Trichinella spiralis inhibits myoblast differentiation by targeting SQSTM1/p62 with a secreted E3 ubiquitin ligase.

Trichinella spiralis infection is associated with the formation of cysts within host skeletal muscle cells, thereby enabling immune evasion and subsequent growth and development; however, the pathogenic factors involved in this process and their mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we found that Ts-RNF secreted by T. spiralis is required for its growth and development in host cells. Further study revealed that Ts-RNF functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets the UBA domain of SQSTM1/p62 by forming K63-type ubiquitin chains. This modification interferes with autophagic flux, leading to impaired mitochondrial clearance and abnormal myotube differentiation and fusion. Our results established that T. spiralis increases its escape by interfering with host autophagy via the secretion of an E3 ubiquitin ligase.

COVID-19 pandemic impact on ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital.

AIM: To analyze the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the presentation and characteristics of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital in China between 2019 and 2020. METHODS: A retrospective case study was designed to collect information on all cases of ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital from 2019 to 2020 and compare differences in inpatients' data (age, sex, admission vision acuity, type of diagnosis, hospital stays, mechanism of injury and location of injury). RESULTS: The total number of patients admitted to the Ophthalmology Department was 883 (mean 73.58±11.25 patients per month) in 2019 and 714 (59.50±17.92 patients per month) in 2020. The injury number of in work was also the most within the four types of location in this two year (42.36% in 2019, 43.84% in 2020). The mean hospital stays were 12.66d in 2019 and 10.81d in 2020. The highest incidence of ocular trauma was the middle-aged (41-65y) groups in 2019 and 2020. The most common cause of ocular trauma was sharp object in 2019 (47.34%) and 2020 (47.58%). The mechanical ocular trauma reaches 98.98% in 2019 and 99.72% in 2020. CONCLUSION: The number of patients with ocular trauma decreased in 2020, but middle-aged (41-65y) are still high incident groups. Mechanical ocular trauma remains the leading cause of hospitalization for ocular trauma patients and the proportion of patients injured at home increases. It is necessary to arouse social attention and the public's awareness of eye trauma protection should be strengthened during the pandemic.

Various configuration types of the foveal avascular zone with related factors in normal Chinese adults with or without myopia assessed by swept-source OCT angiography.

AIM: To describe the morphological characteristics of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in normal Chinese adults with or without myopia by swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) and analyze the possible associated factors. METHODS: Normal Chinese adults with or without myopia aged between 18 and 60y were recruited into the study. One eye in each individual was randomly selected for scanning using SS-OCTA. FAZ parameters, central retinal thickness (CRT) and central choroidal thickness (CCT) were then analyzed. Correlations between systemic and ocular variables and FAZ parameters were subsequently evaluated. The subgroup analysis based on refractive error was also carried out. RESULTS: In total, 127 eyes out of 127 normal subjects were finally included in the study (mean age 29.5±8.22y, 61 males and 66 females). The pattern of FAZ was variable: round configuration in 28 eyes (22%), quadrilateral configuration in 23 eyes (18%), pentagonal configuration in 20 eyes (16%), oval configuration in 15 eyes (12%), triangular configuration in 6 eyes (5%) and irregular configuration in 35 eyes (28%). The mean area of FAZ was 0.37±0.12 mm2. Females had a larger FAZ (0.41±0.11 mm2 vs 0.32±0.11 mm2) compared with that of males (P<0.01). All myopic individuals showed smaller FAZ area and perimeter compared with that of normal individuals (P<0.01). There was no obvious correlation between age and FAZ. In the univariate regression analysis, both axial length (AL) and refractive error were significantly related to FAZ parameters. However, only CRT showed negative correlation with FAZ in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The pattern of FAZ configuration in normal Chinese adults with or without myopia is highly variable. Establishing quantitative parameters of FAZ would not only provide details of macular pathophysiology but could possibly contribute as a biomarker in disease staging.

[Study on five point mutations in mitochondrial DNA in patients with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the primary mutation at np11778 and the secondary mutations at np9804, np13708, np13730, np15257 in three Chinese pedigrees with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and to detect the effects of the mutations on LHON. METHODS: Thirty-seven maternal individuals from three LHON pedigrees and forty-seven normal controls were involved in this study. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing were used to detect the mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). RESULTS: All patients and their maternal relatives had the np11778 mtDNA primary mutation. None had the secondary mutations at np9804, np13708 and np13730 and np15257. DNA sequencing of the PCR fragment revealed six new point mutations at np13759, np13928, np13942, np15301, np15323 and np15326. CONCLUSION: All three Chinese pedigrees with LHON had the mtDNA11778 primary mutation. The frequency of mutation at np13759 in Chinese patients with LHON is higher than that in normal Chinese controls. These findings indicate that np13759 is a new secondary mutation of LHON in Chinese.