Currently, various external tissue expansion devices are becoming widely used. Considering the scarcity of relevant application standards, this systematic review was performed to explore the effectiveness and safety of external tissue expansion techniques for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of external tissue expansion technique was conducted. A comprehensive search was performed in the following electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library (Wiley Online Library), and Web of Science. Studies reporting patients with soft tissue defects under the treatment of external tissue expansion technique were included. A total of 66 studies with 22 different types of external tissue expansion devices met the inclusion criteria. We performed a descriptive analysis of different kinds of devices. A single-arm meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the external tissue expansion technique for different aetiologies. The pooled mean wound healing time among patients with defects after fasciotomy was 10.548 days [95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.796–15.299]. The pooled median wound healing times of patients with defects after excisional surgery, trauma, chronic ulcers and abdominal defects were 11.218 days (95% CI = 6.183-16.253), 11.561 days (95% CI = 7.062-16.060), 15.956 days (95% CI = 11.916-19.996) and 12.853 days (95% CI=9.444-16.227), respectively. The pooled wound healing rates of patients with defects after fasciotomy, excisional surgery, trauma, chronic ulcers and abdominal defects were 93.8% (95% CI=87.1-98.2%), 97.2% (95%CI=92.2-99.7%), 97.0% (95%CI=91.2-99.8%), 99.5% (95%CI=97.6-100%), and 96.8% (95%CI=79.2-100%), respectively. We performed a subgroup analysis in patients with diabetic ulcers and open abdominal wounds. The pooled median wound healing time of patients with diabetic ulcers was 11.730 days (95% CI = 10.334-13.125). The pooled median wound healing time of patients with open abdomen defects was 48.810 days (95% CI = 35.557–62.063) and the pooled successful healing rate was 68.8% (95% CI = 45.9-88.1%). A total of 1686 patients were included, 265 (15.7%) of whom experienced complications. The most common complication was dehiscence (n = 53, 3.14%). Our systematic review is the first to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of external tissue expansion in the management of soft tissue defects. However, we must interpret the meta-analysis results with caution considering the limitations of this review. Large-scale randomized controlled trials and long-term follow-up studies are still needed to confirm the effectiveness and evaluate the quality of healing.

Background: Burn injuries with ≥70% total body surface area (TBSA) are especially acute and life-threatening, leading to severe complications and terrible prognosis, while a powerful model for the prediction of overall survival (OS) is lacking. The objective of this study is to identify prognostic factors for the OS of patients with burn injury ≥70% TBSA and construct and validate a feasible predictive model. Materials and methods: Patients diagnosed with burns ≥70% TBSA admitted and treated between 2010 and 2020 in our hospital were included. A cohort of the patients from the Kunshan explosion were assigned as the validation set. The χ ² test and K-M survival analysis were conducted to identify potential predictors for OS. Then, multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors. Afterward, we constructed a nomogram to predict OS probability. Finally, the Kunshan cohort was applied as an external validation set. Results: Sex, the percentage of third-degree and fourth-degree burns as well as organ dysfunction were identified as significant independent factors. A nomogram only based on the factors of the individuals was built and evidenced to have promising predictive accuracy, accordance, and discrimination by both internal and external validation. Conclusions: This study recognized significant influencing factors for the OS of patients with burns ≥70% TBSA. Furthermore, our nomogram proved to be an effective tool for doctors to quickly evaluate patients’ outcomes and make appropriate clinical decisions at an early stage of treatment.

(1) Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common lung cancer. Enhancer RNA (eRNA) has potential utility in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer, but the role of eRNAs in NSCLC metastasis is not clear; (2) Methods: Differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs), enhancer RNAs (DEEs), and target genes (DETGs) between primary NSCLC and metastatic NSCLC were identified. Prognostic DEEs (PDEEs) were screened by Cox regression analyses and a predicting model for metastatic NSCLC was constructed. We identified DEE interactions with DETFs, DETGs, reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA) protein chips, immunocytes, and pathways to construct a regulation network using Pearson correlation. Finally, the mechanisms and clinical significance were explained using multi-dimensional validation unambiguously; (3) Results: A total of 255 DEEs were identified, and 24 PDEEs were selected into the multivariate Cox regression model (AUC = 0.699). Additionally, the NSCLC metastasis-specific regulation network was constructed, and six key PDEEs were defined (ANXA8L1, CASTOR2, CYP4B1, GTF2H2C, PSMF1 and TNS4); (4) Conclusions: This study focused on the exploration of the prognostic value of eRNAs in the metastasis of NSCLC. Finally, six eRNAs were identified as potential markers for the prediction of metastasis of NSCLC.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition that commonly occurs in children. More and more scientific evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD, whereas there is no article providing a comprehensive summary and analysis. We aimed to analyze documents on AD and gut microbiota and identify hotspots and development trends in this field. Methods: Articles and reviews in the field of AD and gut microbiota from January 1, 1988 to October 20, 2024 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Biblioshiny was utilized for evaluating and visualizing the core authors, journals, countries, documents, trend topics, and hotspots in this field. Results: Among 1672 documents, it indicated that the number of annual publications generally increased. The United States had the highest production, impact, and international collaboration. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was the journal of the maximum publications. Based on keyword co-occurrence and clustering analysis, “stratum-corneum lipids,” “probiotics,” “prebiotics,” “fecal microbiota transplantation,” “phage therapy,” “short chain fatty-acids,” “biologic therapy,” and “skin inflammation” represented current trend topics. The pathological and molecular mechanisms and associated therapeutic methods for AD and gut microbiota were the research hotspots. The incorporation of microbiota-based therapies alongside conventional treatments can contribute to better clinical outcomes. Conclusion: We highlighted that gut microbiota may exacerbate symptoms of AD through various aspects, including immunity, metabolites, and neuroendocrine pathways. More efforts are required to investigate the safety and efficacy of gut microbial management methods for the prevention and treatment of AD.

Background: Apoptosis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study investigated the research status and hotspots in the field of apoptosis and CHD. Methods: This bibliometric analysis analyzed all articles and reviews from Web of Science Core Collection (dated July 7, 2025), using quantitative and visual mapping approaches. We employed the Bibliometrix R package to conduct a thorough analysis of the selected literature, which provided the hot topics, academic collaborations, and trends within the field. Results: We identified 5650 publications related to apoptosis and CHD, and the number of related articles has increased significantly in recent years. These publications came from 23,645 authors, and Zhang Y was the most influential author in this field. The USA had the highest impact and international collaboration. Apoptosis is activated via distinct pathways and exhibit interactions via Beclin 1-Bcl-2/Bcl-xL complex, mTOR, TRAIL, TNF-α, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and the p53 pathway. Excessive apoptosis may exacerbate myocardial ischemia, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, postischemic cardiac remodeling, and coronary atherosclerosis, excluding the progression of atherosclerosis induced by vascular smooth muscle cells. Given the pathological significance of apoptosis in CHD, there is a clear therapeutic potential in targeting apoptosis. Certain pharmacological agents, including mTOR inhibitors and AMPK activators, have been identified as regulators of apoptosis. The apoptosis-related cellular and molecular mechanisms in the progression and treatment of CHD have been the hot topics in this field. Conclusion: This study provided researchers with an overview of emerging trends in the field of apoptosis and CHD. Future studies should elucidate the roles of novel biomarkers, develop multi-target therapeutic strategies, and explore the interactions between apoptosis and other cellular processes.