Gray matter volume alterations in patients with strabismus and amblyopia: voxel-based morphometry study

This study proposes the use of the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique to investigate structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with strabismus and amblyopia (SA). Sixteen patients with SA and sixteen healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Original whole brain images were analyzed using the VBM method. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between mean gray matter volume (GMV) and clinical manifestations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to classify the mean GMV values of the SA group and HCs. Compared with the HCs, GMV values in the SA group showed a significant difference in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and left anterior cingulate cortex. The mean GMV value in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus were negatively correlated with the angle of strabismus. The ROC curve analysis of each cerebral region confirmed the accuracy of the area under the curve. Patients with SA have reduced GMV values in some brain regions. These findings might help to reveal the potential pathogenesis of SA and its relationship with the atrophy of specific regions of the brain.

Altered brain network centrality in patients with retinal vein occlusion: a resting-state fMRI study

AIM

To explore the intrinsic brain activity variations in retinal vein occlusion (RVO) subjects by using the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) technique.

METHODS

Twenty-one subjects with RVO and twenty-one healthy controls (HCs) were enlisted and underwent the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) examination. The spontaneous cerebrum activity variations were inspected using the DC technology. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was implemented to distinguish the DC values of RVOs from HCs. The relationships between DC signal of definite regions of interest and the clinical characteristics in RVO group were evaluated by Pearson's correlation analysis.

RESULTS

RVOs showed notably higher DC signals in right superior parietal lobule, middle frontal gyrus and left precuneus, but decreased DC signals in left middle temporal gyrus and bilateral anterior cingulated (BAC) when comparing with HCs. The mean DC value of RVOs in the BAC were negatively correlated with the anxiety and depression scale.

CONCLUSION

RVO is associated aberrant intrinsic brain activity patterns in several brain areas including pain-related as well as visual-related regions, which might assist to reveal the latent neural mechanisms.

Functional connectivity density alterations in middle-age retinal detachment patients

OBJECTIVE

Middle-age patients with retinal detachment (RD) exhibit a loss of visual information, and previous studies of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have demonstrated abnormal spontaneous activity in the RD brain. Therefore, this study assessed changes in local functional connectivity density (lFCD) and long-range functional connectivity density (longFCD) in middle-age RD patients during resting-state FC.

METHODS

In total, 32 middle-age patients with RD (18 men and 14 women), and 32 age-, sex-, and education-matched normal controls (NCs) (18 men and 14 women) were recruited and underwent functional magnetic resonance examination in the resting state. Two-sample t test was performed to compare lFCD and longFCD between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to distinguish middle-age RD patients from NCs.

RESULTS

Compared with NCs, middle-age RD patients demonstrated increased lFCD values in the right inferior temporal gyrus, and increased longFCD values in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, left superior and middle frontal gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal gyri, and left cerebellum posterior lobe. Middle-age RD patient exhibited decreased lFCD values in the left cuneus, right lingual gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus. They also had lower longFCD values in the left lingual gyrus and left inferior occipital gyrus. ROC curve analysis showed excellent accuracy of the specific areas under the curve.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal that middle-age RD patients exhibited variations of binarized lFCD and longFCD in specific brain areas, which provides insight into the pathological mechanism of RD patients with acute visual loss.

Surgical correction of recurrent epiblepharon in Chinese children using modified skin re-draping epicanthoplasty

AIM

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the modified skin re-draping epicanthoplasty procedure for correction of recurrent lower lid epiblepharon in Chinese children.

METHODS

From 2016 to 2018, 18 children (10 males and 8 females, average age 6.2±1.7y; 30 eyes) with recurrent epiblepharon who attended Beijing Children's Hospital were included in the study. All the children had undergone lower eyelid surgery for epiblepharon. Surgical design included using an additional incision along the upper palpebral margin, to avoid vertical scarring on the upper lid. The re-draping method was used to correct recurrent epiblepharon. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 24mo. Postoperative surgical outcomes, complications, and subjective satisfaction were evaluated.

RESULTS

Complete correction of cilia touching the cornea was observed in all patients during an average follow-up of 7.1mo. No "dog ears" or obvious scars were formed after surgery. All parents were satisfied with the cosmetic results and none complained. Mean astigmatism decreased from 2.39±0.79 diopter (D) preoperatively to 2.19±0.79 D at 6mo after surgery; however, the difference was not significant. Best-corrected visual acuity improved, although the change in mean visual acuity was not significant. No recurrence occurred during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

This surgical modified skin re-draping technique is effective and highly satisfactory for correction of recurrent epiblepharon. The approach is characterized by a simple design, a straightforward procedure, inconspicuous scarring, and good postoperative appearance.

Altered brain network centrality in middle-aged patients with retinitis pigmentosa: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying functional network brain activity changes of patients in middle-aged with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and the relationships with clinical features such as depression scale and visual functioning using voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) method.

METHODS

We included 16 patients with RP (11 men, 5 women) and 16 healthy controls (HCs; 11 men, 5 women). Participants were matched in terms of age, weight, gender and handedness (age and weight between the two groups were compared using independent sample t-tests, gender and handedness were compared using chi-square test). We use the voxel-wise DC method to assess spontaneous brain activity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to distinguish between RP patients and HCs. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between mean DC values in various brain regions and clinical features (such as depression scale and visual functioning) in RP patients.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, the DC values of patients with RP were reduced in the right medial frontal gyrus, bilateral cuneus, bilateral precuneus, and bilateral superior frontal gyrus, and increased in the right cerebellum posterior lobe, left inferior temporal gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus. The mean DC values in the bilateral cuneus negatively correlated with the depression scale, and those in the bilateral precuneus positively correlated with the Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25.

CONCLUSIONS

Middle-aged patients with RP exhibit abnormal brain network activity in various brain regions, and this may underlie the pathological mechanism of RP.

Apolipoprotein A1 and Low-Density Lipoprotein as Risk Factors for Intraocular Metastases in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of patients with postmenopausal breast cancer(PBC) can be improved through the early detection of intraocular metastases(IOMs). In this study, we investigated patients with PBC, and compared those with IOMs with those with non-intraocular metastases(NIOMs) in terms of blood lipid levels, and then differentiated the risk factors associated with IOMs.

METHODS

Student's t-test and a chi-square test were used to discriminate between the IOMs and NIOMs groups. After establishing a Poisson regression model to analyze risk factors, we plotted receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC) to assess the quality of risk factors predicting IOMs.

RESULTS

The incidence of IOMs in PBC was 1.16%. There was no significant difference in terms of histopathology between the 2 groups. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), apolipoprotein A1(APOA1) and low-density lipoprotein(LDL) in IOMs were significantly lower than in NIOMs groups. Poisson regression suggested that low levels of APOA1 and LDL were risk factors for IOMs (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the cut-off values of APOA1 and LDL were 1.025 g/L and 2.415 mmol/L. The highest prediction accuracy for IOMs involved the combination of APOA1 and LDL (AUC = 0.881, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our research demonstrates that low levels of APOA1 and LDL efficiently predict IOMs in PBC as risk factors, and the combination of APOA1 and LDL was more predictive than single factors.

