The Association of Myopia Progression with Changes in Retinal Thickness among Primary School Students with Myopia.

Purpose: To observe the relationship between myopia progression and changes in retinal thickness during one year of follow-up among primary school children. Methods: The study included 1161 eyes of 708 myopic children, with 616 (53.06%) right eyes and 545 (46.94%) left eyes. The participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including visual acuity, axial length (AL), autorefraction, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination in 2016 and in 2017. An analysis was conducted on the differences in retinal thickness between different genders and between high myopia and nonhigh myopia. Furthermore, the study delved into the correlation between the progression of myopia and the changes of retinal thickness. Results: The average diopter was -1.83 ± 1.29D, average AL was 23.78 ± 0.94 mm, and average foveal thickness was 228.02 ± 23.00 µm. For the inner retina, the median value [the lower quartile value, the upper quartile value] of the foveal thickness was thicker in the high myopia group than the nonhigh myopia group (67 [64; 74] µm vs. 63 [56; 70] µm), while the parafoveal region and perifoveal region were thinner in the high myopia group than the nonhigh myopia group (106 [100; 123] µm vs. 124 [117; 130] µm; 95.0 [93; 102] µm vs. 104 [100; 108] µm). Among all the children with myopia, 67.53% (784/1161) of them have a diopter progression within one year. The AL progression was 95.43% (1108/1161). The retinal thickness of all children has slightly increased in various regions. As the AL of the eye increased and the diopter decreased, the progression degree of inner retinal thickness and full retinal thickness (exclusive of full fovea) decreased. Conclusion: For the school-age myopic children, the inner foveal retinal thickness were thicker in highly myopic students than in the nonhighly myopic students, while the parafoveal and perifoveal retina were thinner in highly myopic students. The inner and full retinal thicknesses of male students were thicker than that of females. The progression of myopia mainly affected the changes of the inner retinal thickness in the one-year follow-up.

Tilt and decentration of the crystalline lens in ultra-high myopia with cataract and its influencing factors: A study based on CASIA2'.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the characteristics and influencing factors of crystalline lens tilt and decentration in ultra-high myopic cataract patients, as measured by the CASIA2. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: 60 eyes scheduled for cataract surgery with an axial length (AL) ≥ 28 mm were included. The IOLMaster700 was utilized to measure AL and the white-to-white (WTW) distance. The CASIA2 was employed to measure front curvature radius (FCR), crystalline lens tilt, and crystalline lens decentration. The relationships between lens tilt, decentration, and related factors were evaluated. RESULTS: The degree of lens tilt was 4.62 ± 2.44°, and the decentration was 0.20 (Q1 0.13, Q3 0.28) mm. Among the 60 eyes, 11 (18.3%) had a tilt ≥7°, and 6 (10%) had a decentratiolens tilt ≥7° (P = 0.038, P = 0.018). Eyes with AL >30.00 mm and FCR <8.45 mm had a higher degree of lens tilt. Additionally, a tilt ≥7° was associated with a greater decentration (P = 0.032), n. CONCLUSION: Preoperative crystalline lenses in eyes with ultra-high myopia and cataract exhibit certain degrees of tilt and decentration. An AL >30 mm is a risk factor for a lens tilt ≥7° and an decentration ≥0.4 mm. An FCR <8.45 mm is a risk factor for increased lens tilt, and a tilt ≥7° is a risk factor for increased lens decentrati ≥ 0.4 mm. An increase in AL and FCR <8.45 mm were risk factors for a and eyes with AL >30.00 mm had a higher degree of decentration (P = 0.005).

