Purpose This research was designed to elucidate the anti-inflammatory impacts of liquiritin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs). Methods The Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was adopted to assess cell viability. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the secretion levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. Transcriptome analysis was conducted to identify the genes that exhibited differential expression between different treatment. The model group included cells treated with LPS (10 µg/mL), the treatment group comprised cells treated with liquiritin (80 µM) and LPS (10 µg/mL), and the control group consisted of untreated cells. To further validate the expression levels of the selected genes, including CSF2, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL8, IL1A, IL1B, IL24, IL6, and LTB, quantitative real-time PCR was performed. The expression of proteins related to the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed through western blot analysis. NF-κB nuclear translocation was evaluated through immunofluorescence staining. Results The secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in LPS-induced HCECs was significantly downregulated by liquiritin. Based on the transcriptome analysis, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-24, TNF-α, and IL-1α was overproduced by LPS stimulation, and suppressed after liquiritin treatment. Furthermore, the Western blot results revealed a remarkable reduction in the phosphorylation degrees of NF-κB p65, IκB, and Akt upon treatment with liquiritin. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis confirmed liquiritin’s inhibition of LPS-induced p65 nuclear translocation. Conclusions Collectively, these findings imply that liquiritin suppresses the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and the anti-inflammatory impacts of liquiritin may be caused by its repression of the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in LPS-induced HCECs. These data indicate that liquiritin could provide a potential therapeutic application for inflammation-associated corneal diseases.

Purpose A cataract is a cloudy area in the crystalline lens. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and the second cause of severe vision impairment worldwide. During cataract surgery, the clouded lens is extracted and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens, which restores the optical power. The fabrication of intraocular lenses using existing molding and lathing techniques is a complex and time-consuming process that limits the development of novel materials and designs. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a stereolithography-based process for producing models of clear lens designs without refractive function, serving as a proof of concept. This process has the potential to contribute toward new lens development, allowing for unlimited design iterations and an expanded range of materials for scientists to explore. Methods Lens-like 3D objects without refractive function were fabricated by using stereolithography. A photopolymerizable resin containing 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, poly (ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate, and a suitable photoinitiator was developed for the production of lens-like 3D object prototypes. The morphology of the printed devices was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The transparency and thermal properties were analyzed using spectrophotometry and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The biocompatibility of the devices was investigated in a cultured human lens cell line (FHL-124), using a standard lactate dehydrogenase assay, and the lenses were folded and implanted in the human capsular bag model. Results One-piece lens-like 3D objects without refractive function and with loop-haptic design were successfully fabricated using Stereolithography (SLA) technique. The resulting 3D objects were transparent, as determined by UV spectroscopy. The lactate dehydrogenase test demonstrated the tolerance of lens cells to the prototyping material, and apparent foldability and shape recovery was observed during direct injection into a human capsular bag model in vitro. Conclusions This proof-of-principle study demonstrated the potential and significance of the rapid prototyping process for research and development of lens-like 3D object prototypes, such as intraocular lenses.

Purpose To critically appraise the evidence on the ability of the lacrimal gland ultrasonography (USG) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to differentiate between Sjogren’s syndrome and non-Sjogren’s syndrome/healthy controls. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis (based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines) of online literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Cohort studies comparing the imaging features of the lacrimal glands of Sjogren’s syndrome with a control group were included. Quantitative synthesis was performed using the RevMan (Version 5.4.1). Results Six studies used USG as an imaging technique, and three used MRI for the lacrimal gland imaging. The lacrimal gland affected with Sjogren’s syndrome shows glandular heterogeneity on USG and MRI. Heterogeneity on USG had 6.18 times higher odds of the lacrimal gland being involved with Sjogren’s syndrome (95% CI, 3.31–11.55). Gland hyperechogenicity cannot reliably differentiate the glandular involvement in Sjogren’s syndrome. There is insufficient data for analysis on the gland size, hypoechoic areas, fibrous bands, and increased lacrimal artery resistance in Sjogren’s syndrome patients. Of the three MRI-based studies, reduced apparent diffusion coefficient and heterogeneity were the characteristics of Sjogren’s syndrome. Clinical parameters such as dry eye symptomatology and Schirmer values had variable associations with USG or MRI parameters. Ultrasonography parameters were no different between dry eye versus no dry eye in Sjogren’s syndrome patients, whereas small-sized glands had low Schirmer on MRI-based studies. Conclusion Glandular heterogeneity on USG is significantly associated with lacrimal gland involvement in Sjogren’s syndrome patients. However, the role of radiology in predicting lacrimal gland involvement is unclear as the evidence is insufficient and heterogeneous.

