The effect of leizumab on serum vascular endothelial growth factor, IL-6, MCP-1 inflammatory factors in neovascular glaucoma.

This study aimed to assess Leizumab's effect on serum endothelial growth factor, interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and inflammatory factors in neovascular glaucoma patients. 80 eligible patients treated between January 2021 and April 2023 were enrolled, randomly divided into control and study groups. The control group underwent vitrectomy while the study group received preoperative intravitreal rituximab injection. Measurements included serum and aqueous humor VEGF/PEDF, IL-6/MCP-1 levels, postoperative rebleeding/retinal detachment, and visual acuity changes over 6 weeks. After surgery, patients showed reduced serum VEGF/PEDF levels (P < 0.05), with decreased VEGF and increased PEDF in aqueous humor (P < 0.05). The study group had lower VEGF and higher PEDF levels than the control (P < 0.05). Serum IL-6/MCP-1 levels reduced post-surgery, with the study group lower than control (P < 0.05). Intraocular rebleeding was lower in the study group (P < 0.05), while retinal detachment rates were similar (P > 0.05). Visual acuity differed significantly from week 1 to 6 post-surgery (P < 0.05), with higher acuity in the study group during weeks 1-4 (P < 0.05). Weeks 5-6 follow-up showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Pre-vitrectomy ranibizumab injection effectively reduced bleeding, VEGF/PEDF levels, inflammatory factors, and improved visual recovery.

Protective Effect of Foxtail Millet Protein Hydrolysate on Ethanol and Pyloric Ligation-Induced Gastric Ulcers in Mice.

Foxtail millet has been traditionally considered to possess gastroprotective effects, but studies evaluating its use as a treatment for gastric ulcers are lacking. Here, we assessed the antiulcer effects of foxtail millet protein hydrolysate (FPH) and explored its mechanism by using blocking agents. In a mouse model of ethanol-induced gastric ulcers, pretreatment with FPH reduced the ulcerative lesion index, downregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the gastric tissue, increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and improved the oxidative status. FPH increased constitutive the activity of nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), NO levels, and mucin expression in gastric mucosa, and inhibited the activation of the ET-1/PI3K/Akt pathway. In a mouse model of pyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcers, FPH inhibited gastric acid secretion and decreased the activity of gastric protease. Pretreatment of mice with the sulfhydryl blocker NEM and the NO synthesis inhibitor L-NAME abolished the gastroprotective effect of FPH, but not the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide and the PGE2 synthesis blocker indomethacin. Among the peptides identified in FPH, 10 peptides were predicted to have regulatory effects on the gastric mucosa, and the key sequences were GP and PG. The results confirmed the gastroprotective effect of FPH and revealed that its mechanism was through the regulation of gastric mucosal mucus and NO synthesis. This study supports the health effects of a millet-enriched diet and provides a basis for millet protein as a functional food to improve gastric ulcers and its related oxidative stress.

Quantitative analysis of related parameters of retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell complex thickness in patients with different degrees of Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: A quantitative analysis was performed to evaluate the morphologic changes of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Thirty PD patients were enrolled, and they were allocated to the mild-to-moderate PD group (n = 15) or severe PD group (n = 15) according to the severity of PD. Twenty healthy volunteers (20 eyes) were included as controls. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to measure the thickness of mean RNFL and each of the sectors: temporal-upper (TU), superior-temporal (ST), superior-nasal (SN), nasal-upper (NU), nasal-lower (NL), inferior-nasal (IN), inferior-temporal (IT), temporal-lower (TL). The thickness of macular GCC, superior GCC, and inferior GCC was also measured. RESULTS: No difference was found between the three groups with respect to age, sex and disease course (p > 0.05). The mean RNFL thickness was 118.15 ± 10.25 µm in the control group, 96.12 ± 9.45 µm in the mild-to-moderate PD group, and 80.48 ± 10.35 µm in the severe PD group. Significant differences were found in the mean RNFL thickness and thickness of TU, IN, IT and TL sectors among the three groups (p < 0.05). These values, mean RNFL, TU, IN, IT, and TL, were lower in both the PD groups than those in the control, among them the severe PD group had the lowest values. A quantitative analysis of the macula GCC was also performed. Overall, there were significant differences in mean macula, superior, and inferior GCC thickness among the three groups (p < 0.05). The two PD groups had lower values of mean macula, superior, and inferior GCC thickness than that in the controls (p < 0.05); and the severe PD group had lowest values of these parameters. CONCLUSION: In this study, significant thinning of RNFL and macular GCC was found in PD patients. The more serious the illness, the more the thickness becomes thinner. The OCT measurement was found useful in detecting the structural alterations in the retina of PD. The technique may be useful in follow-up of the disease progression after further validation.

