AIM:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops(Ⅱ)combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops in treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and moderate-to-severe dry eye.METHODS:A total of 120 T2DM patients(120 eyes)with moderate-to-severe dry eye, treated at the endocrinology and ophthalmology departments at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2024 to September 2024, were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: combination group [0.05% cyclosporine eye drops(Ⅱ)+ sodium hyaluronate eye drops] and control group(sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone), with 60 cases(60 eyes)in each group. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 1, 2, and 3 mo post-treatment, including the ocular surface disease index(OSDI), non-contact tear meniscus height(NITMH), first non-invasive tear breakup time(NIBUTf), meibomian gland loss score, lipid layer thickness grade, conjunctival hyperemia grade, and corneal fluorescein staining(FL)score. At 3 mo after treatment, changes in tear inflammatory factors were observed, and corneal subbasal nerve plexus(SBN)morphology/density were analyzed using in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM).RESULTS:At 1, 2, and 3 mo post-treatment, both groups showed statistically significant increases in NITMH and NIBUTf compared to baseline(all P<0.05), with greater improvement observed in the combination group(both P<0.05). OSDI and FL scores significantly decreased from baseline(all P<0.05), with more pronounced reductions in the combination group(both P<0.05). Meibomian gland loss scores showed no significant improvement in either group(all P>0.05). At 3 mo after treatment, tear levels of interleukin 6(IL-6)and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)significantly decreased in both groups(all P<0.001), with a greater reduction noted in the combination group(both P<0.001). The combination group displayed increased corneal nerve branch density and nerve fiber density, along with decreased nerve tortuosity and dendritic cell(DC)density compared to baseline(all P<0.001), while the control group did not show significant changes(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: The combination of 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops(Ⅱ)and sodium hyaluronate eye drops significantly improves clinical outcomes in T2DM patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye. This treatment effectively alleviates ocular surface inflammation, restores corneal nerve morphology and density, and demonstrates a favorable safety profile.

AIM: To explore the risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(UWF-SS-OCTA), and to establish a clinical prediction model.METHODS:A total of 235 patients(235 eyes)with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from July to November 2024 were selected as the research objects. According to the presence or absence of DR, they were divided into 120 cases(120 eyes)in non-DR group(NDR group)and 115 cases(115 eyes)in non-proliferative DR group(NPDR group). Data on general characteristics, laboratory tests, and OCTA results were collected for both groups. Univariate analysis was employed to identify DR-related risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze these risk factors and to establish a DR prediction model. The efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS: The duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), history of hypertension, and the choroidal vascular index(CVI)were found to be statistically significant in the model(all P<0.05). Specifically, the duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, BUN, and history of hypertension were identified as risk factors for DR among diabetic patients, while CVI was recognized as a protective factor. The area under the curve for the model predicting the probability of DR was 0.898(0.859-0.938), with a diagnostic threshold of 0.438. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 87.8% and 78.3%, respectively, indicating that the model possesses high predictive value for the occurrence of DR.CONCLUSION: The duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, BUN, history of hypertension, and CVI are significantly correlated with DR. The established prediction model demonstrates a substantial screening capability for DR.

AIM:To quantitatively assess the early alterations of retinal and choroidal microcirculation and microstructure in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)patients without coexisting retinopathy via ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(UWF SS-OCTA).METHODS:Cross-sectional study. Totally 64 cases(64 eyes)that diagnosed as SLE without associated retinopathy at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from May to October 2024 were enrolled as the study group(Randomly assign one eye to the study group). Simultaneously, age-and gender-matched healthy individuals were recruited as the control group. All participants underwent UWF SS-OCTA. The deep capillary plexus(DCP), superficial capillary plexus(SCP), total retina, choriocapillaris(CC), as well as the choroidal medium and large vessel density(VD)in both the central and peripheral retinal areas of both groups of patients were compared. Additionally, parameters such as choroidal vascularity volume(CVV), choroidal vascularity index(CVI), thickness of the inner retina, outer retina, entire retina, and choroid in both central and peripheral area. SLE patients were categorized into three subgroups based on the SLE disease activity index(SLEDAI-2K), including 20 cases(20 eyes)in mild-and no-activity group(SLEDAI-2K≤6), 20 cases(20 eyes)in moderate-activity group(7

