AIM: To detect the distribution and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in radiation retinopathy(RR)through fluorescence targeted imaging.METHODS:Covalent binding of fluorescein FITC with VEGF antibody ranibizumab to prepare targeted fluorescent imaging probe ranibizumab-FITC. SD rats were randomly divided into three groups based on the principle of weight balance: a normal control group(Con group), a low-dose radiation group(10 Gy group), and a high-dose radiation group(30 Gy group). Medical linear accelerators and lead blocks were used to locally irradiate the rat eyeballs for modeling. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of VEGF-A in each group and to screen for appropriate modeling dose. The inverted fluorescence microscope and the confocal microscope were used to observe the distribution of VEGF and imaging probes in the retinas of control and RR model group rats, and to verify the effectiveness of targeted probes.RESULTS:The expression level of VEGF-A in the retina of rats in the high-dose radiation group(30 Gy group)was higher than that in the normal control group(Con group). In early RR, VEGF expression was observed to be associated with microaneurysms and abnormal microvessels in the retina. VEGF accumulation was observed at the site of capillary wall damage. When retinal capillary endothelial damage occurred, targeted probes gathered on the outer surface of the vessel wall.CONCLUSION:The expression level of VEGF in the retina of RR model rats is elevated, and fluorescent targeted molecular imaging probes can detect the spatial distribution of VEGF at the microvascular lesions in the retina of RR rats.

OBJECTIVE:Disorders in iron metabolism increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Hepcidin play an important role in maintaining iron homeostasis in the body,but its level increases with increased inflammation.Changes in hepcidin and iron homeostasis and the extent of their association with inflammation in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus are unknown.Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the effect of inflammation on serum hepcidin and iron metabolism related parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS:CNKI,PubMed,Web of Science and EBSCOhost databases were searched by computer to collect observational studies related to inflammatory index and hepcidin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The search time was from September 1,2000 to September 30,2024.Three researchers independently screened the literature,extracted data and evaluated the quality of the included literature.Meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.3,Stata 17.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0.2 software.RESULTS:A total of 15 articles(17 studies)involving 3 159 participants,including 1 357 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,were included.Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group,patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had higher levels of serum hepcidin[standardized mean difference(SMD)=0.35,95％confidence interval(CI)(0.05,0.65),P＜0.05],serum ferritin(SMD=0.49,95％CI(0.21,0.78),P＜0.01)and serum transferrin(SMD=0.19,95％CI(0.00,0.37),P＜0.05).Subgroup analysis results indicated that inflammation had a significant effect on serum hepcidin(SMD=0.76,95％CI(0.17,1.34),P＜0.05)and serum ferritin(SMD=0.77,95％CI(0.06,1.47),P＜0.05)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.CONCLUSION:Hepcidin concentration is positively correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Inflammation is one of the risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Early prevention of inflammation has certain significance in preventing iron metabolism disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE:Disorders in iron metabolism increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Hepcidin play an important role in maintaining iron homeostasis in the body,but its level increases with increased inflammation.Changes in hepcidin and iron homeostasis and the extent of their association with inflammation in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus are unknown.Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the effect of inflammation on serum hepcidin and iron metabolism related parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS:CNKI,PubMed,Web of Science and EBSCOhost databases were searched by computer to collect observational studies related to inflammatory index and hepcidin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The search time was from September 1,2000 to September 30,2024.Three researchers independently screened the literature,extracted data and evaluated the quality of the included literature.Meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.3,Stata 17.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0.2 software.RESULTS:A total of 15 articles(17 studies)involving 3 159 participants,including 1 357 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,were included.Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group,patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had higher levels of serum hepcidin[standardized mean difference(SMD)=0.35,95％confidence interval(CI)(0.05,0.65),P＜0.05],serum ferritin(SMD=0.49,95％CI(0.21,0.78),P＜0.01)and serum transferrin(SMD=0.19,95％CI(0.00,0.37),P＜0.05).Subgroup analysis results indicated that inflammation had a significant effect on serum hepcidin(SMD=0.76,95％CI(0.17,1.34),P＜0.05)and serum ferritin(SMD=0.77,95％CI(0.06,1.47),P＜0.05)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.CONCLUSION:Hepcidin concentration is positively correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Inflammation is one of the risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Early prevention of inflammation has certain significance in preventing iron metabolism disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

AIM: To identify research articles on myopia in preschool children and explore its current status and development trends based on bibliometric analysis.METHODS: Data from the Web of Science Core Collection database were analyzed using the search term “TS=Preschool children myopia” to retrieve all relevant publications from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2023.RESULTS: A total of 171 articles were included in the analysis. China was identified as the leading country in terms of publication volume, making significant contributions to this field. The National University of Singapore and Nanjing Medical University were recognized as key institutions at the forefront of this research. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science and Ophthalmology emerged as the journals with the highest citation frequencies. High-frequency keywords highlighted the current status and future directions of myopia research in preschool children. Specifically, “prevalence”, “refractive error” and “risk factors” were identified as potential focal points for future investigations.CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global literature on myopia in preschool children. It identifies the most frequently cited articles in this field, outlines the global research landscape, and highlights emerging hotspots and trends. These findings offer valuable insights and directions for researchers and practitioners focusing on this area.

