RESUMO
Objective: Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-seropositive optic neuritis (AQP4-ON) is one of the most common types of optic neuritis in China. However, the association between AQP4-ON and vision-related quality of life (QoL) and depression remains poorly understood. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 57 patients with optic neuritis were evaluated for their vision-related QoL using a Chinese version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and assessed for depressive symptoms using a Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data regarding participants' age, sex, visual acuity, and the number of recurrence events were gathered. Linear regression analysis was employed to investigate the relationships between AQP4-ON and vision-related QoL, as well as depression. Results: Of the 57 included patients, 28 were AQP4-ON, and 29 were idiopathic optic neuritis (ION). AQP4-ON demonstrated a significant correlation with a decreased VFQ-25 composite score (Mean difference, -11.65 [95% CI, -21.61 to -1.69]; p = 0.023) and an increased BDI-II score (Mean difference, 6.48 [95% CI, 0.25 to 12.71]; p = 0.042) when compared to ION. The BDI-II score was correlated with the VFQ-25 composite score (Spearman ρ = -0.469; p < 0.001) but not with the visual acuity in the worse-seeing eye (Spearman ρ = 0.024; p = 0.860) or in the better-seeing eye (Spearman ρ = -0.039; p = 0.775), bilateral severe visual impairment (Spearman ρ = 0.039; p = 0.772) or the number of recurrence events (Spearman ρ = 0.184; p = 0.171). Conclusion: AQP4-positive optic neuritis is associated with a decline in vision-related quality of life as well as an increased likelihood of experiencing depression. It is crucial for clinicians to assess both vision-related QoL and depression in patients with AQP4-positive optic neuritis to provide patient-centered care.
RESUMO
The chronobiology of cercarial emergence appeared to be a genetically controlled behavior, adapted to definitive host species, for schistosome. However, a few physiological and ecological factors, for example the change of photoperiod, were reported to affect the rhythmic emergence of cercariae. Therefore, the effect of photoperiod change on cercarial emergence of two Schistosoma japonicum isolates, the hilly and the marshland, was investigated. Four shedding experiments each under a different photoperiod were conducted. Under a natural photoperiod, two distinct shedding modes, one from the hilly region and one from the marshland, were observed. Under a reversed photoperiod, the regular pattern (i.e. under a natural photoperiod) of S. japonicum cercarial emergence was reversed for the marshland isolate and disappeared for the hilly isolate. With an input of a 2 h darkness from 7am to 9am, the cercarial emergence peak were delayed for the two isolates; whereas with an input of a 2 h darkness from 5pm to 7pm, neither effect on the cercarial emergence rhythm was observed. The total cercariae emerged for both parasite isolates varied with a different photoperiod. The results indicate that the change of photoperiod could affect the chronobiology of S japonicum cercarial emergence.