BACKGROUND:Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty can effectively treat severe unilateral knee osteoarthritis.It has been found that posterior tibial cortical fracture is prone to occur after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.The fracture begins at the keel groove of tibial osteotomy.The tibial prosthesis riser length affects the biomechanical results of the knee joint after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of tibial prosthesis riser length on knee biomechanics in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,and to find out the relationship between prosthesis riser length and anterior and posterior tibial diameters of patients. METHODS:Computed tomography image data and commonly used unicompartmental prostheses were selected from a 37-year-old healthy female with no history of knee disease.A natural knee joint model was established and a unicompartmental prosthesis model was built.Eight different lengths of tibial prosthesis risers were established,with a minimum length of 31 mm and a maximum length of 34.5 mm in 0.5 mm increments,for comparison with the commonly used hospital prosthesis riser length of 33.2 mm.The material of the femoral component and tibial disc was cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy,and the tibial spacer was ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.The biomechanical changes of the knee joint were observed using finite element analysis software loaded with 1000 N over the femur. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The tibial stress was minimal at a tibial prosthesis riser length of 33 mm;the anterior cruciate ligament stress was minimal;the lateral meniscus stress was minimal,and the femoral prosthesis stress was minimal.The remaining components were less stressful.(2)The subject's medial tibial plateau anterior-posterior diameter length was 53 mm,and by calculating the ratio,the optimal ratio of tibial prosthesis riser length to anterior-posterior tibial diameter should be about 62%.If it is lower than this value,aseptic loosening of the prosthesis may occur,and if it is higher than this value,fracture of the bone cortex at the anterior-posterior end of the tibia may occur.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of 0.01% hypochlorous acid as a conjunctival sac disinfectant before cataract phacoemulsification and its impact on the ocular surface.METHODS: Randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 285 patients who were scheduled for cataract phacoemulsification surgery were randomly divided into the hypochlorous acid group and the povidone iodine group. Before and after disinfection, conjunctival sac swabs were taken, and bacterial culture and colony-forming units(CFUs)testing were performed using blood agar and chocolate agar media, respectively. All patients were evaluated for ocular symptom scores and pain severity scores 2 h, 1 d, and 1 wk after disinfection, and underwent corneal fluorescein staining, eye redness index, tear meniscus height, and noninvasive breakup time(NIBUT)examination. The incidence of endophthalmitis after surgery was recorded.RESULTS: Conjunctival sac disinfection with 0.01% hypochlorous acid significantly reduced the rate of positive bacterial cultures and colony-forming ability of the conjunctival sac, with statistically significant differences compared with the pre-disinfection period(both P<0.01), and the disinfecting ability of hypochlorous acid was comparable to that of povidone-iodine(χ2=0.811, P=0.368). The scores of ocular symptoms and pain severity in the hypochlorous acid group were significantly lower than those in the povidone-iodine group(both P<0.01). The corneal fluorescein staining and eye redness index in the hypochlorous acid group were significantly lower than those in the povidone-iodine group(all P<0.01). No endophthalmitis occurred in either group of patients. CONCLUSION: As a conjunctival sac disinfectant, 0.01% hypochlorous acid is safe and effective, with minimal discomfort and damage to the ocular surface in patients.

