1.Construction of A Conceptual Framework for the Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Evolutionary Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Across Full-cycle of Parkinson's Disease
Yu WANG ; Jianing MEI ; Hongping ZHAO ; Yunzhe TANG ; Zijun WEI ; Qinliang TAO ; Xueyi HAN ; Jiyuan HU ; Yunyun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):270-279
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease involving multiple systems and neurotransmitters. Due to the high clinical heterogeneity of PD,it is urgent to establish a comprehensive and long-term traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) management model. In this paper,the conceptual framework of full-cycle management of PD is preliminarily constructed:based on the evolution of the pathophysiological mechanisms of protein deposition and neurotransmitter disorder in PD,the three-stage syndrome characteristics of the prodromal stage (predominant healthy Qi with subtle pathogenic factors),the early clinical stage (declining healthy Qi with growing pathogenic factors) and the middle and late stages (overwhelming pathogenic factors with deficient healthy Qi) are longitudinally described. Through the syndrome differentiation of visceral manifestations,the etiology and pathogenesis of PD motor and non-motor symptoms were comprehensively analyzed,while the matching treatment methods and prescriptions were inferred,and the modular scheme of the combining main symptoms,accompanying symptoms and secondary symptoms was proposed. The conceptual gap of TCM regarding motor complications ('variable syndrome') and PD-related hyperpyrexia syndrome ('critical syndrome') was explained. This framework reflects the characteristics of combination of disease and syndrome and overall constant motion,and provides new theories and research ideas for individualized and whole-process management of PD in TCM.
2.Construction of A Conceptual Framework for the Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Evolutionary Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Across Full-cycle of Parkinson's Disease
Yu WANG ; Jianing MEI ; Hongping ZHAO ; Yunzhe TANG ; Zijun WEI ; Qinliang TAO ; Xueyi HAN ; Jiyuan HU ; Yunyun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):270-279
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease involving multiple systems and neurotransmitters. Due to the high clinical heterogeneity of PD,it is urgent to establish a comprehensive and long-term traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) management model. In this paper,the conceptual framework of full-cycle management of PD is preliminarily constructed:based on the evolution of the pathophysiological mechanisms of protein deposition and neurotransmitter disorder in PD,the three-stage syndrome characteristics of the prodromal stage (predominant healthy Qi with subtle pathogenic factors),the early clinical stage (declining healthy Qi with growing pathogenic factors) and the middle and late stages (overwhelming pathogenic factors with deficient healthy Qi) are longitudinally described. Through the syndrome differentiation of visceral manifestations,the etiology and pathogenesis of PD motor and non-motor symptoms were comprehensively analyzed,while the matching treatment methods and prescriptions were inferred,and the modular scheme of the combining main symptoms,accompanying symptoms and secondary symptoms was proposed. The conceptual gap of TCM regarding motor complications ('variable syndrome') and PD-related hyperpyrexia syndrome ('critical syndrome') was explained. This framework reflects the characteristics of combination of disease and syndrome and overall constant motion,and provides new theories and research ideas for individualized and whole-process management of PD in TCM.
3.Mechanism of Yiqi yangyin huazhuo tongluo formula in ameliorating diabetic kidney disease by regulating the gut microbiota-LPS/Caspase-11/GSDMD pathway
Zijun HOU ; Yingli LI ; Kelei GUO ; Yiyuan WANG ; Shiyu HUANG ; Lujia ZHANG ; Hua BIAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(19):2536-2543
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Yiqi yangyin huazhuo tongluo formula in ameliorating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) based on the gut microbiota-lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Caspase-11/gasdermin D (GSDMD) pathway.METHODS A DKD mouse model was established by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of low-dose streptozotocin. The successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model group, metformin group (positive control, 200 mg/kg) and Yiqi yangyin huazhuo tongluo formula group (32.4 g/kg, calculated as crude drug dosage), with 10 mice in each group; another 10 mice were set as the control group. Mice were intragastrically administered with corresponding drug solutions or normal saline once a day for 8 consecutive weeks. After the last administration, serum glycolipid metabolism indicators and urinary renal function indicators of mice were determined; the pathological and morphological changes of renal and colonic tissues were observed; LPS contents in renal tissues, colonic contents and serum were detected. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was performed for gut microbiota analysis of colonic contents. The protein expressions of Occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in colonic tissues as well as Caspase-11 and GSDMD in renal tissues were detected.RESULTS Compared with the control group, the model group exhibited significantly elevated levels of serum fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and microalbumin, LPS contents in each sample, as well as protein expressions of Caspase-11 and GSDMD in renal tissues ( P <0.05). The protein expressions of ZO-1 and Occludin in colonic tissues, together with Chao1 and Ace indices of gut microbiota, were markedly decreased ( P <0.05), and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes was abnormally increased. Obvious histopathological changes were observed in renal and colonic tissues; the percentage of PAS-positive area in kidney was markedly increased ( P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the Yiqi yangyin huazhuo tongluo formula group showed remarkable reductions in glycolipid metabolism and renal function-related indicators(except total cholesterol), LPS contents in various samples, and renal protein expressions of Caspase-11 and GSDMD ( P <0.05). The protein expression level of ZO-1 in colonic tissues and the Ace index of gut microbiota were significantly increased ( P <0.05), and the relative abundance of beneficial genera including Bifidobacterium , Faecalibaculum and Akkermansia in the gut microbiota was elevated.CONCLUSIONS The mechanism by which Yiqi yangyin huazhuo tongluo formula ameliorates DKD may be related to reshaping gut microbiota, repairing intestinal mucosal barrier, reducing LPS translocation into blood, and further inhibiting Caspase-11/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in kidney.
