Diabetic retinopathy(DR)remains the leading cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes. Current anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)therapies are limited by inadequate response in some patients and the necessity for repeated intravitreal injections, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic targets. Angiopoietin-like protein 4(ANGPTL4), a multifunctional secreted protein, has emerged as a critical regulator in the pathogenesis and progression of DR, positioning it as a promising interventional target. This review systematically elaborates the biological characteristics of ANGPTL4, with a focus on its expression dynamics, molecular mechanisms, and regulatory networks rolesin the development of DR. Furthermore, the prospects of ANGPTL4-targeted therapeutic strategies are discussed, aiming to offer new insights and directions for understanding DR pathogenesis, advancing multi-target drug development, and improving clinical management.

Keratoconus(KC)is a blinding eye disease caused by a variety of factors, with its pathogenesis still not well understood. In recent years, it has been discovered that sex hormones and prolactin-induced protein(PIP)have a profound impact on the cornea, with more noticeable changes when there are abnormalities in their body content. It has been found that various sex hormone receptors are distributed in the cornea. Based on this, this article reviews a multitude of studies on how sex hormones and PIP affect the cornea, along with relevant clinical research. It has been observed that sex hormones and PIP also play a role in KC patients and influence the occurrence and progression of KC. Additionally, it has been noted that pregnant and lactating women may be more susceptible to KC. Sex hormones and PIP have the potential to become new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This article not only provides new insights but also offers important references for clinical practice.

Keratoconus(KC)is a blinding eye disease caused by a variety of factors, with its pathogenesis still not well understood. In recent years, it has been discovered that sex hormones and prolactin-induced protein(PIP)have a profound impact on the cornea, with more noticeable changes when there are abnormalities in their body content. It has been found that various sex hormone receptors are distributed in the cornea. Based on this, this article reviews a multitude of studies on how sex hormones and PIP affect the cornea, along with relevant clinical research. It has been observed that sex hormones and PIP also play a role in KC patients and influence the occurrence and progression of KC. Additionally, it has been noted that pregnant and lactating women may be more susceptible to KC. Sex hormones and PIP have the potential to become new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This article not only provides new insights but also offers important references for clinical practice.

Sepsis is an organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection,often characterized by immune dysfunction.This condition typically manifests as an excessive inflammatory response at early stages,followed by immunosuppression at later stages.Due to this immunosuppressive state,patients with sepsis are susceptible to new infections,termed secondary infections,even after the primary infection has been controlled or resolved.In recent years,secondary infections in sepsis have garnered increasing clinical attention due to their risks to exacerbate the disease course,prolong hospital stay,and increase mortality risk.The sepsis-induced immunosuppression is central to the development of secondary infections,especially at the later stage of sepsis.Specifically,T cell function becomes impaired,natural killer cell activity decreases,and macrophage phagocytic ability weakens,all contributing to diminished immune surveillance.Additionally,the immune evasion mechanisms employed by pathogens responsible for secondary infections further complicate treatment.This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms of immunosuppression and its clinical significance in sepsis-related secondary infections,providing a guidance for optimizing treatment strategies.

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Resistance to ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death caused by disruptions in iron ion and intracellular redox homeostasis, is closely related to tumorigenesis and tumor drug resistance; therefore, targeting ferroptosis-related pathways has garnered attention as a potential antitumor therapeutic strategy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis resistance in tumor cells remain unknown. Zinc-finger estrogen receptor interaction clone 6 (ZER6) consists of two isoforms with distinct N-termini, p52-ZER6 and p71-ZER6. ZER6 is upregulated in tumors and promotes tumorigenic potential; however, whether ZER6 is involved in tumor cell ferroptosis resistance remains unknown. Herein, we identified p52-ZER6 as a novel regulator of tumor cell ferroptosis resistance. p52-ZER6 promotes the transcriptional activity of DAZAP1, an RNA-binding protein. DAZAP1, in turn, enhances the stability of SLC7A11 mRNA by binding to its 3'-UTR region, thereby increasing SLC7A11 expression and cellular glutathione levels. This subsequently reduces lipid peroxide accumulation and enhances tumor cell ferroptosis resistance, eventually promoting tumorigenic potential. These findings reveal a new function of p52-ZER6 in regulating SLC7A11 mRNA stability via DAZAP1, ultimately leading to ferroptosis resistance and tumorigenic potential. Additionally, we also suggest targeting p52-ZER6 as a potential strategy to promote the efficacy of ferroptosis-based antitumor therapies.

