AIM: To quantify corneal ultrastructure using laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM) in patients with keratoconus and control subjects. METHODS: Unscarred corneas of 78 keratoconic subjects without a history...AIM: To quantify corneal ultrastructure using laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM) in patients with keratoconus and control subjects. METHODS: Unscarred corneas of 78 keratoconic subjects without a history of contact lens use and 36age-matched control subjects were evaluated with slit-lamp examination(SLE), corneal topography and laser scanning IVCM. One eye was randomly chosen for analysis. Anterior and posterior stromal keratocyte,endothelial cell and basal epithelial cell densities and sub-basal nerve structure were evaluated.RESULTS: IVCM qualitatively demonstrated enlarged basal epithelial cells, structural changes in sub-basal and stromal nerve fibers, abnormal stromal keratocytes and keratocyte nuclei, and pleomorphism and enlargement of endothelial cells. Compared with control subjects, significant reductions in basal epithelial cell density( 5817 ± 306 cells / mm2 vs 4802 ±508 cells/mm2,P 【 0. 001), anterior stromal keratocyte density(800 ±111 cells/mm2 vs 555 ±115 cells/mm2, P 【0.001),posterior stromal keratocyte density(333±34 cells/mm2vs270 ±47 cells/mm2, P 【0.001), endothelial cell density(2875 ±223 cells/mm2 vs 2686 ±265 cells/mm2, P 【0.001),sub-basal nerve fiber density(31.2 ±8.4 nerves/mm2vs18.1 ±9.2 nerves/mm2, P 【0.001), sub-basal nerve fiber length(21.4±3.4 mm/mm2 vs 16.1±5.1 mm/mm2, P 【0.001),and sub-basal nerve branch density(median 50.0(first quartile 31.2- third quartile 68.7) nerve branches/mm2 vs median 25.0(first quartile 6.2- third quartile 45.3) nerve branches/mm2, P 【0.001) were observed in patients with keratoconus.CONCLUSION: Significant microstructural abnormalities were identified in all corneal layers in the eyes of subjects with keratoconus using IVCM. This non-invasive in vivo technique provides an important means to define and follow progress of microstructural changes in patients with keratoconus.展开更多
Though the pathophysiology of clinical obesity is un-doubtedly multifaceted, several lines of clinical evidence implicate an important functional role for glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1) signalling. Clinical studies as...Though the pathophysiology of clinical obesity is un-doubtedly multifaceted, several lines of clinical evidence implicate an important functional role for glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1) signalling. Clinical studies assessing GLP-1 responses in normal weight and obese subjects suggest that weight gain may induce functional deficits in GLP-1 signalling that facilitates maintenance of the obesity phenotype. In addition, genetic studies implicate a possible role for altered GLP-1 signalling as a risk factor towards the development of obesity. As reductions in functional GLP-1 signalling seem to play a role in clinical obesity, the pharmacological replenishment seems a promising target for the medical management of obesity in clinical practice. GLP-1 analogue liraglutide at a high dose(3 mg/d) has shown promising results in achieving and maintaining greater weight loss in obese individuals compared to placebo control, and currently licensed antiobesity medications. Generally well tolerated, provided that longer-term data in clinical practice supports the currently available evidence of superior short- and longterm weight loss efficacy, GLP-1 analogues provide promise towards achieving the successful, sustainable medical management of obesity that remains as yet, an unmet clinical need.展开更多
The Tribbles(TRIB) family of pseudokinase proteins has been shown to play key roles in cell cycle, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, and cancer development. A better understanding of the mechanisms of ...The Tribbles(TRIB) family of pseudokinase proteins has been shown to play key roles in cell cycle, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, and cancer development. A better understanding of the mechanisms of TRIB pseudokinases could provide new insights for disease development and help promote TRIB proteins as novel therapeutic targets for drug discovery. At the 2 nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases held on May 7–9, 2018 in Beijing, China, a group of leading Tribbles scientists reported their findings and ongoing studies about the effects of the different TRIB proteins in the areas of immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer. Here, we summarize important and insightful overviews from 4 keynote lectures, 13 plenary lectures and 8 short talks that took place during this meeting. These findings may offer new insights for the understanding of the roles of TRIB pseudokinases in the development of various diseases.展开更多
Vitamin D deficiency is common among the general population. It is also observed in up to 76% of critically ill patients.Despite the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in critical illness, vitamin D is often overloo...Vitamin D deficiency is common among the general population. It is also observed in up to 76% of critically ill patients.Despite the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in critical illness, vitamin D is often overlooked by medical staff as the clinical implications and consequences of vitamin D deficiency in acute contexts remain to be fully understood.Vitamin D has a broad range of pleotropic effects on various processes and systems including the immuneinflammatory response. 