Purpose Solar retinopathy, resulting from solar eclipse exposure, poses risks to visual health. This study explores acute and chronic phase findings using clinical examinations and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) with a focus on longitudinal assessment. Methods Seven eyes with a history of unprotected solar eclipse exposure were included. Clinical examination, fundus photography, OCT, and OCT-A imaging were performed at initial assessment, as well as at one-month and six-month follow-up intervals. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. Results The cases, exposed without protection, underwent assessments, revealing variable visual acuity, outer retinal layer, and Henle fiber layer changes during follow-up. Regression of hyperreflectivity within the outer retinal and Henle fiber layers was observed over time in all eyes, although persistent microdefects within the outer retinal layer were noted in specific cases. OCT-A imaging revealed a larger foveal avascular zone, which persisted over a six-month period in select cases. Additionally, affected eyes exhibited a decrease in superficial vascular density, with subsequent improvement noted during the six-month period. Conclusion Solar retinopathy can result in visual impairment, accompanied by alterations observed in the Henle fiber layer using OCT. Additionally, OCT-A findings indicate possible vascular involvement. This study underscores the significance of adopting protective measures during solar eclipses and emphasizes the value of employing longitudinal multimodal imaging techniques to comprehend the pathophysiology of the condition.

Purpose To establish and characterize a dry eye model in New Zealand rabbits by subcutaneous injections of scopolamine hydrobromide (SCOP). Methods Twenty New Zealand male rabbits were injected subcutaneously SCOP for 14 consecutive days; subcutaneous saline was used as a negative control. The correlated clinical parameters of ocular surface dryness were detected in vivo using tear secretion and corneal fluorescein staining. The expression of IL-1β and TNF-α on the ocular surface and in lacrimal glands were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot on the 14th day. The expression of Mucin-5 subtype AC (MUC5AC) was detected by Immunofluorescence staining in conjunctival tissue. Results The SCOP-treated rabbits exhibited significantly decreased aqueous tear secretion and increased corneal fluorescein staining scores over time. Both the mRNA expression levels and the protein expression levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly increased after SCOP treatment compared with those after saline treatment. The loss of conjunctival MUC5AC was found in the SCOP-injected rabbits. Some infiltrated inflammatory cells and atrophic acinar cells were observed in the lacrimal gland after SCOP treatment. The disordered structures of the ocular surface and lacrimal glands were also observed. Conclusions This study showed that repeated subcutaneous SCOP injections successfully elicited some of the typical dry eye symptoms commonly seen in humans.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and the clinical manifestations of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods Five loci of MEG3 SNPs including rs4081134 (G/A), rs10144253 (T/C), rs7158663 (G/A), rs3087918 (T/G) and rs11160608 (A/C) were genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination in 457 non-DR patients and 280 DR individuals. Results The distribution frequency of MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GA (AOR: 0.683, 95% CI: 0.478-0.975, p = 0.036) and MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GA + AA (AOR: 0.686, 95% CI: 0.487-0.968, p = 0.032) were significantly lower in the DR group. And the MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GA + AA (AOR: 0.610, 95% CI: 0.377-0.985, p = 0.043) demonstrated a significantly lower distribution frequency in the male DR group. Besides, the DR patients with MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GA + AA genotype showed a significantly lower HbA1c level than the DR patients with MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GG genotype (7.29 ± 1.23 versus 7.74 ± 1.49, p = 0.013). Moreover, in the analysis using data from gene expression data series database, a higher MEG3 level was significantly correlated to a lower miR-182 level in the database (p = 0.0114). Conclusions In this study, the distribution frequency of MEG3 SNP rs7158663 GA + AA genotype was lower in DR, while the DR would develop under lower HbA1c level in DM patients with this MEG3 SNP variant.

