AIM: To explore the factors affecting the whole-eye astigmatism after pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 42 patients(42 eyes)with primary pterygium admitted in the ophthalmology department of Xijing Hospital from January 2023 to October 2023. They underwent pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation. The maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea was measured with anterior segment optical coherence tomography(AS-OCT)before operation, the length of the pterygium invading cornea, the width of the limbus and the area of the invading cornea were measured during the operation, and three-dimensional values of corneal astigmatism of anterior segment, index of surface variance(ISV), index of vertical asymmetry(IVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and whole-eye astigmatism were collected before and at 1 mo after surgery. Patients with astigmatism ≤0.50 D or >0.50 D of the whole eye at 1 mo after surgery were assigned to group A and B, respectively. The differences of clinical data before and at 1 mo after surgery between the two groups, and the correlation between pre-operative clinical indicators and whole-eye astigmatism were analyzed. The decision tree algorithm was performed to explore the influencing factors of whole-eye astigmatism at 1 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: The maximum invasion depth of pterygium in the group A was significantly less than that in the group B [80.00(40.00, 180.00)μm vs 175.00(123.00, 190.00)μm, P=0.002]. Preoperative BCVA(LogMAR), whole-eye astigmatism, cornea astigmatism, ISV, IVA and maximum invasion depth of pterygium were positively correlated with whole-eye astigmatism at 1 mo after surgery(rs=0.317, P=0.041; rs=0.545, P<0.001; rs=0.448, P=0.003; rs=0.389, P=0.011; rs=0.382, P=0.013; rs=0.391, P=0.010). The decision tree algorithm screened out two influential factors: the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea and preoperative whole-eye astigmatism. The risk of whole-eye astigmatism >0.50 D at 1 mo after operation was higher with maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea >95 μm than that with ≤95 μm. Among the patients with whole-eye astigmatism >2.63 D before operation, the probability of residual whole-eye astigmatism >0.50 D was 88.9%, and the predictive model AUC was 0.804.CONCLUSION: The whole-eye astigmatism after pterygium resection is mainly affected by the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea and preoperative whole-eye astigmatism. When the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the corneal is >95 μm and the whole-eye stigmatism is >2.63 D before surgery, the patient should receive surgical treatment as soon as possible in order to obtain good clinical benefits.

Neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs)are net-like complexes released by neutrophils and play a crucial role in antimicrobial defense. In addition, NETs can exacerbate inflammatory responses associated with various diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Currently, the role of NETs in ocular diseases has received extensive attention. This article systematically summarizes the formation mechanism of NETs and their role in maintaining intraocular homeostasis under physiological conditions. At the same time, it focuses on elaborating the pathogenic role of NETs in the field of ophthalmic diseases, such as dry eye, keratitis, uveitis, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and age-related macular degeneration, emphasizing the importance of NETs as therapeutic targets for ocular diseases and the potential application value as new markers for ocular diseases. Future in-depth research on the mechanism of NETs in ocular diseases will provide a stronger theoretical basis for the treatment of related eye diseases.

BACKGROUND:At present,lumbar interbody fusion is widely used in the treatment of a variety of lumbar diseases.However,how to reduce postoperative complications such as pseudarthrosis formation,screw loosening and fracture,and cage failure remains a serious challenge. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of total lumbar range of motion on the stress or strain of bone grafts,cage,and screw-rod system,so as to better guide patients to carry out lumbar activities to reduce the risks of pseudarthrosis formation and instrumentation failure. METHODS:An intact human L1-S1 finite element model was constructed using Mimics,3-Matic,HyperMesh,and Abaqus software and the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion was simulated.The average strain of the interbody bone grafts and the peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system were compared before and after applying the bending moment,and the changing trend with the total range of motion was analyzed.The stress nephogram was drawn to observe the stress distribution. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with applying the vertical compression load alone,the average strain of the interbody bone grafts,peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system after applying bending moment increased by 2.6%-55.3%,65.6%-166.8%,and 36.0%-353.4%,respectively.(2)With the increase of total range of motion,the average strain of the interbody bone grafts increased nonlinearly and produced the maximum value under left and right axial rotation,while the peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system increased linearly and produced the maximum value under left and right lateral bending.(3)The stress distribution of the interbody bone grafts and cage was related to the loading condition.The stress of the screw-rod system was mainly concentrated in the interfaces of the screw-bone and screw-rod.(4)Therefore,increasing axial rotation activity after operation may reduce the risk of pseudarthrosis formation,while reducing lateral bending activity may reduce the failure of the cage and screw-rod system.

