The novel coronavirus is still mutating, and the pandemic continues. Meanwhile, many COVID-19 survivors have residual postinfection clinical manifestations. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been shown to be effective in the early stages of COVID-19.
The aim of this study was to investigate long-term safety and efficacy of treatment in patients with severe COVID-19 patients who had received hUC-MSCs therapy.
Twenty-five discharged patients who had severe COVID-19 (including the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus hUC-MSCs group) were enrolled in a 1-year follow-up. The assessment considered adverse effects (including effects on liver and kidney function, coagulation, ECG, tumor marker, and so on), pulmonary function, St George\'s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), postinfection sequelae and serum concentration of Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), H2S, carnitine, and N-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (N-6 LC-PUFAs).
Pulmonary ventilation function had significantly improved at the 1-year follow-up in both the hUC-MSCs group and the control group compared with the 3-month follow-up (P < 0.01). Fatigue (60% [15/25]) remained the most common symptom at the 1-year follow-up. The rate of fatigue relief was significantly reduced in the hUC-MSCs group (25% [2/8]) compared to the control group (76.5% [13/17]) (P = 0.028). The level of KL-6 was significantly lower in the hUC-MSCs group (2585.5 ± 186.5 U/ml) than in the control group (3120.7 ± 158.3 U/ml) (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the hUC-MSCs group had a lower level of MDA (9.27 ± 0.54 vs. 9.91 ± 0.72 nmol/ml, P = 0.036). No obvious adverse effects were observed in the hUC-MSCs treatment group at 1 year after discharge.
Intravenous transplantation of hUC-MSCs was a safe approach in the long term in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. In addition, hUC-MSCs had a positive effect on postinfection sequelae in COVID-19 survivors.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registration; ChiCTR2000031494; Registered 02 April 2020-Retrospectively registered, http://www.medresman.org.

Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic (VEXAS) syndrome is an autoinflammatory disease caused by somatic variants in the UBA1 gene that lead to severe systemic inflammation and myelodysplastic syndrome. Although no standard therapy has been established yet, azacitidine and bone marrow transplantation have been reported to be promising possibilities; however, the indications for these treatments are problematic and not necessarily applicable to all patients. We previously reported the results of short-term treatment with tocilizumab (TCZ) and glucocorticoids in three patients with VEXAS syndrome. In this paper, we report that the combination of TCZ and glucocorticoids allowed the patients to continue treatment for at least one year without significant disease progression. Glucocorticoids were able to be reduced from the start of TCZ. Adverse events were herpes zoster, skin ulceration after cellulitis, and decreased blood counts. The results suggest the significance of this treatment as a bridge therapy for the development of future therapies.

UNASSIGNED: COVID-19 is characterized by endothelial dysfunction and is presumed to have long-term cardiovascular sequelae. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the serum levels of endothelial biomarkers in patients who recovered from COVID-19 one year after hospital discharge.
UNASSIGNED: In this clinical follow-up study, 345 COVID-19 survivors from Huanggang, Hubei, and 119 age and gender-matched medical staff as healthy controls were enrolled. A standardized symptom questionnaire was performed, while electrocardiogram and Doppler ultrasound of lower extremities, routine blood tests, biochemical and immunological tests, serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), P-selectin, and fractalkine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
UNASSIGNED: At one year after discharge, 39% of recovers possessed post-COVID syndromes, while a few had abnormal electrocardiogram manifestations, and no deep vein thrombosis was detected in all screened survivors. There were no significant differences in circulatory inflammatory markers (leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6), alanine aminotransferase, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and D-dimer observed among healthy controls with previously mild or severe infected. Furthermore, serum levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, P-selectin, and fractalkine do not significantly differ between survivors and healthy controls.
UNASSIGNED: SARS-CoV-2 infection may not impose a higher risk of developing long-term cardiovascular events, even for those recovering from severe illness.