Effect of capsular tension ring on the refractive outcomes of patients with extreme high axial myopia after phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of capsular tension ring (CTR) implantation following cataract surgery on the refractive outcomes of patients with extreme high axial myopia. METHODS: Sixty eyes (with an axial length of ≥26 mm) were retrospectively reviewed and classified into two groups: CTR group (n = 30), which underwent CTR implantation following phacoemulsification, and control group (n = 30), which did not undergo CTR implantation. Intraocular lens (IOL) calculation was performed using Barrett Universal II (UII), Haigis, and SRK/T formulas. The refractive prediction error (PE) was calculated by subtracting the postoperative refraction from predicted refraction. The mean PE (MPE), mean absolute error (MAE), and percentages of eyes that had a PE of ±0.25, ±0.50, ±1.00, or ±2.00 diopters (D) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in PE between the two groups. The Barrett UII formula revealed a lower AE in the CTR group than in the control group (p = 0.015) and a lower AE than the other two formulas (p = 0.0000) in both groups. The Barrett UII formula achieved the highest percentage of eyes with a PE of ±0.25 D (66.67%). CONCLUSIONS: The refractive outcomes were more accurate in eyes with CTR implantation than in those with routine phacoemulsification based on the Barrett UII formula. The Barrett UII formula was recommended as the appropriate formula when planning CTR implantation in high myopia.

Knockout of TGF-ß receptor II by CRISPR/Cas9 delays mesenchymal transition of Lens epithelium and posterior capsule opacification.

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is the most common postoperative complication of cataract surgery. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) is related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells (LECs) that is proven to induce PCO formation in clinical and experimental studies. In this study, CRISPR sequences targeting exon of TGF-ßRII were knocked out with lentiviral transfection in LECs. Rabbits' PCO model was established and recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) for transferring the gRNA of TGF ßRII were intravitreally injected. SgRNA inhibited TGF-ßRII expression and human LECs proliferation. In TGF-ßRII knockout group, LECs motility and migration were suppressed, N-cadherin and vimentin expressions were significantly decreased, whereas E-cadherin was increased. The animal model showed that TGF-ßRII knockout in vivo was effective in suppressing PCO. The current study suggested that the CRISPR/Cas9 endonuclease system could suppress TGF-ßRII secretion, which participates in the EMT procedure of LECs in vitro and PCO in vivo. These findings might provide a new gene-editing approach and insight into a novel therapeutic strategy for PCO.

Tissue adhesive indocyanine green-locking granular gel-mediated photothermal therapy combined with checkpoint inhibitor for preventing postsurgical recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Developing effective therapy to inhibit postoperative recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is challenging and significant to reduce mortality and morbidity. Here, a granular hydrogel, assembled from gelatin microgels by dialdehyde starch and interpenetrated with in situ polymerized poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) (P(SBMA-co-NIPAM)), is prepared to load and lock Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indocyanine green (ICG) with definite photothermal function and biosafety for photothermal therapy (PTT) combining with checkpoint inhibitor. The presence of P(SBMA-co-NIPAM) endows granular hydrogel with high retention to water-soluble ICG, preventing easy diffusion and rapid scavenging of ICG. The ICG-locking granular hydrogel can be spread and adhered onto the surgery site at wet state in vivo, exerting a persistent and stable PTT effect. Combined with αPD-L1 treatment, ICG-locking granular hydrogel-mediated PTT can eradicate postsurgery residual and metastatic tumors, and prevent long-term tumor recurrence. Further mechanistic studies indicate that combination treatment effectively promotes dendritic cells maturation in lymph nodes, enhances the number and infiltration of CD8+ T and CD4+ T cells in tumor tissue, and improves memory T cell number in spleen, thus activating the antitumor immune response. Overall, ICG-locking gel-mediated PTT is expected to exhibit broad clinical applications in postoperative treatment of cancers, like CRC.

