concerned about. It is best to choose a surgical method with less trauma while ensuring the effectiveness.
Objective To investigate the evaluation value of serum interleukin-34 (IL-34), macrophage migration inhibitor (MIF), osteopontin (OPN) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the diagnosis and prognosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods Clinical data of 100 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis admitted from June 2019 to June 2022 were selected as an observation group and retrospectively analyzed. All patients received standardized anti-tuberculosis therapy for 6 months and were divided into a good prognosis group (76 cases) and a poor prognosis group (24 cases) according to the prognosis. Another 80 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group. Serum levels of IL-34, MIF, OPN and hs-CRP were detected in each group, and the value of serum IL-34, MIF, OPN and hs-CRP in the diagnosis and prognosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve). Results Serum levels of IL-34, MIF, OPN and hs-CRP in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that serum IL-34, MIF, OPN, hs-CRP had a certain diagnostic value in active pulmonary tuberculosis, with area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.864, 0.870, 0.865, and 0.880, respectively (all P<0.01), and the combination of the four indexes had a higher diagnostic value (AUC=0.902, P<0.01). Serum levels of IL-34, MIF, OPN and hs-CRP in the good prognosis group were lower than those in the poor prognosis group (all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that serum IL-34, MIF, OPN, hs-CRP had a certain value in evaluating the prognosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis, with AUC of 0.850, 0.874, 0.837, and 0.842, respectively (all P<0.01), and the combined value of the four indexes was higher (AUC=0.923, P<0.01). Conclusion The combined detection of serum IL-34, MIF, OPN and hs-CRP has high value in the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of active pulmonary tuberculosis.
In this study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay in conjunction with calcein for visualized detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) was established. Firstly, four LAMP primers were designed according to the region of 16S rDNA sequences of MTB. Secondly, clinical sputum samples were collected, decontaminated and their DNA was extracted. Thirdly, standard MTB strains were used to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of LAMP. At the same time, electrophoresis was used for products detection and calcein was used for visualized verification. At last, Chi-squared test function in SPSS 17.0 software was used for consistency evaluation of LAMP assay as compared with the gold standard (culture method). Results showed that there was no nonspecific amplification appeared in the specificity assay and the detection limit was 10 copies/tube in the sensitivity assay. In addition, visualized method by calcein had a comparable sensitivity with that of electrophoresis method. After evaluation of clinical practicability, the sensitivity of LAMP was calculated as 94.74% and the specificity was 90%, respectively. And Chi-squared test showed that LAMP and culture method had no statistic difference, and the two methods were in good consistency (P>0.05). In conclusion, LAMP assay introduced in our study has the characteristics of high efficiency and visualized detection so that this technique has great application prospects in the resource-limited environment, such as work field and primary care hospitals.
ObjectiveTo overview the systematic reviews on the timing of different surgical interventions for severe multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients.MethodsPubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CBM, WanFang Data and CNKI databases were searched for systematic reviews about the timing of different surgical interventions for severe multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients from inception to December, 2018. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, evaluated the reporting and methodological qualities using the PRISMA checklist and the AMSTAR tool. After re-extraction of individual RCT data from included systematic reviews, meta-analysis was performed by Stata10.0 software.ResultsA total of 11 systematic reviews were included. The average methodological quality score was 8.13 in AMSTAR , the reporting quality score was from 19.5 to 25 in PRISMA. Re-performed meta-analysis showed that, the total success rate of operation was 93.3% (95%CI 92.9 to 93.8), the failure rate was 3.7% (95%CI 3.3 to 4.0), the mortality rate was 2.0% (95%CI 1.8 to 2.2), and the loss rate was 1.0% (95%CI 0.8 to 1.2). The cure rates of different surgical methods were all over 80%, among which single lobectomy (98.47%) and compound lobectomy (98.94%) had the higher cure rates than others. For the time of different surgical interventions, cure rate could be improved obviously in patients receiving surgery treatment after 1 months (OR=1.58, 95%CI 1.29 to 1.94, P=0.000 12), 1-8months (OR=1.66, 95%CI 1.30 to 2.12, P=0.000 05) and 9-24 months (OR=1.48, 95%CI 1.15 to 1.90, P=0.002) of anti-tuberculosis therapy compared with 0 month.There were significant differences between two groups.ConclusionCurrent evidence shows that operation is an effective way for severe multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Operative opportunity should be selected after 1-24 months of anti-tuberculosis drug treatment when the operation time depending on whether the tuberculosis has turned negative or not. Operative mode should be decided by the location and the scope of the lesion, which ensures the maximum excision of lesions and retention of lung function.
