Objective To observe ocular manifestations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome（AIDS）.Methods Fourtytwo AIDS patients（66 eyes）with ocular complaints received examinations of visual acuity, slit-lamp microscope, ophthalmoscope and fundus fluorescence angiography (FFA). The results were retrospectively analyzed. Results There are five types of ocular findings, including cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (37 eyes, 56.0%), retinal microvasculopathy of human immunodeficiency virus (21 eyes, 32.0%), optic nerve diseases (three eyes, 4.5%), retinal neuroepithelial layer detachment (two eyes, 3.0%) and uveitis (three eyes, 4.5%).Conclusions The common ocular manifestations showed progressive necrotic retinitis, retinal hemorrhage and retinal vasculitis and attenuated，cotton-wool spots in AIDS patients.
ObjectiveTo identify the clinical features of and risk factors for allergic reaction to bee stings in Sichuan. MethodWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 387 patients with bee stings admitted to the Emergency Department of nine hospitals in Sichuan during January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011, and evaluated the risk factors for bee sting anaphylaxis with logistic regression analysis, and explored the influence of anaphylaxis on death with Fisher exact probability method. ResultsAmong the 387 patients with bee stings, 41 (10.6%) had allergic reactions. The age in patients from the anaphylaxis group was significantly older than those in the non-anaphylaxis group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age was an independent risk factor for allergic reaction in patients with bee stings[OR=0.983, 95%CI (0.967, 0.999), P=0.042]. All the patients with allergic reactions were prescribed with systemic corticosteroids, and 16 were prescribed with antihistamine drugs, but no patients were prescribed with epinephrine. Among the 16 patients with systemic allergic reaction, 12 were given less than 1000 mL intravenous rehydration per 24 h, 2 were given 1000-3000 mL intravenous rehydration, and only 2 were given more than 3 000 mL intravenous rehydration. The mortality of allergic patients was significantly higher than that of the non-allergic group (9.8% vs 1.4%, P<0.05). ConclusionsThe mortality of anaphylaxis patients is significantly higher than that of the non-anaphylaxis group. Age is an independent risk factor for allergic reactions to bee stings. Treatment of bee stings related to severe allergic reaction needs to be further standardized.
ObjectiveTo observe the characteristic of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness(SFCT) in patients with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS). MethodsThe clinical data of 10 patients (10 eyes)with MEWDS were included in the study. 10 normal subjects with matched age, gender and ocular refractive status was selected as control. The patients including 9 females (9 eyes) and 1 male (1 eye), with the average age of (27±8) years. The onset time ranged from 5 to 14 days. The patients were in acute phase if it was in 2 weeks after onset, or convalescent phase if onset was 8 weeks ago. The corrected vision, slit lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscope, fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed alone or combined in all patients. The SFCT between the acute and convalescent phases were measured using enhanced depth imaging OCT. The average follow-up was 5 months. The OCT characteristics of affected eyes between acute and convalescent phase were compared. The SFCT of the affected eyes and fellow eye were compared. ResultsThe foveal inner segment-outer segment (IS/OS) was disrupted, thin, irregular in the acute phase, and restored in the convalescent phase. The SFCT of patients in the acute phase was (239±140.7) μm, in the convalescent phase was (189.9±115.6) μm. The SFCT in the acute phase was more thicker than the convalescent phase (t=5.287, P < 0.05). The SFCT of fellow eyes in the acute phase was (214.6±127.2) μm, in the convalescent phase was (186.5±108.6) μm, the difference was significant(t=3.553, P < 0.05).The SFCT in the control subject was (155.5±83.5) μm. The SFCT in the acute phase was thicker than the control(Z=-2.117, P < 0.05). ConclusionsIn the acute phase of MEWDS, the foveal IS/OS was disrupted, thin and irregular in OCT scan. The choroid is thicker in the acute phase than in the convalescent phase in both eyes, and thicker than controls.
