In recent decades, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout has increased dramatically due to lifestyle changes. The drugs currently recommended for hyperuricemia are associated with adverse reactions that limit their clinical use. In this study, we report that berberine (BBR) is an effective drug candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia, with its mechanism potentially involving the modulation of gut microbiota and its metabolite, succinic acid. BBR has demonstrated good therapeutic effects in both acute and chronic animal models of hyperuricemia. In a clinical trial, oral administration of BBR for 6 months reduced blood uric acid levels in 22 participants by modulating the gut microbiota, which led to an increase in the abundance of Bacteroides and a decrease in Clostridium sensu stricto_1. Furthermore, Bacteroides fragilis was transplanted into ICR mice, and the results showed that Bacteroides fragilis exerted a therapeutic effect on uric acid similar to that of BBR. Notably, succinic acid, a metabolite of Bacteroides, significantly reduced uric acid levels. Subsequent cell and animal experiments revealed that the intestinal metabolite, succinic acid, regulated the upstream uric acid synthesis pathway in the liver by inhibiting adenosine monophosphate deaminase 2 (AMPD2), an enzyme responsible for converting adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to inosine monophosphate (IMP). This inhibition resulted in a decrease in IMP levels and an increase in phosphate levels. The reduction in IMP led to a decreased downstream production of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid. BBR also demonstrated excellent renoprotective effects, improving nephropathy associated with hyperuricemia. In summary, BBR has the potential to be an effective treatment for hyperuricemia through the gut-liver axis.

Mutations in optic atrophy ( OPA) genes can lead to a similar phenotype, namely optic atrophy, which can manifest as isolated optic atrophy or be accompanied by other systemic symptoms, mostly related to the nervous system. Currently, a total of 13 OPA genes have been discovered, covering a variety of inheritance patterns, including chromosomal dominant inheritance, autosomal recessive inheritance, and X- linked inheritance. Through genetic testing and analysis of patients, it is possible to accurately determine whether they carry mutation genes related to optic atrophy, and predict the progression of the disease and potential complications accordingly. This not only provides valuable genetic counseling and fertility planning guidance for patients and their families, but also helps better understand the disease, discover new therapeutic targets, and lay the foundation for developing more precise and effective drugs or gene therapies in the future.

Objective:To explore the application value of histogram and texture feature analysis based on CT images in distinguishing long bone osteosarcoma (OS) from Ewing sarcoma (ES).Methods:A retrospective collection of 25 patients with long bone osteosarcoma and 25 patients with Ewing sarcoma confirmed by surgery and pathology in National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, from March 2018 to May 2023 was conducted. All patients were randomly divided into a training set (21 cases of OS and 19 cases of ES) and a validation set (4 cases of OS and 6 cases of ES) in an 8∶2 ratio. The region of interest (ROI) on CT images to extract texture feature parameters was manually sketched. Random forest and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used for feature screening. Logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers were used to establish models respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve was drawn and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the four models.Results:A total of 100 texture parameters were extracted from CT images, and 8 feature parameters (maximum 3D diameter, 10th percentile, kurtosis, maximum pixel intensity value, inverse normalization, grayscale level variance, long range high grayscale emphasis, and low grayscale area emphasis) were obtained through screening. Four classifiers were used to establish models, and the AUC values of the four models (LR, RF, SVM, KNN) in the validation group were 0.92, 0.79, 0.83, and 0.73, respectively. LR and SVM classifier algorithm trains models had high diagnostic efficiency, with an accuracy of 90%, sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 100%, and AUC of 92% for the LR classifier validation set; the accuracy of SVM classifier validation set was 80%, sensitivity was 67%, specificity was 100%, and AUC was 83%.Conclusions:LR and SVM models have high value in distinguishing OS and ES.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Q-Dixon fat quantification technique in differentiating vertebral metastases from hemangiomas in cancer patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 20 patients with vertebral metastases and 8 with vertebral hemangiomas who underwent vertebral MRI scans at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from December 2021 to December 2023. Two radiologists independently measured the fat fractions (FF) in three areas (the lesion area, the normal area of the same vertebra, and the normal area of an adjacent vertebra) and evaluated the consistency of measurements. Group differences were tested using independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, and diagnostic performance was assessed by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Results:There was very high inter-observer consistency in the FF measurements across the three regions. The FF in the lesion areas of vertebral metastases group was significantly lower than that in the vertebral hemangioma group (13.8 ± 11.5 vs. 56.5 ± 22.1), there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the FF of normal vertebral areas between the two groups ( P>0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that FF could differentiate vertebral metastases from hemangiomas with an AUC of 0.931, a specificity of 90%, and a sensitivity of 87.5%. Conclusions:The FF measured by the Q-Dixon quantitative fat technique can accurately differentiate between vertebral hemangiomas and vertebral metastases, providing more precise guidance for the diagnosis of vertebral lesions.

