AIM: To investigate the influence of pterygium thickness and area on corneal refractive status.METHODS: Prospective longitudinal study. A total of 60 cases(60 eyes)of pterygium patients admitted to our hospital from January 2024 to September 2024 were randomly selected. All patients underwent pterygium excision combined with pedicle conjunctival flap transplantation for treatment. Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was used to measure the preoperative thickness of patient's pterygium, and a digital slit lamp microscope was used to measure the area of pterygium. The corneal refractive status(degree of corneal astigmatism and average curvature)and changes in uncorrected visual acuity of patients before surgery, 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery were compared. The relationship between preoperative thickness and area of pterygium in patients and corneal refractive status indicators at different postoperative time points were analyzed, and Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of pterygium thickness and area on postoperative visual improvement in patients.RESULTS: All patients completed follow-up after surgery for 3 mo. At 3 mo after surgery, visual acuity improved in 21 eyes(35%). The results of bivariate Pearson correlation analysis showed that the thickness and area of pterygium positively correlated with the degree of corneal astigmatism and uncorrected visual acuity before surgery and 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.05), and negatively correlated with the average corneal curvature before surgery and 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the thickness and area of pterygium before surgery, high degree of corneal astigmatism, and low uncorrected visual acuity(large LogMAR value)were all risk factors for poor postoperative visual improvement in patients(OR>1, P<0.05). The large average corneal curvature before surgery was a protective factor for poor postoperative visual improvement in patients(OR<1, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The increase in thickness and area of pterygium can, to some extent, improve corneal astigmatism, reduce the average curvature of the cornea, and affect postoperative visual recovery.

AIM:To investigate the effect of peripheral defocus design rigid gas permeable contact lenses(defocus RGPCL)in controlling myopia progression in children aged 6-12 y with high myopia, and to compare the outcomes with traditional single-vision RGPCL and single-vision spectacles.METHODS:This prospective cohort study enrolled children aged 6-12 y with high myopia who visited the Ophthalmology and Optometry Center of Xi'an No.1 Hospital between January 2022 and January 2023. Based on parental preference, participants were divided into three groups: defocused RGPCL group, single-vision RGPCL group, and single-vision spectacles group. The axial length(AL)and cycloplegic spherical equivalent(SE)refraction were compared at baseline, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 y after lens wear. Additionally, AL and SE delay rates were calculated for each group.RESULTS: This study enrolled a total of 90 children with high myopia(180 eyes), with no participants lost to follow-up. Participants were allocated into three groups based on parental preference. Thirty children(60 eyes)were assigned to the peripheral defocus RGPCL group, consisting of 12 boys and 18 girls with a mean age of 9.96±1.56 y; 30 children(60 eyes)to the single-vision RGPCL group, including 15 boys and 15 girls with a mean age of 9.40±1.52 y; and 30 children(60 eyes)to the single-vision spectacles group, with 14 boys and 16 girls and a mean age of 9.80±1.37 y. At 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 y lens fitting, AL and SE increased significantly in all three groups(all P<0.05), with the growth rates in the defocused RGPCL group being significantly lower than those in the single-vision RGPCL and single-vision spectacles groups(all P<0.05). At 2 y lens fitting, the AL elongation was 0.22±0.24 mm and the mean SE progression was 0.70±0.70 D in the peripheral defocus RGPCL group; 0.49±0.38 mm and 1.34±0.60 D in the single-vision RGPCL group; and 0.50±0.21 mm and 1.72±0.47 D in the single-vision spectacles group. Using the single-vision spectacles group as the control, the AL delay rate and SE delay rate at 2 y lens fitting were 56.0% and 59.3%, respectively, in the defocused RGPCL group.CONCLUSION:For children with high myopia aged 6-12 y, defocus RGPCLs can effectively and significantly delay AL elongation and SE progression, demonstrating markedly superior control efficacy compared to single-vision RGPCL or single-vision spectacles. Defocused RGPCL can serve as an effective optical intervention for high myopia children.