AIM: To evaluate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)in patients with retinitis pigmentosa(RP)complicated with cataract, and to explore its correlation with the clinical characteristics of RP patients complicated with cataract.METHODS: The retrospective study included 79 RP patients(125 eyes)complicated with cataract who received cataract surgery at our hospital from January 2008 to December 2018, among which 63 cases(63 eyes)were finally enrolled in the RP complicated with cataract group after the exclusion of patients with early age of onset. Another 63 age- and sex-matched patients(63 eyes)with age-related cataract(ARC)who had cataract surgery during the same period in our hospital were enrolled in the ARC group. The clinical data and NLR were collected, and the correlation of clinical manifestations with NLR in RP patients complicated with cataract was analyzed.RESULTS: The NLR in RP patients complicated with cataract was significantly higher than that in the ARC group [1.79(1.32, 2.27)vs 1.58(1.32, 1.98), P=0.032]. NLR was associated with the severity of posterior subcapsular cataract(PSC), zonular deficiency, and preoperative best-corrected visual acuity(>1 LogMAR). Receiver operating curve showed that NLR ≥1.36 could predict higher degrees(>P1)of RP complicated PSC(AUC=0.803, 95%CI 0.672-0.934, P=0.002), NLR ≥2.12 could predict zonular weakness in RP patients complicated with cataract(AUC=0.796, 95%CI 0.665-0.928, P=0.002), while NLR ≥1.51 could predict RP patients with worse preoperative BCVA(AUC=0.667, 95%CI 0.540-0.793, P=0.015).CONCLUSION: NLR in RP patients complicated with cataract is significantly higher than that in ARC patients, and it is correlated with the clinical manifestations of RP patients with cataract. NLR can be used as a potential predictor to evaluate the severity of clinical manifestations of RP complicated with cataract.

AIM:To observe the clinical efficacy of 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops in the treatment of dry eyes after pterygium surgery with lacrimal insufficiency.METHODS: A total of 64 cases(64 eyes)of pterygium patients with lacrimal insufficiency were treated with pterygium resection combined with limbal stem cell transplantation, and they were given routine anti-inflammatory and infection prevention treatment postoperatively. In terms of postoperative dry eye treatment, all patients were randomly divided into two groups. The observation group was treated with 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops, and the control group was treated with sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The break-up time of tear film(BUT), fluorescein(FL), Schirmer's Ⅰ test(SⅠt), ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, central corneal thickness(CCT)changes, adverse reactions and complications were observed and compared between the two groups at different times postoperatively.RESULTS: Both groups of pterygium patients were accompanied with mild to moderate dry eyes with insufficient tear secretion preoperatively. At 2 wk after operation, both groups showed shorter BUT and higher FL score compared with those preoperatively(P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05). At 4 wk after operation, BUT in the observation group was prolonged, OSDI score was decreased(both P<0.05), and FL score in both groups was decreased compared with those at with 2 wk after operation(P<0.05). The observation group was better than the control group(P<0.05). At the first day after operation, the CCT of the two groups was thicker than that preoperatively(P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in SⅠt between the two groups before and after operation(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: In the treatment of dry eye after pterygium surgery with lacrimal insufficiency, 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops can effectively reduce the postoperative dry eye symptoms, and its clinical effect is better than that of sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone.

AIM:To investigate the differences in clinical features and therapeutic effects of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands for different age groups of patients with demodex blepharitis.METHODS:The clinical data of 146 patients(292 eyes)diagnosed with demodex blepharitis, hospitalized in Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital from January 2023 to October 2023, was collected in this retrospective study, and the patients were divided into group A(64 cases with 128 eyes)aged ≤45 years old and group B(82 cases with 164 eyes)aged >45 years old according to different ages. The differences in total numbers of binocular mites, Schirmer I tests, symptom and sign scores before, and at 1 and 3 mo after the treatment of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands were analyzed between the two groups.RESULTS: Before the treatments, the total number of the mites in the group A [7(6, 8)] was lower than that in the group B [8(7, 9.25); P<0.05]. The dry eye score in the group A [6(6, 7)] was lower than that in the group B [11(10, 12); P<0.001], and the ocular surface irritation symptom score in the group A [10(9, 11)] was higher than that in the group B [6(6, 7); P<0.001]. Both groups experienced a decrease in mite counts and improvement in symptoms and signs scores at 1 mo after treatment, and there was still a degree of improvement in all clinical indicators, with patients in the group B showing a further reduction in mite counts [-1(-3, 0)] even after the treatment was continued for 3 mo.CONCLUSION:The total numbers of mites in patients of older than 45 years old were higher than those in patients of ages younger than 45, and older patients have more serious dry eyes, with less serious symptoms of ocular surface irritation. The treatment can effectively reduce the number of mites in patients of different ages with demodex blepharitis, but the outcomes of Schirmer I tests do not change after the treatment. Longer treatment duration provide sustained clinical benefits.

