Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34988207›Full record

ArticleAnnals of translational medicine2021

Role of the Alarmin S100A9 protein in inducing Achilles tendinopathy in rats.

Bin-An Zhao, Jun Li, Chao Xue, Jie Li, Heng-An Ge, Biao Cheng, Qi-Hang Su

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of translational medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. The Role of Phagocytic Cells in the Achilles Tendon.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Achilles tendinopathy.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Bin-An Zhao *Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Jun Li *Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Chao XueDepartment of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Jie LiDepartment of Orthopedics, Shanghai Zhabei District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Heng-An GeDepartment of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Biao ChengDepartment of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Qi-Hang SuDepartment of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Tongji University · CNShanghai Zhabei District Shibei Hospital · CNShanghai Tenth People's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to investigate the correlation between the Alarmin S100A9 protein and Achilles tendinopathy (AT), and to reveal the role of this protein in inducing AT.

methodsIn this study, 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (received no treatment), Injury group (Achilles tendon tissues were cut intraoperatively), S100A9 group (received a subcutaneous injection of rhS100A9 solution), and S100A9 + Paquinimod group [received a subcutaneous injection of rhS100A9 and Paquinimod (1:1 ratio) into the Achilles tendon]. At 1 week postoperatively, the four groups of rats were euthanized, and the Achilles tendon tissues were isolated for histological staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, Sirius Red (SR) staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay.

resultsCompared with both the Control and S100A9 + Paquinimod groups, the Injury and S100A9 groups exhibited higher expression levels of S100A9 protein, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), and inflammatory factors. Regarding histomorphology [hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Safranin O/fast green (SOFG; fast green and Safranin) training], the Achilles tendon tissues in the Injury and S100A9 groups showed AT-like changes, and the fibers were extremely disorderly, non-bundled, and ruptured, and some nuclei were spindles. As for collagen (Col) remodeling, a large number of fresh collagen fibers had formed, the amounts of Col-I and Col-II were lower, and a large quantity of Col-III was present. Additionally, a large number of tendon cells had died in both the Injury and S100A9 groups.

conclusionsThis study showed that Alarmin S100A9 can induce AT-like morphological changes and local inflammatory reactions, trigger collagen fiber remodeling and tendon cell apoptosis, and ultimately induce AT.

Indexed as

Achilles tendinopathy (AT)Alarmin S100A9animal experimentdegenerationinflammation

Identifiers

PMID34988207
PMCPMC8667095
OpenAlexW3216217609

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.