Wet age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, and anti-VEGF is its main treatment method.At present, the treatment of nAMD still faces many shortcomings and challenges, and the development of new therapeutic drugs and delivery methods is the research focus.In recent years, the direction of drug research and development for the treatment of nAMD has shown diversification, including the development of new target/mechanism drugs and new drug delivery methods, optimization of drug dosage and gene therapy, etc., in order to reduce treatment frequency, prolong treatment interval, improve patient compliance, and maintain or improve vision in the long term.Ophthalmologists should have a comprehensive understanding of new drugs and explore strategies appropriate for patients with different subtypes of nAMD to achieve a move toward precision medicine.

Objective:To investigate mRNA and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) changes in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells treated with recombinant human methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and the mechanisms.Methods:The passaged ARPE-19 cells were divided into normal control and MeCP2 groups after adhesion culture.Cells in the normal control group were continuously cultured in normal culture medium, and the cells in the MeCP2 group were cultured in culture medium containing a final concentration of 20 ng/ml of recombinant human MeCP2 protein for 72 hours.Transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq) and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) were used to extract and analyze total RNA.Differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the edgeR software package based on P<0.05.The biological function of differential genes was determined by gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and the pathway enrichment analysis was performed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).Intersection of genes between DEGs and DMGs were screened, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of differential genes. Results:A total of 100 DEGs and 7 441 DMGs genes were screened.According to enrichment analysis, the DEGs were enriched to extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, cell division, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway and so on.The DMGs were associated with microtubule cytoskeleton, angiogenesis, epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB) signaling pathway, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) -glycation end-products receptor (RAGE) signaling pathway, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, Notch signaling pathway and transforming growth factors-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway and so on.There were 24 up-regulated and 76 down-regulated DEGs.Five DMGs had hypermethylation peaks, and 7 439 DMGs had hypomethylation peaks.After annotation of peaks, 7 626 genes in the normal control group and 8 006 genes in the MeCP2 group had m6A methylation, with 7 360 intersecting genes between the two groups.The m6A methylation in the normal control group and MeCP2 group was concentrated in the CDS, intron and 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) regions of the transcript, with the methylation ratio of 23.62%/22.27%, 48.53%/48.35% and 23.66%/25.28%, respectively.Joint analysis showed that CSPG5 and RBP1 genes related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) had lower amount of mRNA and m6A.Fluorescence quantitative PCR results showed that the relative mRNA expression levels of GSPG5, RBP1 and ZNF484 in MeCP2 group were significantly lower than those in normal control group ( t=7.885, 7.613, 7.345; all at P<0.01). Conclusions:The regulatory mechanism of MeCP2 on EMT in RPE cells is related to m6A methylation modification. CSPG5 and RBP1 genes may be the target genes of m6A methylation and participate in the EMT regulated by MeCP2.

Objective:To investigate the anti-aging and antioxidant effect of the heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) on human retinal pigment epithelial cells.Methods:Two HSF1-deficient ARPE cells (ARPE/Hsf1 -/-) were constructed by using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat and associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) gene editing system and named H8, H9 konckout cell strains.Experiments were operated on the 3 cell strains: wild-type, H8 and H9 cells.The content of reactive oxygen species in ARPE-19 cell was measured by DHE probe staining combined with flow cytometry technology, and the cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry technology.The cell viability at different time points was measured using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8).Crystal violet staining assay was used to measure the relative ratio of cell survival.SA-β-gal staining assay was used to detect the ratio of ARPE-19 senescent cells.The expressions of HSP70, HSP27, clusterin (CLU), p53, p21 and interleukin (IL)-1β proteins were measured by Western blot technology.The expressions of p53, p21, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) mRNA were measured by quantitative real-time PCR technology.Relative expression of heat shock response protein under different heat shock treatment conditions and HSP90 inhibitor IPI504, relative survival with different concentrations of H 2O 2, relative expression of p21 protein after treatment with or without ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were compared in each cell strain. Results:Gene sequencing showed that H8 and H9 cell strains successfully carried mutated genes.Western blot experiment results showed that H8 and H9 cell strains did not express HSF1 protein, and HSF1 