Tixagevimab-cilgavimab for the prevention of COVID-19: real-world experience in patients with rheumatic diseases receiving rituximab.

Objectives: To study the safety and efficacy of tixagevimab-cilgavimab (TIX-CIL) in reducing COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases receiving rituximab.

Methods: Patients with rheumatic diseases who were receiving rituximab for ≥12 months were invited for an injection of TIX-CIL (300 mg/300 mg) between November and December 2022. The occurrence of SARS-CoV2 infection in the subsequent 6 months was compared between those who did or did not receive TIX-CIL, adjusting for demographic characteristics, previous SAR2-CoV2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination and other factors by multivariate analyses.

Combination effect of optical defocus and low dose atropine in myopia control: Study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Myopia, characterized by excessive axial elongation of the eyeball, increases risks of having sight-threatening diseases and impose a financial burden to healthcare system. Although myopic control interventions showed their effectiveness in slowing progression, the efficacy varies between individuals and does not completely halt progression. The study aims to investigate the efficacy of combining 0.

Defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses increase the choroidal thickness: a two-year randomized clinical trial.

Background: Myopia control interventions, such as defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses, have been adopted in school-aged children to reduce the prevalence of myopia and its complications. This study aimed to investigate the effect of DIMS spectacle lenses on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SfChT) over a period of two years, as the choroidal response to myopic control is a crucial factor in exploring its potential effect on predicting myopia progression.

Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of our previous randomized clinical trial.

Circulating Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) is Associated with Disease Activity and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

To study the relationship of serum PCSK9 and disease activity and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Consecutive patients who fulfilled ≥ 4 ACR criteria for SLE and consented for a biomarker study in 2009-2013 were included. Stored serum samples were assayed for PCSK9.

Safety of the JAK and TNF inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis: real world data from the Hong Kong Biologics Registry.

Objectives: To compare the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), cancer and infective complications in RA patients using Janus kinase (JAKis) and TNF (TNFis) inhibitors.

Method: A retrospective analysis of data from the Hong Kong Biologics Registry 2008-2021 was performed. RA patients who had ever used JAKis or TNFis were included.

Long-term myopia control effect and safety in children wearing DIMS spectacle lenses for 6 years.

This study evaluated the long-term myopia control effect and safety in children wearing Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses. Participants who completed the 2-year RCT were followed for a total of 6 years; their cycloplegic refractions and axial length were measured. Group 1 (n = 36) wore DIMS spectacles for 6 years; Group 2 (n = 14) wore DIMS lens for the first 3.

Five-year cardiovascular event risk in early rheumatoid arthritis patients who received treat-to-target management: a case-control study.

Objectives: This study explored whether the excess cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) risk in RA could be ameliorated by suppression of inflammation using a treat-to-target (T2T) approach. We compared the CV event (CVE) incidence among ERA patients managed by a T2T strategy with a CV risk factor-matched non-RA population and a historical RA cohort (HRA).

Methods: This was an observational study using the city-wide hospital data and the ERA registry.

Relationship between the EULAR/ACR classification criteria and organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To study the relationship between the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria and organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Patients involved in a cross-sectional validation study of the EULAR/ACR criteria and judged by a panel of rheumatologists to be clinical SLE were studied. Those who fulfilled the EULAR/ACR criteria at their last clinic visit were stratified into 2 groups based on a cutoff score of 20.

Changes in relative peripheral refraction in children who switched from single-vision lenses to Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments lenses.

Purpose: To investigate changes in relative peripheral refraction (RPR) associated with myopia progression in children who wore single-vision (SV) lenses for 2 years and switched to Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) lenses in the third year versus children who wore DIMS lenses for 3 years.

Methods: In the first 2 years, children were allocated randomly to wear either DIMS or SV lenses. In the third year, children in the DIMS group continued to wear these lenses, while those in the SV group were switched to DIMS lenses (Control-to-DIMS group).

Validation of the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus in ANA-positive Chinese patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to validate the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive Chinese patients.

Methods: Medical records of all adult patients who attended the rheumatology out-patient clinics between May and September 2019 were reviewed. Patients with ever ANA positive (titre ⩾1:80) were included and evaluated for the fulfilment of the 2019 EULAR/ACR, 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) and 1997 ACR criteria for SLE classification.

Transcriptional profiling of the chick retina identifies down-regulation of and genes during early lens-induced myopia.

Gene expression of the chick retina was examined during the early development of lens-induced myopia (LIM) using whole transcriptome sequencing. Monocular treatment of the right eyes with -10 diopter (D) lenses was performed on newly born chicks for one day (LIM-24) or two days (LIM-48), while the contralateral eyes without lenses served as controls. Myopia development was confirmed by demonstrating significant elongation of the optical axis in lens-treated eyes compared to untreated control eyes.

Predictors of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality in patients with autoantibodies against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 dermatomyositis.

Objective: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5)-positive DM is associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) and high mortality. This multicentre retrospective study aimed to identify predictors of mortality and RP-ILD.

Methods: Anti-MDA5-positive DM patients were identified from the Hong Kong Myositis Registry and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System.

Alteration of EIF2 Signaling, Glycolysis, and Dopamine Secretion in Form-Deprived Myopia in Response to 1% Atropine Treatment: Evidence From Interactive iTRAQ-MS and SWATH-MS Proteomics Using a Guinea Pig Model.