Altered regional homogeneity in patients with diabetic vitreous hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Diabetic vitreous hemorrhage (DVH) is a common complication of diabetes. While the diagnostic methods nowadays only concentrate on the eye injury in DVH patients, whether DVH leads to abnormalities of other visual systems, including the eye, the visual cortex, and other brain regions, remains unknown.

AIM

To explore the potential changes of brain activity in DVH using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and their relationships with clinical features.

METHODS

Thirty-one DVH patients and 31 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All subjects were examined by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The neural homogeneity in the brain region was estimated by ReHo method. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between average ReHo values and clinical manifestations in DVH patients.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, the ReHo values in the bilateral cerebellar posterior lobes, right superior (RS)/middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and bilateral superior frontal gyrus were significantly increased. In contrast, in the right insula, bilateral medial frontal gyri, and right middle frontal gyrus, the ReHo values were significantly decreased. Furthermore, we found that best-corrected visual acuity of the contralateral eye in patients with DVH presented a positive correlation with the mean ReHo value of the RS/MOG. We also found that depression score of the DVH group presented a negative correlation with the mean ReHo values of the right insula, bilateral medial frontal gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus.

CONCLUSION

We found that DVH may cause dysfunction in multiple brain areas, which may benefit the exploration of pathologic mechanisms in DVH patients.

Resting-State Functional MRI Study Demonstrates That the Density of Functional Connectivity Density Mapping Changes in Patients with Acute Eye Pain

Purpose

Brain function in patients with acute eye pain (EP) has not been extensively studied. An understanding of the alterations in short-range functional connectivity density (shortFCD) and long-range functional connectivity density (longFCD) in patients with EP remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to compare the functional connectivity density (FCD) between patients with EP and healthy controls (HCs) using resting-state functional connectivity.

Methods

A total of 40 patients with EP (26 males and 14 females) and 40 HCs (26 males and 14 females) of similar age underwent functional magnetic resonance (MR) examination at the resting state. The shortFCD and longFCD values were compared using the one-sample t-test. The differences between patients with EP and the HCs were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

In the patients with EP, significantly reduced shortFCD values were observed in the left posterior lobe of the cerebellum, right inferior parietal lobule, and left anterior lobe of the cerebellum, and significantly reduced longFCD values were observed in both the left and right posterior lobe of the cerebellum. Significantly increased shortFCD values were also observed in both superior frontal gyri (Brodmann area 6), and increased longFCD values were observed in the left inferior temporal gyrus and left superior frontal gyri (Brodmann area 11). Compared with the HCs, less reduction was noted among the shortFCD values of patients with EP in the right posterior lobe of the cerebellum, right supramarginal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyri, and bilateral caudate nuclei.

Conclusion

EP patients shown variation of binarized shortFCD and long FCD in brain areas including premotor cortex, ventral cortical visual system, newest part of the cerebellum, cerebellum control unconscious proprioception, inhibition of involuntary movement, somatosensory association cortex, nucleus involving reward system and ventral cortical visual system which might provide an explanation of brain functional compensation for chronic eye pain and visual impairment in the EP patients.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage using amplitude of low‑frequency fluctuation: A resting‑state fMRI study

The aim of the present study was to assess the local character of spontaneous brain activity in type-2 diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) and its relationship with clinical features via the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) method. A total of 31 subjects (15 females and 16 males) with type-2 diabetic VH and 31 normal controls (NCs) with similar characteristics (sex, age and educational level) were recruited in the present study. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The local character of spontaneous brain activity was assessed using the ALFF method. The difference between the type-2 diabetic patients with VH and NCs was determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Pearson's correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between the mean ALFF values of specific brain areas and related clinical manifestations in type-2 diabetic patients with VH. The ALFF values of type-2 diabetic patients with VH were significantly increased in the right and left cerebellum posterior lobes, left cerebellum posterior lobe/left lingual gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus/left postcentral gyrus, compared with those obtained for NCs (P<0.05). By contrast, these values were significantly decreased in the left and right middle frontal gyri, right medial frontal gyrus/left anterior cingulate, right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus/middle frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus of the former group compared with the NCs (P<0.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant association between the mean ALFF values and clinical characteristics in different brain areas. Unusual spontaneous activity occurred in multiple brain areas, which may suggest the neuropathological mechanisms of visual impairment in type-2 diabetic patients with VH.

Reduced gray matter volume in patients with retinal detachment: evidence from a voxel-based morphometry study

Background

We know little about the pathogenesis and diagnosis of retinal detachment.

Purpose

To assess spontaneous changes in the cerebral cortex of patients with retinal detachment using voxel-based morphometry and to explore the relationship between retinal detachment and clinical behavioral performance.

Material and Methods

Patients (14 men, 6 women; average age = 49.15 ± 10.32 years) with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (duration of 24.05 ± 19.61 days) and 20 matched healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent repeated functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The original three-dimensional T1 brain images were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry and whole brain white matter volume and whole brain gray matter volume were compared with those of the control group. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to classify the mean gray matter volume values of the patients with retinal detachment compared with the controls.

Results

Compared with the controls, whole brain gray matter volume was significantly reduced in patients with retinal detachment, as evidenced by changes in the right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus, and right cuneus. In addition, the posterior lobe of the cerebellum, left hippocampus, left cingulate gyrus, and left middle temporal gyrus were also obviously atrophied. Furthermore, whole brain white matter volume of the patients with retinal detachment showed a slight reduction. The ROC curve analysis of each brain region showed that the accuracy of the area under the curve was high.

Conclusion

We proved that patients with retinal detachment had unusual changes in the gray matter volume and white matter volume in vision-related brain regions, which could reveal potential pathological mechanisms of retinal detachment.

Altered spontaneous brain activity pattern in patients with ophthalmectomy: an resting-state fMRI study

AIM

To use the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) method to explore the underlying functional network brain-activity in patients with ophthalmectomy.

METHODS

A total of 32 ophthalmic surgery patients (10 women and 22 men), and 32 healthy subjects (10 women and 22 men) highly matched in gender, age, and the same operation method. Everyone experienced a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The spontaneous brain activity could be assessed by DC. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between the average DC signal values and behavior performance in different regions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to differentiate between ophthalmectomy patients and healthy controls (HCs).

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, ophthalmectomy patients had greatly reduced DC values in left lingual gyrus, bilateral lingual lobe, left cingulate gyrus, and increased DC values of left cerebellum posterior lobe, left middle frontal gyrus1, right supramarginal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus2, right middle frontal gyrus. However, we did not find that there was a correlation between the average DC values from various brain regions and clinical manifestations.

CONCLUSION

Dysfunction may be caused by ophthalmectomy in lots of cerebral areas, which may show the potential pathological mechanism of ophthalmectomy and it is beneficial to clinical diagnosis.