was successfully knocked out in ARPE-19 cells.Compared with wild-type cell, the expression levels of HSP70, HSP27 and CLU proteins in H8 and H9 cell strains significantly decreased, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05), and no significant difference was found in the relative HSP90 protein expression level ( F=0.29, P>0.05).Under different heat shock stimulation and IPI504 induction, the HSP70, HSP27, and CLU protein levels significantly increased in wild-type cells compared with before treatment, and the HSP70, HSP27, and CLU protein levels were significantly lower in H8 and H9 cell strains than in corresponding treated wild-type cells (all at P<0.05).Compared with wild-type cell strains, cell viability significantly decreased in H8 and H9 cell strains at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours (all at P<0.05).Compared with wild-type cell strains, the percentage of cells in G1 phase was significantly higher and the mRNA and protein levels of the cell cycle inhibitors p53 and p21 significantly increased in H8 and H9 strains, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05), and the ratio of positive cells for SA-β-gal staining significantly increased, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.001).The relative expression of aging-related inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and MCP1 mRNA decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.001).In addition, compared with wild-type cell strains, the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was higher in H8 and H9 cell strains, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.001).The expression of p21 protein in H8 and H9 cell strains wtih NAC treatment decreased significantly compared with non-NAC treatment cells (both at P<0.05).Compared with wild-type cell strains, H8 and H9 cell viability decreased at 200, 400, 600, and 800 μmol/L H 2O 2 treatment conditions, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Knockdown of HSF1 can downregulate the expression of heat shock proteins, activate the ROS/P53/P21 pathway, induce senescence in RPE cells, and increase the sensitivity of RPE to oxidative stress stimuli.HSF1 may have anti-senescence and anti-oxidant regulatory effects in RPE cells.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Qideng Mingmu capsule on the formation and remodeling of retinal neovascularization in mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR).Methods:Thirty-six postnatal day 7 (P7)SPF grade C57BL/6J pups were divided into normal group, OIR group, Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group by random number table method, with 9 mice in each group.The mice in the normal group were raised in normal environment.The mice in the other three groups were fed in hyperoxic environment of (75±2)% oxygen concentration for 5 days from P7 to P12 and then were fed in normal environment for 5 days from P12 to P17 to establish the OIR model.From P12, mice in Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group were given intragastric administration of Qideng Mingmu capsule (900 mg/kg) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor apatinib (70 mg/kg) respectively, once a day for 5 consecutive days.On P17, paraffin sections of mouse eyeballs were made and stained with hematoxylin-eosin to count the number of vascular endothelial cells that broke through the internal limiting membrane.The retinal slices were prepared and stained with FITC-dextran to quantify the retinal non-perfusion area, neovascularization density and total vascular density.The distribution and fluorescence intensity of retinal vascular endothelial cell marker CD31 and pericyte marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were observed by double immunofluorescence staining.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression and distribution of retinal hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin).The use and care of animals were in accordance with the Regulations on the Management of Laboratory Animals issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No.2019-30).Results:The number of vascular endothelial cells breaking through the internal limiting membrane in normal group, OIR group, Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group were (2.83±4.40), (37.33±5.43), (23.83±6.79) and (14.00±9.34), respectively, with a statistically significant overall difference ( F=28.313, P<0.001).There were more vascular endothelial cells breaking through internal limiting membrane in OIR group than in normal group, Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05).In the observation of mouse retinal slices, there were large non-perfusion areas, neovascularization buds and disordered distribution of blood vessels in OIR group.The distribution of blood vessels was more uniform and the areas of non-perfusion and neovascularization were smaller in Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group than in OIR group.The relative area of central retinal non-perfusion area and neovascularization density were significantly lower in normal group, Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group than in OIR group (all at P<0.05).The immunofluorescence intensity of CD31 and the absorbance value of HIF-1α were significantly lower, and the immunofluorescence intensity of α-SMA and the absorbance value of VE-cadherin were significantly higher in normal group, Qideng Mingmu capsule group and apatinib group than in OIR group (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Qideng Mingmu capsule can inhibit retinal neovascularization formation, increase vascular pericyte coverage, relieve retinal hypoxia and increase vascular integrity in OIR mice.It can protect the retinal vessels of OIR mice.