Atropine, a non-selective muscarinic antagonist, effectively slows down myopia progression in human adolescents and several animal models. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. The current study investigated retinal protein changes of form-deprived myopic (FDM) guinea pigs in response to topical administration of 1% atropine gel (10 g/L).

Evaluation of an Optical Defocus Treatment for Myopia Progression Among Schoolchildren During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: Myopia progression has been found to be worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to control the rapid myopia progression in this period.

Objective: To analyze the association of COVID-19-related lockdown measures with myopia progression in schoolchildren and to compare the performance of defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) lens with that of single vision lens (SVL) treatment in reducing myopia progression.

Differential Retinal Protein Expression in Primary and Secondary Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration Identified by Integrated SWATH and Target-Based Proteomics.

To investigate the retinal proteins associated with primary and secondary retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration and explore their molecular pathways, SWATH label-free and target-based mass spectrometry was employed to identify the proteomes in various retinal locations in response to localized optic nerve injury. Unilateral partial optic nerve transection (pONT) was performed on adult Wistar rats and their retinas were harvested 2 weeks later. To confirm the separation of primary and secondary RGC degeneration, immunohistochemistry of RNA binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was performed on retinal whole-mounts.

Myopia control effect of defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lens in Chinese children: results of a 3-year follow-up study.

Aims: To determine myopia progression in children who continued to wear the defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) lenses or switched from single vision (SV) to DIMS lenses for a 1-year period following a 2-year myopia control trial.

Methods: 128 children participated in this study. The children who had worn DIMS lenses continued to wear DIMS lenses (DIMS group), and children who had worn SV lenses switched to wear DIMS lenses (Control-to-DIMS group).

Choroid Segmentation of Retinal OCT Images Based on CNN Classifier and - Fitter.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive cross-sectional imaging technology used to examine the retinal structure and pathology of the eye. Evaluating the thickness of the choroid using OCT images is of great interests for clinicians and researchers to monitor the choroidal thickness in many ocular diseases for diagnosis and management. However, manual segmentation and thickness profiling of choroid are time-consuming which lead to low efficiency in analyzing a large quantity of OCT images for swift treatment of patients.

High-pH reversed-phase fractionated neural retina proteome of normal growing C57BL/6 mouse.

The retina is a key sensory tissue composed of multiple layers of cell populations that work coherently to process and decode visual information. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach has allowed high-throughput, untargeted protein identification, demonstrating the presence of these proteins in the retina and their involvement in biological signalling cascades. The comprehensive wild-type mouse retina proteome was prepared using a novel sample preparation approach, the suspension trapping (S-Trap) filter, and further fractionated with high-pH reversed phase chromatography involving a total of 28 injections.

Trend of Survival of a Cohort of Chinese Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Over 25 Years.

To revisit the trend of survival of systemic lupus erythematosus in a cohort of Chinese patients over 25 years. Patients who fulfilled the 1997 ACR criteria for SLE and were followed in our hospital since 1995 were included. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the year of diagnosis: (1) 1995-2004 and (2) 2005-2018.

Effect of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments Spectacle Lens Wear on Visual Function in Myopic Chinese Children.

Purpose: To compare visual function of myopic children who had worn either defocus incorporated multiple segment (DIMS) spectacle lenses or single vision (SV) spectacle lenses over two years.

Methods: We included 160 Chinese myopic (-1 diopter [D] to -5 D) children aged 8 to 13 years in a randomized clinical trial; they wore either DIMS lenses (DIMS; = 79) or regular SV spectacles lenses ( = 81) full time for 2 years. Visual function, including high-contrast visual acuity (VA) and low-contrast VA at distance and near, binocular functions, and accommodation, before, during, and after 2 years of spectacle wear were assessed when both groups wore SV corrections.

Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments Spectacle Lenses Changed the Relative Peripheral Refraction: A 2-Year Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To compare changes in relative peripheral refraction (RPR) associated with myopia progression in myopic children wearing Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) lenses and single vision (SV) spectacle lenses over 2 years.

Methods: A 2-year double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted on 183 myopic children. Subjects were allocated to either wearing DIMS (n = 93) or SV spectacle lenses (n = 90).

Long-term outcome of a randomised controlled trial comparing tacrolimus with mycophenolate mofetil as induction therapy for active lupus nephritis.

Objectives: To report the 10-year outcome of lupus nephritis (LN) treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or tacrolimus (TAC) induction in a randomised controlled trial.

Methods: Patients with active LN were treated with MMF or TAC combined with high-dose prednisolone. Responders were switched to azathioprine (AZA) at month 6.

Quantitative profiling of regional protein expression in rat retina after partial optic nerve transection using fluorescence difference two‑dimensional gel electrophoresis.

To examine the difference between primary and secondary retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration, the protein expression at four regions of retina including superior, temporal, inferior and nasal quadrant in a rat model of partial optic nerve transection (pONT) using 2‑D Fluorescence Difference Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) were investigated. Unilateral pONT was performed on the temporal side of optic nerves of adult Wistar rats to separate primary and secondary RGC loss. Topographical quantification of RGCs labeled by Rbpms antibody and analysis of axonal injury by grading of optic nerve damage at 1 week (n=8) and 8 weeks (n=15) after pONT demonstrated early RGC loss at temporal region, which is considered as primary RGC degeneration and progressing RGC loss at nasal region, which is considered as secondary RGC degeneration.