Association of dietary intake of B vitamins with glaucoma.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association between glaucoma and B vitamin dietary intake. A total of 5025 enrolled individuals participated in self-reported glaucoma questionnaire and 3264 participated in International Society Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology (ISGEO) criteria. In self-reported glaucoma, the risk of having self-reported glaucoma was lower in the third quartile of vitamin B1 intake (odds ratio [odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.97), and P trend (P trend = 0.004) for vitamin B12 was significant; in males, the third quartile of vitamin B1 intake (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.83) and the fourth quartile of vitamin B2 intake (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.89) were associated with a lower risk. In glaucoma based on ISGEO criteria, the increase of niacin intake (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89-0.99) was negatively associated with the odds of self-reported glaucoma. After sex-stratified analysis, the third quartile of vitamin B6 intake (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.08-0.60) in males were associated with reduced odds of glaucoma. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a nonlinear association of vitamin B2 (p for nonlinearity = 0.04) and B9 (p for nonlinearity = 0.024) intake with glaucoma diagnosed by ISGEO criteria in females.

Global, regional and national temporal trends in prevalence for musculoskeletal disorders in women of childbearing age, 1990-2019: an age-period-cohort analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview and in-depth analysis of temporal trends in prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders in women of childbearing age (WCBA) at global, regional and national levels over the last 30 years, with a special focus on their associations with age, period and birth cohort. METHODS: Estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for MSK disorders prevalence in WCBA were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2019. An age-period-cohort model was adopted to estimate the overall annual percentage change of prevalence (net drift, % per year), annual percentage change of prevalence within each age group (local drift, % per year), fitted longitudinal age-specific rates adjusted for period deviations (age effects) and period/cohort relative risks (period/cohort effects) from 1990 to 2019. RESULTS: In 2019, the global number of MSK disorders prevalence in WCBA was 354.57 million (95% UI: 322.64 to 387.68). Fifty countries had at least one million prevalence, with India, China, the USA, Indonesia and Brazil being the highest accounting for 51.03% of global prevalence. From 1990 to 2019, a global net drift of MSK disorders prevalence in WCBA was -0.06% (95% CI: -0.07% to -0.05%) per year, ranging from -0.09% (95% CI: -0.10% to -0.07%) in low-middle sociodemographic index (SDI) region to 0.10% (95% CI: 0.08% to 0.12%) in high-middle SDI region, with 138 countries presenting increasing trends, 24 presenting decreasing trends and 42 presenting relatively flat trends. As reflected by local drift, higher SDI regions had more age groups showing rising prevalence whereas lower SDI regions had more declining prevalence. Globally, an increasing occurrence of MSK disorders prevalence in WCBA beyond adolescent and towards the adult stage has been prominent. Age effects illustrated similar patterns across different SDI regions, with risk increasing with age. High SDI region showed generally lower period risks over time, whereas others showed more unfavourable period risks. High, high-middle and middle SDI regions presented unfavourable prevalence deteriorations, whereas others presented favourable prevalence improvements in successively birth cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Although a favourable overall temporal trend (net drift) of MSK disorders prevalence in WCBA was observed over the last 30 years globally, there were 138 countries showing unfavourable rising trends, coupled with deteriorations in period/cohort risks in many countries, collectively raising concerns about timely realisation of the Targets of Sustainable Development Goal. Improvements in the MSK disorders-related prevention, management and treatment programmes in WCBA could decline the relative risk for successively younger birth cohorts and for all age groups over period progressing.

Alleviate oxidative stress in diabetic retinopathy: antioxidant therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVES: This review outlines the function of oxidative stress in DR and discusses therapeutic strategies to treat DR with antioxidants. METHODS: Published papers on oxidative stress in DR and therapeutic strategies to treat DR with antioxidants were collected and reviewed via database searching on PubMed. RESULTS: The abnormal development of DR is a complicated process. The pathogenesis of DR has been reported to involve oxidative stress, despite the fact that the mechanisms underlying this are still not fully understood. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation can damage retina, eventually leading to DR. Increasing evidence have demonstrated that antioxidant therapy can alleviate the degeneration of retinal capillaries in DR. CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress can play an important contributor in the pathogenesis of DR. Furthermore, animal experiments have shown that antioxidants are a beneficial therapy for treating DR, but more clinical trial data is needed.