Clinical characteristics, rates of blindness, and geographic features of PACD in China.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the rates of blindness with the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients with primary angle-closure disease (PACD) to provide a comprehensive epidemiologic reference in China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted in the Chinese Glaucoma Study Consortium database, which is a national multicenter glaucoma research alliance of 111 hospitals participating between December 21, 2015 and September 9, 2018. The diagnosis of PACD was made by qualified physicians through examination. Comparison of sex, age, family history, subtypes of PACD, and blindness were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 5762 glaucoma patients were included, of which 4588 (79.6%) had PACD. Of PACD patients, 72.1% were female with the sex ratio (F/M) of 2.6, and the average age of patients was 63.8±9.3 years with the majority between 60 and 70 years. Additionally, 30% of these patients had low vision in one eye, 8.8% had low vision in both eyes, 1.7% had blindness in one eye, and 0.3% had blindness in both eyes. There were statistical differences with regards to age between male and female patients with PACD, with male patients being older on average. Primary angle-closure glaucoma was more commonly diagnosed in males (60%) compared to females (35.9%), whereas acute primary angle closure (APAC) was more commonly diagnosed in females (54.3%) compared to males (37.7%). The visual acuity in APAC patients was lower and the rate of low vision and blindness was higher than other subtypes. CONCLUSION: PACD was the major type of glaucoma in Chinese hospitals. There were more female patients with PACD, mostly between 60 and 70 years old, with higher rates of APAC in women. APAC resulted in the worst visual outcomes of all PACD subtypes.

Quantitative analysis of macular retinal thickness and macular volume in diabetic retinopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM:To evaluate and characterize the macular thickness and macular volume in patients of different stages of diabetic retinopathy with special - domain optical coherence tomography( SD-OCT) .·METHODS: Totally 40 patients ( 78 eyes ) with diabetic retinopathy were recruited in the study from January 2016 to January 2017 in our hospital. According to the international clinical classification of diabetic retinopathy, 20 cases (40 eyes) were categorized as non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( NPDR ) group and 20 cases proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group (38 eyes). All subjects were examined and analyzed with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study ( ETDRS ) subfields, which were embedded in HS ( Haag-Streit ) with diameter of 1, 3 and 6mm. The changes of retinal thickness and volume of the macular center were measured.·RESULTS: The thickness of macular foveolar in NPDR group and PDR group were 252. 57 ± 31. 36μm, 362. 47 ± 20. 81μm. The retinal thickness of inner superior subfield (ISM) and inner nasal subfield(INM) were the thickest;that of inner inferior subfield ( IIM ) was next to ISM and INM, and that of inner temporal subfield was the thinnest. Of the outer subfields, the retinal thickness of outer superior subfield ( OSM ) was the thickest;that of outer nasal subfield( ONM) was next to OSM, and that of outer temporal subfield(OTM)and outer inferior subfield ( OIM ) was the thinnest. The value of macular central concave thickness and retinal thickness in each quadrant of the NPDR group were less than those of the PDR group, the difference was statistically significant ( P <0. 05). The volume (V) of macular center in NPDR group and PDR group were 0. 20±0. 02mm3, 0. 28±0. 16mm3, the upper and nasal sides of the middle part of the partition were the largest, the inferior and the temporal side were the smallest. The nasal side of the outer loop was the largest, the upper was the second, the temporal side and the inferior were the smallest. The volume of macular central fovea and the retinal volume in each quadrant of the NPDR group were smaller than those of the PDR group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0. 05).·CONCLUSION: The changes of retinal thickness and volume in macular central fovea were related with the progression of diabetic retinopathy. Using OCT to analyze the macular thickness and macular volume in different stages of diabetic retinopathy, helps physicians to understand the morphological changes of macular region and its surrounding macular degeneration with the severity of diabetic retinopathy, and provide a basis for better analysis of the changes of the structure of macular in different severity diabetic retinopathy.

