Association of age at diagnosis of diabetes with subsequent risk of age-related ocular diseases and vision acuity.

BACKGROUND: The importance of age on the development of ocular conditions has been reported by numerous studies. Diabetes may have different associations with different stages of ocular conditions, and the duration of diabetes may affect the development of diabetic eye disease. While there is a dose-response relationship between the age at diagnosis of diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, whether the age at diagnosis of diabetes is associated with incident ocular conditions remains to be explored. It is unclear which types of diabetes are more predictive of ocular conditions. AIM: To examine associations between the age of diabetes diagnosis and the incidence of cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and vision acuity. METHODS: Our analysis was using the UK Biobank. The cohort included 8709 diabetic participants and 17418 controls for ocular condition analysis, and 6689 diabetic participants and 13378 controls for vision analysis. Ocular diseases were identified using inpatient records until January 2021. Vision acuity was assessed using a chart. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.0 years, 3874, 665, and 616 new cases of cataract, glaucoma, and AMD, respectively, were identified. A stronger association between diabetes and incident ocular conditions was observed where diabetes was diagnosed at a younger age. Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosed at < 45 years [HR (95%CI): 2.71 (1.49-4.93)], 45-49 years [2.57 (1.17-5.65)], 50-54 years [1.85 (1.13-3.04)], or 50-59 years of age [1.53 (1.00-2.34)] had a higher risk of AMD independent of glycated haemoglobin. T2D diagnosed < 45 years [HR (95%CI): 2.18 (1.71-2.79)], 45-49 years [1.54 (1.19-2.01)], 50-54 years [1.60 (1.31-1.96)], or 55-59 years of age [1.21 (1.02-1.43)] was associated with an increased cataract risk. T2D diagnosed < 45 years of age only was associated with an increased risk of glaucoma [HR (95%CI): 1.76 (1.00-3.12)]. HRs (95%CIs) for AMD, cataract, and glaucoma associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) were 4.12 (1.99-8.53), 2.95 (2.17-4.02), and 2.40 (1.09-5.31), respectively. In multivariable-adjusted analysis, individuals with T2D diagnosed < 45 years of age [ß 95%CI: 0.025 (0.009,0.040)] had a larger increase in LogMAR. The ß (95%CI) for LogMAR associated with T1D was 0.044 (0.014, 0.073). CONCLUSION: The younger age at the diagnosis of diabetes is associated with a larger relative risk of incident ocular diseases and greater vision loss.

Artesunate inhibits osteoclastogenesis through the miR-503/RANK axis.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease that is characterized by decreased bone density and strength due to excessive loss of bone protein and mineral content, which can be induced by increased osteoclast activity. Developing agents targeting osteoclast activation is considered to be the most effective method to reverse bone destruction and alleviate the pain caused by osteoporosis. MTT assay was conducted to detect the cell viability after artesunate treatment of RAW264.7 cells. TRACP staining and pit formation assays were performed to examine the TRACP-positive cells and pit-forming activity of osteoclasts. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to assess the mRNA and protein expression levels of the osteoclastogenesis-related genes NFATc1, TRAP, and cathepsin k. The protein levels of RANK, p-Akt, p-p38, and p-ERK were examined by Western blotting. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to determine whether miR-503 targeted RANK directly. Artesunate inhibited TRACP-positive cells and the pit-forming activity of osteoclasts. However, artesunate increased the expression of miR-503. Artesunate suppressed osteoclastogenesis-related gene expression and RANKL-induced activation of MAPKs and the AKT pathway. In addition, miR-503 inhibited RANK expression by directly targeting RANK during osteoclast differentiation. Artesunate inhibited osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast functions in vitro by regulating the miR-503/RANK axis and suppressing the MAPK and AKT pathways, which resulted in decreased expression of osteoclastogenesis-related markers.

Application of 3D Printing in the Surgical Planning of Trimalleolar Fracture and Doctor-Patient Communication.

To evaluate the effect of 3D printing in treating trimalleolar fractures and its roles in physician-patient communication, thirty patients with trimalleolar fractures were randomly divided into the 3D printing assisted-design operation group (Group A) and the no-3D printing assisted-design group (Group B). In Group A, 3D printing was used by the surgeons to produce a prototype of the actual fracture to guide the surgical treatment. All patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation. A questionnaire was designed for doctors and patients to verify the verisimilitude and effectiveness of the 3D-printed prototype. Meanwhile, the operation time and the intraoperative blood loss were compared between the two groups. The fracture prototypes were accurately printed, and the average overall score of the verisimilitude and effectiveness of the 3D-printed prototypes was relatively high. Both the operation time and the intraoperative blood loss in Group A were less than those in Group B (P < 0.05). Patient satisfaction using the 3D-printed prototype and the communication score were 9.3 ± 0.6 points. A 3D-printed prototype can faithfully reflect the anatomy of the fracture site; it can effectively help the doctors plan the operation and represent an effective tool for physician-patient communication.

Report on childhood obesity in China (9): sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and obesity as well as obesity-related cardiometabolic disorders among children in China. METHODS: A total of 6974 (boys 3558, girls 3412) children aged 6-13 years participated in the study. Each participant's height, weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The type of beverage consumption was determined using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: SSBs were consumed regularly by 46.1% of the children. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence internal (CI)] of obesity was 7.6% [as the reference group (ref.)], 10.1% [1.36(1.07, 1.74)], and 11.6% [1.46(1.21, 1.75)], among children who regularly drank milk, other beverages and SSBs, respectively. Regularly drinking SSBs elevated the likelihood of abdominal obesity [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI): 1.36 (1.17, 1.59)]. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)] of obesity among children who regularly drank sports/caloric beverages, carbonated beverages, sweet tea, and plant protein beverages was 16.8% [2.00(1.31, 3.07)], 12.7% [1.52(1.23, 1.88)], 11.5% [1.52(1.18, 1.95)], and 10.4% [1.41(1.03, 1.94)], respectively, which was higher than that of regular milk drinkers [7.6 % (ref.)]. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)] of abdominal obesity among children who regularly drank sweet tea, fruit/vegetable juices, and carbonated beverages was 17.7% [1.55(1.26, 1.90)], 16.2% [1.36(1.09, 1.70)], and 15.3% [1.24(1.03, 1.50)], respectively, which was much higher than that of regular milk drinkers [12.8% (ref.)]. CONCLUSIONS: Regular SSB consumption was positively related to obesity and abdominal obesity. This relationship should be investigated further using a longitudinal study design.

PHB/PHBHHx scaffolds and human adipose-derived stem cells for cartilage tissue engineering.

The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)/poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) (PHB/PHBHHx) to produce neocartilage upon seeding with differentiated human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). hASCs were grown on a three-dimensional PHB/PHBHHx scaffold in vitro with or without chondrogenic media for 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy showed that differentiated cells produced abundant extracellular matrices with increasing culture time. No cytotoxicity was observed by the live/dead cell viability assay. GAG and total collagen content in the differentiated cells increased significantly with in vitro culture time. After 14 days of in vitro culture, the differentiated cells grown on the (PHB/PHBHHx) scaffold (differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx)) were implanted into the subcutaneous layer nude mice for 12 or 24 weeks, non-differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx) were implanted as the control group. The differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx) implants formed cartilage-like tissue after 24 weeks of implantation, and stained positive for collagen type II, safranin O, and toluidine blue. In addition, typical cartilage lacuna was observed, and there were no remnants of PHB/PHBHHx. Collagen type II was detected by Western blot at 12 and 24 weeks of implantation. In the control group, no cartilage formation was observed. This study demonstrated that PHB/PHBHHx is a suitable material for cartilage tissue engineering.