Allergic conjunctivitis is a common ocular inflammatory disease, with intense itching being the most typical and distressing symptom for patients. In recent years, with the in-depth study of the interaction between the nervous and immune systems, significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of itching in allergic conjunctivitis. This review elaborates on the neurobiological basis of itching in allergic conjunctivitis, with a focus on the complex dialogue between immune cells and sensory neurons, particularly the core role of the IL-33-ST2-CGRP signaling axis in mediating itching. Additionally, this article introduces new findings in genetic susceptibility research, including the identification of susceptibility genes for allergic conjunctivitis through transcriptome-wide association studies. The sensory nervous system not only transmits itch signals but also actively participates in the formation of antigen channels related to conjunctival goblet cells, thereby regulating the local uptake of allergens and the initiation of the immune response. Moreover, targeted novel therapeutic strategies offer hope for patients with refractory allergic conjunctivitis. Exploring the molecular and cellular mechanisms of itching in allergic conjunctivitis will provide a theoretical basis for the development of more effective treatment methods.

AIM:To analyze differential proteins associated with the pathogenesis of dry eye(DE)using bioinformatics methods, in order to reveal their potential molecular mechanisms.METHODS: Articles published in PubMed and EMBASE databases from the inception of the database to August 31, 2023, that used proteomic methods to detect protein expression in clinical samples of dry eye were searched. Differential proteins were selected and further analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software for hub gene screening and module analysis. Protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis, gene ontology(GO)functional annotation, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed.RESULTS: A total of 21 articles were included, identifying 74 differentially expressed proteins. The most frequently occurring differential proteins were calgranulin A(SA1008), lipocalin-1(LCN1), lysozyme C(LYZ), mammaglobin-B(SCGB2A1), proline-rich protein 4(PRR4), transferrin(TF), and calgranulinB(S100A9). The top 10 hub genes were serum albumin(ALB), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin 6(IL6), IL1B, IL8, matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9), alpha-1-antitrypsin(SERPINA1), IL10, complement component 3(C3), and lactotransferrin(LTF). Module analysis suggested MMP9 and PRR4 as seed genes. KEGG analysis showed that differential proteins were mainly enriched in the IL17 signaling pathway(61.9%).CONCLUSION: The results reveal potential molecular targets and pathways for DE and confirm the association between the pathogenesis of DE and inflammation. Further in-depth research is needed to confirm the significance of these biomarkers in clinical practice.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of action of Tamarix chinensis Lour.on streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)through network pharmacology,molecular docking and ex-perimental validation.METHODS:Using the TCSMP database and Swiss Target Prediction tools screen the active components and predict potential tar-gets in Tamarix chinensis Lour..Retrieving potential disease targets associated with T2DM from data-bases such as GeneCards,OMIM,and DisGeNET.The intersection targets of Tamarix chinensis Lour.and T2DM disease was obtained through Venny platform.The STRING database was used to con-structed PPI network,and Cytoscape 3.8.0 soft-ware was use to visualized.GO function enrich-ment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed through the Metascape database.Dock-ing of important target proteins and compounds was carried out by AutoDock software.SPF grade male rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,MET group(88.5 mg/kg),TE high-dose(800 mg/kg)group,TE medium-dose(400 mg/kg)group and TE low-dose(200 mg/kg)group(n=10).High-fat and high sugar feed com-bined with low dose STZ(45 mg/kg)was used to in-duce T2DM rat model,and the rats were adminis-tered orally for 5 weeks.Fasting blood glucose(FBG),insulin(FINS)level and HOMA-IR index,bio-chemical indicators[superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)and inflammatory factor[interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),vascu-lar cell adhesion molecular(VCAM-1)levels of the rats were also observed;morphological changes of renal tissue was observe by HE staining.RESULTS:Based on the screening conditions of oral bioavail-ability(OB)≥ 30％and drug like properties(DL)≥0.18,a total of 19 main active ingredients with po-tential therapeutic effects on T2DM were screened from Tamarix chinensis Lour.,including ergosta-5,24(28)-dien-3,7,16-triol,quercetin-3,3'-dimethyl ether,kaempferol,quercetin,and others.By analyz-ing the potential targets of Tamarix chinensis Lour.for treating T2DM,a total of 185 potential target genes were screened,including SRC,EGFR,HSP90AA1,AKT1,ESR1,H1F1A,TNF,PIK3R1,etc,in-volving cancer signaling pathways,insulin resis-tance,MAPK signaling pathways,PI3K Akt signaling pathways,etc.Molecular docking results showed that the binding energies were all less than-5.0 kcal/mol,indicating that a strong binding abili-ty between the active ingredients screened by Tam-arix chinensis Lour.and the potential targets for the treatment of T2DM.The animal experiment re-sults showed that compared with the model group,the weight loss of rats in the MET and TE groups was slowed down,and the levels of FBG,FINS,MDA,HbA1c,IL-1β,TNF-α,VCAM-1,HOMA-IR in-dex were reduced,the SOD level was increased,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),Renal tissue cellular morphology also showed notable improvement.Most importantly,all these results demonstrating dose-dependent ef-fects.CONCLUSION:Tamarix chinensis Lour.dis-plays a significant therapeutic effect on T2DM through multi-component,multi-target,and multi-pathway synergistic actions to improve blood glu-cose levels.The findings of this study provide a the-oretical basis for the clinical application of Tamarix chinensis Lour.in the treatment of T2DM.