ObjectiveTo generate cynomolgus and rhesus monkey models carrying the Booroola fecundity (FecB) variant of bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1B (BMPR1B) gene (designated BMPR1B^FecB) using adenine base edit technology and to explore genetic improvement strategies for enhancing the reproductive performance of laboratory macaques. MethodsFour single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) were designed to target the BMPR1B c.746A>G locus in cynomolgus and rhesus monkeys. The sgRNAs were combined with the ABE8e-SpRY base editor, and the resulting editing complexes were microinjected into zygotes of both macaque species. Following in vitro culture of the injected embryos, nested PCR amplification was performed to detect the base-editing efficiency at the target site to screen for highly efficient sgRNAs. Subsequently, normally developing gene-edited embryos were transferred into the oviducts of surrogates. Seven days after birth, ear skin or peripheral blood samples were collected from the newborn monkeys for genotyping and mosaicism analysis, and the growth, development, and health status of the gene-edited monkeys were monitored. ResultsAmong the four candidate sgRNAs, sgRNA4 was identified as achieving 100% editing efficiency at the c.746A>G site. A total of 17 live monkey offspring were obtained via embryo transfer, including 8 cynomolgus monkeys and 9 rhesus monkeys. Genotyping results showed that all 8 newborn cynomolgus monkeys carried the c.746A>G point mutation, with an editing efficiency of 100% (8/8), of which 37.50% (3/8) were mosaics. Among the 9 newborn rhesus monkeys, 8 individuals carried the c.746A>G mutation, with an editing efficiency of 88.89% (8/9), of which 75.00% (6/8) were mosaics. ConclusionThe ABE8e-SpRY base-editing system enables precise editing at the c.746A>G (p.Q249R) locus of the BMPR1B gene in both cynomolgus and rhesus monkey embryos, resulting in the successful establishment of laboratory monkey models carrying the BMPR1B^FecB variant. These models provide a valuable foundation for future studies of the regulatory role of the BMPR1B^FecB variant in reproductive performance at the non‑human primate level, as well as for exploring genetic improvement strategies to enhance reproductive performance in laboratory monkeys.

Objective: To investigate the current status of hyperopic reserve among preschool children and to determine the associations with genetic and behavioral factors, so as to provide evidence for early intervention strategies and the development of working protocols for myopia prevention with a forward shift of the prevention threshold. Methods: A total of 924 preschool children (3-6 years of age) from 6 kindergartens in Jiading District of Shanghai were enrolled by stratified random sampling from March to June 2024. Cycloplegic refraction using 1% atropine eye drops was performed to obtain accurate spherical equivalent (SE) values. Questionnaires were used to collect the genetic history and daily behavioral habits of the children. Refractive status was classified into three categories based on the SE:sufficient hyperopic reserve, relatively insufficient hyperopic reserve, and pre myopia. Results: The overall detection rate of insufficient hyperopic reserve among preschool children was 82.25%, consisting of 72.29% for relatively insufficient hyperopic reserve and 9.96% for pre myopia. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that parental bilateral myopia was independently and positively associated with relatively insufficient hyperopic reserve ( OR =2.13) and pre myopia ( OR =4.35) compared to children with sufficient hyperopic reserve; electronic screen exposure time ≥2 h/d on school days was an independent and positive risk factor for pre myopia ( OR =2.83); all of the above associations were statistically significant (all P <0.05). No statistically significant association was noted between outdoor activity and hyperopic reserve (all P >0.05). Conclusions The insufficient hyperopic reserve detection rate is relatively high among preschool children in Jiading District, Shanghai. Early management of electronic device use with regular screening and monitoring for preschool children with a family history of myopia should be strengthened to shift the prevention threshold earlier and prevent childhood myopia.

Objective On the basis of the theory of the tumor metastatic state, this work aims to explore the metastasis trajectories and peripheral immune response patterns in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving vital qi-strengthening and toxin-eliminating therapy (Fuzheng Juandu) and reveal the value of peripheral immunity in assessing vital qi deficiency during metastasis. Methods A retrospective study design was adopted. Patients with NSCLC admitted from January 1, 2018, to October 31, 2025 were enrolled. Data on metastasis status and peripheral immune indices were collected at the follow-up time points of one, two, three, and five years. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to fit metastasis trajectories, and the independent predictors of trajectory grouping were analyzed through multifactor and multiclassification logistic regression. Results A total of 184 patients with NSCLC were included, and three different groups of metastasis trajectories were identified, namely, the low-risk stable (46.74%, n=86), low-risk rising (13.59%, n=25), and high-risk stable (39.67%, n=73) groups. Univariate analysis revealed substantial differences in peripheral immune indices among the three trajectory groups. Multivariate analysis showed that TNM stage, absolute neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, absolute monocyte count, platelet volume, SAA:CRP ratio, and NLR were independent predictors of the low-risk rising group, whereas TNM stage, absolute monocyte count, basophil count, SII, and NLR were independent predictors of the high-risk stable group. Conclusion Under Fuzheng Juandu therapy, patients with NSCLC exhibit three distinct metastasis trajectories, each corresponding to a specific peripheral immune response pattern. Elucidating these peripheral immune response patterns may facilitate the objective quantification of the degree of vital qi deficiency, prediction of future metastasis risk, and providing an important reference for the individualized clinical implementation of Fuzheng Juandu therapy.

Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2018.08.009.].

ObjectiveTo establish a nomogram predictive model based on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography-related parameters and liver-to-muscle ratio， and to investigate the application value of this model in preoperative assessment of liver reserve function in patients with hepatic space-occupying lesion. MethodsClinical data and Gd-EOB-DTPA MRI imaging data were collected from 112 patients with hepatic space-occupying lesion who were hospitalized and scheduled for surgery in Wuming Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from April 2022 to April 2024. According to the degree of liver injury， the patients were divided into Child-Pugh class A group （65 patients with compensated liver function） and Child-Pugh class B+C group （47 patients with decompensated liver function， including 42 patients with Child-Pugh class B liver function and 5 patients with Child-Pugh class C liver function）. The two groups of patients were measured in terms of liver-to-muscle ratio， relative signal intensity of the common bile duct， and bile duct score in different phases of contrast-enhanced CT scan， and univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictive factors and establish a nomogram model. In addition， the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， the calibration curve， and the decision curve were plotted to assess the discriminatory ability， accuracy， and clinical application value of the model. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of data with skewed distribution between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in liver-to-muscle ratio at 5 minutes （Z=-3.99， P0.001）， 10 minutes （Z=-4.39， P0.001）， 15 minutes （Z=-4.23， P0.001）， and 20 minutes （Z=-5.40， P0.001） during the hepatobiliary phase， the relative enhancement degree of the common bile duct （Z=-4.85， P0.001）， and bile duct score （t=7.99， P0.001）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that liver-to-muscle ratio at 10 minutes during the hepatobiliary phase （odds ratio ［OR］=0.63， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.44 — 0.90， P0.05）， liver-to-muscle ratio at 20 minutes during the hepatobiliary phase （OR=0.38， 95%CI： 0.17 — 0.82， P0.05）， and bile duct score （OR=0.17， 95%CI： 0.07 — 0.39， P0.05） were independent influencing factors for the preoperative diagnosis of liver function decompensation. The nomogram model established based on liver-to-muscle ratio at 10 minutes during the hepatobiliary phase， liver-to-muscle ratio at 20 minutes during the hepatobiliary phase， and bile duct score had an area under the ROC curve of 0.905 （95%CI： 0.849 — 0.960）， with a sensitivity of 78.7% with a specificity of 89.2%. ConclusionThe nomogram model established based on the liver-to-muscle ratio at 10 and 20 minutes during the hepatobiliary phase and bile duct score can effectively assess the status of liver reserve function in patients with hepatic space-occupying lesion before surgery.

The research of damp-heat syndrome in modern TCM mainly focuses on inflammatory response, water metabolism, lipid metabolism, hemorheology, intestinal flora and so on. Modern omics techniques such as metabolomics and genomics provide a new perspective for the exploration of the micro-mechanism of damp-heat syndrome. The study found that the abnormal expression of aquaporin is closely related to the formation of "dampness" in damp-heat syndrome, and the release of inflammatory factors reflects the pathological characteristics of "heat". Damp-heat syndrome is often accompanied by dyslipidemia, hemorheological changes and intestinal flora imbalance, showing characteristic changes in urine, blood and saliva metabolomics, and there are differences in gene expression between damp-heat constitution and gentleness constitution. In the future, the pertinence and systematicness of research should be strengthened, the relationship between indicators should be deeply explored, build a biomarker system should be built, the immune-metabolic regulation mechanism should be explored, the multi-target mechanism of heat-clearing and dampness-removing Chinese materia medica should be clarified to further improve the damp-heat syndrome system, and provide theoretical support for clinical treatment.

Metastasis remains the primary cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent critical targets for metastasis prevention and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine may prevent lung cancer metastasis through long-term intervention in CTC activity. Tiao-Shen-Zhi-Ai Formular (TSZAF) represents a Chinese medicine compound prescription utilized clinically for lung cancer treatment. This study combined three principal active ingredients from TSZAF into a novel TSZAF monomer combination (TSZAF mc) to investigate its anti-metastatic effects and mechanisms. TSZAF mc demonstrated significant inhibition of proliferation, migration, and invasion in CTC-TJH-01 and LLC cells, while inducing cellular apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, TSZAF mc substantially inhibited LLC cell growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, TAZSF mc significantly suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and CXCL5 expression in lung cancer cells and tissues. Additionally, TAZSF mc notably reduced neutrophil infiltration in metastatic lesions. These findings indicate that TSZAF mc inhibits lung cancer growth and metastasis by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and reducing CXCL5 secretion, thereby decreasing neutrophil recruitment and infiltration. TSZAF mc demonstrates potential as an effective therapeutic agent for lung cancer metastasis.
Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects* ; Animals ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis/prevention & control* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neutrophil Infiltration/drug effects* ; Down-Regulation/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; beta Catenin/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/drug effects*