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Abstract Background Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare plasma cell (PC) neoplasm with associated paraneoplastic syndrome. According to the current diagnostic criteria, peripheral polyneuropathy and monoclonal PC proliferative disorder represent two mandatory criteria. Case presentation We report a 54-year-old male with peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower limbs, sclerotic bone lesions, elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, splenomegaly, extravascular volume overload, endocrinopathy, and skin hemangiomas. Of note, serum and urine protein electrophoresis (PEP) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) of this patient indicated undetectable M-protein and the normal ratio of free light chains κ and λ (FLC-R (κ/λ)). No monoclonal PCs were found in bone marrow examinations or biopsy of diseased bones. However, his clinical manifestations matched most of the diagnostic criteria. After excluding other diseases that are easily confused with POEMS syndrome, the diagnosis of variant POEMS syndrome with undetectable M-protein was proposed. The patient obtained clinically significant improvement and elevated VEGF returned to normal after 6 months of treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone. Conclusions Monoclonal PC dyscrasia (M-protein) while being a mandatory criterion for POEMS syndrome is undetectable in a considerable amount of patients that otherwise demonstrate typical symptoms. Here, we reported a case of variant POEMS syndrome with featured clinical manifestations, elevated VEGF levels, and good response to therapies targeting PCs but no evidence of M-protein. Therefore, negative results in M-protein and monoclonal PCs aren’t enough to reject the diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. It is imperative to recognize the variant form of POEMS syndrome.

In recent years, the combined surgery of phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation, and goniosychialysis has gradually emerged as a primary and effective approach in treating primary angle-closure glaucoma with cataracts. However, with the continuous progress of medical technology, postoperative intraocular pressure control is no longer the sole pursuit. Patients increasingly aspire to achieve higher postoperative visual quality. In order to ensure that patients attain a better refractive status and higher visual quality postoperatively, it is essential to minimize the negative impact caused by primary angle-closure glaucoma. This involves personalized selection of different intraocular lenses or calculation formulas,etc. Evaluation metrics for visual quality encompass visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, higher-order aberrations, subjective perception, etc. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of postoperative refractive shift, higher-order aberrations, contrast sensitivity and their influencing factors, and the selection of intraocular lenses for patients undergoing combined surgery for primary angle-closure glaucoma with cataracts.

Abstract Background Investigating the molecular biology underpinning the early-stage of traumatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is crucial for discovering new ways to prevent the disease. This study aimed to explore the dynamic changes of transcriptome from the intra-articular hematoma or the newly generated ankylosed callus during the onset and early progression of TMJ ankylosis. Methods Based on a well-established sheep model of TMJ bony ankylosis, the genome-wide microarray data were obtained from samples at postoperative Days 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14 and 28, with intra-articular hematoma at Day 1 serving as controls. Fold changes in gene expression values were measured, and genes were identified via clustering based on time series analysis and further categorised into three major temporal classes: increased, variable and decreased expression groups. The genes in these three temporal groups were further analysed to reveal pathways and establish their biological significance. Results Osteoblastic and angiogenetic genes were found to be significantly expressed in the increased expression group. Genes linked to inflammation and osteoclasts were found in the decreased expression group. The various biological processes and pathways related to each temporal expression group were identified, and the increased expression group comprised genes exclusively involved in the following pathways: Hippo signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway and Rap 1 signaling pathway. The decreased expression group comprised genes exclusively involved in immune-related pathways and osteoclast differentiation. The variable expression group consisted of genes associated with DNA replication, DNA repair and DNA recombination. Significant biological pathways and transcription factors expressed at each time point postoperatively were also identified. Conclusions These data, for the first time, presented the temporal gene expression profiling and reveal the important process of molecular biology in the early-stage of traumatic TMJ bony ankylosis. The findings might contributed to identifying potential targets for the treatment of TMJ ankylosis.

In order to explore the interaction between lipid and protein in film-forming solutions and films, the effects of linoleic acid concentration (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% relative to protein mass) on the viscosity of 11S globulin film-forming solutions, and the microstructure and physicochemical properties of the resulting films were studied. Confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) images showed that the size of oil droplets in the film-forming solution increased with increasing linoleic acid concentration, and it further increased after drying. According to the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), oil droplets accumulated on the upper surface of the smooth and dense protein films after adding linoleic acid, while the lower surface became rough without accumulation of oil droplets on it. After adding 40% linoleic acid, the glass transition temperature, tensile strength and water vapor permeability of the film decreased from 53.50 ℃, 12.67 MPa and 2.52 × 10−10 g/(m·Pa·s) to 50.38 ℃, 7.30 MPa and 1.83 × 10−10 g/(m·Pa·s), respectively, while the elongation at break increased from 95.58% to 198.15%. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that 11S globulin did not interact with linoleic acid below 200 ns. The proportion of ionic bonds and disulfide bonds in the 11S globulin film decreased with the addition of linoleic acid, while the proportion of hydrophobic interactions and non-disulfide covalent bonds increased. These results suggest that the addition of linoleic acid can change the chemical interactions among proteins, thus affecting the physicochemical properties of the film. This finding provides a theoretical reference for studying the mechanism of film formation of soybean protein emulsion films.