Objective:To explore the impact of Epstein-Barr Virus(EBV) infection on treatment response and survival in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma(MM).Methods:The clinical data of 196 patients with newly diagnosed MM admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from June 1st, 2019 to February 25th,2021 were analyzed retrospectively and divided into EBV-positive group (106 cases) and negative group (90 cases) according to the primary EBV DNA results in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.To analyse the distribution of EBV positive rates in each type and in each stage of the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS), and to compare EBV DNA loads in EBV-positive patients among R-ISS stages.Rank sum test, 2×2 chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used to compare laboratory findings, such as liver and kidney function, immunohistochemistry and cytogenetics, treatment efficacy and survival prognosis between the two groups.The clinical prognosis of EBV-positive patients was summarized through survival analysis and Cox regression.Results:The EBV positive rate in patients with newly diagnosed MM was 54% (106/196), with the highest rate in patients with κ light chain type (9/12).Patients with R-ISS stage Ⅲ had a significantly higher positive rate than with stage Ⅰ ( χ2=4.68, P=0.031) and stage Ⅱ ( χ2=6.04, P=0.014), but there was no significant difference in EBV DNA loads between EBV-positive MM patients by stage ( Z=3.27, P=0.195).Serum creatinine (Scr) and β 2-microglobulin (β 2-MG) levels were higher in the EBV-positive group than in the EBV-negative group ( Z=1.98, P=0.048 and Z=2.08, P=0.038), and the occurrence of t(4;14) was also higher in the EBV-positive group ( χ2=3.93, P=0.047).The proportion of complete response (CR)/stringent complete response(sCR) and very good partial response(VGPR) after completion of the fourth chemotherapy were significantly lower in the EBV-positive group than in the EBV-negative group ( χ2=12.82, P=0.001 and χ2=8.30, P=0.004), and a higher rate of progressive disease (PD) occurred in the EBV-positive group ( χ2=4.48, P=0.046).The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of MM patients was shorter in the EBV-positive group compared to that in the EBV-negative group ( Z=-4.50, P0.01).Cox regression analysis showed that R-ISS stage Ⅲ ( HR=5.38, 95% CI 1.28-22.56, P=0.021), failure to achieve VGPR after the fourth chemotherapy ( HR=3.02, 95% CI 1.42-6.46, P=0.004), EBV-positive ( HR=1.98, 95% CI 1.02-3.87, P=0.045), with 1q21 amplification ( HR=2.35, 95% CI 1.16-4.75, P=0.017) and 13q14 deletion ( HR=1.93, 95% CI 1.01-3.67, P=0.046) were independent risk factors for PFS in newly diagnosed MM. Conclusions:EBV infection is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis, which has important clinical implications for the outcome and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed MM, and may become a novel clinical assessment indicator.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of action of Tamarix chinensis Lour.on streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)through network pharmacology,molecular docking and ex-perimental validation.METHODS:Using the TCSMP database and Swiss Target Prediction tools screen the active components and predict potential tar-gets in Tamarix chinensis Lour..Retrieving potential disease targets associated with T2DM from data-bases such as GeneCards,OMIM,and DisGeNET.The intersection targets of Tamarix chinensis Lour.and T2DM disease was obtained through Venny platform.The STRING database was used to con-structed PPI network,and Cytoscape 3.8.0 soft-ware was use to visualized.GO function enrich-ment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed through the Metascape database.Dock-ing of important target proteins and compounds was carried out by AutoDock software.SPF grade male rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,MET group(88.5 mg/kg),TE high-dose(800 mg/kg)group,TE medium-dose(400 mg/kg)group and TE low-dose(200 mg/kg)group(n=10).High-fat and high sugar feed com-bined with low dose STZ(45 mg/kg)was used to in-duce T2DM rat model,and the rats were adminis-tered orally for 5 weeks.Fasting blood glucose(FBG),insulin(FINS)level and HOMA-IR index,bio-chemical indicators[superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)and inflammatory factor[interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),vascu-lar cell adhesion molecular(VCAM-1)levels of the rats were also observed;morphological changes of renal tissue was observe by HE staining.RESULTS:Based on the