AIM:To establish a model of meibomian gland dysfunction in rats induced by eyeliner tattoo and investigate its potential mechanisms.METHODS:A total of 40 SD rats were selected, with 30 randomly chosen to have eyeliner tattoo applied their right eyes and designated as the eyeliner group. The remaining 10 rats were not given any treatment and served as the normal group. The corneal morphology of both groups was observed using a slit lamp at 1, 2, and 4 wk after establishment, and the tear film break-up time(BUT), Schirmer I test(SIt), corneal fluorescein staining score, and corneal irregularity score were calculated. The corneal Placido rings were examined using an ocular surface analyzer, and the corneal tissue structures of both groups were observed under a confocal microscope. After 4 wk and completion of clinical indicator recording, the eyeballs and upper and lower eyelid tissues were taken for pathological examination. The meibomian gland structures were observed through HE staining, the conjunctival goblet cells were observed using PAS staining, and the lipid droplets were observed with ORO staining.RESULTS:The slit lamp examination results showed that the eyeliner group rats exhibited in situ black pigmentation in the eyelids, with no eyelid deformation or scarring. The corneal epithelium was rough, with positive fluorescein staining, presenting as spotty staining that worsened over time. Compared with the normal group, the BUT was significantly shortened, tear secretion volume was significantly decreased, and the corneal fluorescein staining score and corneal irregularity score were significantly increased at 1, 2, and 4 wk after modeling in the eyeliner group(all P<0.01). The corneal confocal microscopy results showed a decrease in corneal epithelial cells in the eyeliner group, with the appearance of abnormally bright cells, and inflammatory cell infiltration visible in the stromal layer. The ORO staining results revealed a decrease in lipid droplets in the eyeliner group, showing a downward trend with increasing observation time. The HE staining results showed that pigment blocked the meibomian gland openings in the eyeliner group, and the density of meibomian gland acini showed a downward trend over time. The PAS staining results showed a decreasing trend in the number of PAS-positive cells in the eyeliner group.CONCLUSION:Eyeliner tattoo can induce meibomian gland dysfunction, and the blockage of meibomian gland openings caused by the pigment particles used may be an important cause of meibomian gland dysfunction.

Objective:To discuss the damage effect of vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV)on the vascular endothelial(VE)barrier,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:The canine kidney cells were used to amplify VSV.The half tissue culture infective dose(TCID50)of VSV was determined using mouse brain endothelial tumor bEnd.3 cells,and subsequent experiment was conducted using 300 times the TCID50.The bEnd.3 cells were divided into infection 0 h group,infection 4 h group,infection 8 h group,and infection 12 h group for VE barrier damage experiments due to VSV infection.The bEnd.3 cells were also divided into control group,infection group,and correction group for experiments to inhibit the VSV replication and restore the VE barrier.The bEnd.3 cells were inoculated into Transwell chambers to construct an in vitro VE barrier model.Cell voltage resistance meter was used to detect the transepithelial resistance(TER)in various groups after the bEnd.3 cells were infected with VSV at different time points;fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran leakage assay was used to detect the permeability coefficients of the cells in various groups;immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the localization changes of VE-cadherin,β-catenin,and phosphorylated β-catenin(p-β-catenin)in cytoskeleton and adherens junctions(AJs)of the bEnd.3 cells after VSV infection;real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method was used to detect the expression levels of Wnt and β-catenin mRNA in the cells in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of Wnt,β-catenin,and p-β-catenin proteins in the cells in various groups.Results:The TCID50 of VSV was 10-4.5·100 μL-1.TheTranswell chamber experiment results showed that compared with infection 0 h group,the TERs in the cells in the other groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the permeability coefficients were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with control group,the cytoskeleton of the bEnd.3 cells in infection group was disordered,the cell gaps was increased,the linear index of AJs was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and β-catenin and p-β-catenin translocated from the cell membrane to the perinuclear area.The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with infection 0 h group,the expression levels of Wnt mRNA in the cells in the other groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),while the expression levels of β-catenin mRNA showed no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The Western blotting results showed that compared with infection 0 h group,the expression levels of Wnt protein in the cells in the other groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression levels of β-catenin showed no statistically significant differences(P＞0.05),and the expression levels of p-β-catenin were significantly increased(P＜0.05).After inhibiting the VSV replication and correcting the low density lipoprotein receptor(LDLR)abnormalities,the Transwell chamber experiment results showed that compared with infection group,the TER in the cells in correction group was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the permeability coefficient was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with infection group,the gaps in the cells in correction group were reduced,and the perinuclear aggregation of β-catenin and p-β-catenin in the cells was restrained.The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with infection group,the expression level of Wnt mRNA in the cells in correction group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).The Western blotting results showed that compared with infection group,the expression level of Wnt protein in the cells in correction group was significantly increased(P＜0.05),the expression level of β-catenin showed no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05),and the expression level of p-P-catenin was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:VSV infection can cause the LDLR inactivation,reduce the expression level of Wnt protein,increase the phosphorylation level of β-catenin and cause its internalization,disrupt the stability of AJs,and ultimately lead to VE barrier damage.