Objective:To analyze the optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging characteristics in patients with Coats disease and their value in predicting macular fibrosis.Methods:A nested case-control study was performed.A total of 43 patients (43 eyes) diagnosed with Coats disease through color fundus photography, ocular B-scan ultrasonography, fundus fluorescein angiography, and spectral-domain OCT examination were enrolled from January 2008 to October 2021 at the Xijing Hospital.Among them, there were 40 males and 3 females, aged from 2 to 60 years old, with a median age of 13 years.Macular fibrosis was used as an indicator of poor prognosis, and patients were divided into two groups based on whether macular fibrosis occurred at the end of follow-up.The differences in OCT characteristics between two groups were compared and logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for macular fibrosis.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital of Fourth Military Medical University (No.KY20202009-C-1).Results:The OCT clinical features of 43 cases of Coats disease included intraretinal hard exudates in 43 eyes (100%), subretinal fluid in 21 eyes (48.8%), macular cysts in 17 eyes (27.9%), subretinal exudates in 9 eyes (20.9%), anterior retinal hyperreflective dots in 7 eyes (16.3%), epiretinal membrane in 21 eyes (48.8%), and intraretinal fluid in 22 eyes (51.2%).In color fundus photos of 41 eyes, 38 eyes (93.0%) had hard exudates distributed in the posterior pole and 27 eyes (65.9%) had the mid-peripheral region.OCT examination showed that hard exudates were distributed in the inner nuclear layer in 35 eyes (81.4%) and the outer nuclear layer in 33 eyes (76.7%).Among 21 eyes with exudative retinal detachment detected by OCT, 9 eyes (42.9%) were detected by fundus photography and 18 eyes (85.7%) were detected by B-scan ultrasonography.The proportions of eyes with subretinal fluid and subretinal exudates were higher in the macular fibrosis group than in the non-macular fibrosis group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=20.755, P<0.001; χ2=6.133, P=0.013).Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of subretinal fluid was a risk factor for macular fibrosis (odds ratio=48.345, 95% confidence interval: 4.272-547.066, P=0.002). Conclusions:OCT examination can detect subretinal fluid, subretinal exudates, macular cysts, macular exudates, and hyperreflective spots in the retina of patients with Coats disease.Subretinal fluid is a risk factor for macular fibrosis.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of chronic dacryocystitis-related corneal ulcers and to provide a basis for the rational clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:An observational case series study was performed.A total of 31 patients (31 eyes) diagnosed with chronic dacryocystitis-related corneal ulcers in Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University were enrolled from January 2016 to January 2020, with an average age of (53.0±10.8) years.The typical ocular signs, results of the etiological examination and microbial sensitivity test, treatment process and outcomes were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University (No.20191020-1).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject before any medical examination.Results:The average history of chronic dacryocystitis was (3.6±1.9) years.Corneal ulcers were mostly located in the peripheral cornea and had a rounded morphology with clear borders.The positive rate of corneal scraping was 74.2%(23/31), with bacteria in 19 eyes, fungal hyphae in 3 eyes, and both gram-positive cocci and fungal hyphae in 1 eye.The positive rate of microbial culture was 74.2%(23/31), with positive bacterial culture in 20 eyes (gram-positive cocci in 16 eyes and gram-negative bacilli in 4 eyes) and fungal growth in 3 eyes.The sensitivity rates of gram-positive cocci to vancomycin, rifampicin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin were 100%(16/16), 87.5%(14/16), 81.3%(13/16), and 75.0%(12/16), respectively.All patients were treated with surgery for chronic dacryocystitis, including 22 cases of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, 7 cases of dacryocystectomy, and 2 cases of lacrimal duct probing combined with intubation.Among the 9 cases with an ulcer depth of <1/3 of the corneal thickness (CT), 6 cases were cured after (10.8±3.2) days of drug treatment and 3 cases underwent corneal lesion resection.The 6 patients with an ulcer depth of 1/3-2/3 of the CT underwent conjunctival flap covering surgery.Among the 16 patients with an ulcer depth of >2/3 of the CT, lamellar keratoplasty was performed in 6 cases, penetrating keratoplasty in 8 cases and evisceration in 2 cases with infectious endophthalmitis.Conclusions:Chronic dacryocystitis-related corneal ulcers are mainly located at the periphery of the cornea, and gram-positive cocci infections are the most common pathogenic bacteria.In patients with mild symptoms, corneal ulcers heal gradually after treatment with sensitive antibiotics.For patients with severe infections, appropriate surgery should be selected according to the depth of the corneal ulcer.

