Comprehensive screening programmes for ROP are urgently needed in China. Screening criteria recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, United Kingdom, may not be suitable for China where bigger, more mature babies are developing severe disease.

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This meta-analysis was designed to determine the effect of an intracardiac lateral tunnel (ILT) versus an extracardiac conduit (ECC) on patients undergoing a Fontan procedure. A search of the literature in PubMed, Embase, China Academic Literature, and Wanfang databases yielded 23 studies comprising approximately 1000 patients for analysis. There were statistically significant differences between ILT and ECC in the frequency of early sinus node dysfunction, early total arrhythmias, late supraventricular tachycardia, late sinus node dysfunction, late total arrhythmias, and need for pacemaker. By contrast, no statistically significant differences between the two methods were found in takedown, protein-losing enteropathy, thromboembolic events, early supraventricular tachycardia, early mortality, and total mortality. We conclude that an ECC confers some advantages over an ILT, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Objective: We investigate the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) on models with silica-induced and macrophage-mediated fibrosis and its possible mechanisms in vitro. Methods: Rat alveolar II epithelial (RLE-6TN) cells were incubated with the supernatant of mouse macrophage-like cells (RAW264.7) and treated with 0, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL silica. Using Western blotting, the epithelial markers (surfactant proteins-C and E-cadherin) and the mesenchymal markers (fibronectin (FN) and viminten (Vim)) were detected. After neutralizing the BMP-7, the progress of fibrosis was assessed by the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp) and collagen I, III protein levels as well as the Smad signaling pathway proteins, including phosphorylated Smad1/5(P-Smad1/5) and phosphorylated Smad2/3(P-Smad2/3). Collagen I was also identified by immunofluorescence and pretreated with SB-431542, LDN-193189, or anti-BMP-7-neutralizing antibody. In addition, the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 were detected using Western blotting. Results: The model of RLE-6TN cells was established successfully, the expressions of Vim, FN, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were upregulated, while the concentration of silica is increased. Neutralizing BMP-7 stimulated the decrease of P-Smad1/5 and the increase of P-Smad2/3, as well as the collagen I, collagen III, FN, and Hyp via Smad signaling pathway. Furthermore, pretreated with LDN-193189 or anti-BMP-7-neutralizing antibody, the expression of collagen I was increased, yet it was decreased with SB-431542 intervention. Conclusion: The activated BMP/Smad and suppressed transforming growth factor-β/Smad pathways could suppress silica-induced fibrosis via a MMP-dependent mechanism. BMP-7 is expected to be the optimized strategy of delaying the interstitial changes.

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