[Morphological monitoring indexes in anterior segment with primary acute angle closure glaucoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate morphological monitoring indexes of anterior segment in AACG. METHODS: Case-controlled study was conducted in the following groups: 55 eyes of 55 patients with unilateral AACG in first attack, 60 eyes of 60 cases with shallow anterior chamber, and 60 eyes of 60 cases with normal individuals. Images of anterior chamber angle in each group were collected by OCT. Using software of Photoshop, the opening degree of anterior chamber angle was quantified. Anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), lens position (LP), and chamber crowding rate (CCR) were measured by A-ultrasound. Anterior segment biometric parameters among the three groups were compared using one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS: LT, LP, and CCR were significantly (LT: F = 27.73, LP: F = 47.33, CCR: F = 79.22; P < 0.05) different between AACG, narrow angle and normal group in age group ranged from 50 to 59 [LT: (5.72 ± 0.22) mm, (5.57 ± 0.28) mm, (4.55 ± 0.36) mm, LP: (4.33 ± 0.24) mm, (4.63 ± 0.20) mm, (5.71 ± 0.34) mm, and CCR: 3.28 ± 0.16, 2.64 ± 0.19, 1.70 ± 0.10, respectively] and significantly different (LT: F = 22.51, LP: F = 56.67, CCR: F = 74.84; P < 0.05) in age group ranged from 60 to 69 [LT: (5.81 ± 0.37) mm, (5.72 ± 0.41) mm, (4.98 ± 0.59) mm, LP: (4.26 ± 0.18) mm, (4.51 ± 0.14) mm, (5.62 ± 0.19) mm and CCR: 3.39 ± 0.35, 2.74 ± 0.37, 1.86 ± 0.36, respectively]. However, in age group ranged above 70 group, LP and CCR (LP: F = 23.09, CCR: F = 60.08; P < 0.05) were significantly changed [LP: (4.25 ± 0.30) mm, (4.46 ± 0.22) mm, (5.49 ± 0.23) mm, CCR: 3.48 ± 0.21, 2.85 ± 0.30, 2.03 ± 0.17, respectively], but not LT [(5.85 ± 0.27) mm, (5.74 ± 0.21) mm, (5.43 ± 0.36) mm] (F = 8.29, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate that LT, LP and CCR, are useful indicators to observe the anterior chamber status in AACG by using Stratus OCT-3.

[Clinical and pathological features in 138 cases of drug-induced liver injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the categories of drugs causing hepatotoxicity and analyze the clinical and histological features of the corresponding drug-induced liver injury (DILI), in order to gain insights into potential diagnostic factors for DILI. METHODS: A total of 138 DILI patients treated at our hospital from April 2008 to April 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The responsible drug for each DILI case was recorded. The Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) had been used to diagnose DILI. Only cases that had scored as highly probable or probable (more than or equal to 6 points by RUCAM) were included in this study. The patients' general condition, clinical manifestations, and serum biochemical and immunological parameters were assessed. Sixty-six of the patients underwent liver biopsy, and were assessed for liver pathological changes. Clinical and laboratory test data were collected and used to classify the total 138 cases as hepatocellular injury, cholestatic, or mixed hepatocellular-cholestatic types. RESULTS: Within our patient population, the leading cause of DILI was Chinese herb medicine, accounting for 53.62% of cases. Antibiotics were implicated in 7.97% of cases, and dietary supplement in 6.52% of cases. Correlation between the clinical features and histological injury pattern was stronger at the time of biopsy (more than or equal to 3 days after laboratory results) (kappa = 0.63, P less than 0.05) than at the onset of DILI (kappa = 0.25, P less than 0.05). All modified hepatic activity index (HAI) necroinflammatory scores and fibrosis scores were more severe in the cholestatic and mixed injury types than in the hepatocellular injury type (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Chinese herbal medicine, dietary supplements and antibiotics were the main causes of DILI in our patient population. The clinical and histological features correlated well, especially at later stages of DILI. The degree of inflammation and fibrosis was significantly higher in cholestatic and mixed hepatocellular-cholestatic injury types than in the hepatocellular injury type. Assessment of both clinical and pathological features may represent a more accurate diagnostic method for DILI.