Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41331332›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Pentraxin 3 ameliorates glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head via TLR4/NF-κB/FGF21 signaling axis.

Jinxu Li, Zhonghua Zhou, Yan Kong, Yang Li, Zhe Wang, Yongkang Yang, Jingyi Wang, Tianyi Liu, Xinyu Wang, Dan Luo and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. 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

13 authors.

Jinxu Li *Department of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Zhonghua Zhou *Department of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Yan KongDepartment of General Surgery, Muping District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Yantai City, Yantai, Shandong, PR China.
Yang LiDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Zhe WangDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Yongkang YangCheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Jingyi WangCheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Tianyi LiuDepartment of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, PR China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6308-8076
Xinyu WangDepartment of Anaesthesia, National Center for Orthopaedics, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.
Dan LuoDepartment of Oral Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China.
Fan ZhangCheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Cheng QiuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China. kuroo_qiu@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8766-5499
Jingwei Liu *Department of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China. liujingwei@email.sdu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9008-5658

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating bone disorder characterized by impaired osteogenesis and apoptosis-driven bone collapse. This study identifies significantly reduced pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels in patient samples and models. Recombinant PTX3 (rPTX3) alleviated dexamethasone-induced osteogenic suppression and apoptosis in vitro by activating TLR4/NF-κB pathway to downregulate fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). In Ptx3-knockout mice, glucocorticoid-induced bone deterioration was exacerbated, while PTX3 administration preserved bone architecture. Pharmacological blockade of TLR4/NF-κB signaling abolished PTX3's protective effects. Notably, FGF21 suppression by activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) retained bone-protective effects even in PTX3-deficient models, underscoring its role as a downstream effector. These findings establish the PTX3-TLR4/NF-κB-FGF21 axis as a key mechanism and suggest PTX3 supplementation as a potential therapeutic strategy against glucocorticoid-induced ONFH.

Indexed as

C-Reactive ProteinFemur Head NecrosisFibroblast Growth FactorsGlucocorticoidsNF-kappa BSerum Amyloid P-ComponentToll-Like Receptor 4AnimalsDexamethasoneFemaleHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutPentraxinsC-Reactive ProteinDexamethasoneFGF21 protein, humanfibroblast growth factor 21Fibroblast Growth FactorsGlucocorticoidsNF-kappa BPentraxinsSerum Amyloid P-ComponentTLR4 protein, humanTlr4 protein, mouseToll-Like Receptor 4

Identifiers

PMID41331332
PMCPMC12775387

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.