Netrin-1 promotes epithelium repair in corneal injury

AIM

To explore netrin-1 functions on corneal epithelium in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

In vitro the human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells were treated with serum free DMEM-F12 basic media containing 0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, and 1000 ng/mL of netrin-1, respectively. The cells viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The wound-healing assay was applied to assess the migration proficiency of HCE cells. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell-cycle distribution and apoptosis. In vivo, normal c57 (6wk) mice were demarcated with a trephine in the middle of the cornea to produce a 3-mm circular wound. Mice corneas were inflicted no epithelium with a 3-mm wound displayed, but remained the limbal epithelium intact. A blunt scalpel blade was used to remove the corneal epithelian cells, followed by topical netrin-1 application (200 ng/mL), and the group treated by PBS as control. The treated group was injected netrin-1 into the normal c57 mice inferior subconjunctival 4h before trauma. Mouse corneal inflammation and neovascularization were observed under slit lamp microscope. The apoptosis of corneal cells was determined by TUNEL staining.

RESLUTS

A concentration of 200 ng/mL netrin-1 enhanced 25% of the HCE viability. The relative migration rates were 76.3% and 100% in control and netrin-1 treated group after cultured 72h. Treated with netrin-1 (200 ng/mL) decreased the apoptosis of HCE cells, as well as decreased their percentage from 19.3%±0.57% to 12.7%±0.42% of the total. The remaining wound area was 1.22 mm² in control group but 0.22 mm² in the netrin-1 treated group. Exogenous Netrin-1 inhibits apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells of c57 mice. TUNEL-positive cells at the epithelial layer of the corneas of the control and netrin-1 treated c57 mice at 24h after wounding were 43.3% and 16.7% respectively.

CONCLUSION

Netrin-1 can reduce HCE apoptosis as well as promote its proliferation and migration. Topical application of netrin-1 promotes the injuryed cornea epithelial wound repair and inhibits apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells. These findings may offer potential therapies to repair the defects of corneal epithelial based on netrin-1.

CEA as a risk factor in predicting ocular metastasis from colorectal cancer

Objective: Colorectal, closely following pulmonary and breast, is the third predilection site of cancer that lead to death all over the world. Ocular metastasis (OM) of colorectal cancer (CRC) is becoming increasingly common and presents a poor prognosis. In this study, we detected some recognized tumor biomarkers and tried to differentiate the discrepancy between CRC patients with and without OM in order to clarify the risk factor for OM in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: 1735 patients with colorectal cancer in total from August 2005 to August 2017 were involved in this study. Nonparametric rank sum test and Chi-square test were applied to prescribe whether there were significant differences between OM group and non-ocular metastasis (NOM) group. And binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factor. Then, we used receiver operating curve (ROC) to assess the diagnostic value of OM in CRC patients. Results: The incidence of OM in CRC patients was 1.12%. No significant differences were found in gender, age, histopathological type, tumor classification and tumor differentiation between OM group and NOM group. Nonparametric rank sum test approved that OM group had higher serum CEA level compared with NOM group. Binary logistic regression indicated that CEA was a risk factor for OM in colorectal cancer patients (p<0.001). ROC curve showed that AUC of CEA was 0.877. The cutoff value of CEA was 12.45 ng/ml, whose sensitivity is 1.000 and its specificity is 0.877. Conclusion: Based on our study, CEA was a risk factor of ocular metastasis in colorectal cancer patients.

Altered Intrinsic Functional Connectivity of the Primary Visual Cortex in Patients with Neovascular Glaucoma: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

PURPOSE

The purpose was to investigate the differences in spontaneous functional connectivity (FC) of the primary visual cortex (V1) between patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) and healthy controls (HCs) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data.

METHODS

A total of 18 patients with NVG (nine males and nine females) and 18 HCs with similar age and sex background were enrolled in the study and inspected using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The differences in FC of the V1 between the two groups were compared using the independent samples t-test. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to compare the average FC values of NVG subjects with those of HCs.

RESULTS

FC in the left V1 and right fusiform gyrus, bilateral cuneus, and left precuneus was significantly decreased in the NVG group compared with that reported in the HC group. Meanwhile, patients with NVG presented increased FC between the right V1 and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. However, they also exhibited declining FC between the right V1 and left precuneus, and bilateral cuneus. The ROC curve analysis of each brain region indicated that the accuracy of the area under the ROC curves regarding NVG was excellent.

CONCLUSION

NVG involves aberrant FC in the V1 in different brain areas, including the visual-related and cognitive-related regions. These findings may assist in unveiling the underlying neural mechanisms of impaired visual function in NVG.

Altered brain network centrality in patients with trigeminal neuralgia: a resting-state fMRI study

Background

Neuroimaging studies revealed that trigeminal neuralgia was related to alternations in brain anatomical function and regional function. However, the functional characteristics of network organization in the whole brain is unknown.

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to analyze potential functional network brain-activity changes and their relationships with clinical features in patients with trigeminal neuralgia via the voxel-wise degree centrality method.

Material and Methods

This study involved a total of 28 trigeminal neuralgia patients (12 men, 16 women) and 28 healthy controls matched in sex, age, and education. Spontaneous brain activity was evaluated by degree centrality. Correlation analysis was used to examine the correlations between behavioral performance and average degree centrality values in several brain regions.

Results

Compared with healthy controls, trigeminal neuralgia patients had significantly higher degree centrality values in the right lingual gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, left paracentral lobule, and bilateral inferior cerebellum. Receiver operative characteristic curve analysis of each brain region confirmed excellent accuracy of the areas under the curve. There was a positive correlation between the mean degree centrality value of the right postcentral gyrus and VAS score (r = 0.885, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Trigeminal neuralgia causes abnormal brain network activity in multiple brain regions, which may be related to underlying disease mechanisms.

Central network changes in patients with advanced monocular blindness: A voxel-based morphometric study

OBJECTIVE

To study the changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in patients with advanced monocular blindness (MB) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).