Objective To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)in a hospital in Hainan Province,explore the differences in the distribution of resistance genes and virulence factors between hypervirulent CRKP(hv-CRKP)and non-hv-CRKP,analyze the clinical significance,and provide basis for optimizing treatment and prevention strategies.Methods CRKP strains isolated from a hospi-tal in Hainan Province from July 2023 to June 2024 were collected retrospectively.Their resistance phenotypes were detected by antimicrobial susceptibility testing.Carbapenemase genes(KPC-2,NDM-1,IPM)and virulence factors(rmpA/rmpA2,iucA,iroB,etc.)were detected by polymerase chain reaction(PCR).Department source,speci-men distribution,and resistance-virulence characteristics were analyzed.Results A total of 76 strains of CRKP were isolated,with an overall isolation rate of 7.7％(76/985).The strains were mainly distributed in the intensive care unit(ICU)(28.9％)and neurosurgery ICU(23.6％),with the highest proportion of strains isolated from re-spiratory tract specimens(60.5％).The resistance genes were mainly KPC-2(72.4％)and NDM-1(21.1％),and the virulence factors mrkD(type Ⅲ pili,85.5％)and fim H(type Ⅰ pili,84.2％)were commonly presented.Among 76 strains of CRKP,39 strains(51.3％)met the criteria for hv-CRKP and all carried KPC-2 gene(100％).The detection rates of resistance genes and virulence factors rmpA2(97.4％),iucA(100％),and iroB(89.7％)were all higher than those of non-hv-CRKP strains(KPC-2,43.2％;rmpA2,0;iucA,8.1％;iroB,13.5％).The main characteristics of hv-CRKP was the combination of KPC-2 resistance gene and rmpA2+iucA+iutA+iroB virulence factors(64.1％).Antimicrobial resistance phenotype of hv-CRKP was different from non-hv-CRKP.hv-CRKP presented higher susceptibility rates to aminoglycosides and compound sulfamethoxazole than non-hv-CRKP.Conclusion The proportion of hv-CRKP and non-hv-CRKP strains in this hospital is comparable.hv-CRKP is characterized by carrying the KPC-2 resistance gene in combination with rmpA2+iucA+iutA+iroB virulence factors,and the proportion of strains carrying multiple virulence factors is higher than that of non-hv-CRKP.Both are generally resistant to β-lactams and quinolones.hv-CRKP has lower resistance rates to aminoglycosides and com-pound sulfamethoxazole than non-hv-CRKP.Its advantage of aminoglycoside susceptibility provides a new treatment option.It is recommended to guide differential medication through molecular typing and strengthen infection control measures in ICU to curb the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Outbreaks of zoonotic emerging infectious diseases have posed serious threats to human health and social development. The experience of epidemic prevention and control highlights the importance of the One Health concept in the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases. Sanitary microbiology studies the ecological relationship between environmental microorganisms and humans, detection techniques, and preventive strategies. Its research scope overlaps and is closely related to that of emerging infectious disease prevention and control guided by the One Health concept. Vigorously promoting the research and teaching reform of sanitary microbiology in universities can provide key technologies and high-tech talents for One Health practices, promote development of new strategies for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, and enhance the ability to respond to biosafety crises.

Objective:To observe and analyze the influencing factors for the prognosis of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drug treatment in patients with macular neovascularization (MNV) under 45 years old.Methods:A retrospective clinical case study. A total of 89 MNV patients with 96 eyes who were diagnosed and treated with anti-VEGF drugs in Department of Ophthalmology of The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2020 to January 2024 were included in the study. The ages of all patients were <45 years old. All patients underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations; 49 eyes underwent OCT angiography (OCTA) examination. The BCVA examination was carried out using the international standard visual acuity chart and was converted into the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity for statistics. The macular foveal thickness (CMT) was measured using an OCT instrument. The size of the MNV lesion was measured using the software of the OCTA self-contained device. The affected eyes were given intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs once, and then the drugs were administered as needed after evaluation. The follow-up time after treatment was ≥6 months. During the follow-up, relevant examinations were performed using the same equipment and methods as before treatment. The last follow-up was taken as the time point for efficacy evaluation. According to the OCT image characteristics of the MNV lesions, the affected eyes were divided into the fibrous scar group and the non-fibrous scar group, with 52 (54.16%, 52/96) and 44 (45.83%, 44/96) eyes respectively. Comparing the CMT and BCVA at the last follow-up with those at the baseline, the affected eyes were divided into the CMT reduction group, the CMT increase group, the BCVA improvement group and the BCVA reduction group, with 66 (68.75%, 66/96), 30 (31.25%, 30/96) eyes and 74 (77.08%, 74/96), 22 (22.92%, 22/96) eyes respectively. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of non-normally distributed measurement data between groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent factors affecting the prognosis of MNV patients. Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the age ( Z=-0.928) and gender composition ratio ( χ2= 0.123) between the fibrous scar group and the non-fibrous scar group ( P>0.05); there were statistically significant differences in the number of eyes with a follow-up time of ≥36 months and <36 months ( χ2= 3.906, P=0.048); there were statistically significant differences in the size of the MNV lesions ( Z=-2.385, P=0.017); there were statistically significant differences in the number of eyes with different vascular network morphologies ( χ2=12.936, P=0.001). Before treatment and at the last follow-up, the CMT of the affected eyes was 267.50 (237.25, 311.75) μm and 242.00 (217.25, 275.75) μm respectively; logMAR BCVA was 0.20 (0.10, 0.50) and 0.35 (0.16, 0.60) logMAR respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the CMT and logMAR BCVA before treatment and at the last follow-up ( Z=-3.311, -1.984; P=0.001, 0.047). There were statistically significant differences in different ages ( Z=-2.284), myopic diopter ( χ2=7.437), etiology ( χ2=6.956), and disease course ( Z=-1.687) between the CMT reduction group and the CMT increase group ( P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the number of eyes with different subjective feelings between the BCVA improvement group and the BCVA reduction group ( χ2=10.133, P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the etiology was an independent risk factor for CMT thickening. Conclusions:Age, etiology, myopic diopter, disease course, follow-up time, lesion size and the morphology of the neovascular network are the influencing factors for the prognosis of anti-VEGF drug treatment in MNV patients under 45 years old. The etiology is an independent risk factor for CMT increase.

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a disease in which apnea and hypopnea occur during sleep, and the main symptoms are sleep snoring. OSAHS is not only closely related to the occurrence of various eye diseases, but also the severity of OSAHS can affect the progression of related eye diseases. At present, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective means to treat OSAHS, and the progression of related eye diseases has been improved correspondingly after CPAP treatment. In the future, it is necessary to further study the pathogenesis of OSAHS and enrich the research evidence of the association between OSAHS and eye diseases, so as to provide more comprehensive theoretical evidence for the prevention and treatment of OSAHS-related eye diseases.