[A study on the distribution characteristics of peripheral retinal defocus in children and adolescents].

Objective: To explore the distribution characteristics of peripheral retinal defocus in children and adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 500 individuals aged 3 to 18 years, who visited the People's Hospital of Lincang, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University and Dali Ophthalmology Hospital between January and December 2021. Data of the right eye of each participant was analyzed. There were 226 males (45.20%) and 274 females (54.80%), with an average age of (10.79±3.79) years. All participants underwent post-cycloplegic refraction, optical biometry, and intraocular pressure measurement to obtain spherical equivalent, average corneal curvature, axial length, and intraocular pressure. Multispectral refraction topography was performed to obtain topographic maps and values at various field angles and orientations of peripheral retinal defocus. Based on multispectral refraction topography, peripheral retinal defocus values were categorized as crater type, hemilateral upturn type, saddle type, and relatively flat type. The distribution of different refractive states was analyzed. Results: The spherical equivalent of the 500 participants was(-1.51±2.61) D, axial length was (24.10±1.28) mm, and average corneal curvature was (43.20±1.22) D. Among the 500 eyes, 382 exhibited hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus values, with 316 eyes (82.72%) being myopic. Myopic peripheral retinal defocus values were observed in 118 eyes, with 15 eyes (12.72%) being myopic. Among different types of peripheral retinal defocus values, 112 eyes (22.4%) exhibited a crater type, 153 eyes (30.6%) exhibited a hemilateral upturn type, 107 eyes (21.4%) exhibited a saddle type, and 128 eyes (25.6%) exhibited a flat type. The proportion of myopia was 82.14% (92 eyes), 69.28% (106 eyes), 60.75% (65 eyes), and 3.90% (5 eyes), respectively. The peripheral retinal defocus values at 15°, 30°, and 45° were (0.01±0.08) D, (0.06±0.21) D, and (0.20±0.37) D, respectively. The peripheral retinal defocus values at temporal, inferior, nasal, and superior locations were (0.58±0.69) D, (0.52±0.63) D, (0.21±0.64) D, and (-0.26±0.67) D, respectively. Notably, the superior primarily manifested as myopic, while the others were predominantly hyperopic. Conclusions: Approximately three-fourths of children and adolescents exhibit hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus values, with a higher prevalence of myopia in this subgroup. The hyperopia peripheral retinal defocus value increases with the distance from the retina to the macula. The peripheral retinal defocus values between superior and inferior, nasal and temporal locations are asymmetrical, with the temporal hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus value being most prominent and the superior myopic peripheral retinal defocus value being most evident.

A Dosimetric Comparative Study of Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy Versus X-ray Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Compared to photon beam, carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) has both physical and biological advantages. AIM: To examine whether two-dimensional (2D) CIRT is dosimetrically superior to photon beam volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in protecting the normal tissues for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. Thirteen patients with stage III NSCLC treated in our center with curative CIRT and a sham photon beam VMAT treatment planning with the same normal tissue dose constraints were included for analysis. Target dose distributions and the homogeneity index (HI) within the planning target volumes were compared. RESULTS: Both CIRT and VMAT plans have good tumor coverage with no significant differences in D98, D95, and D50 of Planning target volume 1 (PTV1) between the two plans. The HIs between the two plans are similar. The HI of PTV2 is superior in the CIRT plan (CIRT vs. VMAT: 0.08 vs. 0.16, P < 0.05). In general, CIRT results in a lower dose of the organ-at-risk (OAR) than the photon plans. The V5, V10, V20, V30, V40, and Dmean of the contralateral lung in the CIRT plan are significantly lower than that of the photon VMAT. For the ipsilateral lung, the V5 of CIRT is significantly lower. The CIRT also had significantly lower spinal cord Dmax, esophageal Dmean and V50, V10 and V30 of bone, and V50 of the trachea and bronchial tree. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with photon VMAT, 2D-CIRT using the passive beam scanning technique significantly reduces the radiation dose to the OARs in curative radiotherapy of stage III NSCLC, suggesting a better protection of the normal tissues.

[Correlation analysis of polyclonal plasma cell proportion in the bone marrow with clinical characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma].

