AIM: To compare the control effect of spherical and toric orthokeratology on low-to-moderate myopia with astigmatism(-1.00--1.50 DC)in adolescents.METHODS: The clinical data of 119 cases(119 eyes)of low-to-moderate myopia with astigmatism(-1.00--1.50 DC)adolescents who were treated and fitted with orthokeratology in the ophthalmology department of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from June 2021 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into spherical group, with 65 cases(65 eyes), and toric group, with 54 cases(54 eyes)according to the type of orthokeratology. The changes of uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), axial length and corneal astigmatism before and after wearing lenses were recorded to evaluate the therapeutic effect.RESULTS: The UCVA of both the groups significantly improved at 1 and 2 a after wearing lenses(all P<0.01); corneal astigmatism decreased, but there was no significant difference(all P>0.05); the axial length was longer than that before wearing lenses(P<0.01). There were no statistical significant differences in the UCVA and corneal astigmatism between the spherical group and the toric group(Fintergroup=0.829,Pintergroup=0.364; Fintergroup=0.997,Pintergroup=0.320); and there were no statistical significant differences in the axial length growth between the spherical group and the toric group after wearing lenses for 1 a(0.18±0.11 mm vs 0.17±0.14 mm), and 2 a(0.17±0.10 mm vs 0.16±0.10 mm; all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Both orthokeratology lenses can improve the UCVA, reduce corneal astigmatism, and delay axial length growth of adolescents with low-to-moderate myopia with astigmatism(-1.00--1.50 DC), and there are no significant differences in the control effect of spherical design orthokeratology and the toric design orthokeratology on myopia.

With the advancement in big data and artificial intelligence technologies, the extensive application of omics technologies in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) research has generated large experimental datasets, enabling the exploration of cross-scale correlations among massive data and thereby resulting in the shift toward a data-intensive research paradigm. The emerging approach of multi-omics data fusion analysis, emphasizing technical and computational tools, presents a potential breakthrough in this field. The holistic perspective of TCM aligns with the concept of multi-omics data fusion, yet the data types encountered exhibit high dimensionality with small sample sizes, necessitating data processing techniques such as dimensionality reduction. The current challenge lies in selecting suitable analytical methods for these data to enhance the systematic understanding of physiological functions and disease diagnosis/treatment processes. This paper explores the theories and frameworks of multi-omics data fusion, analyzes methods for fusing high-dimensional, small-sample multi-omics data in TCM, and aims to provide insights for advancing TCM research.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; Computational Biology/methods* ; Genomics/methods* ; Sample Size ; Artificial Intelligence ; Multiomics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of autologous osteochondral tissue and periosteum transplantation on tendon-bone healing of rotator cuff in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty-four male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into autologous osteochondral tissue and periosteum transplantation group (experimental group, n=12) and simple suture group (control group, n=12). Both groups were subjected to acute supraspinatus tendon injury and repaired with corresponding techniques. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation, 4 specimens from each group were taken from the right shoulder joint for histological examination (HE staining, Masson staining, and Safranin O-fast green staining), and the left shoulder was subjected to biomechanical tests (maximum tensile load and stiffness). RESULTS: Both groups of animals survived until the completion of the experiment after operation. At 4 weeks after operation, both groups showed less collagen fibers and disorder at the tendon-bone junction. At 8 weeks, both groups showed reduced inflammation at the tendon-bone junction, with more organized and denser collagen fibers and chondrocytes. The experimental group showed better results than the control group. At 12 weeks, the experimental group showed typical tendon-bone transition structure, with increased generation of collagen fibers and chondrocytes, and the larger cartilage staining area. Both groups showed an increase in maximum tensile load and stiffness over time ( P<0.05). The stiffness at 4 weeks and the maximum tensile load at 4, 8, and 12 weeks in the experimental group were superior to control group, and the differences were significant ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in stiffness at 8, 12 weeks between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Autologous osteochondral tissue and periosteum transplantation can effectively promote the fiber and cartilage regeneration at the tendon-bone junction of rotator cuff and improve the biomechanical effect of shoulder joint in rabbits.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Male ; Wound Healing ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Periosteum/transplantation* ; Rotator Cuff Injuries ; Rotator Cuff/surgery* ; Tendons/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Chondrocytes/transplantation* ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Tensile Strength