screening conditions of oral bioavail-ability(OB)≥ 30％and drug like properties(DL)≥0.18,a total of 19 main active ingredients with po-tential therapeutic effects on T2DM were screened from Tamarix chinensis Lour.,including ergosta-5,24(28)-dien-3,7,16-triol,quercetin-3,3'-dimethyl ether,kaempferol,quercetin,and others.By analyz-ing the potential targets of Tamarix chinensis Lour.for treating T2DM,a total of 185 potential target genes were screened,including SRC,EGFR,HSP90AA1,AKT1,ESR1,H1F1A,TNF,PIK3R1,etc,in-volving cancer signaling pathways,insulin resis-tance,MAPK signaling pathways,PI3K Akt signaling pathways,etc.Molecular docking results showed that the binding energies were all less than-5.0 kcal/mol,indicating that a strong binding abili-ty between the active ingredients screened by Tam-arix chinensis Lour.and the potential targets for the treatment of T2DM.The animal experiment re-sults showed that compared with the model group,the weight loss of rats in the MET and TE groups was slowed down,and the levels of FBG,FINS,MDA,HbA1c,IL-1β,TNF-α,VCAM-1,HOMA-IR in-dex were reduced,the SOD level was increased,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),Renal tissue cellular morphology also showed notable improvement.Most importantly,all these results demonstrating dose-dependent ef-fects.CONCLUSION:Tamarix chinensis Lour.dis-plays a significant therapeutic effect on T2DM through multi-component,multi-target,and multi-pathway synergistic actions to improve blood glu-cose levels.The findings of this study provide a the-oretical basis for the clinical application of Tamarix chinensis Lour.in the treatment of T2DM.

Objective:To explore the impact of Epstein-Barr Virus(EBV) infection on treatment response and survival in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma(MM).Methods:The clinical data of 196 patients with newly diagnosed MM admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from June 1st, 2019 to February 25th,2021 were analyzed retrospectively and divided into EBV-positive group (106 cases) and negative group (90 cases) according to the primary EBV DNA results in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.To analyse the distribution of EBV positive rates in each type and in each stage of the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS), and to compare EBV DNA loads in EBV-positive patients among R-ISS stages.Rank sum test, 2×2 chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used to compare laboratory findings, such as liver and kidney function, immunohistochemistry and cytogenetics, treatment efficacy and survival prognosis between the two groups.The clinical prognosis of EBV-positive patients was summarized through survival analysis and Cox regression.Results:The EBV positive rate in patients with newly diagnosed MM was 54% (106/196), with the highest rate in patients with κ light chain type (9/12).Patients with R-ISS stage Ⅲ had a significantly higher positive rate than with stage Ⅰ ( χ2=4.68, P=0.031) and stage Ⅱ ( χ2=6.04, P=0.014), but there was no significant difference in EBV DNA loads between EBV-positive MM patients by stage ( Z=3.27, P=0.195).Serum creatinine (Scr) and β 2-microglobulin (β 2-MG) levels were higher in the EBV-positive group than in the EBV-negative group ( Z=1.98, P=0.048 and Z=2.08, P=0.038), and the occurrence of t(4;14) was also higher in the EBV-positive group ( χ2=3.93, P=0.047).The proportion of complete response (CR)/stringent complete response(sCR) and very good partial response(VGPR) after completion of the fourth chemotherapy were significantly lower in the EBV-positive group than in the EBV-negative group ( χ2=12.82, P=0.001 and χ2=8.30, P=0.004), and a higher rate of progressive disease (PD) occurred in the EBV-positive group ( χ2=4.48, P=0.046).The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of MM patients was shorter in the EBV-positive group compared to that in the EBV-negative group ( Z=-4.50, P0.01).Cox regression analysis showed that R-ISS stage Ⅲ ( HR=5.38, 95% CI 1.28-22.56, P=0.021), failure to achieve VGPR after the fourth chemotherapy ( HR=3.02, 95% CI 1.42-6.46, P=0.004), EBV-positive ( HR=1.98, 95% CI 1.02-3.87, P=0.045), with 1q21 amplification ( HR=2.35, 95% CI 1.16-4.75, P=0.017) and 13q14 deletion ( HR=1.93, 95% CI 1.01-3.67, P=0.046) were independent risk factors for PFS in newly diagnosed MM. Conclusions:EBV infection is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis, which has important clinical implications for the outcome and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed MM, and may become a novel clinical assessment indicator.

Objective:To investigate the central mechanism of moxibustion in treating chronic inflammatory visceral pain(CIVP)and its analgesic effect from the perspective of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)/Ets-like transcription factor 1(ELK1)signaling pathway in the spinal cord. Methods:Clean-grade male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group,a model group,a herb-partitioned moxibustion(HPM)group,a sham-HPM group,a p38 MAPK inhibitor group,and a dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)group.CIVP rat models were prepared using an enema mixture of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid solution and 50%ethanol.The HPM group was treated with HPM;the sham-HPM group was treated the same as the HPM group,but the moxa cones were not ignited;rats in the p38 MAPK inhibitor group received L5-L6 intrathecal injection of p38 MAPK inhibitor(SB203580);rats in the DMSO group received L5-L6 intrathecal injection of 2%DMSO.Abdominal withdrawal reflex(AWR),mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT),and thermal withdrawal latency(TWL)were used to observe pain-related behaviors in each group.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological changes in rat colon tissue.Western blotting and real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the phosphorylated protein and mRNA expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1(ASK1),MAPK kinase(MKK)3/6,p38 MAPK,ELK1,and mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1(MSK1)in the spinal cord. Results:Compared with the normal group,CIVP rats had severe colonic inflammatory injuries,and the pathological injury scores increased significantly,along with increased AWR scores under different colorectal distension(CRD)stimulation pressures and decreased MWT and TWL;the mRNA and phosphorylated protein expression of p38 MAPK,ELK1,MSK1,ASK1,MKK3,and MKK6 all increased in the spinal cord(P<0.01).After HPM treatment,the colon injuries were repaired,and the pathological injury scores decreased;under different CRD stimulation pressures,the AWR scores decreased,and the MWT and TWL increased;the mRNA and phosphorylated protein expression of p38 MAPK,ELK1,ASK1,and MKK3 in the spinal cord also decreased,with statistically significant differences compared with the model group and the sham-HPM group(P<0.01).There were no significant differences in the above indicators between the HPM group and the p38 MAPK inhibitor group(P>0.05),and the same was true regarding the comparisons between the model group and the DMSO group. Conclusion:HPM exerted analgesic effects via downregulating the mRNA and phosphorylated protein expression of ASK1,MKK3,p38 MAPK,and ELK1 in the spinal cord of CIVP rats.The inhibition of spinal p38 MAPK/ELK1 signaling pathway activation may be one of the mechanisms by which HPM relieves pain in CIVP.

Objective:To observe the distribution characteristics of fungi, bacteria and Demodex in the eyelid margin of patients with blepharitis and without blepharitis at different ages. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 98 patients diagnosed with anterior blepharitis and 99 patients diagnosed with posterior blepharitis in Henan Eye Hospital from March 2021 to June 2022 were enrolled as anterior blepharitis group and posterior blepharitis, respectively.Additionally, 100 patients with an initial diagnosis of refractive error and 200 patients with vitreous opacity were enrolled during the same period as a non-blepharitis group.All patients underwent examinations for lid margin fungi, bacteria and eyelash Demodex, as well as fungal spores and ciliary Demodex count.The differences in the positive rate and load of palpebral fungi, bacteria and eyelash Demodex were compared between anterior and posterior blepharitis groups, as well as across different ages in non-blepharitis group.This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2019[18]).All patients were informed about the purpose and methods of the study.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Results:There were significant differences in the positive rates of bacteria, fungi and Demodex and the load of Demodex in the non-blepharitis group at different ages ( χ2=28.34, 10.36, 51.57, H=35.66; all at P<0.01).The positive rates of palpebral bacteria and ciliary Demodex and the load of Demodex were significantly higher and the palpebral fungi positive rate was significantly lower in the ≥60 years old than in the <60 years old (all at P<0.05).There were significant differences in the positive rates of bacteria and fungi among anterior blepharitis, posterior blepharitis and non-blepharitis groups ( χ2=18.99, 6.36; all at P<0.01).The palpebral bacteria positive rate was significantly higher in anterior blepharitis group than in posterior blepharitis and non-blepharitis groups, and the palpebral fungi positive rate was significantly higher in anterior blepharitis and posterior blepharitis groups than in non-blepharitis group (all at P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the ciliary Demodex detection rate among the three groups ( χ2=0.16, P=0.74).The number of palpebral fungi spores and eyelash Demodex counts were higher in anterior and posterior blepharitis groups than in non-blepharitis group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).The positive rate of palpebral margin bacteria in ciliary Demodex-positive group was 45.7%(156/341), which was significantly higher than 25.6%(40/156) in ciliary Demodex-negative group ( χ2=17.20, P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in the positive rate of palpebral margin fungi between them ( χ2=0.11, P=0.70). Conclusions:In the population with normal eyelid margin, the infection of Demodex and bacteria in lid margin increases and fungal infection decreases in the ≥60 years old.Fungal and bacterial infections are the main sources of palpebral infection in patients with blepharitis, and positive detection of Demodex increases the chance of bacterial infection.