Purpose The study aimed to investigate the factors associated with anterior location of Marx’s line in ocular surface and living habits, especially in tear film. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study enlisted 483 participants with meibomian gland dysfunction, who were divided into two groups: 160 participants with mild anterior location of Marx’s line and 323 participants with moderate-to-severe anterior location. Participants completed a survey of demographic characteristics (sex, age, length of visual terminal use, sleep duration, skin property), and the Ocular Surface Disease Index and Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaires. They also underwent slit-lamp examinations of the lids, and measurements of non-invasive tear break up time, tear meniscus height, fluorescein tear break up time, lipid layer thickness, partial blink rate, lid wiper epitheliopathy, and meibomian gland dropout. Results The tear meniscus height (mild:0.21(0.18–0.25), moderate-to-severe:0.19(0.16–0.23), p = 0.004), fluorescein tear break up time(mild:3(2–4),moderate to severe:2(1–3), p = 0.000), max LLT(mild:87(62–100), moderate-to-severe:99(69–100), p = 0.04), average LLT(mild:64.5(47.5–96.75), moderate-to-severe:74(53–100), p = 0.012), min LLT(mild:52(38–75), moderate-to-severe:59(41–85), p = 0.029) differed significantly between mild and moderate-to-severe anterior location of Marx’s line, and associated to the anterior location of Marx’s line(r=-0.134, p = 0.03; r=-0.194, p = 0.000; r = 0.093, p = 0.041; r = 0.119, p = 0.009; r = 0.105, p = 0.022) However, no statistical significance was observed in the OSDI, SPEED, partial blink rate, non-invasive tear breakup time, lipid layer thickness, meibomian gland dropout and lid wiper epitheliopathy(p > 0.05). Meanwhile, in the demographic characteristics, statistically significant correlations were associated with skin property(r = 0.154, p = 0.001) and sleep duration(r=-0.124, p = 0.006), but not with age, sex, and the length of visual terminal use (p > 0.05). Conclusions Lower TMH and shorter TBUT positively correlated with anterior location of the Marx’s line, and were risk factors. Meanwhile, participants with oily skin and shorter sleep duration were more likely to exhibit anterior location of Marx’s line.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of topical vancomycin and povidone iodine (PI) application on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis model in rabbits. Methods: MRSA keratitis was induced by injecting 0.1 mL MRSA containing 1000 colony-forming units (CFU) into central cornea of right eyes of 24 New Zealand White rabbits. Animals were divided into four groups (n = 6): control (treated with balanced salt solution), 50 mg/mL topical vancomycin, 5% topical PI, and combination; examined before and after treatment, and corneal tissues were harvested for analysis at 9th hour of treatment. Results: Bacterial load was determined as: 7.63 ± 0.82 log10 CFU/g in control group, 6.95 ± 1.66 log10 CFU/g in PI group, 4.67 ± 0.77 log10 CFU/g in combination group, and 4.33 ± 0.71 log10 CFU/g in vancomycin group (p = 0.001). Median of total clinical score increased significantly from 7 [range: 5–8] to 11.5 [range: 11–15] (p = 0.001) in control group, did not change (6 [range: 5–8] to 7 [range: 5–7]; p = 0.695) in vancomycin group, increased significantly from 7 [range: 5–8] to 12.5 [range: 10–14] (p < 0.001) in PI group, increased significantly from 6.5 [range: 5–7] to 8 [range: 7–9] in combination group (p = 0.002). Post-treatment clinical scores for chemosis, conjunctival injection, iritis, hypopyon, epithelial erosion, and corneal infiltrate were significantly lower in vancomycin-treated groups compared to others (p < 0.05). In PI-treated groups, especially scores for chemosis, conjunctival injection, epithelial erosion and corneal infiltrate were significantly higher than vancomycin (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Topical vancomycin significantly inhibited bacterial growth in MRSA keratitis. However, PI was ineffective in controlling this growth; additionally, exerted toxic effect on ocular surface. When vancomycin was combined with PI, no additional increase in efficacy of treatment was detected compared to only vancomycin.

