Identifying prioritization of therapeutic targets for ankylosing spondylitis: a multi-omics Mendelian randomization study.

Background: To investigate the associations of methylation, expression, and protein quantitative trait loci (mQTL, eQTL, and pQTL) with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and find out genetically supported drug targets for AS.

Methods: The summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and Bayesian co-localization analysis were used to assess the potential causality between AS and relevant genes. The GWAS data obtained from the International Genetics of Ankylosing Spondylitis Consortium (IGAS) were set as the discovery stage, and the FinnGen and UK Biobank databases were used to replicate the analysis as an external validation.

Cyclosporin A as an adjunct may enhance the therapeutic effect of interferon alpha-2a in patients with refractory Behcet's uveitis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The application of biologic agents has benefited patients with Behcet's uveitis (BU) who do not respond to conventional treatment regimens. However, there is currently no consensus on the optimal treatment regimen of interferon alpha-2a (IFN-α2a) for refractory BU.

Objectives: To evaluate treatment outcomes and safety of IFN-α2a in a large series of refractory BU patients and to explore whether nonbiologic immunomodulatory agents (cyclosporin A) other than corticosteroids should be concomitantly used.

Diminished retinal microcirculation in mild preeclampsia without obvious retinopathy in high-altitude native Tibetans by OCTA.

Background: To investigate the retinal microcirculation in mild preeclampsia (PE) without obvious retinopathy in high-altitude native Tibetans by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: This study enrolled 64 mild preeclamptic pregnant women without retinopathy (group PPW), 63 healthy pregnant women (group HPW), and 61 healthy non-pregnant women (group HNPW). All participants were high-altitude native Tibetans who underwent OCTA, retinal thickness (RT), vascular density (VD), perfusion density (PD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters were measured in the macula.

m6A-methylase METTL3 promotes retinal angiogenesis through modulation of metabolic reprogramming in RPE cells.

Retinal neovascularization (RNV) disease is one of the leading causes of blindness, yet the molecular underpinnings of this condition are not well understood. To delve into the critical aspects of cell-mediated angiogenesis, we analyzed our previously published single-cell data. Our analysis revealed that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells serve a crucial promotional function in angiogenesis.

Cigarette smoke extract induces ferroptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common blindness diseases. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction due to smoking is an essential environmental factor in the pathogenesis of AMD. Ferroptosis is a novel type of iron-dependent programmed cell death (PCD).

Corneal Endothelial Changes in Chinese Patients with Fuchs' Uveitis Syndrome.

Purpose: To analyze the changes of corneal endothelial cells in Chinese patients with unilateral Fuchs' uveitis syndrome (FUS) and investigate the factors relevant to these changes.

Methods: Bilateral specular microscopic examination was performed in 459 Chinese patients with unilateral FUS from April 2008 to April 2023. The affected eyes constituted the study group, while the contralateral eyes served as controls.

Sensitive optical coherence tomography angiography parameters detecting retinal vascular changes in Behcet's uveitis.

Purpose: To compare the retinal parameters in Behcet's uveitis (BU) patients with wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) and find a sensitive OCTA parameter.

Methods: Fifty-two eyes from 52 quiescent BU patients and 50 healthy eyes were included. All subjects underwent SS-OCTA examinations with 12 × 12 mm region.

A case of delayed recurrent hyphema following Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) surgery.

Purpose: To present a case of delayed recurrent hyphema following toric ICL implantation.

Observations: This case reports a 24-year-old Asian female who presented with sudden decrease in vision in the right eye, accompanied by recurrent massive anterior chamber hemorrhage, six months after bilateral implantation of toric ICL with central holes for myopia correction. Despite initial conservative treatment with immobilization and intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medication at another hospital, the hyphema persisted.

Transcription factor EGR2 alleviates autoimmune uveitis via activation of GDF15 to modulate the retinal microglial phenotype.

Uveitis is a vision-threatening disease primarily driven by a dysregulated immune response, with retinal microglia playing a pivotal role in its progression. Although the transcription factor EGR2 is known to be closely associated with uveitis, including Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and Behcet's disease, and is essential for maintaining the dynamic homeostasis of autoimmunity, its exact role in uveitis remains unclear. In this study, diminished EGR2 expression was observed in both retinal microglia from experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) mice and inflammation-induced human microglia cell line (HMC3).