A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of multiple myeloma (MM) patients infected with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) in novel agent era, so as to improve clinicians' understanding. METHODS: Clinical data of 4 MM patients infected with LM in Beijing Chao-yang Hospital from October 2018 to October 2022 was analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The average age of the 4 patients was (57.5±4.1) years old. All the patients did not reach deep remission from induction therapy or experienced multiple recurrences of MM, with significant decreased immunoglobulin levels and lymphocyte counts. The initial clinical manifestation was all fever. Three patients developed nervous system symptoms 2-3 days after onset and cerebrospinal fluid examination indicated meningitis. The sensitive anti-infection agents were given according to pathogenic test results 4-5 days after onset. After treatment, two patients recovered, one patient gave up treatment and died after discharged from hospital, and one critical patient died despite exposure to sensitive antibiotics. CONCLUSION MM patients, with the application of novel agents, may have increased risk of LM infection, even critical cases. LM prevention and prompt therapy in early stage for suspected patients is key to reducing the risk of severe infection and mortality.
Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Listeriosis/complications* ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Aged

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has recently been proposed as a key player in the representation of itch stimuli. However, to date, little is known about the contribution of specific ACC interneuron populations to itch processing. Using c-Fos immunolabeling and in vivo Ca²⁺ imaging, we reported that both histamine and chloroquine stimuli-induced acute itch caused a marked enhancement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing interneuron activity in the ACC. Behavioral data indicated that optogenetic and chemogenetic activation of these neurons reduced scratching responses related to histaminergic and non-histaminergic acute itch. Similar neural activity and modulatory role of these neurons were seen in mice with chronic itch induced by contact dermatitis. Together, this study highlights the importance of ACC VIP⁺ neurons in modulating itch-related affect and behavior, which may help us to develop novel mechanism-based strategies to treat refractory chronic itch in the clinic.
Animals ; Pruritus/physiopathology* ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/metabolism* ; Interneurons/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Histamine ; Chloroquine ; Optogenetics ; Mice, Transgenic

Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory back pain.Its pathological features mainly include inflammation,bone destruction,and pathologic new bone formation.The etiology of AS is complex,and it may be related to genetics,infections,the environment,and intestinal flora.Its pathogenesis has not yet been clarified.In recent years,osteoimmunology,as a new theme in the study of inflammatory arthritis,plays an important role in the pathogenesis and development of AS,which was embodied in the inflammatory response and imbalance of bone metabolism.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the characteristics of multiple pathways,multiple components,multiple targets and multiple levels.TCM can improve the inflammatory response and bone metabolism imbalance of AS by regulating the osteoblasts of the skeletal system and the related factors of the immune system,thus to prevent and control AS.For this reason,the paper summarizes the role of bone immunology in the pathogenesis of AS,and reviews the current status of research on the intervention of TCM in bone immunology for the treatment of AS,with a view to providing certain references for the future clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of AS.

Objective To investigate the effects of dimethyl itaconate(DMI)on the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors in dendritic cells(DCs)and on the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein(IRBP)1-20-specific T helper 17(Th17)cells in mice with experimental autoimmune uveitis(EAU).Methods Bilateral femur and tibia of C57BL/6J mice were isolated to obtain bone marrow cells,and these bone marrow cells were directionally induced with granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)and interleukin(IL)-4 to differentiate DCs.After 6 days,DCs were ran-domly divided into the DMI group and the phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)group.Cells in the DMI group were pretreated with 250 μmol·L-1 DMI,and cells in the PBS group were pretreated with the same volume of PBS for 3 hours.After-wards,100 μg·L-1 lipopolysaccharide was added in the every group to stimulate cells for 24 hours.The relative mRNA ex-pression levels of IL-6,IL-1 β,and IL-23 in DCs were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).The EAU model was constructed by actively immunizing mice with IRBP1-20,Freund's incomplete adjuvant,and my-cobacterium tuberculosis H37RA.Thirteen days after immunization,T cells in the spleen and lymph node isolated from EAU mice were cocultured with DMI-treatedor PBS-treated DCs in the medium containing IRBP1-20.They polarized toward Th17 cells.The percentage of Th17 cells in the cocultured cells was detected by flow cytometry.The IL-17 level in the coculture supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).qRT-PCR was performed to detect the relative mRNA expression levels of retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t(RORγt),IL-17,IL-23R,and GM-CSF in the cocultured cells.Results qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the relative mRNA expression levels of IL-6,IL-1β,and IL-23 in the DMI group were significantly lower thanthose in the PBS group(all P＜0.05).Flow cytometry analysis showed that the proportion of Th17 cells in the cocultured cells in the DMI group was significantly lower than that in the PBS group(P＜0.05).ELISA analysis exhibited that the IL-17 level in the coculture supernatant in the DMI group was significantly lower than that in the PBS group(P＜0.05).The relative mRNA expression levels of IL-17,ROR-γt,IL-23R and GM-CSF in cocultured cells in the DMI group significantly decreased compared with the PBS group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion DMI can reduce the expression of IL-6,IL-1β and IL-23 in DCs,thus negatively modulating the responses of IRBP1-20-specific Th17 cells.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.