Objective To observe the predictability of the corneal stromal reduction with smart pulse technology-as-sisted transperitoneal photorefractive keratomileusis(SPT-TPRK)and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).Methods Patients undergoing laser surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hos-pital of Xinxiang Medical College from February to September 2023 were selected and divided by surgical modalities into an SPT-TPRK group(21 cases,37 eyes)and an FS-LASIK group(18 cases,32 eyes).The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),intraocular pressure,corneal thickness,and corneal epithelial thickness were measured before surgery,1 week,1 month and 3 months after surgery.The cutting deviation was calculated,and the change of corneal stromal thickness was ob-served.The correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation was analyzed.Results There were significant differences in UCVA among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The UCVA of patients in the FS-LASIK group was significantly higher than that in the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.001).The difference in UCVA was not statistically significant between the two groups 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There were significant differences in intraocular pressure among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The FS-LASIK group had a lower intraocular pressure than the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.05),but the difference in intraocular pressure was not statistically significant between the two groups 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There was significant difference between predicted cor-neal stromal reductions and actual corneal stromal reductions measured at different time points postoperatively in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The actual corneal stromal reductions were higher than the predicted ones in the SPT-TPRK group at all postoperative time points(all P＜0.05).In the FS-LASIK group,the actual corneal stromal re-ductions were higher than the predicted ones 1 week and 1 month after surgery(all P＜0.05),but the actual and predicted corneal stromal reductions were not significantly different 3 months after surgery(P＞0.05).The cutting deviations were not significantly different between SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups 1 month after surgery(P＞0.05),while the cutting de-viations were significantly different between the two groups 1 week and 3 months after surgery(all P＜0.05).There were significant differences in the change of the stromal thickness among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the change of the stromal thickness among different time points in the SPT-TPRK group(all P＞0.05).The stromal thickness showed greater changes 1 month after surgery than that 1 week after surgery in the FS-LASIK group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the change of the stromal thickness between 1 month and 3 months after surgery in the FS-LASIK group(P＞0.05).Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation in the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.05),but they had no correlation 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There was no correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation in the FS-LASIK group at all post-operative time points(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Patients who receive SPT-TPRK or FS-LASIK can both achieve good visual acuity and a reduction in intraocular pressure.FS-LASIK has better predictability in refractive error correction than SPT-TPRK.

Objective To explore the injury process of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)after glucocorticoid(GC)-in-duced ocular hypertension(OHT),as well as the protective effect and mechanism of estradiol(E2)in RGC injury in rats with OHT.Methods Atotalof36(36 eyes)12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the blank control group,the GC-OHT group,and the OHT-E2 group,with 12 rats in each group.Rats in the GC-OHT group and the OHT-E2 group were subconjunctivally injected with GC,while those in the blank control group were subconjuncti-vally injected with an equal volume of normal saline.Two weeks after modeling,in addition to being injected with GC,rats in the OHT-E2 group were also provided with E2 eye drops.Before modeling and 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,the intraocular pressure of rats in each group was measured.The visual acuity changes of rats in each group were detected by pattern electroretinogram(P-ERG)and flash visual evoked potential(F-VEP)4 weeks after modeling.After the eyeballs were removed,the distribution and number of RGCs in rats of each group were observed by immunofluorescence staining.Immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cysteine aspartate prote-ase-1(Caspase-1),and gasdermin-D(GSDMD)in rats in each group.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraocular pressure of rats in each group before modeling(P＞0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the GC-OHT group increased 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differ-ences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the OHT-E2 group decreased 3 and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).The P-ERG and F-VEP results showed that compared with the blank control group,the amplitudes of P50 and P1 waves of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the differences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).Com-pared with the GC-OHT group,the amplitudes of P50 and Pl waves of rats in the OHT-E2 group increased,and the differ-ences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with the blank control group,the number of RGCs of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the difference was statisti-cally significant(P＜0.001).