AIM: To investigate the correlation between serum Sestrin 2(SESN2), signal peptide, CUB and EGF-like domain-containing protein 1(SCUBE-1), and longpentraxin 3(PTX3)levels, with disease severity and prognosis in patients with diabetes macular edema(DME). METHODS:Prospective study. The study included DME patients who were treated at the hospital between January 2023 and October 2024, as well as patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period. Serum levels of SESN2, SCUBE-1, and PTX3 were measured using the ELISA method. Factors influencing poor prognosis in DME patients were analyzed. RESULTS:This study included a total of 114 eye from 114 DME patients, For unilateral disease, the affected eye was enrolled; for bilateral disease, the more severely affected eye was selected for enrollment.(72 men and 42 women, with a mean age of 56.94±7.38 y), 114 T2DM patients(65 men, 49 women, mean age 56.18±7.22 y), and 114 healthy individuals(77 men, 37 women, mean age 56.33±7.26 y). There were no cases of loss to follow-up. FPG and HbA1c levels in the DME and T2DM groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy group(all P<0.05). Serum SESN2 levels decreased progressively from the healthy group to the T2DM group to the DME group, while SCUBE-1 and PTX3 levels increased progressively(all P<0.05). DME patients were classified by disease severity into a mild group of 23 cases(14 men, 9 women, mean age 55.81±7.52 y), a moderate group 54 cases(35 males, 19 females, mean age 56.97±7.35y), and a severe group 37 cases(23 males, 14 females, mean age 57.60±7.41 y). Serum SESN2 levels decreased progressively from the mild to the moderate and to the severe group, while SCUBE-1, PTX3, and CST levels increased progressively(all P<0.05). Serum SESN2 levels were negatively correlated with DME severity and CST, whereas SCUBE-1 and PTX3 levels were positively correlated with both DME severity and CST(all P<0.001). Among the 114 DME patients, 81 were in the favorable prognosis group and 33 were in the unfavorable prognosis group. In the poor prognosis group, serum SESN2 levels were lower than those in the favorable prognosis group, while SCUBE-1 and PTX3 levels were higher(all P<0.05). Low serum SESN2 levels, high SCUBE-1 levels, and high PTX3 levels were factors associated with poor prognosis in DME patients(all P<0.05). The AUC(0.916)for the combined prediction of poor prognosis in DME patients using serum SESN2, SCUBE-1, and PTX3 levels was higher than that for each marker individually(0.780, 0.782, and 0.783, respectively, all P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Serum SESN2 levels are reduced in DME patients, while SCUBE-1 and PTX3 levels are elevated. Changes in these three markers are associated with disease severity and prognosis, and the combined detection has high predictive value for poor patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE： To establish the method for PCR identification of bullwhip， and to identify the authenticity of bullwhip at the molecular level. METHODS： DNA samples of bullwhip and its counterfeits （donkey whip， pig whip， sheep whip） were extracted and their integrity， purity and concentration were detected. Using GenBank related information， using mitochondrial cytochrome b （Cyt b） gene of bullwhip as target gene， Primer-BLAST online software was used to design specific primer. PCR amplification was performed for whips of different species， and electrophoretic analysis was conducted for the product. PCR products of bullwhip samples were cloned and confirmed by DNA sequencing. The specificity and repeatability of the established PCR method were verified. RESULTS： DNA purity of the bullwhip and its counterfeits was high， and there was no protein or RNA pollution. 1.5％ agarose gel electrophoresis showed that there were obvious target gene bands of bullwhip samples at 200-300 bp， while no corresponding bands appeared in other counterfeit products. The results of DNA sequencing showed that the nucleotide sequence of the gene fragment of bullwhip was 100％ similar to that of the bullwhip in GeneBank. Results of methodological validation showed that established method was specific and reproducible. CONCLUSIONS： The established PCR identification method based on Cyt b gene in the study is simple， rapid， accurate， specific and reproducible， and can meet the requirements of analysis and identification of bullwhip and its counterfeits.