Objective:To observe the efficacy of vitrectomy combined with subretinal injection of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the treatment of macular hemorrhage (SMH).Method:An observational case series study was performed.Twelve eyes of 12 SMH patients diagnosed in Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital were included from February 2022 to November 2022, including 11 eyes of polypoid choroidal vascular disease (PCV) and 1 eye of retinal artery aneurysm.There were 5 males and 7 females, aged 56 to 78 years old, with an average age of (65.67±8.09) years.Two eyes had intraocular lenses and 10 eyes were with cataracts.Nine cases had hypertension and 2 cases had diabetes.The duration of SMH was 2 to 25 days, with an average of (14.67±8.03) days.Vitrectomy combined with subretinal injection of t-PA was performed in the 12 eyes.All affected eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, slit lamp microscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and ultra-wide-filed imaging examinations before and 1, 3, 6 months after surgery.The central retinal thickness (CRT) was examined using an OCT instrument.The postoperative ocular conditions and the occurrence of adverse effects were observed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital (No.2022JS-05).Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before surgery.Results:The preoperative, 1-, 3-, and 6-month postoperative average BCVA (LogMAR) of the affected eye was 1.58±0.63, 1.12±0.49, 1.07±0.44, and 0.59±0.19, respectively, showing a statistically significant overall difference ( F=14.435, P<0.001).The BCVA at 6 months after surgery was significantly better than that before surgery ( P<0.001).The preoperative, 1-, 3-, and 6-month postoperative average CRT of the affected eye was (606.25±204.67), (379.83±92.05), (313.75±60.87), and (267.75±73.07)μm, respectively, showing a statistically significant overall difference ( F=27.720, P<0.001).The CRT at 1, 3, 6 months after surgery were significantly thinner than that before surgery (all at P<0.001).One eye had suprachoroidal hemorrhage 3 months after surgery, and 6 eyes received intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs due to recurrent PCV during follow-up, with a total of 16 injections.The average number of anti-VEGF injections at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery was (0.3±0.5), (1.3±1.4), and (2.7±2.0) times, respectively. Conclusions:In the treatment of SMH, vitrectomy combined with subretinal injection of t-PA can improve BCVA, reduce CRT, reduce retinal damage from blood clots, and promote early postoperative visual recovery.It is a safe and effective surgical procedure.