METHODS

Thirty-one patients with advanced MB (25 males and six females) and 31 normal controls (25 males and six females) were enrolled. The t test was applied to determine the differences in GMV, white matter volume (WMV), and volume of cerebrospinal fluid in different regions of the brain. The local characteristics of spontaneous concentrations of brain tissue were evaluated by the VBM method. The effects of blindness duration on differences in the GMV were evaluated by correlation and regression analyses.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the GMV was decreased in the upper right margin, bilateral insular cortex, right cingulate gyrus, left occipital gyrus, and right suboccipital lobe, and negatively correlated with blindness duration in the upper right posterior margin, bilateral insular cortex, and right cingulate cortex.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that patients with MB showed abnormal WMV and GMV, as evidenced by local changes in the brain. In addition, reduced GMV in specific parts of the brain was associated with the duration of blindness, which may indicate neuropathological mechanisms of visual loss in patients with MB.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in patients with retinal vein occlusion indicated by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

The aim of the present study was to explore the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF; a measurement of spontaneous brain activity) in different brain regions of patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and its association with vision changes measurements. A total of 24 RVO patients (12 males and 12 females) and 24 healthy controls (HCs, 12 males and 12 females) were recruited, and they were closely matched regarding age, gender and education level (classified according to nine-year compulsory education in China and higher education, all including primary school, junior school, high school and university). ALFF values of different brain regions were gathered and analyzed, and statistical analysis software was used to explore the correlations between the average ALFF signals and clinical features. The ability of ALFF values to distinguish between subjects with RVO and HCs was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The results indicated that the subjects from the RVO group had higher ALFF values than the HCs in the posterior lobe of the left cerebellum, inferior temporal gyrus, cerebellar anterior lobe, right cerebellum posterior/anterior lobe, and lower ALFF values in the medial frontal gyrus, right precuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, right angular gyrus and right superior frontal gyrus. The ROC curve analysis of each brain region indicated that the accuracy of the area under the ROC curves regarding the prediction of RVO was excellent. The best-corrected visual acuity (VA) in the left eye was positively correlated with the ALFF value of the right precuneus (r=0.767, P=0.004) and the best-corrected VA in the right eye was positively correlated with the ALFF value of the left middle frontal gyrus (r=0.935, P<0.001). The central subfield retinal thickness in the left eye was negatively correlated with the ALFF value of the right precuneus (r=−0.895; P<0.001). The duration of RVO in the right eye was positively correlated with the ALFF value of the left middle frontal gyrus (r=0.868; P<0.001). In conclusion, the present results indicate that RVO is associated with dysfunction of diverse brain regions, including language- and movement-associated areas, which may reflect the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of RVO (trial registry no. CDYFY-LL-2017025).

The predictive potential of altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy

Objective

The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) fMRI technique was used to study the changes of spontaneous brain activity in patients with diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy (DRN), and to explore the application of ALFF technique in the potential prediction and the targeted prevention of diabetic microangiopathy.

Methods

Nineteen patients with diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy and 19 healthy controls (HCs) were matched for age and gender. Spontaneous cerebral activity variations were investigated using the ALFF technique. The average ALFF values of the DRN patients and the HCs were classified utilizing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

In contrast to the results in the HCs, the patients with DRN had significantly higher ALFF values in the cerebellum (bilaterally in the posterior and anterior lobes) and the left inferior temporal gyrus, but the ALFF values of the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, left middle/inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral precuneus, and left inferior parietal lobule were lower. ROC curve analysis of each brain region showed the accuracy of AUC was excellent. However, the mean ALFF values in the different regions did not correlate with clinical performance. The subjects showed abnormal neuronal synchronization in many areas of the brain, which is consistent with cognitive and visual functional deficits.

Conclusion

Abnormal spontaneous activity was detected in many areas of the brain, which may provide useful information for understanding the pathology of DRN. Abnormal ALFF values of these brain regions may be of predictive value in the development of early DRN and be a targeted intervention indicator for individualized treatment of diabetic microvascular diseases.

Diagnostic value of CA-153 and CYFRA 21-1 in predicting intraocular metastasis in patients with metastatic lung cancer

Lung cancer is prone to metastasis to various organs. Although intraocular metastasis (IOM) occurs at a later stage than metastasis to other organs, it often adversely affects the quality of life and suggests a poor prognosis. In this study, we selected 1608 patients with lung cancer who had metastasis to at least one site and explored clinical differences between those with IOM and non‐IOM (NIOM). An independent t test and chi‐squared test were used to analyze the clinical features of the patients. The statistically significant parameters were analyzed by binary logistic regression to determine the risk factors for IOM. A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess their diagnostic value in IOM. The results showed that no significant differences were noted in age, gender, and pathological type between the IOM and NIOM groups. However, the IOM group had higher levels of alpha‐fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, cancer antigen (CA)‐125, CA‐153, cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFRA 21‐1), and total prostate‐specific antigen, compared with the NIOM group. Binary logistic regression indicated that CA‐153 and CYFRA 21‐1 were risk factors for IOM in patients with MLC (P < 0.05). Area under the curve of CA‐153, CYFRA 21‐1 and their combination were 0.791, 0.860, and 0.872 respectively. The cutoff values for CA‐153 and CYFRA 21‐1 were 22.2 U/mL and 6.785 ng/mL. In conclusion, both CA‐153 and CYFRA 21‐1 were independent risk factors for IOM in patients with metastatic lung cancer (MLC), whereas the combination of CA‐153 and CYFRA 21‐1 assessment yields the most value in the detection of IOM in patients with MLC.

Application of amplitude of low‑frequency fluctuation to altered spontaneous neuronal activity in classical trigeminal neuralgia patients: A resting‑state functional MRI study

Recent studies have reported structural and functional abnormalities in multiple brain regions of classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) patients. Differences in spontaneous neuronal activity between CTN patients and healthy subjects, however, remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate alterations in brain activity by application of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), thus analyzing the correlation between durations of spontaneous pain intensity and ALFF values in CTN patients. A total of 28 CTN patients (male, n=12; female, n=16) and 28 healthy controls (HCs; male, n=12; female, n=16) matched for age and sex were enrolled. All subjects underwent resting‑state functional magnetic resonance imaging and changes in spontaneous brain activity were investigated using an ALFF method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to differentiate ALFF values of CTN patients from HCs. Altered ALFF values and clinical manifestations were evaluated using Pearson's correlation analysis. ALFF values of the bilateral inferior cerebellum, bilateral fusiform gyrus, right precentral gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right superior cerebellum, left inferior occipital gyrus and right superior occipital gyrus were significantly higher in CTN patients when compared to HCs. ROC curve analysis of each brain revealed a near‑perfect AUC accuracy. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed the visual analog scale of the right eye to be positively correlated with both left inferior temporal and occipital gyral findings, while episode duration likewise was positively associated with left inferior temporal gyral findings. CTN patients exhibited abnormal spontaneous activity in multiple brain regions closely related to pain regulation and perception, while VAS and CTN episode duration were positively correlated with ALFF signal values in some brain regions. The present findings provide further insight into the pathological mechanisms underlying CTN.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in patients with corneal ulcer using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: An fMRI study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the altered spontaneous brain activity in patients with corneal ulcer (CU) through the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) technique and the association with their visual performance. A total of 40 patients with CU and 40 healthy controls (HCs) matched for sex, age and educational level were enrolled. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed to examine the probands. Spontaneous cerebral activity variations were investigated using the ALFF technique. The average ALFF values of the CU patients and the HCs were classified by utilizing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Contrary to HCs, the CU patients had significantly lower ALFF values in the left cerebellar anterior lobe, right middle frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, but higher ALFF values in the right cerebellar inferior lobe, left cerebellar inferior lobe, left inferior temporal gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, right angular gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus. ROC curve analysis of each brain region indicated that the accuracy of ALFF value specificity between the CU and HCs of the area under the curve was perfect. In conclusion, abnormal spontaneous activities were detected in numerous brain regions of CU patients, which may provide useful information for understanding the dysfunction of CU. These activity changes in brain regions may be used as effective clinical indicators for CU.