4.Pathogenesis and Syndrome-Differentiated Treatment of Viral Pneumonia in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin from the Perspective of Filthy Dampness as the Affliction and Yang Failing to Be Stored in the You (酉) Position
Shiwen LUO ; Ming CHENG ; Kun LI ; Maorong FAN ; Zijun ZHANG ; Ying LIU ; Yuyang YANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(21):2354-2358
Viral pneumonia in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin exhibits distinct regional epidemiological characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms. Filthy dampness constitutes the core pathogenic factor of the disease here, and the core pathogenesis lies in the yang failing to be stored in the you (酉) position. Clinically, the fundamental therapeutic principle is established as boosting qi to expel filth and guiding yang qi to descend and converge into the you position. In the early stage, the pathogenesis is characterized by the pervasive diffusion of filthy dampness, yang qi floating externally and failing to be stored, and the lung failing to diffuse qi. The treatment focuses on invigorating yang qi to dispel filth and dredging the you pathways, primarily using modified Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction (甘露消毒丹). In the progressive stage, the pathogenesis involves the tenacious stagnation of filthy dampness, yang constraint transforming into heat, and the rampant spread of heat-toxins. The therapeutic approach shifts to acrid medicinals for opening and bitter medicinals for promoting descent, rectifying healthy qi to expel filth, utilizing modified Dayuan Beverage (达原饮). In the recovery stage, filthy dampness gradually recedes, accompanied by the depletion of qi and yin, and insufficient kidney yang. The treatment emphasizes supplementing qi and nourishing yin, accompanied by warming yang, with modified Yunv Decoction (玉女煎).
5.Celastrol directly targets LRP1 to inhibit fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk and ameliorates psoriasis progression.
Yuyu ZHU ; Lixin ZHAO ; Wei YAN ; Hongyue MA ; Wanjun ZHAO ; Jiao QU ; Wei ZHENG ; Chenyang ZHANG ; Haojie DU ; Meng YU ; Ning WAN ; Hui YE ; Yicheng XIE ; Bowen KE ; Qiang XU ; Haiyan SUN ; Yang SUN ; Zijun OUYANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):876-891
Psoriasis is an incurable chronic inflammatory disease that requires new interventions. Here, we found that fibroblasts exacerbate psoriasis progression by promoting macrophage recruitment via CCL2 secretion by single-cell multi-omics analysis. The natural small molecule celastrol was screened to interfere with the secretion of CCL2 by fibroblasts and improve the psoriasis-like symptoms in both murine and cynomolgus monkey models. Mechanistically, celastrol directly bound to the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) β-chain and abolished its binding to the transcription factor c-Jun in the nucleus, which in turn inhibited CCL2 production by skin fibroblasts, blocked fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk, and ameliorated psoriasis progression. Notably, fibroblast-specific LRP1 knockout mice exhibited a significant reduction in psoriasis like inflammation. Taken together, from clinical samples and combined with various mouse models, we revealed the pathogenesis of psoriasis from the perspective of fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk, and provided a foundation for LRP1 as a novel potential target for psoriasis treatment.
6.Yiqi Yangyin Huazhuo Tongluo Formula alleviates diabetic podocyte injury by regulating miR-21a-5p/FoxO1/PINK1-mediated mitochondrial autophagy.