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), has been shown to promote a tolerogenic immune response limiting deleterious inflammatory effects, modulation of the innate immune system, and enhancement of anti-microbial peptides. Vitamin D deficiency is frequently observed in critically ill patients and has been related to extrinsic causes (i.e., limited sunlight exposure), magnitude of injury/illness, or the treatment started by medical doctors including fluid resuscitation. Low levels of vitamin D in critically ill patients have been associated with sepsis, organ failure, and mortality. Despite this, there are subpopulations of critical illness, such as burn patients, where the literature regarding vitamin D status and its influence on outcomes remain insufficient. Thermal injury results in damage to both burned and non-burned tissues, as well as induces an exaggerated and persistent immune-inflammatory and hypermetabolic response. In this review, we propose potential mechanisms in which burn injury affects the vitamin D status and summarizes current literature investigating the influence of vitamin D status on outcomes. In addition, wereviewed the literature and trials investigating vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients and discuss the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation in burn and critically ill patients. We also highlight current limitations of studies that have investigated vitamin D status and supplementation in critical illness. Thermal injury influences vitamin D status. More studies investigating vitamin D depletion in burn patients and its influence on prognosis, via standardized methodology, are required to reach definitive conclusions and influence clinical practice.展开更多
Dear Editor,Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-Co V-2)has been a global pandemic that severely threatens global health with concordant economic damage.Howe...Dear Editor,Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-Co V-2)has been a global pandemic that severely threatens global health with concordant economic damage.However,there is currently no clinically approved vaccines or drugs against COVID-19(Lu et al.,2020).展开更多
文摘AIM: To quantify corneal ultrastructure using laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM) in patients with keratoconus and control subjects. METHODS: Unscarred corneas of 78 keratoconic subjects without a history of contact lens use and 36age-matched control subjects were evaluated with slit-lamp examination(SLE), corneal topography and laser scanning IVCM. One eye was randomly chosen for analysis. Anterior and posterior stromal keratocyte,endothelial cell and basal epithelial cell densities and sub-basal nerve structure were evaluated.RESULTS: IVCM qualitatively demonstrated enlarged basal epithelial cells, structural changes in sub-basal and stromal nerve fibers, abnormal stromal keratocytes and keratocyte nuclei, and pleomorphism and enlargement of endothelial cells. Compared with control subjects, significant reductions in basal epithelial cell density( 5817 ± 306 cells / mm2 vs 4802 ±508 cells/mm2,P 【 0. 001), anterior stromal keratocyte density(800 ±111 cells/mm2 vs 555 ±115 cells/mm2, P 【0.001),posterior stromal keratocyte density(333±34 cells/mm2vs270 ±47 cells/mm2, P 【0.001), endothelial cell density(2875 ±223 cells/mm2 vs 2686 ±265 cells/mm2, P 【0.001),sub-basal nerve fiber density(31.2 ±8.4 nerves/mm2vs18.1 ±9.2 nerves/mm2, P 【0.001), sub-basal nerve fiber length(21.4±3.4 mm/mm2 vs 16.1±5.1 mm/mm2, P 【0.001),and sub-basal nerve branch density(median 50.0(first quartile 31.2- third quartile 68.7) nerve branches/mm2 vs median 25.0(first quartile 6.2- third quartile 45.3) nerve branches/mm2, P 【0.001) were observed in patients with keratoconus.CONCLUSION: Significant microstructural abnormalities were identified in all corneal layers in the eyes of subjects with keratoconus using IVCM. This non-invasive in vivo technique provides an important means to define and follow progress of microstructural changes in patients with keratoconus.
文摘Though the pathophysiology of clinical obesity is un-doubtedly multifaceted, several lines of clinical evidence implicate an important functional role for glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1) signalling. Clinical studies assessing GLP-1 responses in normal weight and obese subjects suggest that weight gain may induce functional deficits in GLP-1 signalling that facilitates maintenance of the obesity phenotype. In addition, genetic studies implicate a possible role for altered GLP-1 signalling as a risk factor towards the development of obesity. As reductions in functional GLP-1 signalling seem to play a role in clinical obesity, the pharmacological replenishment seems a promising target for the medical management of obesity in clinical practice. GLP-1 analogue liraglutide at a high dose(3 mg/d) has shown promising results in achieving and maintaining greater weight loss in obese individuals compared to placebo control, and currently licensed antiobesity medications. Generally well tolerated, provided that longer-term data in clinical practice supports the currently available evidence of superior short- and longterm weight loss efficacy, GLP-1 analogues provide promise towards achieving the successful, sustainable medical management of obesity that remains as yet, an unmet clinical need.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2017YFA0205400,China)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81530093 and 81773781,China)+43 种基金Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(CAMS)Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-1-007,China)CAMS Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basic Research Fund(Grant No.2017PT3104,China)supported by grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81874316,China)the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-3-008,China)supported by grants of from the BBSRC and NWCR(Grant Nos.1088 and 1097,UK)supported by grants of NSF(Grant No.IOS-1456023,USA)NIH(Grant No.NIH R21 CA197317,USA)supported by grants of Ministry of Education,Singapore(Grant Nos.MOE2014-T2-1-012 and 2012-T1-001-036,Singapore)supported by grants from the Health Research Council of New Zealandsupported by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from the New Zealand government administered by the Royal Society of New Zealandsupported by Funda??o para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(FCT)Research Center Grant UID/BIM/04773/2013 Centre for Biomedical Research 1334a research grant from Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro–Núcleo Regional do Sul(LPCC/NRS,Portugal)a FCT 2014 research grant SFRH/BPD/100434/2014a Pro Regem grant PD/BD/114258/2016(Portugal)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)Innovation Network and the British Heart Foundation(PG/16/44/32146,UK)supported by grants from The Howat Foundation Ltd.