ObjectiveBased on the new method of animal model evaluation， this paper summarized and analyzed the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） and Western medicine syndromes in existing autism spectrum disorder（ASD） animal models， and put forward suggestions for improvement. MethodRelevant literature on ASD animal models in China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI） and PubMed were searched. According to the diagnostic standards of traditional Chinese and western medicine， core symptoms and accompanying symptoms were assigned values， and the clinical consistency of the models was comprehensively evaluated. ResultMost ASD model experimental animals were rodents， and the modeling methods included genetic and non-genetic. Domestic research focused on biochemical induction， while foreign research used genetic models more commonly. Among all models， valproic acid induction had the highest clinical consistency， followed by the neuroligin 4（NLGN4） and contactin associated protein like 2（CNTNAP2） gene knockout models. Most modeling methods could meet the characteristics of surface validity and structural validity， but did not clearly distinguish TCM syndromes. Currently， there is no model that has a high degree of clinical agreement between TCM and western medicine at the same time. ConclusionThe existing ASD animal models are mostly constructed under the guidance of western medicine， which lacks the characteristics of TCM syndromes. And the selection of evaluation indicators of western medicine is relatively single， without specifying the types of TCM syndromes. It is recommended to apply TCM intervention factors during the process of model preparation， to improve the evaluation indicators of traditional Chinese and western medicine， and to emphasize the study of on non-human primates， so as to lay a solid foundation for future experiments.

Acute idiopathic maculopathy(AIM)is an inflammatory lesion of unknown cause that primarily affects the macula. It follows a unique natural course, distinct from other maculopathy, often manifesting as a sudden loss of visual acuity followed by flu-like symptoms that gradually resolve as the disease subsides. A comprehensive understanding of the unique history, multimodal imaging, and a thorough systematic examination are crucial in determining the final diagnosis of AIM. The treatment and prognosis of AIM remain controversial. Meanwhile, it presents similar clinical manifestations and pathological changes to various chorioretinopathy, posing challenges for clinical differentiation. This article provides a review of its pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, multimodal imaging features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, in order to reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment while enhancing comprehension of AIM.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of Young's modulus obtained by real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) for liver fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients. Methods A total of 75 AIH patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to April 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. Scheuer scoring system was used to evaluate degrees of liver fibrosis (S0-S4). By using pathological examination of liver tissues as the golden standard, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of SWE for the significant fibrosis (≥S2), advanced liver fibrosis (≥S3), and liver cirrhosis (S4), respectively. Independent sample t test was used for comparison of continuous data with normal distribution between the two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups and Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis. The logistic regression analysis was used to predict the impact factors in diagnosis accuracy. Results The Young's modulus measured by SWE was statistically significant different among various fibrosis groups ( H =35.186, P < 0.001) although there was no statistical significance in patients' age and platelet, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and glutamyl transpeptidase levels (all P > 0.05). The Young's modulus measurement was positively correlated with liver fibrosis ( r =0.675, P < 0.05). The AUCs of SWE in the diagnosis of≥S2, ≥S3, and S4 were 0.839, 0.820 and 0.898, respectively and the corresponding optimum cut-off values were 9.2, 10.9, and 14.4 kPa, respectively. The overall concordance rate of the liver Young' s modulus measurements vs . fibrosis stages was 57.33%. Moreover, the alkaline phosphatase level was an independent predictor for diagnostic accuracy of SWE for stage 0-1 fibrosis ( OR =1.009, 95% CI : 1.001-1.018, P =0.029). Conclusion The SWE possessed a diagnosis value for the significant fibrosis (≥S2), advanced liver fibrosis (≥S3) and liver cirrhosis (S4), although there was a low overall concordance rate in the liver Young's modulus measurements obtained using SWE vs. fibrosis stages.

