Retinal microvasculature features in patients with Behcet's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis aimed to analyze retinal microvasculature features in eyes with Behçet's disease (BD) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, were comprehensively searched for published studies comparing retinal microvasculature characteristics between eyes with BD and controls. Continuous variables were calculated using the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Review Manager software (version 5.30) was used to conduct statistical analysis. A total of 13 eligible studies involving 599 eyes with BD and 622 control eyes were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that the macular whole enface superficial and deep vessel density (VD) values measured by OCTA were significantly lower in eyes with BD than in control eyes (superficial VD: MD = - 3.05, P < 0.00001; deep VD: MD = - 4.05, P = 0.0004). The foveal superficial and deep VD values were also significantly lower in the BD group than in the control group (superficial VD: MD = - 1.50, P = 0.009; deep VD: MD = - 4.25, - = 0.03). Similarly, the analysis revealed a significant reduction in the parafoveal superficial and deep VD in eyes with BD than in control eyes (superficial VD: MD = - 3.68, P < 0.00001; deep VD: MD = - 4.95, P = 0.0007). In addition, the superficial and deep foveal avascular zones (FAZs) were significantly larger in patients with BD than in controls (superficial FAZ: MD = 0.06, P = 0.02; deep FAZ: MD = 0.12, P = 0.03). The present meta-analysis found that macular whole enface VD, foveal VD, and parafoveal VD were lower in eyes with BD, and the FAZ was larger in patients with BD. The findings suggest that OCTA can assist clinicians in diagnosing and monitoring the status of patients with BD.

Delayed growth of glioma by a polysaccharide from Aster tataricus involve upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, activation of caspase-3/8/9, and downregulation of the Akt.

In this study, a homogeneous polysaccharide (ATP-II), with a molecular weight of 3.4 × 10(4) Da, was successfully purified from Aster tataricus by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B ion exchange and Sepharose CL-6B gel filtration chromatography. Monosaccharide component analysis indicated that ATP-II was composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, and arabinose in molar ratios of 2.1:5.2:2.1:1.0:1.2. We evaluated the anticancer efficacy and associated mechanisms of ATP-II on glioma C6 cells in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that treatment of C6 cells with ATP-II inhibited cell proliferation and this biological response came from induction of DAN damage and consequent inducing apoptosis. Likewise, oral ATP-II administration resulted in consistent regression of glioma tumors and induced apoptosis of transplanted tumor tissues by increasing the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 cascade. Importantly, the efficient downregulation of Akt, which is successfully detected in tumor tissues, is a unique contribution to retard the tumor growth by ATP-II. These data suggest that ATP-II may be a potential candidate for glioma treatment.