The predictive value of high-density lipoprotein for ocular metastases in colorectal cancer patients

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common tumor of the digestive tract that tends to metastasize and leads to high mortality. Ocular metastases (OM) from colorectal cancer are being increasingly diagnosed, and they can lead to a poor prognosis. Serum lipids are a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and are also relevant to the occurrence of CRC. In this study, we examined the levels of serum lipids and tried to determine whether there were correlations with the occurrence of OM in patients with colorectal cancer, in order to determine whether serum lipid levels may be a risk factor for OM in this patient population.

Patients and methods: Records from a total of 703 patients treated for colorectal cancer from August 2005 to August 2017 were involved in this study. Student’s t-tests, nonparametric rank sum tests, and Chi-square tests were applied to describe whether there were significant differences between the OM group and non-ocular metastases (NOM) group. We used binary logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors and receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses to assess the diagnostic value for OM in CRC patients.

Results: There were no significant differences in gender, age, histopathology type, or tumor classifications between the OM and NOM groups. The levels of serum TC, HDL, and LDL were significantly different between patients with and without lymph node metastases as well as male and female patients. The OM group had higher serum HDL levels compared to the NOM group. Binary logistic regression indicated that HDL was a risk factor for OM in colorectal cancer patients. The ROC curves showed that the AUC of HDL was 0.660. The cutoff value of HDL was 1.27 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 0.619 and a specificity of 0.650.

Conclusion: HDL levels are correlated with ocular metastases in colorectal cancer patients.

ALTERED BRAIN ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY USING REGIONAL HOMOGENEITY: A RESTING-STATE fMRI STUDY

Objective: Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that diabetic retinopathy (DR) is accompanied by abnormal spontaneous brain activity. The purpose of the current study was to investigate changes in brain neural homogeneity in patients with DR using regional homogeneity (ReHo). Methods: A total of 56 subjects were recruited, including 28 patients with DR (16 female and 12 male patients) and 28 healthy controls (HCs) (16 female and 12 male patients) approximately matched for age and sex. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The ReHo method was applied to explore neural homogeneity in the brain. The patients with DR were distinguished from HCs following the construction of receiver operating characteristic curves. The ReHo method was applied to assess changes in synchronous neural activity. Results: Compared to HCs, the ReHo values in the left and right posterior lobes of the cerebellum in patients with DR were significantly increased, whereas ReHo values in the right anterior cingulate gyrus, right cuneus, bilateral precuneus, and left-middle frontal gyrus were significantly decreased. In addition, the ReHo value in the right cuneus showed a positive correlation with the best corrected visual acuity in patients with DR. Conclusion: Dysfunctional brain homology may reveal the pathological mechanisms underlying the visual pathways of patients with DR. Abbreviations: AUC = area under the curve; BA = Brodmann area; DR = diabetic retinopathy; fMRI = functional magnetic resonance imaging; HC = healthy control; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; rs-fMRI = resting-state fMRI; ReHo = regional homogeneity; ROC = receiver operating characteristic.

Abnormalities of interhemispheric functional connectivity in individuals with acute eye pain: a resting-state fMRI study

AIM

To study the changes of the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between acute eye pain (EP) subjects and healthy controls (HCs) in the two hemispheres by using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method.

METHODS

Totally 20 patients with EP and 20 HCs were enrolled, sex, age, and education were matched, and all subjects were examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans at resting-state. The changes of rsFC between the hemispheres were evaluated by the VMHC method according to Gaussian random field (GRF) theory. In order to identify the VMHC, as biomarkers for distinguishing EP and from HC, the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) had been analyzed. The relationships were evaluated with Pearson correlation analysis between the mean VMHC signal values and clinical features in these patients.

RESULTS

By comparing with health subjects, the significant decreased VMHC values was observed in lingual/calcarine (Brodmann area, BA 30), precentral/postcentral gyrus (PreCG/PosCG; BA 4) and medial frontal gyrus (MFG; BA 8) (false discovery rate corrected <0.01) in the acute EP individuals. The accuracy of area under curve was excellent indicated by the ROC curve analysis of each brain regions.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates preliminary evidence of disrupted interhemispheric rsFC in acute EP in sensorimotor and limbic system and somatosensory cortex, which might give some useful information for understanding the neurological mechanisms in acute EP individuals.

Altered brain activity in patients with strabismus and amblyopia detected by analysis of regional homogeneity: A resting‑state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Previous studies have demonstrated that strabismus or amblyopia can result in marked brain function and anatomical alterations. However, differences in spontaneous brain activity in strabismus and amblyopia (SA) patients as compared with control individuals remain unclear. The present study aimed to analyze the potential brain activity changes in SA patients and their association with behavioral performance. In total, 16 patients with SA (10 women and 6 men) and 16 healthy controls (HCs; 6 men and 10 women) with matched age and sex were recruited. All subjects were examined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and changes in the spontaneous brain activity of SA patients were evaluated by the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method. The diagnostic ability of the ReHo method was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In addition, the association between the mean ReHo value in different brain regions and the behavioral performance was explored by correlation analysis. It was observed that the ReHo value was significantly increased in SA patients compared with HCs in the following brain regions: left lingual gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus/precuneus, bilateral anterior cingulate, left middle occipital gyrus and bilateral precentral gyrus. By contrast, the ReHo value of the left inferior frontal gyrus was significantly lower than that in HCs. ROC curve analysis indicated that the ReHo method has certain credibility for the diagnosis of SA patients. In addition, no similar changes were detected in other brain regions. These results revealed abnormal spontaneous brain activity in certain parts of the brain in adult patients with SA, which suggests the involvement of the neuropathological or compensatory mechanism in these patients, and may be beneficial for clinical treatment.

Apolipoprotein A1 and B as risk factors for development of intraocular metastasis in patients with breast cancer

Objective: Breast cancer is the most common primary lesion resulting in intraocular metastasis (IOM). In this study, we investigated the differences between breast cancer patients with and without IOM, and clarified the risk factors for IOM in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: A total of 2,381 patients with breast cancer were included in this study from January 2005 to December 2017. The chi-square test and Student’s t-test were applied to evaluate differences between the IOM and non-IOM (NIOM) groups. Risk factors were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of IOM in patients with breast cancer.

Results: The IOM incidence in patients with breast cancer was 1.35%. No significant differences were detected in age, gender, menopausal status, or histopathology between the IOM and NIOM groups. The IOM group had more axillary lymph node metastases, lower ApoA1 and higher ApoB, compared with the NIOM group. Binary logistic regression indicated that ApoA1 and ApoB were risk factors for IOM in breast cancer patients (P-values<0.001 and P-values=0.005, respectively). ROC curve analysis revealed area under the curve values for ApoA1 and ApoB of 0.871 and 0.633, using cutoff values of 1.165 and 0.835 g/L, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity values for ApoA1 were 0.813 and 0.849, respectively, while those for ApoB were 0.813 and 0.481.