Congenital coralliform cataract is the predominant consequence of a recurrent mutation in the CRYGD gene.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cataract is a leading cause of treatable childhood blindness and both clinically and genetically heterogeneous. Among the already characterized phenotypes, coralliform cataract is a rare special form of congenital cataracts. Although previous studies had shown that mutations in the γD-crystallin (CRYGD) can result in congenital coralliform cataracts, no conclusive genotype-phenotype correlation might be drawn. Here we aimed to identify the spectrum and frequency of CRYGD gene mutations in congenital coralliform cataracts of Chinese origin. METHODS: The medical records of 392 Chinese families with congenital cataracts were reviewed between January 2011 and December 2021. The families, clinically documented to have congenital coralliform cataracts, were screened for mutations in candidate CRYGD gene. The genomic DNA of all subjects was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. PCR amplified and direct sequencing were performed to identify the disease-causing mutation. RESULTS: A total of 12 families with coralliform cataracts were recruited in this study in the past 10 years, accounting for 3.1% of the families with congenital cataracts. Of the 12 families, all affected individuals presented with bilateral non-progressive coralliform cataracts since birth, with the best-corrected Snellen visual acuities ranging from 20/200 to 20/25. A recurrent c.70 C > A (p. P24T) mutation in CRYGD was identified in 10 families (83.3%) with congenital cataract, which co-segregated with all affected individuals and was not observed in unaffected family members or ethnically matched normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: The coralliform cataract is characterized by being bilateral, non-progressive and present at birth. A recurrent p.P24T CRYGD mutation occurs independently in 83.3% of the Chinese families with congenital coralliform cataracts and most likely represents a mutational hot spot, which underscore the relations between coralliform cataract and p.P24T CRYGD.

Comparison of the accuracy of three intraocular lens power calculation formulas in cataract patients with prior radial keratotomy.

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of three intraocular lens (IOL) formulas in Chinese cataract patients with prior radial keratotomy (RK). METHODS: Medical records of cataract patients with prior RK at Beijing Tongren Hospital were retrospectively analysed. The absolute error (AE) was calculated as the absolute difference between the actual postoperative spherical equivalent and the predicted spherical equivalent. The AE and percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, 1.0D, and 2.0D for three formulas [Barrett True-K, Holladay 1 (D-K), Haigis] were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Forty-seven eyes of 28 cataract patients were included. The Median AE (MedAE) was significantly different among the three formulas (P < 0.001). The MedAE was lowest for the Barrett True-K formula (0.62), followed by the Haigis (0.76), and Holladay 1 (D-K) (1.16). The percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, and 1.0D were significantly different among the 3 formulas (P = 0.009, and P < 0.001). The Barrett True-K formula achieved the highest percentages (46.8%) of eyes with AE within 0.5D. Haigis achieved the highest percentages (70.21%) of eyes with AE within 1.0 D. CONCLUSIONS: Barrett True-K is the most accurate IOL power calculation formula among the 3 formulas and Haigis is an alternative choice. Considering the relatively lower accuracy of IOL formulas in cataract patients with prior RK, newer and more accurate IOL formulas are desirable.

[Seasonal dynamics of the physicochemical properties of biological crusts exopolysaccharides and the microbial community structure]. / 生物结皮胞外多糖理化特性及菌群结构的季节动态.

Exopolysaccharides (EPS), an important substance of cyanobacteria in resisting stresses, are the main form of carbon storage in biocrusts and play an important role in material cycling and stability of biocrusts. In this study, the biocrusts in different seasons (January, April, July, October) were collected from Gurbantunggut Desert, and the dynamics of EPS content, composition, morphological characteristics and microbial community structures were analyzed. The results showed that: 1) The excretion of EPS showed obvious seasonal dynamics. The EPS contents in January, April, July and October were 81.72, 52.46, 76.77, 70.54 µg·cm-2, and the chlorophyll a contents were 2.7, 4.94, 4.2 and 5.98 µg·cm-2, respectively. Cyanobacteria allocated more fixed organic carbon to EPS in winter and summer, and more to their own biomass accumulation in spring and autumn. 2) EPS in biocrusts of each season was composed of seven kinds of monosaccharides. The sum of relative mole percentages of glucose and galactose was 46%-56%, much higher than the other five monosaccharides. The monosaccharide compositions of EPS were significantly affected by temperature and precipitation. There was no significant difference in the Fourier infrared spectra of EPS in biocrusts across different seasons. 3) The observation results of atomic force microscope showed that more filamentous and thick rope-like structures occurred in EPS in July and October, while the EPS showed block-like morphology in January and April. 4) The results of 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing showed that Cyanobacteria and Microcoleus were the dominant bacterial phyla and genus in biocrusts in all the four seasons, with significantly higher relative abundance than other bacterial phyla and genera. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly positively correlated with the relative mole percentages of fucose and galactose, indicating that the composition of monosaccharides affected heterotrophic bacteria in crusts. In deserts, environmental factors such as temperature and moisture changed significantly across seasons. The physicochemical properties of biocrust exopolysaccharides and the seasonal dynamics of bacterial communities were controlled by multiple factors, such as temperature, moisture, and light.