Kelei GUO ; Yingli LI ; Chenguang XUAN ; Zijun HOU ; Songshan YE ; Linyun LI ; Liping CHEN ; Li HAN ; Hua BIAN
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(1):27-34
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the protective effect of Yiqi Yangyin Huazhuo Tongluo Formula (YYHT) against high glucose-induced injury in mouse renal podocytes (MPC5 cells) and the possible mechanism.
METHODS:
Adult Wistar rats were treated with 19, 38, and 76 g/kg YYHT or saline via gavage for 7 days to prepare YYHT-medicated or blank sera for treatment of MPC5 cells cultured in high glucose (30 mmol/L) prior to transfection with a miR-21a-5p inhibitor or a miR-21a-5p mimic. The changes in miR-21a-5p expressions and the mRNA levels of FoxO1, PINK1, and Parkin in the treated cells were detected with qRT-PCR, and the protein levels of nephrin, podocin, FoxO1, PINK1, and Parkin were detected with Western blotting. Autophagic activity in the cells were evaluated with MDC staining. The effect of miR-21a-5p mimic on FoxO1 transcription and the binding of miR-21a-5p to FoxO1 were examined with luciferase reporter gene assay and radioimmunoprecipitation assay.
RESULTS:
MPC5 cells exposed to high glucose showed significantly increased miR-21a-5p expression, lowered expressions of FoxO1, PINK1, and Parkin1 mRNAs, and reduced levels of FoxO1, PINK1, parkin, nephrin, and podocin proteins and autophagic activity. Treatment of the exposed cells with YYHT-medicated sera and miR-21a-5p inhibitor both significantly enhanced the protein expressions of nephrin and podocin, inhibited the expression of miR-21a-5p, increased the mRNA and protein expressions of FoxO1, PINK1 and Parkin, and upregulated autophagic activity of the cells. Transfection with miR-21a-5p mimic effectively inhibited the transcription of FoxO1 and promoted the binding of miR-21a-5p to FoxO1 in MPC5 cells, and these effects were obviously attenuated by treatment with YYHT-medicated sera.
CONCLUSIONS
YYHT-medicated sera alleviate high glucose-induced injury in MPC5 cells by regulating miR-21a-5p/FoxO1/PINK1-mediated mitochondrial autophagy.
Animals
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MicroRNAs/genetics*
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Podocytes/pathology*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Autophagy/drug effects*
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Rats, Wistar
;
Protein Kinases/metabolism*
;
Rats
;
Forkhead Box Protein O1
;
Mice
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Mitochondria/drug effects*
;
Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*
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Glucose
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Diabetic Nephropathies
;
Male
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Membrane Proteins/metabolism*
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Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
7.Evaluation of short-term outcomes of surgical intervention for severe pulmonary stenosis in infants and young children
Yong ZHANG ; Pengyu WANG ; Liang WANG ; Yiming TAN ; Fangran XIN ; Xu ZHANG ; Chunzhen ZHANG ; Zijun ZHOU ; Lihua LYV ; Minhua FANG
Chinese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;41(10):584-588
Objective:To evaluate the short-term efficacy of surgical treatment for severe pulmonary stenosis(PS) in infants and young children, and to clarify the impact of different surgical timings on the efficacy of PS treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 24 infants and young children who underwent surgical treatment for severe PS at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, PLA, from January 1, 2020, to October 1, 2024. Among them, 13 were males and 11 were females. The average weight of the patients was(9.2±3.6) kg, the average gestational age was(39.3±1.7) weeks, and the average age was(15.0±13.5) months. Preoperative clinical symptoms and signs(e.g., cyanosis, shortness of breath), transpulmonary valve pressure gradient(TPVPG), right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP), and Em/Am were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups based on surgical timing: the infant group(under 1 year old, n=12) and the toddler group(1-3 years old, n=12).Results:There were no deaths among all patients. The postoperative ICU stay was significantly longer in the infant group compared to the toddler group( P<0.05). Compared to preoperative values, surgical treatment significantly improved TPVPG, reduced RVSP, and enhanced right ventricular diastolic function, which stabilized by 3 months postoperatively( P<0.05). Intergroup comparisons revealed that the infant group had significantly lower TPVPG at 6 months postoperatively compared to the toddler group. Additionally, right ventricular diastolic function improved significantly in the infant group postoperatively, while no significant improvement was observed in the toddler group. Younger age and reduced right ventricular diastolic function were identified as major risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation(>24 hours). Conclusion:Surgical treatment for PS during infancy and early childhood is safe and effective. Comprehensive preoperative evaluation is crucial, and early surgical intervention is recommended for patients with impaired right ventricular function to improve prognosis.