Lockdown measures have obvious psychological impacts, which could, in turn, increase cardiovascular risk. We assessed the association between lockdown-related factors and the worsening of cardiovascular risk, incident anxiety and depression during 12 months\' follow-up. During lockdown (April-May 2020), 534 subjects, aged 50-89 years, were included in the PSYCOV-CV study (NCT04397835) and followed for up to 12 months post-lockdown. We found that participants with symptoms of depression during lockdown were more likely to report increased cardiovascular drug treatment (Odds-Ratio (OR) = 5.08 (1.78-14.5), p = 0.002), decreased physical activity (OR = 1.76 (1.10-2.82), p = 0.019) and weight gain (OR = 1.85 (1.08-3.17), p = 0.024) after lockdown. Moreover, changes in sleep patterns (OR = 2.35 (1.13-4.88), p = 0.022) or living in a rural area during lockdown (OR = 1.70 (0.96-3.03, p = 0.069) were associated with higher incident depression, whereas a better relationship with one\'s partner during lockdown was associated with less incident depression (OR = 0.56 (0.29-1.08), p = 0.084). Finally, we found that continuing to work during lockdown in a role requiring in-person contact with the public (such as cashiers, nurses or physicians) was associated with more incident anxiety after lockdown (OR = 3.38 (1.12-10.2), p = 0.031). Interestingly, decreased consumption of alcohol during lockdown was associated with less incident anxiety (OR = 0.30 (0.10-0.90), p = 0.032). Our study, conducted in a representative sample of an age group at increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and severe COVID-19, increases the understanding of modifiable factors associated with the health impacts of lockdown measures.

This paper reports the 1-year follow-up results from a randomized controlled trial (RCT), which examined the efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT) for unipolar depression compared to a waiting condition. Thirty-nine patients with major depression were offered MCT and were divided into two conditions; immediate MCT with 10 weekly sessions or a waiting period that had a 10-week delayed MCT start. Two participants dropped out during the waiting condition. Thirty-four patients participated in the follow-up assessment. Based on the intent-to-treat sample and all patients, 67% were classified as recovered, 13% improved, and 20% were unchanged at 1-year follow-up. For the completers sample 73% recovered, 12% improved, and 15% were unchanged. Five of the 31 patients (13%) that were in remission at post-treatment experienced relapse at 1-year follow-up. Within-group effect sizes were large for reductions in symptoms of depression (d = 2.09) and anxiety (d = 1.16) at 1-year. Treatment response was associated with reductions in rumination, worry, and metacognitive beliefs as predicted by the metacognitive model, but reductions in metacognitions independently predicted reductions in depression scores from pre-treatment to 1-year follow-up. The results suggest that treatment gains are stable at 1-year follow-up. The study sets the stage for future research, which should evaluate MCT over a longer term and compare it with active treatments using suitably powered RCTs.

To assess peri-implant soft tissue dimensions at implant sites, previously augmented with a collagen matrix (VCMX) or an autogenous subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG), between crown insertion and 1 year.
Twenty patients with single-tooth implants received soft tissue augmentation prior to abutment connection randomly using VCMX or SCTG. Following abutment connection 3 months later, final reconstructions were fabricated and inserted (baseline). Patients were recalled at 6 months (6M) and at 1 year (FU-1). Measurements included clinical data, soft tissue thickness, volumetric outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
The buccal soft tissue thickness showed a median decrease of -0.5 mm (-1.0;0.3) (VCMX) and 0.0 mm (-0.5;1.0) (SCTG) (p = .243) up to FU-1. The soft tissue volume demonstrated a median decrease between BL and FU-1 of -0.1 mm (-0.2;0.0) (p = .301) for VCMX and a significant decrease of -0.2 mm (-0.4; -0.1) (p = .002) for SCTG, respectively. Intergroup comparisons did not reveal any significant differences between the groups for peri-implant soft tissue dimensions and changes up to FU-1 (p > .05). PROMs did not show any significant changes over time nor differences between the groups.
Between crown insertion and 1 year, the buccal peri-implant soft tissue dimensions remained stable without relevant differences between sites that had previously been grafted with VCMX or SCTG.

