Significance: Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease is one of the most common and severe vision-threatening autoimmune uveitis in Asians. However, the functional heterogeneity among subsets in human blood monocytes and the VKH disease-relevant populations remains elusive. This study encoded the landscape of human monocytes, clustered six subsets with distinct functions, and revealed two populations, using single-cell RNA sequencing. Surprisingly, we discovered a disease-specific subset, proinflammatory monocytes, implicating immune activation in VKH disease. We also identified a cell type-specific transcriptional signature in subset ISG15, which might be corresponded with treatment response. These data highlight advanced understanding of pathogenesis, mapping an atlas of autoimmune monocytes and potential therapeutic targets in autoimmune uveitis.

Statement: The current article has not been published elsewhere and that it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. Purpose: To investigate the preliminary use of three-dimensional (3D) heads-up display (HUD) viewing system for vitreoretinal surgery under various status. Materials and Methods: Non-randomized case-control study. Consecutive cases to have vitreoretinal surgery under various status were prospectively recruited. Twenty-five-gauge vitrectomy platform and 3D viewing system were used. Main outcomes included: luminous emittance (lux) of endoillumination pipe, surgical duration, the surgeon and residents’ preference and ergonomics. Consecutive patients to have vitreoretinal surgery with the conventional viewing system were recruited as control group following the same inclusion and exclusion criteria and underwent surgeries by the same surgeon with the same microscope and vitrectomy platform. Results: Thirty-one patients (31 eyes; Group Study) and twenty-eight patients (28 eyes; Group Control) were included; without significantly statistical difference in terms of age, gender, main diagnosis, surgical duration and difficulty rating between both groups (all P > 0.05). Lower endoillumination intensity was needed in Group Study than that in Group Control (10% vs 35%; 598.7 ± 5.4 vs 1913.0 ± 12.9 lux, P < 0.001). The surgeon and residents expressed overwhelming preference with the 3D system in both groups. Improved ergonomic was rated in Group Study (4.4 ± 0.8 vs 3.2 ± 1.0, P < 0.001). Some intraoperative difficulties and discomforts appeared to the surgeon and assistants when using the 3D viewing system. Conclusion: Vitreoretinal surgery under various status can be well finished with the HUD platform by novice at the system. Main benefits included lower endoillumination intensity, enhanced users’ preference and improved ergonomics. Some further refinements of the system are expected.

This paper analyzes the current status, technological developments, academic exchange platforms, and future challenges and solutions in the field of intelligent ophthalmology (IO) in China. In terms of technology, significant progress has been made in various areas, including diabetic retinopathy, fundus image analysis, quality assessment of medical artificial intelligence products, clinical research methods, technical evaluation, and industry standards. Researchers continually enhance the safety and standardization of IO technology by formulating a series of clinical application guidelines and standards. The establishment of domestic and international academic exchange platforms provides extensive collaboration opportunities for professionals in various fields, and various academic journals serve as publication platforms for IO research. However, challenges such as technological innovation, data privacy and security, lagging regulations, and talent shortages still pose obstacles to future development. To address these issues, future efforts should focus on strengthening technological research and development, regulatory framework construction, talent cultivation, and increasing patient awareness and acceptance of new technologies. By comprehensively addressing these challenges, IO in China is poised to further lead the industry's development on a global scale, bringing more innovation and convenience to the field of ophthalmic healthcare.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) protect against diabetic cardiovascular diseases and nephropathy. However, their activity in diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains unclear. Our retrospective cohort study involving 1626 T2DM patients revealed superior efficacy of GLP-1 RAs in controlling DR compared to other glucose-lowering medications, suggesting their advantage in DR treatment. By single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis and immunostaining, we observed a high expression of GLP-1R in retinal endothelial cells, which was down-regulated under diabetic conditions. Treatment of GLP-1 RAs significantly restored the receptor expression, resulting in an improvement in retinal degeneration, vascular tortuosity, avascular vessels, and vascular integrity in diabetic mice. GO and GSEA analyses further implicated enhanced mitochondrial gene translation and mitochondrial functions by GLP-1 RAs. Additionally, the treatment attenuated STING signaling activation in retinal endothelial cells, which is typically activated by leaked mitochondrial DNA. Expression of STING mRNA was positively correlated to the levels of angiogenic and inflammatory factors in the endothelial cells of human fibrovascular membranes. Further investigation revealed that the cAMP-responsive element binding protein played a role in the GLP-1R signaling pathway on suppression of STING signaling. This study demonstrates a novel role of GLP-1 RAs in the protection of diabetic retinal vasculature by inhibiting STING-elicited inflammatory signals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between axial length/corneal radius ratio (AL/CR ratio), AL, and refractive status and evaluate the accuracy of AL and AL/CR ratio for myopia assessment among Chinese children.Methods: A diagnostic trial was conducted in Shenzhen Eye Hospital from June 2020 to December 2020. Cycloplegic refraction and demographic characteristic survey were carried out, and AL and CR were measured. The Pearson correlation analysis between AL, AL/CR ratio, and spherical equivalent (SE) was carried out. The sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the AL/CR ratio and AL for myopia assessment were analyzed using cycloplegic refraction as the gold standard by drawing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results: A total of 300 children aged 8–18 years participated in this study. The Pearson correlation coefficient between AL and SE was −0.667 (P < 0.05) and −0.754 (P < 0.05) between AL/CR ratio and SE. There were significant differences in SE, AL, and AL/CR ratio among different age groups (p < 0.05). SE decreased by 1.185 diopter (D) for every 1 mm increase in AL and decreased by 0.667 D for every 0.1 increase in the AL/CR ratio. Taking cycloplegic refraction SE ≤ −0.50 D as the gold standard for the diagnosis of myopia, the area under the ROC curve of AL for myopia assessment was 0.836 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.767–0.906), with specificity, sensitivity, and Youden index of 0.833, 0.767, and 0.600, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of AL/CR ratio for myopia assessment was 0.937 (95% CI: 0.878–0.996), with specificity, sensitivity, Youden index, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 0.703, 0.913, 0.622, 0.956, and 0.771, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the combination of AL/CR ratio and parental myopia for myopia assessment was 0.976 (95% CI: 0.957–0.996).Conclusion: The correlation between SE and AL/CR ratio was stronger than that between SE and AL in children. The AL/CR ratio may be an alternative indicator for myopia assessment in children, and the combination of demographic factors and AL/CR ratio can improve the accuracy of myopia assessment.