Objective: To explore the correlation of bone marrow polychonal plasma cell proportion (pPC% ) and clinical features in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 317 patients with NDMM admitted to Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2018 to January 2023 was performed. The results of the pPC% in all patients were clear. The relationship between the pPC% and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Results: A total of 317 patients were included, comprising 180 males and 137 females. The median age at diagnosis was 61 (26-91) years, and 55.8% were 60 years or older. The pPC% in the bone marrow of patients with NDMM was different in the DS, International Staging System (ISS), and revised ISS (R-ISS) stages (P=0.002, 0.010, and 0.049, respectively), whereas no statistical difference in pPC% was observed among patients with different FISH risk stratigrams (P=0.971). The correlation coefficient between pPC% and hemoglobin (HGB) at the first diagnosis in patients was 0.211 (P<0.01). The correlation coefficients with serum calcium, serum creatinine, M protein level, and ß(2)-microglobulin were -0.141, -0.120, -0.181, and -0.207, respectively, and the results of the significance test were P=0.012, 0.033, 0.004, and 0.002, respectively, indicating a negative correlation. Compared with the patients with a pPC% of ≥2.5%, the group of patients with a pPC% of <2.5% had significantly higher levels of light chain, serum calcium, serum creatinine, M protein, and ß(2)-microglobulin at the initial diagnosis (P<0.05) ; lower HGB level (P<0.001) ; and a higher proportion of patients in ISS stage Ⅲ (P=0.034) . Conclusion: In this study, the pPC% in patients with NDMM was associated with clinical features of good prognosis, including higher HGB, lower serum calcium, serum creatinine, M protein quantity, ß(2)-microglobulin, light chain involvement, lower proportion of advanced disease (DS stage and ISS stage Ⅲ), and clinical features showing lower tumor burden.

Transcriptomic differential lncRNA expression is involved in neuropathic pain in rat dorsal root ganglion after spared sciatic nerve injury

Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons regenerate spontaneously after traumatic or surgical injury. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various biological regulation processes. Conditions of lncRNAs in DRG neuron injury deserve to be further investigated. Transcriptomic analysis was performed by high-throughput Illumina HiSeq2500 sequencing to profile the differential genes in L4-L6 DRGs following rat sciatic nerve tying. A total of 1,228 genes were up-regulated and 1,415 down-regulated. By comparing to rat lncRNA database, 86 known and 26 novel lncRNA genes were found to be differential. The 86 known lncRNA genes modulated 866 target genes subject to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis. The genes involved in the neurotransmitter status of neurons were downregulated and those involved in a neuronal regeneration were upregulated. Known lncRNA gene rno-Cntnap2 was downregulated. There were 13 credible GO terms for the rno-Cntnap2 gene, which had a putative function in cell component of voltage-gated potassium channel complex on the cell surface for neurites. In 26 novel lncRNA genes, 4 were related to 21 mRNA genes. A novel lncRNA gene AC111653.1 improved rno-Hypm synthesizing huntingtin during sciatic nerve regeneration. Real time qPCR results attested the down-regulation of rno-Cntnap lncRNA gene and the upregulation of AC111653.1 lncRNA gene. A total of 26 novel lncRNAs were found. Known lncRNA gene rno-Cntnap2 and novel lncRNA AC111653.1 were involved in neuropathic pain of DRGs after spared sciatic nerve injury. They contributed to peripheral nerve regeneration via the putative mechanisms.

Role of chemokines in promoting instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and the underlying molecular mechanism

Our aim was to investigate the role of chemokines in promoting instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and the underlying molecular mechanism. Coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were performed in 60 stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients and 60 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients. The chemotactic activity of monocytes in the 2 groups of patients was examined in Transwell chambers. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), regulated on activation in normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and fractalkine in serum were examined with ELISA kits, and expression of MCP-1, RANTES, and fractalkine mRNA was examined with real-time PCR. In the SAP group, 92 plaques were detected with IVUS. In the UAP group, 96 plaques were detected with IVUS. The plaques in the UAP group were mainly lipid 51.04% (49/96) and the plaques in the SAP group were mainly fibrous 52.17% (48/92). Compared with the SAP group, the plaque burden and vascular remodeling index in the UAP group were significantly greater than in the SAP group (P<0.01). Chemotactic activity and the number of mobile monocytes in the UAP group were significantly greater than in the SAP group (P<0.01). Concentrations of hs-CRP, MCP-1, RANTES, and fractalkine in the serum of the UAP group were significantly higher than in the serum of the SAP group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and expression of MCP-1, RANTES, and fractalkine mRNA was significantly higher than in the SAP group (P<0.05). MCP-1, RANTES, and fractalkine probably promote instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque.