Comprehensive assessment of growth factors, inflammatory mediators, and cytokines in vitreous from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

AIM: To assess alterations in growth factors, inflammatory mediators, and cytokines associated with vitreous-retinal diseases in vitreous humor from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and to identify potential new treatment targets and strategies. METHODS: Control vitreous samples were collected from patients with macular hole, epiretinal membranes, or rhegmatogenous retinal detachments, and PDR samples from patients with complications of PDR, who required pars plana vitrectomy. Specimens were stored at -80°C and then investigated by Luminex multi-factor assay. Parametric and nonparametric analyses of demographic characteristics and cytokine expression levels were conducted using SPSS. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between patients with and without PDR. Expression levels of growth factors [platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA)], inflammatory mediators [interleukin (IL)-8, IL-11, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] and cytokines [chemokine C-X-C ligand (CXCL)10, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)] were significantly elevated in vitreous humor from patients with PDR compared with those in the control group (all P<0.05). Further, VEGFA levels were lower in patients with PDR treated with anti-VEGF injection than those who were not (P<0.05), and there was no difference between the PDR group treated with anti-VEGF and controls (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential for combinational therapeutic strategies to ameliorate diabetic retinopathy progression by targeting growth factors, inflammatory factors, and cytokines, in addition to VEGFA.

Outbreak of macrolide-resistant mycoplasma pneumoniae in a primary school in Beijing, China in 2018.

BACKGROUND: On 7th June, 2018, a primary school in Beijing, China notified Shunyi CDC of an outbreak of acute respiratory disease characterized by fever and cough among students and resulting in nine hospitalization cases during the preceding 2 weeks. We started an investigation to identify the etiologic agent, find additional cases, develop and implement control measures. METHODS: We defined probable cases as students, teachers and other staffs in the school developed fever (T ≥ 37.5 °C) with cough or sore throat; or a diagnosis of pneumonia during May 1-June 31, 2018. Confirmed cases were probable cases with Mycoplasma pneumoniae detected in oropharyngeal (OP) swabs by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We searched case by reviewing school absenteeism records and interviewing students, teachers and staff in this school. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from symptomatic students. Two qPCR) assay, a duplex qPCR assay, and sequencing were performed to determine the pathogen, genotype and macrolide resistance at the gene level, respectively. RESULTS: From May 1st to June 31st, 2018, we identified 55 cases (36 probable and 19 confirmed), of whom 25 (45%) were hospitalized for complications. All cases were students, none of the teachers and other staffs in the school were with similar symptoms. The attack rate (AR) was 3.9% (55/1398) for all students. The cases were mainly male (58%), with an age range of 7-8 years (median: 7 years). 72% (18/25) of inpatients had radiograph findings consistent with pneumonia, and some cases were hospitalized for up to 4 weeks. Pathogen detection results indicated that Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumoniae) P1 type 1 was the causative agent in this outbreak, and the strain harbored one point mutation of A to G at position 2063. CONCLUSIONS: The infections by macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae are not always mild and pneumonia was common and M. pneumoniae could causes serious complications which require long-term hospitalization. In the future infectious disease prevention and control practice, M. pneumoniae should be paid more attention. It is necessary to establish and improve the pathogen and drug resistance surveillance system in order to prevent and control such mutated strains of M. pneumoniae from causing future outbreaks or epidemics in China.

[A field study on the work load and muscle fatigue at neck-shoulder in female sewing machine operators by using surface electromyography].

OBJECTIVE: To study neck and shoulder work-related muscle fatigue of female sewing machine operators. METHODS: 18 health female sewing machine operators without musculoskeletal disorders work in Beijing garment industry factory as volunteers in participate of this study. The maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and 20% MVC of bilateral upper trapezium and cervical erectors spinae was tested before sewing operations, then the whole 20 time windows (1 time window = 10 min) sewing machine operations was monitored and the surface electromyography (sEMG) signals simultaneously was recorded after monitoring the 20%MVC was tested. Use amplitude analysis method to reduction recorded EMG signals. RESULTS: During work, the median load for the left cervical erector spinae (LCES), right cervical erector spinae (RCES), left upper trapezium (LUT) and right upper trapezium (RUT) respectively was 6.78 ± 1.05, 6.94 ± 1.12, 5.68 ± 2.56 and 6.47 ± 3.22, work load of right is higher than the left; static load analysis indicated the value of RMS(20%MVC) before work was higher than that value after work, the increase of right CES and UT RMS(20%MVC) was more; the largest 20%MVE of bilateral CES occurred at 20th time window, and that of bilateral UT happened at 16th. CONCLUSIONS: The work load of female sewing machine operators is sustained "static" load, and work load of right neck-shoulder is higher than left, right neck-shoulder muscle is more fatigable and much serious once fatigued.