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the number of RGCs of rats in the OHT-E2 group in-creased,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The results of immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that compared with the blank control group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the GC-OHT group all increased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the OHT-E2 group all decreased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Conclusion GC-induced OHT can cause pyroptosis of RGCs,and E2 may alleviate the injury of RGCs in rats with OHT by inhibiting the pyroptosis-related NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Objective To explore the injury process of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)after glucocorticoid(GC)-in-duced ocular hypertension(OHT),as well as the protective effect and mechanism of estradiol(E2)in RGC injury in rats with OHT.Methods Atotalof36(36 eyes)12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the blank control group,the GC-OHT group,and the OHT-E2 group,with 12 rats in each group.Rats in the GC-OHT group and the OHT-E2 group were subconjunctivally injected with GC,while those in the blank control group were subconjuncti-vally injected with an equal volume of normal saline.Two weeks after modeling,in addition to being injected with GC,rats in the OHT-E2 group were also provided with E2 eye drops.Before modeling and 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,the intraocular pressure of rats in each group was measured.The visual acuity changes of rats in each group were detected by pattern electroretinogram(P-ERG)and flash visual evoked potential(F-VEP)4 weeks after modeling.After the eyeballs were removed,the distribution and number of RGCs in rats of each group were observed by immunofluorescence staining.Immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cysteine aspartate prote-ase-1(Caspase-1),and gasdermin-D(GSDMD)in rats in each group.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraocular pressure of rats in each group before modeling(P＞0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the GC-OHT group increased 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differ-ences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the intraocular pressure of rats in the OHT-E2 group decreased 3 and 4 weeks after modeling,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).The P-ERG and F-VEP results showed that compared with the blank control group,the amplitudes of P50 and P1 waves of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the differences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).Com-pared with the GC-OHT group,the amplitudes of P50 and Pl waves of rats in the OHT-E2 group increased,and the differ-ences were both statistically significant(both P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with the blank control group,the number of RGCs of rats in the GC-OHT group decreased,and the difference was statisti-cally significant(P＜0.001).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the number of RGCs of rats in the OHT-E2 group in-creased,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The results of immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that compared with the blank control group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the GC-OHT group all increased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Compared with the GC-OHT group,the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and GSDMD in the retina of rats in the OHT-E2 group all decreased,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.01).Conclusion GC-induced OHT can cause pyroptosis of RGCs,and E2 may alleviate the injury of RGCs in rats with OHT by inhibiting the pyroptosis-related NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the predictability of the corneal stromal reduction with smart pulse technology-as-sisted transperitoneal photorefractive keratomileusis(SPT-TPRK)and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).Methods Patients undergoing laser surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hos-pital of Xinxiang Medical College from February to September 2023 were selected and divided by surgical modalities into an SPT-TPRK group(21 cases,37 eyes)and an FS-LASIK group(18 cases,32 eyes).The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),intraocular pressure,corneal thickness,and corneal epithelial thickness were measured before surgery,1 week,1 month and 3 months after surgery.The cutting deviation was calculated,and the change of corneal stromal thickness was ob-served.The correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation was analyzed.Results There were significant differences in UCVA among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The UCVA of patients in the FS-LASIK group was significantly higher than that in the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.001).The difference in UCVA was not statistically significant between the two groups 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There were significant differences in intraocular pressure among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The FS-LASIK group had a lower intraocular pressure than the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.05),but the difference in intraocular pressure was not statistically significant between the two groups 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There was significant difference between predicted cor-neal stromal reductions and actual corneal stromal reductions measured at different time points postoperatively in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.001).The actual corneal stromal reductions were higher than the predicted ones in the SPT-TPRK group at all postoperative time points(all P＜0.05).In the FS-LASIK group,the actual corneal stromal re-ductions were higher than the predicted ones 1 week and 1 month after surgery(all P＜0.05),but the actual and predicted corneal stromal reductions were not significantly different 3 months after surgery(P＞0.05).The cutting deviations were not significantly different between SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups 1 month after surgery(P＞0.05),while the cutting de-viations were significantly different between the two groups 1 week and 3 months after surgery(all P＜0.05).There were significant differences in the change of the stromal thickness among different time points in both SPT-TPRK and FS-LASIK groups(all P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the change of the stromal thickness among different time points in the SPT-TPRK group(all P＞0.05).The stromal thickness showed greater changes 1 month after surgery than that 1 week after surgery in the FS-LASIK group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the change of the stromal thickness between 1 month and 3 months after surgery in the FS-LASIK group(P＞0.05).Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation in the SPT-TPRK group 1 week after surgery(P＜0.05),but they had no correlation 1 month and 3 months after surgery(all P＞0.05).There was no correlation between the predicted corneal stromal reduction and the cutting deviation in the FS-LASIK group at all post-operative time points(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Patients who receive SPT-TPRK or FS-LASIK can both achieve good visual acuity and a reduction in intraocular pressure.FS-LASIK has better predictability in refractive error correction than SPT-TPRK.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of acupuncture on post-stroke insomnia.Methods 148 outpatients and inpatients with post-stroke insomnia were recruited in the Shanghai municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2016 to January 2018.They were randomly divided into two groups,acupuncture group(n=74)and control group(n=74).The acupuncture group was treated with GV20,GV24,GV29,HN22,HT7 and SP6 20 minutes each time,3 times per week for 4 weeks.The follow-up was after 4 weeks.The control group was treated with sham acupuncture on the same acupoints.The needles did not pierce the skin.The Insomnia Severity Index Scale(ISI),the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)and the Stroke Special Quality of Life Scale(SS-QoL)were used to evaluate the patients before treatment,after 2 weeks of treatment,after 4 weeks of treatment and follow-up.The occurrence of adverse events of acupuncture was also recorded.Results ① ISI:after 2 weeks of treatment,4 weeks of treatment and follow-up,the score of treatment group was decreased compared with the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).Compared with baseline,the ISI score of the treatment group was decreased after 4 weeks of treatment(P＜0.05).② HADS score:The difference between 4-week treatment and baseline score of the HADS-A,the difference between the treatment group and the control group was statistically significant(P＜0.01);the difference between 4-week treatment and baseline,and between follow-up and baseline score of the HADS-D,the difference between the treatment group and the control group was statistically significant(P＜0.01).③SS-QoL score:The difference between 2-week treatment and baseline,between 4-week treatment and baseline,and between follow-up and baseline score of the SS-QoL,the difference between the treatment group and the control group was statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Acupuncture is an effective and safe therapy in improving the severity of insomnia of patients with post-stroke insomnia.Compared with sham acupuncture,acupuncture can improve the anxiety and depression status and quality of life of patients.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Tongdu Tiaoyang rolling needle pricking-cupping(RNP-C)therapy for cervical spondylosis of qi stagnation and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 90 patients with cervical spondylosis of qi stagnation and blood stasis type were randomly divided into the rolling needle pricking-cupping(RNP-C)group and the electroacupuncture(EA)group,with 45 cases in either group.Both groups were treated with electroacupuncture at Tianzhu(BL 10),Jingjiaji(EX-B2),Houxi(SI 3),Shenmai(BL 62),Xuanzhong(GB 39),Geshu(BL 17),Hegu(LI 4)and Ashi points with continuous wave and 2 Hz of frequency for once a day,7 times as a treatment course.On the basis of electroacupuncture treatment,the rolling needle pricking-cupping(RNP-C)group was treated with bloodletting by rolling needle on the neck Du Mai and three yang channels,from Fengfu(DU 16)to Taodao(DU 13),Yuzhen(BL 9)to Dazhu(BL 11),Fengchi(GB 20)to Jianjing(GB 21),and Yifeng(SJ 17)to Tianyou(SJ 16),followed by fire cupping,for once every other day,and 3 times in all.The visual analogue scale(VAS)scores and Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores(JOA)were observed before and after treatment,and the efficacy was evaluated.Results Compared before treatment,the scores of VAS in either group were all significantly reduced after treatment(P＜0.01).The scores of VAS in the RNP-C group were significantly inferior to those in the EA group after treatment(P＜0.01).Compared before treatment,the scores of JOA in either group were all significantly promoted after treatment(P＜0.01).The differences of JOA scores between the RNP-C group and EA group after treatment were not significant(P＞0.05).The therapeutic effecacy of the RNP-C group is superior to that of the traditional EA group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Tongdu Tiaoyang rolling needle pricking-cupping(RNP-C)therapy combining with traditional electroacupuncture could improve the cervical pain symptoms of patients with cervical spondylosis of qi stagnation and blood stasis type in a short period of time,and the clinical efficacy is better than traditional electroacupuncture.

AIM: To evaluate the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)and corneal optical density(CD)after smart pulse technology(SPT)-assisted transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy(TPRK)and analyze their correlation.METHODS: The prospective study included 60 patients(120 eyes)with myopia and myopic astigmatism who underwent SPT-TPRK in the ophthalmology department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University between February and August 2023. Changes in CET and CD were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: A total of 14 cases(28 eyes)were lost to follow-up, and 3 patients(6 eyes)with postoperative haze were excluded from this study, resulting in a final inclusion of 43 patients(86 eyes). At 1 wk after SPT-TPRK, CET had statistically significantly thickened compared to preoperative levels(P<0.05), particularly in the CET at 0-2 mm central corneal area(P<0.05). At 1 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm area had statistically significantly decreased(P<0.05). At 3 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm had essentially reached preoperative levels. Postoperative CD values increased, with a positive correlation between CET in the 0-2 mm area and CD in the whole 0-2 mm area(r=0.256, P<0.05), and a positive correlation between CET in the 2-5 mm area and CD in the anterior 2-6 mm area(r=0.319, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Corneal epithelial remodeling takes 3 mo in areas within 2 mm of the central cornea; areas with thinner CET have faster postoperative corneal epithelial remodeling and greater thickening in the early postoperative period; CD increases in the early postoperative period compared to the preoperative value, and in some areas, there is a positive correlation between CET and CD value.