Purpose To summarize the clinical manifestations of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (CFD) patients with ocular complications, and find effective methods to diagnose early. Methods Nine CFD patients with ocular complications, and their parents were recruited in this study. All patients underwent ocular and systemic examinations. Bone lesions from all patients and peripheral blood from patients and their parents were collected for whole exome sequencing (WES). According to the screening for low-frequency deleterious variants, and bioinformatics variants prediction software, possible disease-causing variants were found in multiple CFD patients. The variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. Trio analysis was performed to verify the genetic patterns of CFD. Results All patients were diagnosed with CFD, according to the clinical manifestations, classic radiographic appearance, and pathological biopsy. The main symptoms of the 9 CFD patients, included visual decline (9/9), craniofacial deformity (3/9) and strabismus (2/9), with few extraocular manifestations. The family backgrounds of all the CFD patients indicated that only the patient was affected, and their immediate family members were normal. GNAS variants were identified in all bone lesions from CFD patients, including two variant types: c.601C > T:p.R201C(6/9) and c.602G > A:p.R201H (3/9) in exon 8. The detection rate reached 100% by WES, but only 77.8% by Sanger sequencing. Interestingly, we found GNAS variants could not be detected in peripheral blood samples from CFD patients or their parents, and other potentially disease-causing gene variants related to CFD were not found. Conclusions For CFD patients with bone lesions involving the optic canal or sphenoid sinus regions, ocular symptoms should also be considered. Furthermore, we confirmed that CFD is not inherited, somatic variants in the GNAS gene are the main pathogenic gene causing CFD. Compared to the traditional methods in molecular genetic diagnosis of CFD, WES is more feasible and effective but limited in the type of samples.

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI)-tools hold great potential to compensate for missing resources in health-care systems but often fail to be implemented in clinical routine. Intriguingly, no-code and low-code technologies allow clinicians to develop Artificial intelligence (AI)-tools without requiring in-depth programming knowledge. Clinician-driven projects allow to adequately identify and address real clinical needs and, therefore, hold superior potential for clinical implementation. In this light, this study aimed for the clinician-driven development of a tool capable of measuring corneal lesions relative to total corneal surface area and eliminating inaccuracies in two-dimensional measurements by three-dimensional fitting of the corneal surface. Methods Standard slit-lamp photographs using a blue-light filter after fluorescein instillation taken during clinical routine were used to train a fully convolutional network to automatically detect the corneal white-to-white distance, the total fluorescent area and the total erosive area. Based on these values, the algorithm calculates the affected area relative to total corneal surface area and fits the area on a three-dimensional representation of the corneal surface. Results The developed algorithm reached dice scores >0.9 for an automated measurement of the relative lesion size. Furthermore, only 25% of conventional manual measurements were within a ± 10% range of the ground truth. Conclusions The developed algorithm is capable of reliably providing exact values for corneal lesion sizes. Additionally, three-dimensional modeling of the corneal surface is essential for an accurate measurement of lesion sizes. Besides telemedicine applications, this approach harbors great potential for clinical trials where exact quantitative and observer-independent measurements are essential.