Conclusion: Our data indicate that ApoA1 and ApoB are risk factors for IOM in patients with breast cancer and that ApoA1 is more reliable than ApoB at distinguishing IOM from NIOM in patients with breast cancer.

Measuring abnormal intrinsic brain activities in patients with retinal detachment using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a resting-state fMRI study

OBJECTIVE

The targets of this study were to access the alternations of spontaneous brain activity in RD patients by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method and to explore their relationships with clinical behavioral performance.

METHODS

A total of 20 patients with RD (6 males and 14 females), and 20 healthy controls (HCs) (6 males and 14 females) were recruited, and were matched in sex and age. All participants finished the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We applied the ALFF method to detect the spontaneous brain activity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to distinguish RD Patients from HCs.

RESULTS

RD patients showed decreased ALFF values in the right occipital lobe and right medial frontal gyrus and increased ALFF values in the right frontal superior orbital and left inferior temporal gyrus when compared with HCs. In RD patients, we did not find any relationship between the mean ALFF values and the clinical behavioral performances.

CONCLUSION

The RD patients exhibited abnormal spontaneous brain activity in vision and vision related brain regions, which might explore potential pathological mechanism of acute vision loss in RD patients.

Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Patients with Classical Trigeminal Neuralgia Using Regional Homogeneity: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study

OBJECTIVE

Neuroimaging studies have shown that patients with pain-related conditions have altered neuronal activity and structural functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) exhibit changes in corresponding neuronal activity via analysis of neuronal activity regional homogeneity (ReHo).

METHODS

A total of 28 patients presenting with sore eyes (12 men and 16 women) were matched with 28 healthy controls (12 men and 16 women). All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This ReHo method was used to assess the consistency of changes in neural activity in various brain regions. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to differentiate ReHo values of patients with CTN from ReHo values of healthy controls. Pearson's correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the correlation between ReHo values of different brain regions of patients with CTN and clinical manifestations.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, patients with CTN were found to have increased ReHo values in the inferior cerebellum bilaterally, right inferior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and right precentral gyrus. ROC curve analysis of each brain region revealed near-perfect accuracy regarding the area under the curve. However, no correlation between ReHo values and clinical manifestations in patients with CTN was found.

CONCLUSIONS

CTN is associated with altered neuronal networks in different areas of the brain. ReHo values all possess different degrees of change, implying that CTN has a certain impact on cerebral function.

Gray Matter Volume Changes in Patients With Acute Eye Pain: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Purpose

The present study was attempted to compare the differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between the acute eye pain (EP) patients and the healthy controls (HCs) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and to explore the relationship with clinical features and behavioral performance.

Methods

A total of 24 patients (17 males, 7 females) with acute EP and 24 (17 males, 7 females) age-, sex-, and education-matched HCs were recruited from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were conducted in all subjects. We analyzed the original three-dimensional (3D) T1 brain images by VBM and compared the GMV values with the HCs. The acute EP patients can be distinguished from the HCs by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Compared with HCs, the acute EP patients had significantly lower GMV values in the brain regions of the left cerebellum posterior lobe, the left limbic lobe, the right insula, the left insula, the left thalamus, the left caudate, and the right cuneus. In addition, the WMV values of the whole brain in acute EP patients decreased slightly.

Conclusions

These results demonstrated that the acute EP patients showed an abnormal reduction in GMV in some brain regions, which might provide valuable information for further exploration of underlying neural mechanisms. These abnormal brain regions may reflect the functional disorders of acute EP patients in somatosensory, motor, cognitive functions, and so on.

Translational Relevance

The VBM study provides a diagnostic method for identifying the cause of acute EP, additionally, a novel direction was presented for further exploration of underlying neural mechanisms of acute EP.

The Cerebellum Posterior Lobe Associates with the Exophthalmos of Primary Hyperthyroidism: A Resting-State fMRI Study

BACKGROUND

Exophthalmos occurs in patients with primary hyperthyroidism. There were few studies about the changes of brain functional networks of patients with exophthalmos of primary hyperthyroidism (EOPH). However, differences in spontaneous brain activity in patients with EOPH remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored alterations in the brain functional networks of patients with EOPH using a voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) method.

METHODS

A total of 20 patients with EOPH (8 men and 12 women) were enrolled. In addition, 20 patients with primary hyperthyroidism without exophthalmos, matched in age, sex, and education status, were enrolled as a control group. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess the anxiety and depression status of participants. All participants were examined using resting-state functional MRI. Changes in spontaneous brain activity were investigated using the DC method. To distinguish between the DC values of the patients with EOPH and those of the control group, we analyzed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The interrelationships between the DC values and clinical variables in the patients with EOPH were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Patients with EOPH exhibited notably lower DC values in the cerebellum posterior lobe than the control group. In addition, there were negative correlations between the anxiety scores (AS) and the depression scores (DS) and DC values of the cerebellum posterior lobe. The ROC curve analysis of the cerebellum posterior lobe demonstrated that the area under the curve method had a high diagnostic accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study was the first, to our knowledge, to explore changes in the brains of patients with EOPH using the DC method. The DC value was significantly different in the cerebellum posterior lobe in patients with EOPH, indicating that the cerebellum posterior lobe is associated with EOPH.

Altered intrinsic brain activity in patients with toothaches using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations: a resting-state fMRI study

BACKGROUND

The results of previous studies have indicated that pain-associated diseases can result in marked functional and anatomical alterations in the brain. However, differences in spontaneous brain activity occurring in toothache (TA) patients remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated intrinsic brain activity changes in TA subjects using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) technique.

METHODS

A total of 18 patients with TA (eight males, and 10 females) and 18 healthy controls (HCs) who were matched for gender, age, and educational status were enrolled. Resting-state functional MRI was used to examine the participants. Spontaneous cerebral activity variations were investigated using the ALFF technique. The mean ALFF values of the TA patients and the HCs were classified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The correlations between ALFF signals of distinct regions of the cerebrum and the clinical manifestations of the TA patients were evaluated using Pearson's correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, TA patients showed notably higher ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus, right paracentral lobule, right lingual gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, and right superior occipital gyrus. ROC curve analysis of each brain region showed that the accuracy area under the curve was excellent. In the TA group, the visual analog scale of the left side was positively correlated with the ALFF signal values of the right paracentral lobule (r=0.639, P=0.025).

CONCLUSION

Multiple brain regions, including pain- and vision-related areas, exhibited aberrant intrinsic brain activity patterns, which may help to explain the underlying neural mechanisms in TA.

Functional Connectivity of Paired Default Mode Network Subregions in Retinal Detachment

Purpose

To explore the difference of the default mode network (DMN) in patients with retinal detachment (RD) by the study of the resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC).

Methods

A total of 30 patients with RD (16 men, 14 women) and 30 similarly matched normal controls (NCs) were examined and recorded with rs-fMRI. The DMN was divided into eight core regions, and each rs-FC map of each subregion was obtained. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to classify the mean FC values of RD patients from NCs, and the interrelationships between the FC and each region were evaluated with Pearson's correlation analysis.

Results

Compared with NCs, there were significantly increased FC in the left medial temporal lobe (MTL.L) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), MTL.L and left hippocampus formation (HF.L), MTL.L and HF.R, MTL.L and left inferior parietal cortices (IPC.L), MTL.L and IPC.R in the RD group (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, no correlation between the FC values of each paired region and the manifestations was found in the RD group. ROC curve analysis showed that the accuracy of the area under the curve was excellent in MTL.L-HF.R and MTL.L-IPC.R and less reliable in MTL.L-PCC, MTL.L-HF.L, and MTL.L-IPC.L.

Conclusions

The visual function impairments of RD patients were closely related to the DMN functional connections, which provided insight into the neural variation in RD patients and assisted in revealing the potential mechanisms of RD.

Translational Relevance

This study provided insight into the neural variation in RD patients and assisted in revealing the potential mechanisms of RD.

Reduction in interhemispheric functional connectivity in the dorsal visual pathway in unilateral acute open globe injury patients: a resting-state fMRI study

This study investigated the changes in interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) of the whole brain in open globe injury (OGI) patients, using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), and their relationships with clinical features. Totally, 16 male and 2 female acute OGI patients and 18 sex, age, and education-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. All subjects were scanned through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analyses had been used to identify the VMHC in these brain areas could be used as biomarkers to distinguish OGI and from healthy control (HC). The mean VMHC values in multiple brain areas and clinical OGI manifestations were evaluated with a Pearson correlation analysis. OGI patients had significantly decreased VMHC in the bilateral calcarine/lingual/cuneus (BA18, 19, 30) and middle occipital gyrus (BA18, 19). The OGI patients had abnormal interhemispheric FC in the dorsal visual pathway, which may represent the pathophysiological mechanism that underlies acute vision loss after OGI.

Xanthatin inhibits corneal neovascularization by inhibiting the VEGFR2‑mediated STAT3/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Alkali burn is one of the main causes of corneal injury. The inflammation and neovascularization caused by alkali burns aggravate corneal damage, resulting in loss of vision. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of xanthatin in the treatment of alkali burn-induced inflammation and neovascularization. A CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effects of different concentrations of xanthatin on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effects of xanthatin on the migration of HUVECs and the ability of lumen formation were examined using a scratch test and lumen formation assay, respectively. A total of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups to establish a corneal alkali burn model, and were treated with PBS and xanthatin eye drops four times a day. A slit lamp microscope recorded changes of the cornea at 0, 4, 7, 10 and 14 days, and the inflammatory indices of the cornea and the neovascular area were evaluated. The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in the cornea under different treatment conditions were detected using immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. In order to investigate the mechanism of xanthatin on the inhibition of inflammation and neovascularization, HUVECs were treated with xanthatin and PBS following VEGF treatment. The subcellular localization of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was detected using immunofluorescence. The expression levels of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), STAT3, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt were detected using western blot analysis. The results revealed that xanthatin inhibited the proliferation of HUVECs in a concentration-dependent manner. The migration ability and lumen-forming ability of the HUVECs were also inhibited by xanthatin. Slit lamp microscopy showed that the inflammatory index and the area of neovascularization in the xanthatin-treated group were significantly reduced, compared with those in the PBS treatment group. The xanthatin treatment group exhibited a lower protein expression level of VEGF and increased protein expression level of PEDF, compared with the PBS treatment group. In the VEGF-treated HUVECs, xanthatin significantly decreased the expression levels of p-VEGFR2, phosphorylated (p-)STAT3, p-PI3K and p-Akt. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that xanthatin inhibited corneal neovascularization and inflammation in the alkali burn model, elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved in its protective effects. Therefore, xanthatin may be a novel drug for the treatment of corneal alkali burn.

Assessment of synchronous neural activities revealed by regional homogeneity in individuals with acute eye pain: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective

Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that pain-related diseases are associated with brain function and anatomical abnormalities, whereas altered synchronous neural activity in acute eye pain (EP) patients has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not synchronous neural activity changes were measured with the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method in acute EP patients.

Methods

A total of 20 patients (15 males and 5 females) with EP and 20 healthy controls (HCs) consisting of 15 and 5 age-, sex-, and education-matched males and females, respectively, underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The ReHo method was applied to assess synchronous neural activity changes.

Results

Compared with HCs, acute EP patients had significantly lower ReHo values in the left precentral/postcentral gyrus (Brodmann area [BA]3/4), right precentral/postcentral gyrus (BA3/4), and left middle frontal gyrus (BA6). In contrast, higher ReHo values in acute EP patients were observed in the left superior frontal gyrus (BA11), right inferior parietal lobule (BA39/40), and left precuneus (BA7). However, no relationship was found between the mean ReHo signal values of the different areas and clinical manifestations, which included both the duration and degree of pain in EP patients.

Conclusion

Our study highlighted that acute EP patients showed altered synchronous neural activities in many brain regions, including somatosensory regions. These findings might provide useful information for exploration of the neural mechanisms underlying acute EP.

Altered intrinsic functional connectivity of the primary visual cortex in youth patients with comitant exotropia: a resting state fMRI study

AIM

To evaluate the differences in the functional connectivity (FC) of the primary visual cortex (V1) between the youth comitant exotropia (CE) patients and health subjects using resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.

METHODS

Totally, 32 CEs (25 males and 7 females) and 32 healthy control subjects (HCs) (25 males and 7 females) were enrolled in the study and underwent the MRI scanning. Two-sample t-test was used to examine differences in FC maps between the CE patients and HCs.

RESULTS

The CE patients showed significantly less FC between the left brodmann area (BA17) and left lingual gyrus/cerebellum posterior lobe, right middle occipital gyrus, left precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule/postcentral gyrus. Meanwhile, CE patients showed significantly less FC between right BA17 and right middle occipital gyrus (BA19, 37).

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that CE involves abnormal FC in primary visual cortex in many regions, which may underlie the pathologic mechanism of impaired fusion and stereoscopic vision in CEs.

Rhamnazin attenuates inflammation and inhibits alkali burn-induced corneal neovascularization in rats

The purpose of our study was to determine whether rhamnazin inhibits corneal neovascularization in the rat alkali burn model, and alleviates the inflammatory response of the cornea. Rhamnazin inhibited the proliferation of HUVEC cells in a dose-dependent manner, and it also inhibited the migration and luminal formation of HUVEC cells. 20 μM rhamnazin eye drops were applied to an animal model of corneal alkali burn neovascularization 4 times a day for 14 days. The corneal neovascularization in the rhamnazin group was obviously less than that in the PBS control group. In the rhamnazin group, the inflammatory index of the cornea decreased gradually over time, whereas the inflammatory index of the PBS group decreased only slightly with time. The corneal CNV area in the PBS group was significantly larger than that in the rhamnazin group. The expression level of VEGF protein of the rhamnazin group was lower than that in the PBS group, and the expression level of PEDF was significantly higher than that of the PBS group. Rhamnazin downregulated the expression of VEGFR2 protein and decreased the expression levels of p-STAT3, p-MAPK and p-Akt proteins. This study provides a new idea for the study of the molecular mechanism of corneal neovascularization.