Fe-curcumin nanozyme-mediated immunosuppression and anti-inflammation in experimental autoimmune uveitis.

BACKGROUND: EAU is an inflammatory disease usually characterized by autoinflammation and autoimmunity and is aggravated by excessive generation of ROS. Conventional hormone therapy often has more adverse effects. It is urgent to find a therapeutic drug with higher efficiency and fewer adverse effects. METHODS: We developed an Fe-curcumin nanozyme in which natural antioxidants coordinate with Fe3+ to form nanoparticles with excellent solubility for directing anti-inflammatory and ROS scavenging effects to treat EAU. Several experiments were used to detect the characteristics of nanozymes. EAU model rats were used to detect the abilities of decreasing autoinflammation and autoimmunity. PBMCs were used to detect the ability to inhibit cell proliferation. RESULTS: Free radical scavenging experiments showed that nanozymes decreased the level of free radicals at low concentrations. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that the group treated with Fe-curcumin nanozymes had lower inflammatory reactions and ROS levels than the control group, as reflected by the downregulated levels of several critical inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ, IL-17, and TNF-α; decreased H2O2 release; inhibited proliferation of Th1 and Th17 cells; and alleviated pathological changes in the eye. Importantly, the Fe-curcumin nanozyme was detected in the retina using Prussian blue staining. Additionally, Fe-curcumin nanozyme is noncytotoxic when directing these biological activities. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using the Fe-curcumin nanozyme as a nanodrug to inhibit inflammatory reactions and scavenge ROS in the treatment of EAU, indicating that it may serve as a promising therapeutic agent in clinical treatment.

Short-term effect of meteorological factors and extreme weather events on daily outpatient visits for dry eye disease between 2013 and 2020: a time-series study in Urumqi, China.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common disorder of tear secretion on the ocular surface caused by multiple factors with dry eyes as the main symptom, but until now studies focusing on relationship between local meteorological factors and ocular surface diseases in Urumqi are very limited. Besides, the effects of long-term and extreme meteorological factors on DED and the lag effect have not been fully evaluated. Electronic case information of 9970 DED outpatients from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2020, was screened and analyzed. We used a time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) to fit the effects of exposure to different meteorological factors and extreme weather on DED outpatient visits. Subgroup analyses were further performed for gender, age, and season. The results showed that exposure to extremely low mean temperature (P1:RR = 1.18), atmospheric pressure (P1:RR = 1.11), and extremely high relative humidity (P99:RR = 1.35) were the risk factors, while extremely high atmospheric pressure (P90:RR = 0.883) and extremely low humidity (P10:RR = 0.856) appeared to have a positive effect on reduced risk of DED. Relative humidity exhibited a 1-day lag effect (RR = 1.06). Increased mean temperature positively affected female DED patients (RR = 0.761) with similar effects in the cold season (RR = 0.926). However, elevated relative humidity had a negative effect on female patients (RR = 1.14). We conducted the first large sample size time-series analysis study in this major city at the farthest distance from the ocean in the world and in northwest China, confirming the association of DED outpatient visits with the remaining three meteorological factors except wind speed in Urumqi, and a larger sample size multi-center epidemiological study with a longer duration is still needed.

Association of retinopathy with risk of all-cause and specific-cause mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005 to 2008.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between retinopathy status or severity and the all-cause and specific-cause mortality risk based on the updated National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and 2019 Public Access Link mortality file. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 6,797 participants aged over 40 years based on NHANES 2005-2008 were analyzed. The severity of retinopathy was classified into 4 grades-no retinopathy, mild non-proliferative retinopathy (NPR), moderate to severe NPR, and proliferative retinopathy (PR). Multiple covariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models and Fine and Gray competing risk regression models were used to assess the all-cause and cause-specific mortality risks, respectively. The propensity score matching (PSM) approach was also applied additionally to adequately balance between-group covariates to validate our findings. Results: A final total of 4,808 participants representing 18,282,772 United States (US) non-hospitalized participants were included for analysis, 50.27% were male (n = 2,417), 55.32% were non-hispanic white (n = 2,660), and mean [SE] age, 56.10 [0.40] years. After a median follow-up of 12.24 years (interquartile range, 11.16-13.49 years), 1,164 participants died of all-cause mortality, of which 941 (80.84%) died without retinopathy and 223 (19.16%) died with retinopathy at baseline. The presence of retinopathy was associated with increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes mellitus (DM)-specific mortality, and the results remain consistent after PSM. Severity analysis showed that only mild NPR was associated with an increased all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00-4.03), while increased CVD and DM-specific mortality risk were associated with all grades of retinopathy and were exponentially greater with increasing retinopathy severity, and the trend test was also significant (P for trend 0.004 and 0.04, respectively). Discussion: Our findings suggest that the diagnosis of retinopathy is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in people over 40 years old. Retinopathy grading is significantly associated with the survival risk of patients with CVD or DM, it can be a valuable predictor in the stratified management and risk warning of CVD or DM patients, as well as in the monitoring of systemic vasculopathy status.