Objective:To analyze the trends in refractive error and ocular biological parameters in elementary school students over 5 years, and to investigate the patterns of change before and after myopia onset.Methods:A cohort study was adopted.A total of 1 986 first-grade students from the Anyang Childhood Eye Study were enrolled in this cohort study and their right eye data were taken for analysis, including 1 126 boys and 860 girls.Every year, cycloplegic autorefraction was performed with 1% cyclopentolate eyedrops to obtain the spherical equivalent (SE).The axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, mean corneal curvature (Km) and other parameters were obtained by ocular biometry.The lens refractive power (LP) was calculated using the Bennett formula.The subjects were assigned to persistent myopia group, non-myopia group and new onset myopia group.According to the age of myopia onset, the new onset myopia group was subdivided into the 8-, 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-year-old myopia groups to compare the differences in refractive error and ocular bioparameters among groups at different time points of follow-up.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University (No.TRECKY2018-030).Written informed consent form was obtained from the guardians of each subject.Results:All children had a gradual SE drift toward myopia and a gradual increase in the AL with age, and there were significant differences in SE and AL between adjacent follow-up ages within the three groups (all at P<0.05).The earlier the onset of myopia, the higher the myopia SE and the longer the AL of the eye at the same follow-up age, the differences in SE between adjacent groups were statistically significant (all at P<0.05), and the differences in AL between adjacent groups at the follow-up age of 8 to 12 years were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).In the nonmyopia group, SE drifted toward emmetropia at a slow and steady rate of (-0.23±0.27)D/year, and AL also increased slowly and steadily at (0.18±0.13)mm/year.In the new onset myopia group, the changes in SE in the third, second, and first years before myopia onset were (-0.32±0.25), (-0.45±0.33), and (-0.98±0.44)D, and the increases in AL were (0.25±0.12), (0.32±0.15), and (0.48±0.19)mm, respectively.Both SE and AL change rates began to accelerate before myopia onset and slowed down after myopia onset, with statistically significant differences in the overall comparison of SE and AL change rates at different time intervals before and after myopia onset (all at P<0.001).The AL at myopia onset in boys was (24.11±0.70)mm, which was longer than (23.60±0.66)mm in girls ( t=159.71, P<0.01).LP decreased with age in all groups, with a faster rate before the age of 9 years and a slower rate after the age of 9 years.The mean decrease rate in LP was (-0.48±0.19), (-0.44±0.20), (-0.49±0.16), (-0.51±0.18), and (-0.48±0.19)D/year in the persistent myopia group and 8~11-year-old myopia group, respectively, which were significantly faster than -0.42±0.17 D/year in 12-year-old myopia group and (0.37±0.15)D/year in nonmyopia group (all at P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in Km among groups at different follow-up ages (all at P>0.05). Conclusions:The AL begins to grow at an accelerated rate 3 years before myopia onset, and the increase rate of the AL slows down after the onset of myopia, but it is still significantly faster than that of non-myopic children.In this process, the decrease in LP plays a compensatory role; there is no significant change in corneal curvature.The AL of males at the onset of myopia is longer than that of females at the same age.AL is an important indicator for the prevention and control of myopia.It is important to consider gender differences and to pay more attention to the growth rate when assessing AL.

Peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS), a new entity in pachychoroid disease spectrum, is characterized by the thickening of the choroid in the peripapillary area.PPS is more likely to occur in middle-aged and older males, and some of the affected eyes are hyperopic and have short axial lengths.The diagnosis and differentiation of PPS depends mainly on the imaging characteristics.Optical coherence tomography shows that dilated Haller layer vessels are located in the nasal macula and associated with intraretinal fluid in the corresponding locations.Indocyanine green angiography shows dilated large choroidal vessels and choroidal hyperpermeability in the nasal maculal and peripapillary region.PPS should be differentiated from uveal effusion syndrome, central serous chorioretinopathy, and pachychoroid neovascularization.Photodynamic therapy may improve retinal effusion in patients with PPS.At present, the research on PPS is insufficient.It is still controversial whether PPS can be considered as a separate entity.The effectiveness of treatment needs more prospective studies.Further research is needed to provide new insights into the definition, diagnosis, treatment and pathogenesis of PPS.

The emergence of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy has reduced the overall incidence of blindness from ocular neovascular disease.However, frequent intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF therapy are required, which places a significant burden to patients and affects long-term benefits.The angiopoietin (Ang)/tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin-like and endothelial growth factor-like domains (Tie) pathways are identified as potentially therapeutic regulators for ocular neovascular disease, with additional benefits over anti-VEGF-A therapy.For ocular neovascular diseases, three molecules targeting the Ang/Tie pathway have been studied in clinical trials and the data released, in which faricimab, a bispecific immunoglobulin G1 antibody targeting VEGF-A and Ang-2, entered phase Ⅲ studies and met primary clinical endpoints, and two dosing regimens with prolonged treatment intervals (12 and 16 weeks) of faricimab showed reliable efficacy.Overall, the regulation of Ang/Tie pathway provides a new treatment option for ocular neovascular diseases, and it is necessary to deeply understand the mechanism of action of the pathway and accumulate more clinical data in the future.