Comparison of different pupil dilatation methods for phacoemulsification in eyes with a small pupil.

PURPOSE: To compare 6 methods for intraoperative pupil dilatation in eyes with insufficient pupil size during phacoemulsification. METHODS: This was a prospective case-control study. 99 microcoria cataract patients (120 eyes) were collected and were divided into 6 groups(20 eyes each group), and their pupils were dilated by bimanual stretching pupil (group I), pupil radial cut open(group II), mechanical pupil dilatation with iris-retractor hooks (group III), OASIS iris expander (group IV), and Malyguin-ring (Microsurgical company, America) (group V), B-HEX Pupil Expander (Med Invent Devics, India)(group VI),respectively. 3.0 mm clear corneal incision were used in phacoemulsification. All cases were followed up at 1 week and 1, 3, 6 months after the surgery. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), corneal endothelium cell density(ECD), pupil diameter(PD) of before and after surgery were compared. RESULTS: One same doctor finished all cataract surgeries successfully. The eyes' condition before surgery and at 6 months after surgery were compared. There were no significant statistical differences for the conditions of the eyes before surgery among six groups. The ECDs were better at 6 months postoperatively in group III and V, median values: 2114/mm2, 1961/mm2. PD was largest in group II (median value: 5.5 mm), which was significantly larger than other groups (Padjusted < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All 6 methods used in this study were effective for the mechanical dilatation of small pupils and didn't affect the postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure in microcoria cataract phacoemulsification. Iris-retractor hooks and the Malyugin Ring can reduce intraoperative corneal endothelium cell loss. Postoperative PD is larger when the iris was cut open radially.

The association of myopia progression with the morphological changes of optic disc and ß-peripapillary atrophy in primary school students.

PURPOSE: To study the association of myopia progression with the morphological changes of optic disc and ß-peripapillary atrophy (ß-PPA) in 8-11 years old primary school students. METHODS: This study was a prospective, school-based investigation. This study included 610 children (1008 eyes) who were continuously observed and had data available from 2016 to 2017 in the Sanhe Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCSRFM). The children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including measurement of visual acuity, autorefractometry, and posterior segment of the eye. ß-PPA regions and optic disc ovality index were identified and measured on the fundus photographs. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was 72.62% (732/1008) in 2016. In myopic children, the prevalence of the vertical ß-PPA, the horizontal ß-PPA, and the oval optic disc were 75.68% (554/732), 75.96% (556/732) and, 11.61% (85/732) respectively. From 2016 to 2017, with the progression of vertical ß-PPA, horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, and optic disc ovality index, the myopic diopter and the axial length (AL) were increased. The progression of horizontal ß-PPA was significantly correlated with the progression of myopic diopter and AL (all p < 0.05). The analysis on the distribution of progression rate of parameters in different groups found that the progression rate of horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, and optic disc ovality index increased with the increase of the progression of diopter and AL. The progression of horizontal ß-PPA, area of ß-PPA, optic disc ovality index, and diopter in girls were greater than that in boys, and the progression of optic disc ovality index and diopter had a statistical significance (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 1-year follow-up study of the third-grade primary school students showed that with the progression of myopia and the growth of AL, ß-PPA and optic disc ovality index also changed. There was a positive correlation between the change of ß-PPA and optic disc ovality index and the progression of myopia diopter and AL.