Objective:To investigate the changes in the nerve fiber layer of the cornea in patients with demyelinating optic neuritis (DON) and its correlation with visual acuity.Methods:A cross-sectional study. From March 2021 to July 2022, 27 cases (39 eyes) of DON patients diagnosed in the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology of Beijing Tongren Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University were enrolled in this study. According to the serological test results, the patients were divided into aquaporin 4 antibody associated optic neuritis (AQP4-ON group) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody associated optic neuritis (MOG-ON group), with 15 cases (19 eyes) and 12 cases (20 eyes) respectively. According to previous history of glucocorticoid treatment, the patients were divided into glucocorticoid treated group and non-glucocorticoid treated group, with 17 cases (27 eyes) and 10 cases (12 eyes) respectively. Twenty healthy volunteers (20 eyes) with age- and gender-matched were selected as the control group. All eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) examinations. BCVA was performed using Snellen's standard logarithmic visual acuity chart, which was converted into logarithmic minimum angle resolution (logMAR) visual acuity during statistics. The corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), corneal nerve fiber branch length (CNBL), corneal nerve fiber branch density (CNBD) and the density of corneal dendritic cells (DC) were detected by IVCM examination. Parameter comparison between groups by t-test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The correlation between logMAR BCVA and pamameters of corneal nerve fibers were analyzed using Spearman analysis. Results:The CNFL, CNFD, and CNBL of the DON group and the control group were (10.67±2.55) mm/mm 2, (57.78±12.35) root/mm 2, (3.27±1.34) mm/mm 2, and (13.74±3.05) mm/mm 2, (70.95±13.14) root/mm 2, and (4.22±1.03) mm/mm 2, respectively; the difference in CNFL, CNFD, and CNBL between the two groups were statistically significant ( t=4.089, 3.795, 2.773; P<0.05). The CNFL, CNBL, and CNBD of the affected eyes in the MOG-ON group and AQP4-ON group were (12.02±2.13) mm/mm 2, (3.80±1.19) mm/mm 2, (47.97±8.86) fibers/mm 2, and (9.25±2.19) mm/mm 2, (2.72±1.19) mm/mm 2, (39.43±13.86) fibers/mm 2, respectively; the differences in CNFL, CNBL, and CNBD between the two groups were statistically significant ( t=-4.002, -2.706, -2.306; P<0.05). The corneal DC density of the patients in the hormone treated group and the non-hormone treated group was (24.43±8.32) and (41.22±9.86) cells/mm 2, respectively. The difference in corneal DC density between the two subgroups was statistically significant ( P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between logMAR BCVA and CNBL and CNFL in patients with DON ( r=-0.422, -0.456; P<0.05). Conclusions:There are different degrees of corneal nerve fiber damage in patients with different types of DON. There was a negative correlation between BCVA and the length of corneal nerve fibers.

Tumor immunotherapy includes immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), tumor vaccines, and adoptive cell therapy. Immunotherapy, as the main systemic treatment for advanced malignant tumors, kills tumor cells by activating the immune system and prolongs the survival of patients. However, excessive immune responses can cause immune-related adverse events (irAE), causing damage to systemic tissues. ICI are the main tumor immunotherapy drugs that cause optic nerve irAE. The most common optic nerve irAE are optic neuritis, only a few patients appeared arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Sudden painless loss of bilateral vision is the most common clinical manifestation. In severe cases, the vision decrease to no light perception. Early diagnosis and early adequate glucocorticoid treatment can improve the symptoms. Therefore, neuro-ophthalmologists and oncologists should know the clinical characteristics of optic nerve irAE, in order to diagnose and treat early and improve the prognosis.

At present, clinical interventions for chronic kidney disease are very limited, and most patients rely on dialysis to sustain their lives for a long time. However, studies on the gut-kidney axis have shown that the gut microbiota is a potentially effective target for correcting or controlling chronic kidney disease. This study showed that berberine, a natural drug with low oral availability, significantly ameliorated chronic kidney disease by altering the composition of the gut microbiota and inhibiting the production of gut-derived uremic toxins, including p-cresol. Furthermore, berberine reduced the content of p-cresol sulfate in plasma mainly by lowering the abundance of g_Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and inhibiting the tyrosine-p-cresol pathway of the intestinal flora. Meanwhile, berberine increased the butyric acid producing bacteria and the butyric acid content in feces, while decreased the renal toxic trimethylamine N-oxide. These findings suggest that berberine may be a therapeutic drug with significant potential to ameliorate chronic kidney disease through the gut-kidney axis.