Age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of autoimmune diseases in women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2019.

AIM: To estimate the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), asthma, and psoriasis in women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2019, and to further analyze their changing trends, at global, regional, and national levels. METHODS: Women of childbearing age was defined as 15-49 years old. The estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for case number of RA, IBD, MS, T1DM, asthma and psoriasis in seven age groups (15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49 years) were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Age standardization by direct method was adopted to estimate the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of these autoimmune diseases in women of childbearing age. Joinpoint regression analysis was utilized to analyze the changing trends of estimated age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates from 1990 to 2019 by calculating the average annual percentage change (AAPC) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: In 2019, the estimated global age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of RA in women of childbearing age was 17.13 (95% UI: 12.39 to 22.60), 215.86 (95% UI: 179.04 to 259.70), and 0.06 (95% UI: 0.04 to 0.08); of IBD was 5.85 (95% UI: 4.72 to 7.12), 63.54 (95% UI: 53.50 to 74.37), and 0.11 (95% UI: 0.08 to 0.13); of MS was 1.63 (95% UI: 1.05 to 2.28), 28.74 (95% UI: 23.80 to 34.46), and 0.17 (95% UI: 0.14 to 0.27); of T1DM was 6.22 (95% UI: 2.75 to 11.50), 290.51 (95% UI: 221.39 to 370.19), and 0.63 (95% UI: 0.48 to 0.78); of asthma was 291.14 (95% UI: 157.06 to 468.78), 2796.25 (95%UI: 1987.07 to 3842.97), and 1.42 (95% UI: 1.12 to 1.75), respectively. The estimated global age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of psoriasis in women of childbearing age was 58.68 (95% UI: 51.04 to 66.85) and 477.20 (95% UI: 440.30 to 515.76). Highest disease burden generally exists in Region of the Americas and European Region. From 1990 to 2019, the estimated global age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of RA (AAPC: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.24; AAPC: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.30) and T1DM (AAPC: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.40 to 1.54; AAPC: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.88) in women of childbearing age showed significantly increasing trends whereas those of IBD (AAPC: -0.76, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.73; AAPC: -0.65, 95% CI: -0.70 to -0.60), MS (AAPC: -0.20, 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.16; AAPC: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.26 to -0.23), asthma (AAPC: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.60 to -0.47; AAPC: -0.74, 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.68), and psoriasis (AAPC: -0.83, 95% CI: -0.85 to -0.82; AAPC: -0.99, 95% CI: -1.02 to -0.96) showed significantly decreasing trends. Favorably, the estimated global age-standardized mortality rate of RA (AAPC: -1.32, 95% CI: -1.63 to -1.01), IBD (AAPC: -0.95, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.84), MS (AAPC: -0.96, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.80), T1DM (AAPC: -1.05, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.89), and asthma (AAPC: -2.27, 95% CI: -2.34 to -2.19) in women of childbearing age all declined. The changing trends of estimated age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates varied significantly across 204 countries and territories. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an accurate estimation on the age-standardization of disease indicators of autoimmune diseases in women of childbearing age. There are remarkable disparities in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality burden related to autoimmune diseases in women of childbearing age, as well as their changing trends across the world, suggesting that each individual government should establish flexible health policies and make reasonable source allocation to address different needs for autoimmune diseases in this population.