NIR-triggered drug delivery system for chemo-photothermal therapy of posterior capsule opacification.

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is the most common complication after cataract surgery and is likely to cause the second loss of vision. Pharmacological PCO prophylaxis has been proved to be effective, yet no clinical option is available due to the lack of a suitable mode of administration. In this work, we propose a unique concept of NIR dual-triggered drug release from black phosphorus (BP)-based implantable intraocular lens (IOL) for controlled drug release and chemo-photothermal combination therapy of PCO. Here, IOL is used as a "reservoir" of doxorubicin-loaded black phosphorus (BP-DOX), and BP is used as NIR activation agent for controlled drug release and photothermal therapy. This BP-DOX integrated IOL, namely BP-DOX@IOL, shows the characteristics of good transmittance, good mechanical property, NIR dual-triggered drug release behaviors, and excellent photothermal efficacy. In vivo studies reveal that there is no PCO occurrence in rabbits' model by using BP-DOX@IOL combined NIR irradiation, which exhibits distinct superiority on inhibiting PCO than the control group (100% PCO occurrence) 28 days post-surgery. This novel IOL drug delivery system would be a promising strategy for the future clinical application for PCO prophylaxis and treatment.

The effect of retaining intact posterior capsule in congenital cataract surgery in children aged 4-8 years.

BACKGROUND: The present study sought to observe the effect of retaining intact posterior capsule in congenital cataract surgery in children aged 4-8 years. METHODS: This is a retrospective case control study. Seventy-seven children (130 eyes) aged from 4 to 8 years who underwent cataract surgery were divided into two groups. In Group A, 50 eyes underwent phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation and posterior capsule capsulotomy combined with anterior vitrectomy. In Group B, 80 eyes underwent cataract phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The postoperative visual acuity and the rate of complications were compared. RESULTS: In all patients, cataract surgeries were performed evenly without intraoperative complications. The follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 42 months. No apparent visual axis opacity was detected in group A during the follow-up. By the last visit, apparent visual axis opacity was detected in 31 eyes (38.75%) in group B. Among them, 9 eyes (29.03%) with mild posterior capsule opacification (PCO) were treated with Nd:YAG laser, 3 eyes (9.68%) with thick proliferative membranes were treated with posterior capsule capsulotomy combined with anterior vitrectomy and proliferative membranes in 19 eyes (61.29%) were completely aspired and the posterior capsule was retained. During follow-up, only 2 (6.45%) eyes had PCO recurrence and were treated with Nd:YAG laser. The visual acuity was significantly higher than that before surgery in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: For older children, the incidence of PCO will be low even if intact posterior capsule is retained. Either Nd:YAG laser or surgical treatment for PCO will be able to maintain good vision.

Effect of lens capsular tension ring on preventing capsular contraction syndrome in the surgery of retinitis pigmentosa combined with cataract: Retrospective case series.