Lutein protects senescent ciliary muscle against oxidative stress through the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway.

Background: Aging-induced decline in ciliary muscle function is an important factor in visual accommodative deficits in elderly adults. With this study, we provide an innovative investigation of the interaction between ciliary muscle aging and oxidative stress.

Methods: Tricolor guinea pigs were used for the experiments in vivo and primary guinea pig ciliary smooth muscle cells were used for the experiments in vitro.

Application of articaine in endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy: a retrospective study.

Background: To investigate the comparative effects of local anesthesia using lidocaine with adrenaline vs. articaine with adrenaline in endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR).

Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 180 patients.

Pilocarpine mediated excessive calcium accumulation leads to ciliary muscle cell senescence and apoptosis.

The ciliary muscle constitutes a crucial element in refractive regulation. Investigating the pathophysiological mechanisms within the ciliary muscle during excessive contraction holds significance in treating ciliary muscle dysfunction. A guinea pig model of excessive contraction of the ciliary muscle induced by drops pilocarpine was employed, alongside the primary ciliary muscle cells was employed in in vitro experiments.

TRIM16 mitigates impaired osteogenic differentiation and antioxidant response in D-galactose-induced senescent osteoblasts.

Senile osteoporosis (SOP), characterized by significant bone loss, poses a substantial threat to elderly skeletal health, with oxidative stress playing a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Although Tripartite Motif 16 (TRIM16) has been identified as a promoter of antioxidant response and osteogenic differentiation, its regulatory role in SOP remains incompletely understood. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of TRIM16 in mitigating D-galactose (D-gal)-induced senescent osteoblasts.

Palladium nanocrystals regulates scleral extracellular matrix remodeling in myopic progression by modulating the hypoxia signaling pathway Nrf-2/Ho-1.

Myopia represents a widespread global public health concern influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. The prevailing theory explaining myopia development revolves around scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, characterized by diminished Type I collagen (Col-1) synthesis and increased degradation, resulting in scleral thinning and eye axis elongation. Existing studies underscore the pivotal role of scleral hypoxia in myopic scleral remodeling.

Dexamethasone-loaded ROS stimuli-responsive nanogels for topical ocular therapy of corneal neovascularization.

Dexamethasone (DEX) has been demonstrated to inhibit the inflammatory corneal neovascularization (CNV). However, the therapeutic efficacy of DEX is limited by the poor bioavailability of conventional eye drops and the increased risk of hormonal glaucoma and cataract associated with prolonged and frequent usage. To address these limitations, we have developed a novel DEX-loaded, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive, controlled-release nanogel, termed DEX@INHANGs.

IL-17A enhances the inflammatory response of glaucoma through Act1/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway.

Objectives: To investigate the possible roles of Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) and IL-17A neutralizing antibodies (IL-17Ab) in glaucoma and the potential mechanisms.

Methods: The two glaucoma animal models, chronic ocular hypertension (COH) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage, were established and treated with intravitreal injection of IL-17A or IL-17Ab. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by a rebound tonometer.

Metrnl inhibits choroidal neovascularization by attenuating the choroidal inflammation via inactivating the UCHL-1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) represents the predominant form of advanced wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (wAMD). Macrophages play a pivotal role in the pathological progression of CNV. Meteorin-like (Metrnl), a novel cytokine known for its anti-inflammatory properties in macrophages, is the focus of our investigation into its mechanism of action and its potential to impede CNV progression.

Myopia prevalence and ocular biometry in children and adolescents at different altitudes: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing and Tibet, China.

Objective: To investigate the differences in myopia prevalence and ocular biometry in children and adolescents in Chongqing and Tibet, China.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: The study included children and adolescents aged 6-18 years in Chongqing, a low-altitude region, and in Qamdo, a high-altitude region of Tibet.

Revealing Academic Evolution and Frontier Pattern in the Field of Uveitis Using Bibliometric Analysis, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning.

Purpose: Numerous uveitis articles were published in this century, underneath which hides valuable intelligence. We aimed to characterize the evolution and patterns in this field.

Methods: We divided the 15,994 uveitis papers into four consecutive time periods for bibliometric analysis, and applied latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling and machine learning techniques to the latest period.