To evaluate the method and effectiveness of anterior focus clearance with autograft bone fusion and internal fixation in treating of adjacent multivertebral tuberculosis in one-stage. Methods Between March 2007 and September 2009, 8 cases of thoracic vertebra tuberculosis were treated. Of 8 cases, 6 were male and 2 were female, aged 32 years on average (range, 20-42 years). The disease duration ranged from 8 to 14 months (mean, 10.2 months). Affected vertebrae included thoracic vertebrae in 35 cases and lumbar vertebrae in 11 cases; 5 vertebrae were involved in 4 cases, 6 vertebrae in 3 cases, and 8 vertebrae in 1 case. According to Frankel classification, there were 2 cases of grade C, 4 cases of grade D, and 2 cases of grade E. All patients had different kyphosis with the Cobb angle of (25.1 ± 6.6)°. All patients received antituberculous therapy 4-6 weeks preoperatively; after complete clearance lesions, autograft bone fusion and internal fixation were performed, and then antituberculous therapy was given for 18 months. Results All incisions healed by first intention. Eight patients were followed up 18-48 months (mean, 29 months). According to JIN Dadi et al. criterion, 7 cases recovered after first operation, 1 case of relapsed tuberculosis with sious was cured after re-focus clearance. The Cobb angle was (19.5 ± 4.2)° at 7 days after operation and was (22.3 ± 3.6)° at last follow-up, showing significant differences when compared with the preoperative value (P lt; 0.05). The nerve function of all cases were classified as Frankel grade E. CT scan showed bone graft fusion at 6-8 months after operation. No loosening or displacement of grafted bone and internal fixation occurred during follow-up. Conclusion The treatment of adjacent multivertebral tuberculosis by anterior focus clearance, intervertebral autograft, and internal fixation in one-stage is effective. Anterior bone fusion and internal fixation in one-stage can correct kyphosis effectively and rebuild spinal stabil ity, so it is a good choice for surgical treatment of adjacent multivertebral tuberculosis.
Objective To systematically review the rate of delayed consultation among older pulmonary tuberculosis patients in China. Methods Databases including Web of Science, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang Data were electronically searched to collect cross-sectional studies on the incidence of delayed consultation in older patients with tuberculosis in China from January 2000 to August 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed by Stata 15.0 software. Results In total, 76 cross-sectional studies with 461 896 cases involving 321 411 elderly delayed consultation tuberculosis patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the rate of delayed consultation was 55.1% (95%CI 52.0% to 58.1%) in older Chinese adults with tuberculosis. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the delayed consultation rate of male tuberculosis patients was 57.1% and that in female tuberculosis patients was 60.3%. The delayed consultation rates of patients from the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions were 54.1%, 58.0%, 56.0%, and 53.3%, respectively, and those of patients aged 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80 years or older were 73.1%, 76.8%, and 78.1%, respectively. The delayed consultation rates of tuberculosis patients with illiteracy, primary school education, junior high school education, and above were 50.0%, 56.0%, and 53.4%, respectively. The delayed consultation rates of the patients in the papers published between 2000 and 2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2021 were 39.3%, 53.3%, 58.3%, and 54.4%, respectively. Among the different detection methods, the delayed consultation rates of tuberculosis patients due to symptoms or recommendations, referrals, follow-ups, and other detection methods were 72.9%, 69.0%, 73.4%, and 57.2%, respectively. Regarding treatment classification, the delayed consultation rates of initial treatment and the retreatment of pulmonary tuberculosis were 72.3% and 75.2%, respectively. The delayed consultation rates of pulmonary tuberculosis patients with negative and positive etiological examinations were 73.9% and 65.2%, respectively. The delayed consultation rates of farmers and non-farmers with pulmonary tuberculosis were 74.3% and 71.8%, respectively. Conclusion The incidence of delayed consultation among older tuberculosis patients in China remains high and shows a fluctuating upwards trend. Additionally, there are substantial differences in the rates of delayed consultation by gender, age, geographical location, educational level, discovery method, occupation, and so on.