PURPOSE: To observe the effect of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with or without lens capsular tension ring (CTR) on retinitis pigmentosa (RP) combined with cataract patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cases series study. METHODS: Sixty-three cases (84 eyes) of RP with cataract were collected, including 30 males and 33 females. Phacoemulsification with 3.0 mm clear corneal incision was performed in all the patients. IOL and CTR implantation were performed in 44 eyes, and IOL implantation alone was performed in 40 eyes. All cases were followed up at 1 day, 1 week and 1, 3, 6,12 months after the surgery to compare the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal endothelial cell count (ECC) and complications before and after the surgery. RESULTS: All surgery were successfully completed by the same physician, and IOL and CTR were all implanted in capsule without complications. The BCVA at 6 months after surgery was 0.91 ± 0.88 LogMAR, showing an improvement compared with the BCVA(1.3 ± 0.7LogMAR) before surgery and there was a statistically significant difference (P = .003). Four cases of capsule contraction syndrome (CCS) occurred in no CTR implantation group and there was no CCS in CTR group. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of CCS between two groups (P = .047). CONCLUSIONS: Phacoemulsification for RP combined with cataract is safe and reliable, and CTR implantation is conducive to reducing the complications caused by capsule contraction.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Myelinated Retinal Nerve Fibres in a Chinese Teleophthalmology System.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of myelinated retinal nerve fibre (MRNF) in a large teleophthalmology system.Methods: All records between January 2015 and December 2015 from Daheng Prust teleophthalmology system were reviewed by 2 ophthalmologists independently. MRNF was classified into continuous group and discontinuous group according to the relationship between MRNF patches and optic disc. The number, total area and location of MRNF patches were analysed. Concomitant ocular diseases were documented.Results: Out of 51469 subjects, MRNF was detected in 304 eyes of 263 subjects with a prevalence rate of 0.51 ± 7.1% per subject and 0.30 ± 5.4% per eye. Among 304 eyes with MRNF, 239 (78.6%) eyes were in continuous group and 65 (21.4%) eyes were in discontinuous group. Single MRNF patch was found in 249 (81.9%) eyes and multiple MRNF patches were found in 55 (18.1%) eyes. MRNF of small size was found in 150 (49.3%) eyes. The ratios of multiple MRNF patches and small-sized MRNF in the continuous group were significantly higher than those in the discontinuous group (P = .014 and P < .001). In continuous group, the MRNF patches were located most frequently in the superior region (68.6%) of the optic disc; In discontinuous group, the MRNF patches were located most frequently in the inferotemporal region (38.5%) of the retina. Epiretinal membrane (12 eyes, 3.9%) was the most common concomitant ocular disease.Conclusion: MRNF is uncommon in China. MRNF usually presents unilaterally and as a single small whitish patch that is connected with optic disc.

Route of administration of exogenous progesterone for luteal support does not significantly affect the serum concentration in assisted reproductive technology.

The objective of this research is to study the guiding role of serum progesterone level on exogenous luteal support protocols. In the retrospective study, a total of 537 infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI were recruited. Serum samples were obtained for serum progesterone measurements. The results demonstrated that the progesterone levels of all women gradually decreased over the course of 7 days after ET. The progesterone level of the pregnant women reached a nadir on day 7 after ET and subsequently began to rise, while the progesterone level of the non-pregnant women continued to decrease. Even with different routes of administration of exogenous progesterone, the progesterone levels followed the same patterns. The serum progesterone level does not represent the adequacy of exogenous progesterone supplementation. Therefore, there is no need to measure serum progesterone levels frequently after embryo transfer or adjust the dose according to serum progesterone levels.

Effect of Bushen Huoxue recipe on women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder and a rat model of thin endometrium resulted from kidney deficiency-related blood stasis.

To examine the therapeutic effect of Bushen Huoxue recipe (BHR) on women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder and on a rat model of kidney deficiency-related blood stasis. A total of 60 women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder was enrolled. The primary outcome of the study was the pregnancy rate three menstrual cycles after treatment. The study also examined the changes in the type and thickness of uterine artery, uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) and endometrial resistance index (RI). To establish kidney deficiency-related blood stasis in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, an intragastric administration of hydroxyurea and a tail vein injection of Dextran were given, following with a flashing of the uterine cavity with 95% anhydrous ethanol. A combined regimen of BHR and estradiol valerate significantly increased the rate of pregnancy in women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder. The treatment was accompanied by a significant increase in endometrial thickness and decreases in uterine artery PI and endometrial RI. In rats, kidney deficiency-related blood stasis caused severe loss in endometrial architecture, thickness, and numbers of gland and blood vessel compared to the healthy SD rats. Treatment with BHR could ameliorate the endometrial damages associated with kidney deficiency-related blood stasis.

The high expression of the pain-related inflammatory factors in the eyes of cataract patients infected with hepatitis B virus.