(UK),Children with Cancer UK,Bloodwise and the Friends of Paul O'Gorman(UK)supported by grants of P-CREATE from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Developmentsupported by grants from the NIH(NIAID,USA),Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation(USA)and the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation(USA)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)the "Fondation Centaure"(RTRS),which supports a French transplantation research network,the IHU-Cesti project,the DHU Oncogreffefinancial support managed by the National Research Agency via the"Investment into the Future" program(Grant Nos.ANR-10-IBHU-005and ANR-11-LABX-0016-01,France)supported by Nantes Métropole and Région Pays de la Loire(France)supported by grants of the British Heart Foundation(PG/16/44/32146,UK)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)supported by a joint Ph.D studentship beween the A*Star Institute and the University of Sheffield(UK)supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health National Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute(R01HL141745,USA)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITNProject TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81503128,China)CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-1-008,China)supported by National Institute of Health(NS R01-035546,USA)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81400140,China)CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-1-011,China)supported by European Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project TRAIN-TRIBBLES Research and Innovation Network(Grant No.721532,EU)supported by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness(MINECO)and Fondo Europeo de desarrollo Regional(FEDER)(Grant No.INNPACTO/IPT-2012-0614-010000,Spain)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81400286 and 81530093,China)the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-1-010,China)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81472717 and 81673474,China)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.7162133,China)the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2016-I2M-1-007,China)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81703564,China)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81603129,China)
文摘The Tribbles(TRIB) family of pseudokinase proteins has been shown to play key roles in cell cycle, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, and cancer development. A better understanding of the mechanisms of TRIB pseudokinases could provide new insights for disease development and help promote TRIB proteins as novel therapeutic targets for drug discovery. At the 2 nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases held on May 7–9, 2018 in Beijing, China, a group of leading Tribbles scientists reported their findings and ongoing studies about the effects of the different TRIB proteins in the areas of immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer. Here, we summarize important and insightful overviews from 4 keynote lectures, 13 plenary lectures and 8 short talks that took place during this meeting. These findings may offer new insights for the understanding of the roles of TRIB pseudokinases in the development of various diseases.
文摘Vitamin D deficiency is common among the general population. It is also observed in up to 76% of critically ill patients.Despite the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in critical illness, vitamin D is often overlooked by medical staff as the clinical implications and consequences of vitamin D deficiency in acute contexts remain to be fully understood.Vitamin D has a broad range of pleotropic effects on various processes and systems including the immuneinflammatory response. 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), has been shown to promote a tolerogenic immune response limiting deleterious inflammatory effects, modulation of the innate immune system, and enhancement of anti-microbial peptides. Vitamin D deficiency is frequently observed in critically ill patients and has been related to extrinsic causes (i.e., limited sunlight exposure), magnitude of injury/illness, or the treatment started by medical doctors including fluid resuscitation. Low levels of vitamin D in critically ill patients have been associated with sepsis, organ failure, and mortality. Despite this, there are subpopulations of critical illness, such as burn patients, where the literature regarding vitamin D status and its influence on outcomes remain insufficient. Thermal injury results in damage to both burned and non-burned tissues, as well as induces an exaggerated and persistent immune-inflammatory and hypermetabolic response. In this review, we propose potential mechanisms in which burn injury affects the vitamin D status and summarizes current literature investigating the influence of vitamin D status on outcomes. In addition, wereviewed the literature and trials investigating vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients and discuss the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation in burn and critically ill patients. We also highlight current limitations of studies that have investigated vitamin D status and supplementation in critical illness. Thermal injury influences vitamin D status. More studies investigating vitamin D depletion in burn patients and its influence on prognosis, via standardized methodology, are required to reach definitive conclusions and influence clinical practice.
基金supported by the Thousand Young Talents Program of Chinathe National Natural Science Foundation of China(31770795,81974514)+3 种基金the Jiangxi Province Natural Science Foundation(20181ACB20014)the Open Project of Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases,Ministry of Education(XN201904)Gannan Medical University(QD201910)Jiangxi“Double Thousand Plan”,the Foreign Talent project of Jiangxi Province,and Ganzhou COVID-19 Emergency Research Project。
文摘Dear Editor,Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-Co V-2)has been a global pandemic that severely threatens global health with concordant economic damage.However,there is currently no clinically approved vaccines or drugs against COVID-19(Lu et al.,2020).