Few studies have reported the return-to-sport rate at 1-year follow-up after primary and revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
To compare the return-to-sport rate 1 year after primary and revision ACL reconstruction in the same cohort according to 2 modalities: any kind of sport and the patient\'s usual sport at the same level as before the injury.
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
A single-center, prospective cohort study of patients undergoing ACL reconstruction (French prospective Acl STudy [FAST]) was begun in 2012. A comparative study was performed based on a retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively. Included were all athletes aged 18 to 50 years who underwent primary or revision isolated ACL reconstruction between 2012 and 2014. Two groups were formed: primary reconstruction and revision reconstruction. The main criterion was return to sport at 1-year follow-up (yes/no); secondary criteria were return to the usual sport at 1-year follow-up, knee function (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] scores), and psychological readiness (ACL-Return to Sports after Injury [ACL-RSI] score) at 6 months and 1 year.
A total of 552 patients (primary reconstruction group: n = 497, revision reconstruction group: n = 55) were included in the study. There were 373 men and 179 women (mean [±SD] age, 30.2 ± 8.4 years). No significant difference in the return-to-sport rate was found between the 2 groups at 1-year follow-up (primary reconstruction group: 90.9%, revision reconstruction group: 87.3%; P = .38), but patients in the primary reconstruction group resumed their usual sport significantly more often (primary reconstruction group: 63.6%, revision reconstruction group: 49.1%; P = .04). Eight (1.4%) retears occurred during a new sport-related injury within a mean 8.9 ± 2.9 months: 7 (1.4%) in the primary reconstruction group and 1 (1.8%) in the revision reconstruction group ( P = .8). At 1-year follow-up, functional scores were significantly better in the primary reconstruction group for subjective IKDC (82.6 ± 13.3 vs 78.4 ± 16.6; P = .04); KOOS Symptoms/Stiffness (73.3 ± 15.2 vs 67.7 ± 19.6; P = .02), Activities of Daily Living (96.3 ± 6.4 vs 94.3 ± 9.1; P = .04), Sport (79.7 ± 19.1 vs 69.1 ± 24.8; P = .0004), and Quality of Life (69.6 ± 22.7 vs 54.7 ± 24.8; P < .00001) subscales; and ACL-RSI (65 ± 23 vs 49.5 ± 24.8; P < .00001). On multivariate analysis, patients who were more likely to resume their usual sport at 1 year were high-level players (odds ratio [OR], 2.2) who underwent primary reconstruction (OR, 2.0) and had better KOOS Quality of Life (OR, 1.7) and subjective IKDC (OR, 2.1) scores at 6-month follow-up without complications or retears during the first postoperative year (OR, 2.6).
At 1-year follow-up, there was no significant difference in the return-to-sport rate between primary and revision ACL reconstruction. Patients who underwent primary reconstruction returned to their usual sport significantly more often.
NCT02511158 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

BACKGROUND: Although direct repair (DR) with screw fixation at the pars defect is a common surgical treatment for lumbar spondylolysis, it is unknown whether DR leads to better outcomes for young patients with spondylolysis than traditional nonsurgical treatment.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether DR was associated with better outcomes for lumbar spondylolysis in young patients than traditional conservative treatment.
METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study.
METHODS: Of 1,784 patients with low back pain in the reference period, 149 young patients with spondylolysis who followed up for at least 1 year were enrolled in the study.
METHODS: The primary outcome was pain intensity at the lower back measured with a Visual Analog Scale. Secondary outcomes included the functional outcome as measured with the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and the 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12) consisting of the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores, the radiologic outcome as measured with lumbar spine radiographs and computed tomography scans, and complications of treatment.
METHODS: This was a prospective comparative study between two groups of patients who were treated with either conservative treatment or surgery for lumbar spondylolysis. Enrolled patients self-selected their own treatment and were allocated to either the traditional care group with conservative treatment (87 patients) or the surgery group (62 patients). All patients were followed up for at least 1 year.
RESULTS: Pain intensity at the lower back did not differ significantly between groups at the final follow-up. Likewise, the ODI and SF-12 (PCS and MCS) scores did not differ significantly between groups (p=.13, .71, and .68, respectively). The change in the gap distance of the pars defect at the final follow-up was significantly different between groups (traditional care group: +0.8±0.4 mm; surgery group: -0.7±0.5; p=.01). The union rate at 1 year after surgical treatment was 52% (32/61). The rate of complications was significantly higher in the surgery group (31%) than the traditional care group (20%) (p=.02).
CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment for young patients with spondylolysis may produce similar clinical outcomes and fewer complications over 12-month follow-up than surgical treatment with DR.

This study examined whether patients\' drinking goals at admission to and discharge from 12 residential alcohol use disorder treatment programs were associated with alcohol-related outcomes at 1-year follow-up. Detoxified patients (N = 289) completed assessments at admission, after treatment, and at 1-year follow-up. Drinking goals of abstinence, conditional abstinence (in principle abstinence but potential occurrence of lapses or drinking, when urges are strong), and controlled drinking changed during treatment and predicted the 1-year follow-up outcomes (abstinence, number of standard drinks, and number of days to the first alcohol use). Goals at discharge had a better predictive value. The goal of abstinence at discharge had better outcomes than conditional abstinence; the poorest had controlled drinking.