Repeated Low-Level Red Light Therapy for the Control of Myopia in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy has been suggested to be effective in children with myopia. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is still limited. We performed a meta-analysis of RCTs to systematically evaluate the efficacy of RLRL on changes of axial length (AL) and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) in children with myopia. METHODS: Relevant RCTs were obtained through a search of electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to September 15, 2022. A random-effects model was used to pool the results after incorporating the influence of potential heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the control treatment and follow-up duration. RESULTS: A total of seven RCTs involving 1,031 children with myopia, aged 6 to 16 years, were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with control treatment without RLRL, treatment with RLRL was associated with a significantly reduced AL (mean difference [MD]: -0.25 mm, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.32 to -0.17, P <0.001; I 2 =13%) and a significantly increased cycloplegic SER (MD: 0.60 D, 95% CI: 0.44-0.76, P <0.001; I 2 =20%). Further subgroup analyses showed consistent results in studies comparing children wearing single vision lenses and those receiving active treatment including orthokeratology or low-dose atropine eye drops, as well as studies of treatment duration of 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the meta-analysis suggested that RLRL treatment is effective for slowing down the progression of myopia in children aged 6 to 16 years.

Emerging roles of air pollution and meteorological factors in autoimmune eye diseases.

Autoimmune eye diseases (AEDs), a collection of autoimmune inflammatory ocular conditions resulting from the dysregulation of immune system at the ocular level, can target both intraocular and periorbital structures leading to severe visual deficit and blindness globally. The roles of air pollution and meteorological factors in the initiation and progression of AEDs have been increasingly attractive, among which the systemic and local mechanisms are both involved in. Exposure to excessive air pollution and extreme meteorological conditions including PM2.5/PM0.1, environmental tobacco smoke, insufficient sunshine, and high temperature, etc., can disturb Th17/Treg balance, regulate macrophage polarization, activate neutrophils, induce systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, decrease retinal blood flow, promote tissue fibrosis, activate sympathetic nervous system, adversely affect nutrients synthetization, as well as induce heat stress, therefore may together deteriorate AEDs. The crosstalk among inflammation, oxidative stress and dysregulated immune system appeared to be prominent. In the present review, we will concern and summarize the potential mechanisms underlying linkages of air pollution and meteorological factors to ocular autoimmune and inflammatory responses. Moreover, we concentrate on the specific roles of air pollutants and meteorological factors in several major AEDs including uveitis, Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), ocular allergic disease (OAD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), etc.

Apigenin Alleviates Autoimmune Uveitis by Inhibiting Microglia M1 Pro-Inflammatory Polarization.

Purpose: Apigenin is a natural small molecule compound widely present in various vegetables and fruits. Recently, Apigenin was reported to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-simulated microglial proinflammatory activation. Considering the important role of microglia in retinal disorders, we wonder whether Apigenin could exert a therapeutic effect on experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) through reprogramming retinal microglia to a beneficial subtype. Methods: EAU was induced in C57BL/6J mice by immunization with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP)651-670, followed by intraperitoneal administration of Apigenin. Disease severity was assessed based on clinical and pathological scores. In vivo, Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of classical inflammatory factors, microglial M1/M2 markers and the tight junction protein of the blood-retinal-barrier (BRB). Immunofluorescence was used to determine the Apigenin's efficacy on microglial phenotype. In vitro, Apigenin was added in LPS and IFN-γ stimulated human microglial cell line. Western blotting and Transwell assays were used to analyze the phenotype of microglia. Results: In vivo, we found that Apigenin significantly reduced the clinical and pathological scores of EAU. The protein levels of inflammatory cytokines were significantly decreased in retina, and BRB disruption was ameliorated after Apigenin treatment. Meanwhile, Apigenin inhibited microglia M1 transition in EAU mice retina. In vitro functional studies showed that Apigenin decreased LPS and IFN-γ-induced microglial inflammatory factor production and M1-activation via the TLR4/MyD88 pathway. Conclusions: Apigenin can ameliorate retinal inflammation in IRBP induced autoimmune uveitis through inhibiting microglia M1 pro-inflammatory polarization via TLR4/MyD88 pathway.

Temporal trends in the prevalence of autoimmune diseases from 1990 to 2019.