Objective:To explore the effect of breast feeding versus mixed feeding on fecal metabolites of infants delivered by cesarean section.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study.Fecal samples were collected from 23 healthy 1-month-old infants delivered by cesarean section from autumn 2021 and winter 2022 in two maternal and infant care facilities in the North and South of Xi′an city.The samples were divided into the breast feeding group (11 cases) and mixed feeding group (12 cases). Fecal metabolites were analyzed by the non-targeted metabolomic approach and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling, and differentially expressed fecal metabolites between groups were screened using the non-parametric Mann- Whitney U test.Metabolic pathways enriched in them were further analyzed. Results:A total of 155 metabolites were characterized, including 57 sugars and sugar derivatives, 34 fatty acids, 25 organic acids, 22 amino acids, 8 esters, 4 nucleosides, 3 vitamins and 2 other substances.The relative contents of the differentially expressed fecal metabolites were measured, and it was found that some types of sugars and sugar derivatives were highly expressed in the fecal samples of breast feeding group, while amino acids, organic acids and fatty acids were highly expressed in those of the mixed feeding group.A total of 28 metabolic pathways enriched in differentially expressed fecal metabolites were obtained.Among them, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine metabolism, arginine metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle influenced infant health.Conclusions:Feeding methods have an effect on the fecal metabolites in infants delivered by cesarean section born infants, and mixed feeding may speed up the process of TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism in the intestine of infants delivered by cesarean section to a certain extent.

Liver transplantation is a vital treatment for end-stage liver disease. However, the shortage of donor livers has limited the development of liver transplantation. How to expand the source of donor livers has become a challenge in the academic community. In recent years, the proportion of donors with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increased. Rational use of steatotic donor livers is a feasible approach to expand the donor pool. Cold ischemia injury during donor liver preservation before liver transplantation increases the risk of postoperative organ dysfunction. Therefore, it is of significance to unravel the mechanism and intervention measures of cold ischemia injury of steatotic donor livers. Cold ischemia injury of steatotic donor livers is characterized as the damage of mitochondria, lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum at the organelle level, and up-regulated expression of adenosine monphosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 at the protein level. In this article, the research progresses on cold ischemia injury of steatotic donor livers and relevant intervention measures were reviewed.

【Objective】 To investigate the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Methods】 A total of 248 preterm and 700 non-preterm pregnant women who delivered in Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Shaanxi Province from January to December 2022 were included in case group and control group, respectively. General demographic characteristics and oral health behavior during pregnancy were collected by questionnaires, and the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used to assess the oral health related life quality of pregnant women. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Results】 During pregnancy, maternal frequent eating after brushing teeth (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.03-2.57), unused fluoride toothpaste (OR=2.03, 95%CI: 1.25-3.05), late visit to the doctor for oral discomfort (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.02-1.96), brushing teeth less than twice one day (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.13-2.78) or less than 3 minutes each time (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.09-2.11), and elevated OHIP-14 score (OR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.04-1.10) increased the risk of premature birth. 【Conclusion】 Poor oral health behavior during pregnancy may increase the risk of premature birth. Therefore, more efforts should be made to publicize oral health knowledge and guide pregnant women to establish good oral health habits so as to improve oral health and promote maternal and child health.