8.Application of three-dimensional U-shaped residual coordinated attention network in early detection of small intestinal polyps
Zijun GAO ; Xinfeng ZHANG ; Xiao CHEN ; Xiangsheng LI ; Xiaomin LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(10):1756-1762
Objective:To establish a three-dimensional U-shaped residual coordinated attention network (URCA-Net) based on enhanced CT images for small bowel polyp detection and analyze its application effectiveness in intelligent detection of small bowel polyps.Methods:Abdominal CT data of patients with small bowel polyps were collected from the Air Force Medical Center between June 2019 and July 2023. All patients underwent bowel preparation followed by thin-slice spiral CT scanning to obtain enhanced CT arterial phase images. The data were randomly divided into training, validation and test sets in an 8∶1∶1 ratio. The URCA-Net deep learning model was used for small bowel polyp segmentation. The training set was used for model parameter training, the validation set for hyperparameter adjustment and monitoring of model generalization performance and the test set for final unbiased evaluation of the model. An early intelligent detection model for small bowel polyps was constructed, and its performance was evaluated. Evaluation metrics included pixel-level metrics for the segmentation task [Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC)], as well as sensitivity and precision for polyp detection. A two-stage segmentation strategy was adopted: the first stage segmented the small bowel region to remove external interference, and the second stage performed polyp segmentation within the small bowel region.Results:A total of 78 subjects were included in the study, with an average age of (54±7) years. A total of 23 400 scan images were extracted, including 136 hyperplastic polyps, 298 hamartomatous polyps, 14 adenomatous polyps, and 4 cancerous polyps. On the test set, the average DSC for the first stage (small bowel segmentation) and the second stage (polyp segmentation) was 0.790 and 0.314, respectively. In the second stage task (polyp segmentation based on small bowel region), the polyp segmentation DSC increased to 0.701, with a precision of 0.836 (95% CI: 0.700-0.972) and a sensitivity of 0.759 (95% CI: 0.631-0.888) for polyp detection. Conclusion:The URCA-Net deep learning technique demonstrates good auxiliary diagnostic effectiveness in small bowel polyp detection and can provide a reference for screening and detection of small bowel polyps. The model is capable of generating high-quality segmentation results, which could facilitate evaluating polyp lesion morphology and provide support for downstream tasks such as preoperative navigation and risk prediction.
9.Effect and mechanism of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor alpha on cognitive impairment of mice induced by chronic alcohol use
Lina LIU ; Shuai LIU ; Dan WANG ; Zijun WANG ; Yanzhong BAI ; Zhong ZHANG ; Chuansheng WANG ; Ruiling ZHANG ; Yanjie ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(8):680-685
Objective:To explore the role of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) in cognitive impairment induced by chronic alcohol consumption in mice.Methods:(1)The SPF grade RORαflox/flox transgenic mice aged 8 weeks were generated, and 22 transgenic mice were evenly divided into two groups by the method of matching body mass, which were the control group (Con group) and the alcohol group (EtOH group), with 11 mice in each group.(2)Emx1-Cre transgenic mice were used to selectively knock out the RORα gene in the forebrain of RORαflox/flox transgenic mice, producing conditional knockout mice (cKO mice) with the genotype RORαflox/flox-Emx1-Cre+ /+. Fourteen cKO mice were further split into two groups by the method of matching body mass, which were the conditional knockout group (cKO group) and the conditional knockout + alcohol group (cKO + EtOH group), with 7 mice in each group. A chronic alcohol use cognitive impairment model was developed in the EtOH group and cKO + EtOH group through the two-bottle free-choice method, while the Con group and cKO group were given two bottles of water for the same period. Cognitive abilities of mice in all groups were evaluated using behavioral novel object recognition test and Y-maze test.RORα mRNA and protein expression levels in the hippocampus of the Con group and EtOH group were assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively.The GraphPad Prism 9.0 software was used for data analysis.One-way ANOVA was used for the comparison of multiple groups and Tukey test was used for further pairwise comparisons.Results:(1) Comparison between Con group and EtOH group: the relative levels of ROR α protein (0.63±0.04) and mRNA (0.78±0.03) in the hippocampus of mice in the EtOH group were significantly lower than those in the Con group((1.00±0.06), (1.00±0.05), both P<0.05). The duration of the EtOH group in the Y maze was significantly lower than that of the Con group ((212.30±32.05) s, (129.30±21.50) s, P<0.05), and the new object recognition index of the EtOH group was lower than that of the Con group ((14.73±25.49)% vs (-15.55±27.88)%, P=0.08). (2)Comparison between Con group and cKO group: the frequency and duration of entering the Y maze of mice in the cKO group ((7.43±2.30) times, (124.10±13.95) s) were lower than those in the Con group ((14.90±3.65) times, (212.30±32.05) s, both P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the new object recognition index between the cKO group and the Con group ( P>0.05). (3) Comparison between the cKO+ EtOH group and the cKO group: the frequency ((2.71±1.11)times) and duration ((161.70±17.95) s) of entering the new heteroarm of Y maze in the KO+ EtOH group were lower than those in the cKO group ((7.43±2.30) times, (124.10±13.95) s, both P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the new object recognition index ( P>0.05). (4) Comparison between the cKO+ EtOH group and the EtOH group: the frequency of entering new heteroarm of the Y maze in the cKO+ EtOH group ((2.71±1.11)times) was significantly lower than that in the EtOH group (12.18±4.49) ( P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in other behavioral results between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Chronic alcohol consumption leads to cognitive impairment through the downregulation of RORα in the hippocampus of mice. Specific knockout of RORα in the forebrain exacerbates cognitive impairment induced by chronic alcohol use. RORα may represent a potential therapeutic target for cognitive impairment resulting from chronic alcohol consumption.
10.Correlation between serum cytokine expression and clinical characteristics in patients with autoimmune retinopathy
Qian LIU ; Huiyang ZENG ; Jingxue ZHANG ; Kai CAO ; Zijun ZHANG ; Simeng HOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology 2025;43(10):915-921
Objective:To investigate the expressions of serum cytokines in patients with autoimmune retinopathy (AIR), and their association with disease diagnosis as well as clinical features.Methods:A prospective case-control study was conducted.A total of 90 eyes of 45 AIR patients were consecutively collected in Beijing Tongren Hospital from September 2018 to December 2023.Additionally, age-matched 43 controls (86 eyes) were enrolled, consisting of 21 patients (42 eyes) with retinitis pigmentosa as a disease control group and 22 healthy subjects (44 eyes) as a normal control group.The main clinical outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean deviation (MD) of visual field, central retinal thickness and the maximal response amplitude and implicit time of full-field electroretinography (ff-ERG). A total of 21 serum cytokines were detected by Luminex multiple cytokines assay or ELISA.Differences in serum cytokine concentrations of among groups, the correlation between cytokine levels and clinical outcomes, and the contribution of cytokines to the diagnosis of AIR were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Tongren Hospital (No.TRECKY2018-048). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:In AIR patients, the expression levels of Th1-type cytokines or receptors (including interferon-γ[IFN-γ], interleukin [IL]-8, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand [CXCL]9, and CXCL10) and Th17-type cytokines (including IL-17 and IL-6) were elevated.There were statistically significant overall differences in pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines (IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-17, C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 [CX3CL]1, CXCL9) among the three groups ( H=10.823, 10.816, 9.633, 10.103, 23.670, 16.493, 9.050, 9.253; all P<0.05). Compared with the disease control group and the healthy control group, the IFN-γ level was significantly increased in the AIR group (both P=0.001). Compared with the healthy control group, the serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10, IL-10, IL-17, and CXCL9 in the AIR group were significantly elevated (all P<0.05). The serum level of CX3CL1 was significantly higher in the AIR group than in the disease control group ( P=0.039). The serum level of IFN-γ was significantly higher in the AIR group than in the healthy control and disease control groups, but no association with AIR diagnosis was found ( OR=1.402, 95% CI: 0.710-2.870, P=0.245). Multilevel mixed-effects regression modeling analysis showed that the serum levels of IL-8 and CXCL9 in AIR patients were positively correlated with LogMAR BCVA ( β=0.028, P=0.033; β=0.023, P=0.003). The C-C motif chemokine ligand 11 level was positively correlated with implicit time of ERG a-wave ( β=13.950, P<0.001). The tumor necrosis factor-α level was positively correlated with MD value of visual field ( β=6.310, P=0.002). Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor was negatively correlated with the amplitude of ERG a-wave and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was negatively correlated with ERG b-wave amplitude ( β=-152.700, P<0.001; β=-14.790, P=0.003). Conclusions:Serum Th1 and Th17-type cytokines/chemokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of AIR and are related to disease severity.

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