AIM: To describe current situation and analyze temporal trends of prevalence for four autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis, at the global, continental, and national levels. METHODS: The estimates and 95% uncertainty interval (UI) for age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of RA, IBD, MS and psoriasis were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. ASPR of RA, IBD, MS and psoriasis in 2019 was illustrated at the global, continental, and national levels. Joinpoint regression analysis was adopted to analyze the 1990-2019 temporal trends by calculating the annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC), as well as their 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: In 2019, the global ASPR of RA, IBD, MS and psoriasis was 224.25 (95% UI: 204.94 to 245.99), 59.25 (95% UI: 52.78 to 66.47), 21.25 (95% UI: 18.52 to 23.91) and 503.62 (95% UI: 486.92 to 519.22), respectively, with ASPRs generally higher in Europe and America than in Africa and Asia. From 1990 to 2019, the global ASPR increased significantly for RA (AAPC = 0.27%, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.30; P < 0.001) and decreased significantly for IBD (AAPC = -0.73%, 95% CI: -0.76 to -0.70; P < 0.001), MS (AAPC = -0.22%, 95% CI: -0.25 to -0.18; P < 0.001) and psoriasis (AAPC = -0.93%, 95% CI: -0.95 to -0.91; P < 0.001), with the most substantial changes occurring at different continents and periods. The trends of ASPR of these four autoimmune diseases varied significantly across 204 countries and territories. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong heterogeneity in prevalence (2019), as well as their temporal trends (1990-2019) of autoimmune diseases across the world, highlighting the strong distributive inequities of autoimmune diseases worldwide, which may be instructive for better understanding the epidemiology of these diseases, appropriately allocating the medical resources, as well as making relevant health policies.

Short-term exposure to air pollution and outpatient visits for conjunctivitis: a time-series analysis in Urumqi, China.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory disease of the conjunctival tissue caused by a variety of causes; despite the conjunctiva being directly exposed to the external atmospheric environment, the important role of air pollution is not fully evaluated, especially in areas with poor air quality undergoing rapid economic and industrial development. Information on 59,731 outpatient conjunctivitis visits from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2020 was obtained from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China), and data on six air pollutants including particulate matter with a median aerometric diameter of less than 10 and 2.5 mm (PM10 and PM2.5, respectively), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) from eleven standard urban background fixed air quality monitors were also recorded. A time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to fit the effect of exposure to air pollutants on the risk of conjunctivitis outpatient visits. Further subgroup analyses were conducted for gender, age, and season, as well as the type of conjunctivitis. Single and multi-pollutant models showed that exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, and O3 was associated with increased risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits on the lag 0 day and various other lag days. Variations in the effect estimates on direction and magnitude were found in different subgroup analyses. We conducted the first time-series analysis with the longest duration as well as the largest sample size in Northwest China, which provides evidence that outpatient conjunctivitis visits is significantly associated with air pollution in Urumqi, China. Meanwhile, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of SO2 reduction in reducing the risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits in the Urumqi region and reaffirm the need to implement special air pollution control measures.

Long-term effects of meteorological factors and extreme weather on daily outpatient visits for conjunctivitis from 2013 to 2020: a time-series study in Urumqi, China.

Conjunctivitis is a common multifactorial inflammatory ocular surface disease characterized by symptoms such as congestion, edema, and increased secretion of conjunctival tissue, and the potential effects of meteorological factors as well as extreme meteorological factors on conjunctivitis and their lagging effects have not been fully evaluated. We obtained the electronic case information of 59,731 outpatients with conjunctivitis from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) for the period from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020. Meteorological data for daily mean temperature (°C), daily relative humidity (%), daily average wind speed (m/s), and atmospheric pressure (hPa) were obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service. The air pollutant data were obtained from 11 standard urban background fixed air quality monitors. A time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to fit the effects of exposure to different meteorological factors and extreme weather on conjunctivitis outpatient visits. Subgroup analyses were performed on gender, age and season, and type of conjunctivitis. Univariate and multifactorial model results indicated that each 10-unit increase in mean temperature and relative humidity was associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while each 10-unit increase in atmospheric pressure was associated with a decreased risk. The results of the extreme weather analysis suggested that extremely low levels of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity as well as extreme levels of temperature were associated with an increased risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits, and extreme wind speeds were associated with a decreased risk. The results of the subgroup analysis suggested gender, age, and seasonal differences. We conducted the first large sample size time-series analysis in the large city furthest from the ocean in the world and confirmed for the first time that elevated mean temperature and extreme low levels of relative humidity in Urumqi were risk factors for local conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while elevated atmospheric pressure and extreme low levels of wind speed were protective factors, and there were lagged effects of temperature and atmospheric pressure. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed.