The purpose of our study was to determine whether rhamnazin inhibits corneal neovascularization in the rat alkali burn model, and alleviates the inflammatory response of the cornea.

Altered intrinsic brain activities in patients with acute eye pain using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a resting-state fMRI study

OBJECTIVE

Many previous studies have reported that pain symptoms can lead to significant brain function and anatomical changes, whereas the intrinsic brain activity changes in acute eye pain (EP) patients remain unknown. Using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method, this study aimed to evaluate the spontaneous brain activity alterations and their relationships with clinical features in acute EP patients.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

A total of 20 patients with EP (15 males and 5 females) and 20 healthy controls (HCs; 15 males and 5 females) closely matched in age, sex, and education underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The ALFF method was applied to assess spontaneous brain activity changes. The ALFF values of the EP patients were distinguished from those of the HCs using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the mean ALFF signal values from many brain regions and the clinical features in EP patients.

RESULTS

Compared with the HCs, acute EP patients had significantly lower ALFF in the left and right precentral/postcentral gyrus and left precuneus. In contrast, acute EP patients showed higher ALFF values in the right and left parahippocampal gyri and left caudate. However, no relationship was observed between the mean ALFF signal values from the different areas and clinical manifestations in the acute EP patients.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that acute EP patients showed abnormal intrinsic brain activities in the precentral/postcentral gyrus and limbic system, which might provide useful information for explaining neural mechanisms in EP patients.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in strabismus with amblyopia patients using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a resting-state fMRI study

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have demonstrated that strabismus or amblyopia can result in markedly brain function and anatomical alterations. However, the differences in spontaneous brain activities of strabismus with amblyopia (SA) patients still remain unclear. This current study intended to use the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) technique to investigate the intrinsic brain activity changes in SA subjects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 16 patients with SA (6 males and 10 females) and 16 healthy controls (HCs; 6 males and 10 females) similarly matched in age, gender, and education status were recruited and examined with the resting-state functional MRI. The spontaneous brain activity changes were investigated using the ALFF technique. The receiver operating characteristic curve was performed to classify the mean ALFF signal values of the SA patients from HCs. The correlations between the ALFF values of distinct brain regions and the clinical manifestations in SA patients were evaluated in terms of the Pearson's correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, SA patients had significantly decreased ALFF in the left cerebellum posterior lobe, left middle frontal gyrus, and bilateral thalamus. In contrast, SA patients showed increased ALFF values in the right superior frontal gyrus, right precuneus, left cuneus, and bilateral precentral gyrus. Nonetheless, there was no linear correlation between the mean ALFF values in brain regions and clinical features.

CONCLUSION

Diverse brain regions including vision-related and motion-related areas exhibited aberrant intrinsic brain activity patterns, which imply the neuropathologic mechanisms of oculomotor disorder and vision deficit in the SA patients.

Effect of mistletoe combined with carboxymethyl cellulose on dry eye in postmenopausal women

AIM

To investigate the protective effect of mistletoe combined with carboxymethyl cellulose eye drops on dry eye in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Sixty postmenopause female patients diagnosed of dry eye were assigned randomly to mistletoe combined with carboxymethyl cellulose eye drops treatment group (n=30) and control group treated with normal saline eye drops (n=30). The subjective symptoms of ocular surface, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear film function tests, tear protein and corneal morphology by confocal scanning microscopy were analyzed before treatment and at 1, 2, 4 and 8wk after treatment respectively. To ensure the safety of the trial, all patients were examined with systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, urine creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen at 8wk after treatment.

RESULTS

There were no obvious differences between two groups before the treatment (P>0.05). In two months after the treatment, the symptoms of ocular surface, OSDI, tear protein, and tear film function were only slightly changed in normal saline eye drops group. However, all indices were improved after the treatment of mistletoe combined with carboxymethyl cellulose eye drops group (P<0.05). In addition, the average amount of corneal epithelium basal cells and inflammatory cells of mistletoe treated group were 3174±379 and 38±25 cells/mm², significantly decreased as compared to the control group with 4309±612 and 158± 61 cells/mm², respectively. In the control group, although nerves still maintained straight under corneal epithelium, the number of nerves were significantly decreased, as compared with normal female. In the mistletoe treated group, the number of nerves was only slightly reduced, compared with normal female.

CONCLUSION

Mistletoe combined with carboxymethyl cellulose eye drops can alleviate the symptoms and signs of dry eye symptoms.

Scaled structures in late stages of microphase separation of binary paraffin mixtures

Since the dynamic properties in paraffin mixtures are different from those in alloys and polymer blends, paraffin mixtures are believed to be another class of substances establishing the "universality" of the dynamical scaling behavior of phase separation. In this paper, the scaled structures of microphase separation in paraffin mixtures are described using a scaling function based on a two-phase model with kinetics based on the Cahn-Hilliard equation. It has been demonstrated that at the late stages of the microphase separation the scaling behavior in the paraffin mixtures agrees well with the universal features predicted by the scaling function. The scaled structures of microphase separation in paraffin mixtures can be directly calculated from the volume fraction of the minority phase without any adjustable parameter.

Longer time kinetics of collapse transition of polymer-surfactant complexes at interfaces near to collapse temperatures

The later stages of the collapse transition kinetics of fractionated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains at interfaces in the presence of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were studied for molecular weights ranging from 4.5x10(5) to 1.6x10(6). The interfacial PNIPAM-SDS complexes were quickly heated to the temperatures that were near to the collapse transition temperatures. The longer time collapse of the PNIPAM-SDS complexes at interfaces was found to proceed through two stages. The collapse kinetics at the later stages was interpreted in terms of a "globule growth" model. It was found that under the experimental conditions, the fast relaxation time was independent of the molecular weight, whereas the slow relaxation time was weakly dependent on the molecular weight.

The Effect of Polymer Concentration on the Dynamics of Adsorbed Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) at Particle Surfaces in Water

Results are presented of a light scattering study of the dynamics of absorbed poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains at the surfaces of poly(N-tert-butylacrylamide) (PNTBA) latex particles using several different feed weight ratios of PNIPAM to latex particles. The adsorbed layer dynamics under the present experimental conditions were postulated to include both the extended-to-loopily adsorbed state transition of tightly adsorbed chains and the diffusion of tenuously adsorbed chains. The dynamics were described by a nonexponential rate process. The relaxation times calculated were found to increase with increasing polymer to latex feed weight ratio. Kinetic constraints were inferred to play a crucial role in controlling the overall dynamics. A higher polymer to latex feed weight ratio was considered to enhance these kinetic constraints. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.