We retrospectively analyzed a child with early-onset globoid cell leukodystrophy(Krabbe's disease)caused by complex heterozygous variations in the GALC gene.The girl was admitted to the hospital at the age of 4 month with main complaints of"No obvious cause of milk refusal,poor mental state,drowsiness,convulsions,fever."Brain MRI showed abnormal symmetric signals changes in bilateral cerebellar hemispheres,bilateral internal capsule hind limbs and bilateral ventricles,thin corpus callosum,myelination process lags behind the level of children of the same age.High-throughput sequencing analysis identified compound heterozygous mutations in GALC gene(NM 000153.4):c.[908+1G>A];[194G>A and the two heterozygous mutations were correspondingly inherited from his father and mother,respectively.The application of high-throughput sequencing technology can diagnose Krabbe disease efficiently and accurately,which assists in clinical identification and diagnosis.

Objective:To explore the risk stratification and prognostic significance of loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).Methods:The clinical data of 193 male patients with newly diagnosed MM admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2018 to January 2020 were analyzed retrospectively and divided into a normal karyotype group(178) and a LOY karyotype group (15) according to the results of their primary conventional cytogenetics. Rank sum test, 2×2 chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used to compare laboratory findings, such as liver and kidney function, immunohistochemistry and cytogenetics, treatment efficacy and survival prognosis, between the two groups. The clinical prognostic significance of LOY was summarized through survival analysis and Cox regression. Results:Among the newly diagnosed male MM patients, 8%(15/178) were confirmed with LOY cases. The proportion of patients with Revised International Staging System(R-ISS) stage Ⅲ was significantly higher in the LOY group (8/15) than that in the normal karyotype group (40/178)(χ 2=7.052, P<0.01). A higher proportion of 1q21 amplification also occurred in the LOY group (10/13 vs 77/162)(χ 2=4.159, P<0.05). The proportion of complete response(CR)/stringent complete response(sCR) in the normal karyotype group after the fourth chemotherapy (63/171) was significantly higher than that in the LOY group (1/15)(χ 2=5.564, P<0.05). The proportion of progressive disease (PD) was lower in the normal karyotype group (16/171 vs 4/15) (χ 2=4.306, P<0.05). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of MM patients for the LOY group was significantly shorter compared to that for the normal karyotype group ( Z=?3.201, P<0.01). Univariate survival analysis showed that PFS was significantly shorter in newly diagnosed MM patients with Creatinine(Cr)≥93 μmol/L, β 2-microglobulin (β 2-MG)≥4.0 mg/L, serum free light chain(sFLC)<0.06, bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC)≥30%, R-ISS stage Ⅲ, failure to achieve CR/sCR after the fourth chemotherapy, with LOY, 1q21 amplification, P53 deletion and t(4;14) ( P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that Cr≥93 μmol/L( HR=4.460, 95% CI 1.615-12.314, P=0.004), sFLC<0.06( HR=2.873, 95% CI 1.206-6.849, P=0.017), failure to achieve CR/sCR after the fourth chemotherapy( HR=3.522, 95% CI 1.437-8.634, P=0.006)and with LOY( HR=3.485, 95% CI 1.473-8.249, P=0.006)were independent risk factors for PFS in newly diagnosed MM patients. Conclusions:LOY is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis. It is important for the clinical outcome and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed MM, and may become a novel clinical assessment indicator.