Global burden and cross-country inequalities in autoimmune diseases from 1990 to 2019.

AIM: To describe burden, and to explore cross-country inequalities across sociodemographic development levels for four autoimmune diseases (ADs) including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis (PS). METHODS: The estimates and their 95% uncertainty interval (UI) for disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of RA, IBD, MS and PS were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) across 204 countries, as well as age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate of these four ADs were illustrated. Slope index of inequality and concentration index, which are two standard metrics of absolute and relative gradient inequality recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), were utilized to quantify the distributive inequalities in the burden of ADs. RESULTS: In 2019, the ASDR of RA, IBD, MS and PS varied remarkably across 204 countries, with different age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate. The slope index of inequality changed from 26.7 (95% CI: 20.7 to 32.8) in 1990 to 40.3 (95% CI: 31.9 to 48.7) in 2019 for RA, from 17.1 (95% CI: 12.4 to 21.7) in 1990 to 25.2 (95% CI: 20.1 to 30.2) in 2019 for IBD, from 19.3 (95% CI: 15.2 to 23.4) in 1990 to 28.9 (95% CI: 24.2 to 33.5) in 2019 for MS, from 42.3 (95% CI: 33.1 to 51.6) in 1990 to 40.2 (95% CI: 32.5 to 48.0) in 2019 for PS. Moreover, the concentration index showed 20.4 (95% CI: 18.9 to 22.0) in 1990 and 18.2 (95% CI: 16.7 to 19.6) in 2019 for RA, 25.0 (95% CI: 23.0 to 27.1) in 1990 and 33.5 (95% CI: 31.6 to 35.5) in 2019 for IBD, 46.7 (95% CI: 44.0 to 49.3) in 1990 and 41.8 (95% CI: 39.6 to 44.1) in 2019 for MS, 31.7 (95% CI: 29.0 to 34.4) in 1990 and 32.6 (95% CI: 29.9 to 35.2) in 2019 for PS. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong heterogeneity in ASDR across all countries, as well as in age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate for four ADs including RA, IBD, MS and PS. Countries with higher sociodemographic development levels shouldered disproportionately higher burden of ADs, and the magnitude of this sociodemographic development level-related inequalities exacerbated over time.

Overexpression of hepatic pescadillo 1 in obesity induces lipid dysregulation by inhibiting autophagy.

Previous studies indicated that increased hepatic pescadillo 1 (PES1) in type II diabetic mice was associated with lipid dysregulation. However, the role of PES1 in obesity-associated lipid dysregulation is still unknown. This study investigates the effects and underlying mechanism. Livers from obese and healthy humans and mice were collected, and C57BL/6J mice were either fed on standard diet or high fat diet (HFD). McArdle 7777 rat hepatoma cells were treated with phosphate-buffered saline and oleic acid (OA)+ palmitic acid (PA), respectively. In vitro Pes1 knockdown or overexpression and in vivo Pes1 knockdown or liver-specific ablation or supplementation of Pes1 were used to explore the modulating role of PES1. We found that obesity in humans enhanced hepatic PES1 protein, accompanied by increased plasma TG. These data are consistent with those from OA+PA-treated cells and from HFD- or Pes1 overexpression-treated C57BL/6J mice. In vitro and in vivo Pes1 knockdown in cultured cells and in ob/ob mice promoted the expression of autophagy markers (TFEB, Beclin1 and LC3B-Ⅱ) while decreasing p62 and TG, contrary to Pes1 overexpression in cells and in normal mice. Moreover, liver-specific knockout of Pes1 protected the mice fed on HFD from increased TG levels, facilitating the TFEB, Beclin1 and LC3B-Ⅱ and curbing p62. Mechanistically, OA+PA increased C/EBPß binding to the Pes1 promoter, leading to the elevation of PES1, and subsequently enhancing PES1-facilitated ubiquitination of TFEB. Our findings reveal that overexpression of hepatic PES1 in obesity may induce TG dysregulation by inhibiting autophagy.