[Objective] To evaluate the value of X-ray combined with MRI in the diagnosis of rotator cuff injury. [Methods] A retrospective study was conducted on the patients who underwent X-ray and MRI examinations at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2021 to March 2022. A total of 158 patients were recruited, among whom 146 had rotator cuff injury, 10 had rheumatoid arthritis, and 2 had shoulder joint space occupation. We compared the specificity, sensitivity, consistency, detection rate, missed diagnosis rate and misdiagnosis rate of various examinations, and compared the X-ray and MRI examination results. [Results] The sensitivity and specificity of X-ray for rotator cuff injury were 65.8% and 41.7%, those of MRI for rotator cuff injury were 78.1% and 66.7%, and those of the combined diagnosis were 93.8% and 83.3%, respectively. The Kappa value of the combined diagnosis of rotator cuff injury and surgical results was higher than that of X-ray and MRI diagnosis (P<0.05). The detection rate and missed diagnosis rate of the three groups differed significantly (χ²=6.095, 13.113, P<0.05). The detection rate of rotator cuff injury by the combined diagnosis was higher than that of X-ray and MRI diagnosis, and the missed diagnosis rate was lower than that of the latter (P>0.05). [Conclusion] The detection rate of rotator cuff injury of shoulder joint by the combined examination is higher than that of X-ray and MRI, and the rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis is lower. The combined examination can provide detailed evaluation for preoperative diagnosis.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the effect of different durations of prone ventilation on the efficacy of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods:A computer search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database for studies on prone ventilation for the treatment of adult patients with ARDS published from the establishment of the database to September 2023. Studies were categorized into ≤24 hours group and > 24 hours group based on the duration of prone ventilation. Outcome indicators included mortality, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, incidence of pressure ulcers, and operation of tracheotomy. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted information, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included literature. The quality of the included literature was assessed using the NOS scale, and the effect of different durations of prone ventilation on the efficacy of ARDS was analyzed by Meta-analysis.Results:A total of 517 patients from 4 papers were finally included, including 249 patients with prone ventilation duration ≤24 hours and 268 patients with prone ventilation duration > 24 hours. All 4 studies were cohort studies, and the overall inclusion of literature assessed for methodological quality indicated high study quality and low risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed that there were no significantly differences in mortality [relative risk ( RR) = 1.02, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.79 to 1.31, P = 0.88], the length of ICU stay [mean difference ( MD) = -2.68, 95% CI was -5.30 to - 0.05, P = 0.05] between the prone ventilation duration ≤ 24 hours group and prone ventilation duration > 24 hours group. Compared with the prone ventilation duration ≤24 hours group, the incidence of pressure ulcers ( RR = 0.76, 95% CI was 0.59 to 0.98, P = 0.04) and the operation of tracheotomy ( RR = 0.71, 95% CI was 0.53 to 0.94, P = 0.02) were significantly increased in the prone ventilation duration > 24 hours group. Conclusions:The duration of prone ventilation had no significant effect on the mortality and the length of ICU stay in ARDS patients, but prone ventilation for > 24 hours increased the incidence of pressure ulcers and the operation of tracheotomy, which still needs to be further verified by a large number of studies due to the small number of included studies.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous wound healing represents a common fundamental phenomenon requiring the participation of cells of distinct types and a major concern for the public. Evidence has confirmed that photobiomodulation (PBM) using near-infrared (NIR) can promote wound healing, but the cells involved and the precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive. METHODS: Full-thickness skin defects with a diameter of 1.0 cm were made on the back of rats and randomly divided into the control group, 10 J, 15 J, and 30 J groups. The wound healing rate at days 4, 8, and 12 postoperatively was measured. HE and Masson staining was conducted to reveal the histological characteristics. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to label the epidermal stem cells (ESCs) and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). Western blot was performed to detect the expressions of proteins associated with ESCs and HFSCs. Cutaneous wound tissues were collected for RNA sequencing. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed, and the hub genes were identified using CytoHubba and validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: PBM can promote reepithelialization, extracellular matrix deposition, and wound healing, increase the number of KRT14+/PCNA+ ESCs and KRT15+/PCNA+ HFSCs, and upregulate the protein expression of P63, Krt14, and PCNA. Three hundred and sixty-six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7 hub genes including Sox9, Krt5, Epcam, Cdh1, Cdh3, Dsp, and Pkp3 were identified. These DEGs are enriched in skin development, cell junction, and cadherin binding involved in cell–cell adhesion etc., while these hub genes are related to skin derived stem cells and cell adhesion. CONCLUSION PBM accelerates wound healing by enhancing reepithelialization through promoting ESCs and HFSCs proliferation and elevating the expression of genes associated with stem cells and cell adhesion. This may provide a valuable alternative strategy to promote wound healing and reepithelialization by modulating the proliferation of skin derived stem cells and regulating genes related to cell adhesion.

Birth defects are an important factor for the quality of newborn population. With the development of molecular genetic technology, an increasing number of genetic disorders leading to birth defects can now be detected. The lack of the knowledge for the basics and clinical applications of molecular genetic techniques have emerged as a shortcoming for primary care physicians who have formed the first tier prevention for birth defects. Currently, government has paid more attention to the above problems and formulated more training programs for primary obstetricians and gynecologists, e.g., "Prenatal Screening and Prenatal Diagnosis Post Training Program", "National Birth Defects Training Program", "National Primary Obstetrician Training Program". To some extent, such programs have met the urgent need for birth defect prevention in primary hospitals. But at the same time, some problems have also emerged. For instance, the knowledge for birth defects among primary obstetricians and gynecologists is poor, and there is lack of young personnel. This article has aimed to discuss the strategies to systematically improve the ability for preventing birth defects among primary care physicians by analyzing the obstacles and challenges for primary obstetricians and gynecologists in the era of molecular genetic testing.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Gynecology ; Obstetrics ; Gynecologists ; Obstetricians ; Molecular Biology