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution(DQS)on the ocular surface and tear film in adolescents with mild dry eye syndrome during the early stage of wearing orthokeratology lenses.METHODS: Prospective study. Totally 60 myopic adolescents(120 eyes)with mild dry eye syndrome who were fitted with orthokeratology lenses for the first time in our hospital from January 2023 to September 2023 were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into control group and observation group. Both groups wore the same brand of orthokeratology lenses for 8-9 h a day and 7 d a week. In the control group(30 cases, 60 eyes), the patients were treated by routine eyelid cleaning and warm compresses from the day of fitting. In addition to the control group's treatment, patients in the observation group(30 cases, 60 eyes)were given DQS 6 times a day for 3 mo, and follow-up for 6 mo after discontinuation of DQS. According to the follow-up requirements of orthokeratology lens, uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), corneal curvature, corneal topography, and corneal fluorescein staining were rechecked. The ocular surface disease index(OSDI)scores, tear meniscus height(TMH)of lower eyelid, non-invasive tear film break-up time [first and average, NIBUT(f)and NIBUT(av)] and corneal fluorescein staining were measured at baseline, 1, 2 and 3 mo after treatment, and 3 and 6 mo after DQS discontinuation.RESULTS: All patients completed follow-up. The NIBUT(f), NIBUT(av)and TMH of lower eyelid in the observation group were higher than those in the control group at 2 and 3 mo after treatment and at 3 and 6 mo after discontinuation of DQ3(all P<0.05). The OSDI scores for both groups decreased significantly at 2 mo after treatment(all P<0.05). At 3 mo after treatment and 3 and 6 mo after discontinuation of DQS, the OSDI scores in the observation group was significantly lower than the control group(all P<0.01). There was no significant difference of corneal fluorescein staining between the two groups(P=0.731).CONCLUSION: The combination of DQS with eyelid hygiene and warm compresses shows better efficacy in enhancing the stability of the tear film for adolescents with mild dry eye syndrome while wearing orthokeratology lenses.

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of pan-immune-inflammation value （PIV），non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （non-HDL-C），and interleukin （IL） spectrum and their correlation with the severity of neurological function impairment in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 158 elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized in our hospital from October 2019 to October 2024，and according to the severity of neurological function impairment，they were divided into non-severe neurological function impairment group with 112 patients and severe neurological function impairment group with 46 patients. The two groups were compared in terms of general clinical data，PIV，non-HDL-C，and ILs. A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for severe neurological function impairment in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke，and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of each risk factor. Results Compared with the non-severe neurological function impairment group，the severe neurological function impairment group had a significantly lower level of HDL-C and significantly higher levels of non-HDL-C，PIV，IL-1β，IL-6，and IL-8 （P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HDL-C，non-HDL-C，PIV，IL-1β，IL-6，and IL-8 were influencing factors for severe neurological function impairment in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke （P<0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of HDL-C，non-HDL-C，PIV，IL-1β，IL-6，and IL-8 had a significantly higher efficiency than each indicator alone in predicting severe neurological function impairment in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke （Z=4.234，4.411，3.897，4.240，4.001，4.420，all P<0.001）. Conclusion Elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke who have relatively high levels of PIV，non-HDL-C，and pro-inflammatory ILs tend to have severe neurological function impairment.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of micro-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (microPCNL) using Needle-perc in the oblique supine-lithotomy position for treating 1—2 cm lower-pole stones (LPSs)，by comparing it with flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURL)，so as to identify an effective surgical method for LPSs. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 56 patients with isolated LPSs of 1—2 cm treated in our hospital during Jan.and Dec.2023.Patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment method：FURL (n=31) and microPCNL (n=25).General information and perioperative data were compared between the two groups. Results: All operations were successfully completed.The operation time was shorter in the microPCNL group than in the FURL group \[(46.5±10.1) min vs.(73.5±18.9) min，P<0.001\].Stone-free rate (SFR) was 92.0% in the microPCNL group and 71.0% in the FURL group (P=0.026).There were no significant differences in the average fall of hemoglobin level，serumc creatinine change level，hospitalization time and postoperative fever between the two groups. Conclusion: MicroPCNL in oblique supine-lithotomy position is a safe and effective treatment for 1-2 cm LPSs，with a higher SFR compared to FURL.