Association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and risk of diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disruptors and may contribute to the etiology of diabetes. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematically review the epidemiological evidence on the associations of PFAS with mortality and morbidity of diabetes and to quantitatively evaluate the summary effect estimates of the existing literature. METHODS: We searched three electronic databases for epidemiological studies concerning PFAS and diabetes published before April 1, 2022. Summary odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR), or ß and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were respectively calculated to evaluate the association between PFAS and diabetes using random-effects model by the exposure type, and dose-response meta-analyses were also performed when possible. We also assessed the risk of bias of the studies included and the confidence in the body of evidence. RESULTS: An initial literature search identified 1969 studies, of which 22 studies were eventually included. The meta-analyses indicated that the observed statistically significant PFAS-T2DM associations were consistent in cohort studies, while the associations were almost non-significant in case-control and cross-sectional studies. Dose-response meta-analysis showed a "parabolic-shaped" association between perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA) exposure and T2DM risk. Available evidence was rated with "low" risk of bias, and the level of evidence for PFAS and incident T2DM was considered "moderate". CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that PFAS exposure may increase the risk of incident T2DM, and that PFOA may exert non-monotonic dose-response effect on T2DM risk. Considering the widespread exposure, persistence, and potential for adverse health effects of PFAS, further cohort studies with improvements in expanding the sample size, adjusting the covariates, and considering different types of PFAS exposure at various doses, are needed to elucidate the putative causal associations and potential mode of action of different PFAS on diabetes. IMPACT STATEMENT: A growing body of evidence suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disruptors and may contribute to the development of diabetes. However, epidemiological evidence on the associations of PFAS and diabetes is inconsistent. We performed this comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively synthesize the evidence. The findings of this study suggest that exposure to PFAS may increase diabetes risk among the general population. Reduced exposure to these "forever and everywhere chemicals" may be an important preventative approach to reducing the risk of diabetes across the population.

Therapeutic effects of a novel venom abstract (ZK002) solution in an alkali-burned corneal wound-healing model.

Purpose: Corneal alkali burns can progress to corneal epithelial defects, inflammation, scarring, and angiogenesis, potentially leading to blindness. Therefore, we examined the therapeutic effects of a novel ophthalmic solution (ZK002) on wound healing in alkali-burned rat corneas. Methods: In this study, we attempted to treat alkali-exposed rat corneas using topical application of either an ophthalmic solution with ZK002 or an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent for 14 days. We evaluated corneal edema, corneal neovascularization area, and histological changes. We also assessed the inflammatory (MMP-9, MMP-2, and interleukin-1ß) and angiogenic (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, VEGFR2) markers. Levels of inflammatory (matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, MMP-2, and interleukin-1ß), profibrotic (α-smooth muscle actin, α-SMA; transforming growth factor-ß2,TGF-ß2), and angiogenic (vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor 2, VEGFR2) factors, as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) mRNA expression, were measured. Results: The analyses showed that alkali exposure caused an increase in corneal edema and fibrosis with corneal neovascularization. The accumulation of α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts and the deposition of transforming growth factor-ß2 on the alkali-exposed corneas were noted on day 14. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1ß, MMP-9, MMP-2, VEGFR2, and profibrotic factors were decreased in the ZK002 group compared with the control group during the early period of corneal alkali burns on day 14. However, the expression level of PPARγ mRNA was increased in the ZK002 group. Conclusions: ZK002 decreased the fibrotic reaction and prevented neovascularization in the cornea after an alkali burn. Therefore, the novel ophthalmic solution ZK002 could be a potentially promising therapeutic clinical treatment for corneal wound healing.