In cataract surgery, it is often found that patients infected hepatitis B virus (HBV) are likely to suffer from more pain than other patients. In order to assess the inflammation status of the aqueous humor in the eyes of cataract patients infected with HBV. RayBio Human Inflammation Array was used to assay aqueous humor samples collected from 14 eyes of patients infected with HBV and 14 eyes of cataract patients without HBV infection (the controls) during the cataract surgery. RayBio Human Quantibody Cutom Array was adopted for the validation of the screened cytokines, with aqueous humor samples collected from 40 eyes of patients infected with HBV and 40 eyes of the controls. A pain questionnaire survey about the surgery was conducted in all patients after operation. The results of questionnaire showed that patients infected with HBV were more likely to have pain during operation. The Human Inflammation Array revealed that the expression levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and tumor necrosis factor ß (TNF-ß) were very high in HBV infected patients and IL-1ra was much lower in patients infected with HBV (all, P < 0.05). In validation, the Human Quantibody Cutom Array revealed that the expression levels of MCP-1 and TNF-α were high in HBV infected patients with significant difference (all P < 0.05). These results revealed that pain-related inflammatory factors MCP-1 and TNF-α were increased in aqueous humor of cataract patients infected with HBV, which indicates that patients infected with HBV may be more prone to intraoperative pain.

The expression of cytokines in aqueous humor of high myopic patients with cataracts.

Purpose: To analyze the expression of 440 human cytokines in aqueous humor of high myopic patients with cataracts. Methods: Eighty-five patients with cataracts were recruited in this study. In the screening stage, the RayBio G-Series Human Cytokine Antibody Array 440 was used to assay the aqueous humor samples collected from nine high myopic patients with cataracts and eight non-myopic patients with cataracts right before the surgery. The array was further used for verification of the screened cytokines, with aqueous humor samples obtained from 34 eyes of high myopic patients with cataracts and 34 eyes of non-myopic patients with cataracts. Results: Compared with the non-myopic patients with cataracts, the expression levels of decorin, receptor activator of NF-kB (RANK), angiopoietin-1 (ANG-1), C-X-C motif ligand 16 (CXCL16), ß-inducible gene-h3 (bIG-H3), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2), and interleukin-17B (IL-17B) were statistically significantly higher in high myopic patients with cataracts (all p<0.000114). The matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) level also increased in the aqueous humor of high myopic patients with cataracts (p = 0.0034). The concentrations of ANG-1 and MMP-2 were also increased in the aqueous humor of the confirmatory stage (all p<0.05). Conclusions: In this study, numerous cytokines in aqueous humor were detected in high myopic patients with cataracts and non-myopic patients with cataracts, and it was confirmed that the MMP-2 level in the aqueous humor of patients with high myopia was statistically significantly increased. Further verification also revealed the elevation of ANG-1 in the aqueous humor of high myopic patients with cataracts, which suggests that ANG-1 may be related to the pathogenesis of high myopia.

Paeoniflorin ameliorates glycemic variability-induced oxidative stress and platelet activation in HUVECs and DM rats.

Glycemic variability (GV) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Paeoniflorin is an effective Chinese traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory effects. Previous studies implicated the beneficial effects of paeoniflorin in treatment for diabetic complications, such as type 2 diabetic nephropathy and diabetes with myocardial ischemic injury. Current evidence suggests that oxidative stress and platelet activation, as well as their interaction, are potentially associated with GV and involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes-associated vascular complications. This study aimed to explore the effects of paeoniflorin on oxidative stress and platelet activation, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured with different glucose concentrations, and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed different glycemic index diets. Paeoniflorin treatment effectively improved the morphology and cell viability of HUVECs under glucose fluctuation. Moreover, the platelet aggregation rate, CD62p expression, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration decreased, while glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) levels increased in paeoniflorin-treated groups. In conclusion, our study found that paeoniflorin ameliorates oxidative stress and platelet activation induced by glycemic variability both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting a novel potential strategy for treatment of diabetic complications.