Objective To observe the multimodal imaging features of retinal diseases associated with COVID-19. MethodsA retrospective case study. Sixteen patients (30 eyes) of retinal diseases associated with COVID-19 admitted to the Ophthalmology Department of the Second People's Hospital of Zhengzhou in December 2022 were included in the study. There were 5 males and 11 females, with the mean age of (26.69±9.88) years; 14 patients were bilateral and 2 patients were unilateral. The time of ocular symptoms after the diagnosis of COVID-19 was (2.63±0.89) days. All patients underwent the examinations of best corrtected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus color photography (FP), infrared fundus photography (IR), optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) was performed in 2 patients (4 eyes). There were 20 eyes with acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN), including 6 eyes with cotton wool spots; 10 eyes with Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR). The BCVA of the patients was 0.1-1.0. No obvious abnormality was found in anterior segment examination. The features of FP, IR and OCT were analyzed retrospectively. ResultsIn 20 eyes of AMN, irregular reddish brown lesions in the central or paracentral area of the macula in 14 eyes; FP showed no obvious abnormality in 6 eyes; IR showed irregular map like low reflection in the central or paracentral area of macular in all eyes; OCT showed hyperreflectivity in outer plexiform layer and outer nuclear layer, hyporeflectivity in the ellipsoid zone and photoreceptor layers in all eyes; no abnormal fluorecence was observed in 2 eyes examined by FFA. In 10 eyes with PLR, cotton wool spots and retinal hemorrhage were observed in the posterior pole and/or peripapillary area, and the peripheral retina was generally normal, Purtscher spot was found in 5 eyes and macular edema in 4 eyes; OCT showed strong reflex signal in neuroepithelial layers, edema in neuroepithelial layers in 6 eyes; in the 2 eyes examined by FFA, fluorescein leakage from the retinal vein wall was observed, the posterior pole and peripapillary area retinal arteriole occlusions showed patchy hypofluorescence, the fluorescence was obscured by retinal hemorrhage below at inferior retina. ConclusionsFor AMN associated with COVID-19, IR can show the lesion contour , OCT shows lesions in the outer retina. PLR associated with COVID-19 are usually at the posterior pole and/or peripapillary area in FP, OCT shows neurocortical edema.
Objective To reveal the differences in gene expression levels between Th2-driven classical asthma (CA) and Th2-driven cough variant asthma (CVA) in order to investigate the pathogenesis of asthma further. Methods Clinical data were collected from asthmatic patients in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from June 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. The healthy control (HC) group was healthy adults from the physical examination center. Gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the CA group, CVA group, and HC group was determined by full-length transcriptome sequencing. Differential genes were screened by GO, KEGG analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The results of interaction network analysis were visualized by Cytoscape. Finally, the candidate genes were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ResultsA total of 31 patients with asthma were included in the study, including 20 patients in the CA group and 11 patients in the CVA group. According to serum total IgE > 60 IU/mL and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) > 40 ppb as the screening condition, 9 cases of Th2-driven CA and 5 cases of Th2-driven CVA were screened for analysis. Gene expression analysis showed 300 differentially expressed genes between the Th2-driven CA group and the Th2-driven CVA group, among which 155 genes were up-regulated, and 145 were down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis showed that differential genes were mainly enriched in drug response, nitrogen compound biosynthesis, cytoplasmic matrix, protein binding, ATP binding, etc. KEGG pathway analysis showed that differential genes were mainly concentrated in 2-oxy-carboxylic acid metabolism and cytotoxic signaling pathways mediated by natural killer cells. PPI analysis revealed extensive protein interactions between different genes. Ten candidate genes were screened for RT-PCR verification and finally found that CLU, GZMB, PPBP, PRF1, PTGS1, and TMSB4X were significantly differentially expressed between the Th2-driven CA group and the Th2-driven CVA group. Conclusions Asthma's occurrence results from the interaction of many genes and pathways. CLU, GZMB, PPBP, PRF1, PTGS1, and TMSB4X genes may be essential in developing Th2-driven CVA to Th2-driven CA.