Nanoscale coordination polymer Fe-DMY downregulating Poldip2-Nox4-H2O2 pathway and alleviating diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of blindness and severe visual impairment in adults. The high levels of glucose trigger multiple intracellular oxidative stress pathways, such as POLDIP2, resulting in excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), causing microvascular dysfunction. Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is a natural flavonoid small molecule antioxidant. However, it exhibits poor solubility in physiological environments, has a short half-life in vivo, and has low oral bioavailability. In this study, we present, for the first time, the synthesis of ultra-small Fe-DMY nano-coordinated polymer particles (Fe-DMY NCPs), formed by combining DMY with low-toxicity iron ions. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirm that Fe-DMY NCPs alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage to vascular endothelial cells by high glucose, scavenge excess ROS, and improve pathological features of DR, such as retinal vascular leakage and neovascularization. Mechanistic validation indicates that Fe-DMY NCPs can inhibit the activation of the Poldip2-Nox4-H2O2 signaling pathway and downregulate vital vascular function indicators such as VCAM-1, HIF-1α, and VEGF. These findings suggest that Fe-DMY NCPs could serve as a safe and effective antioxidant and microangio-protective agent, with the potential as a novel multimeric drug for DR therapy.

Expression profiling suggests the involvement of hormone-related, metabolic, and Wnt signaling pathways in pterygium progression.

Background: Pterygium is an ocular surface disease that can cause visual impairment if it progressively invades the cornea. Although many pieces of research showed ultraviolet radiation is a trigger of pterygium pathological progress, the underlying mechanism in pterygium remains indistinct. Methods: In this study, we used microarray to evaluate the changes of transcripts between primary pterygium and adjacent normal conjunctiva samples in China. Then, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses. Moreover, we constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks to predict possible regulatory relationships. We next performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to explore the similarities and differences of transcripts between Asian studies from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Furthermore, we took the intersection of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with other data and identified hub genes of the development of pterygium. Finally, we utilized real-time quantitative PCR to verify the expression levels of candidate genes. Results: A total of 49 DEGs were identified. The enrichment analyses of DEGs showed that pathways such as the Wnt-signaling pathway and metabolism-related pathways were upregulated, while pathways such as hormone-related and transcription factor-associated pathways were downregulated. The PPI and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks provide ideas for future research directions. The GSEA of selecting Asian data revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition and myogenesis existed in the pathology of pterygium in the Asian group. Furthermore, five gene sets (interferon-gamma response, Wnt beta-catenin signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, DNA repair, and MYC targets v2) were found only in our Chinese datasets. After taking an intersection between selecting datasets, we identified two upregulated (SPP1 and MYH11) and five downregulated (ATF3, FOS, EGR1, FOSB, and NR4A2) hub genes. We finally chose night genes to verify their expression levels, including the other two genes (SFRP2 and SFRP4) involved in Wnt signaling; Their expression levels were significantly different between pterygium and conjunctiva. Conclusions: We consider hormone-related, metabolic, and Wnt signaling pathways may be important in the pathology of pterygium development. Nine candidate genes we identified deserve further study and can be potential therapeutic targets.

Capsaicin ameliorates diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting poldip2-induced oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and the resultant hyperpermeability play a vital role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Poldip2 has been implicated in H2O2 production, but the effects of capsaicin on poldip2 have not been reported. METHODS: Diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats induced with STZ were treated with capsaicin or AAV9-poldip2-shRNA, and human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were treated with capsaicin or poldip2 siRNA. RESULTS: Current data indicated that the expression of PPARγ, poldip2, Nox4, VCAM-1, HIF-1α, and VEGF increased in rat retinas with DR and in HRMECs treated with high glucose. The production of ROS or H2O2 in the tissues, serum, and cells increased, and the paracellular permeability of cultured HRMECs with high glucose significantly increased. In addition, overt hyperpermeability of retinal microvessels and increased retinal neovascularization in diabetic rats were observed. However, capsaicin treatment inhibited these increases and suppressed the expression of PPARγ by enhancing its phosphorylation and ubiquitination in the retinas of DR rats. Poldip2 knockdown in HRMECs or its silencing in the retina of DR rats concomitantly led to reduced levels of Nox4, VCAM-1, HIF-1α, VEGF, ROS, and H2O2, and the paracellular permeability of HRMECs or the hyperpermeability of retinal microvessels in diabetic rat retinas decreased. Similarly, after PPARγ knockdown in HRMECs, poldip2, Nox4, HIF-1α, VEGF, ROS, and H2O2 decreased, and the monolayer paracellular permeability was reduced accordingly. CONCLUSION: Capsaicin may ameliorate diabetic retinopathy by activating TRPV1 and suppressing the PPARγ-poldip2-Nox4 pathway.