1.
Proteomic Analysis of Early Diabetic Retinopathy Reveals Mediators of Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases. JM Sundstrom et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018, May; 59(6): 2264-2274.
This study identified, using a proteomic approach, the main proteins and metabolic pathways involved in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The study was conducted by comparing control retinas of non-diabetic donors with diabetic retinas of patients without classical vascular lesions that clinically define DR. The study focused on the analysis of the most relevant proteins linked to neuroregulatory and neurodegenerative pathways unique to each of the three groups (control retinas and diabetic retinas with and without GA), with a particular focus on proteins and pathways shared with neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system.
For further reading of the article, go to https://www.oculistaitaliano.it/articoli/analisi-proteomica-delle-fasi-precoci-della-retinopatia-diabetica/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5935294/
2.
Retinal changes in Parkinson's disease and glaucoma. Matlach J et al. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2018 Jun 21. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2018.06.016
The topic of retinal neurodegeneration in Parkinson's is quite controversial. In this study, the authors compare the thickness of the macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC) and the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) using 2 Spectral-Domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices in healthy and diseased patients. Retinal imaging revealed thinning of some retinal layers in the ipsilateral eye on the more affected side of the body in patients with Parkinson's disease compared to healthy controls.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29937099
3.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography to Evaluate Ischemia in Diabetic Eyes.
Papakostas TD et al. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2018 Jun 14. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.2256.
The retinal vasculature consists of a superficial vascular plexus (SVP), an intermediate capillary plexus (ICP) and a deep capillary plexus (DCP). There is also a fourth regional vascular network, the radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPCP), which functions in parallel with the nerve fibre layer. The SVP in healthy subjects receives a blood supply from the central retinal artery, while the deeper vascular layers are supplied by vertical anastomoses from the SVP. The authors of this study quantified capillary non-perfusion in 3 vascular plexuses of the macula of diabetic and healthy control eyes using OCT angiography (OCTA).
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2684568
4.
Demonstration of anatomical development of the human macula within the first 5 years of life using handheld OCT. Alabduljalil T et al. Int Ophthalmol. 2018 Jun 23. doi: 10.1007/s10792-018-0966-3.
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the anatomical development of the human macula using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) during the first five years of life.
Retinal thickness maps were generated for total retinal thickness (TRT), inner retinal layer thickness (IRL) and photoreceptor layer thickness (PRL). The research results agree with the literature: the anatomical development of the macular IRL is completed before 5 months of age and therefore before the PRL. Furthermore, the study identifies 24 months as an important milestone in the development of photoreceptors in the macula.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10792-018-0966-3
5.
Cytomegalovirus establishes a latent reservoir and triggers long-lasting inflammation in the eye. Voigt V et al. PLoS Pathog. 2018 May 31;14(5):e1007040.
Cytomegalovirus is a common pathogen, generally harmless in healthy individuals. It was not known until now whether cytomegalovirus in immunocompetent hosts could enter the eye and reside there permanently. Using the murine infection model with cytomegalovirus, the authors demonstrate, for the first time, that systemic infection of immunocompetent and immunodepressed hosts results in severe ocular infection, chronic inflammation and the establishment of a latent viral reservoir in the eye, as in Ebola and Zika. These findings identify the eye as an unexpected reservoir for cytomegalovirus where the infection triggers sustained inflammatory responses, including in the neural retina.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29852019
6.
Acute exacerbation of staphylococcal catarrhal infiltration associated with treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis: A case report. Bang SP et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun;97(22):e10753. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010753.
An interesting case report highlighting the risk of non-infectious keratitis concomitant with and immuno-related to infectious keratitis. Specifically: a 70-year-old woman with acute mucopurulent keratitis due to Pseudomonas following the application of a contact lens, and treated with alternating administration of fourth-generation fluoroquinolone and 5% ceftazidime. Although the keratitis improved rapidly, there were catarrhal infiltrates at the corneolimbal junction which then formed stromal pustules and finally acute exacerbation of the staphylococcal catarrhal infiltrate.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29851781
7.
Altered expression level of inflammation-related genes and long-term changes in ocular surface after trabeculectomy, a prospective cohort study. L Tong et al. Ocul Surf. 2018 Jun 21. pii: S1542-0124(18)30110-1.
The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the ocular surface in a cohort of post-trabeculectomy patients and possible associations with gene expression of inflammation in the conjunctiva.
The results showed that the increased discomfort perceived by patients in the post-operative phase is associated with a higher expression of protein tyrosine kinase-2 than at baseline. Nine genes, including proinflammatory lipoxygenase (ALOX5) showed a significantly reduced level at 3 years.
Glaucoma surgery can, according to this study, have long-term beneficial effects on the ocular surface due to reduced expression of conjunctival proinflammatory and immune-related genes.
https://www.theocularsurfacejournal.com/article/S1542-0124(18)30110-1/pdf
8.
Guidelines for the cleaning and sterilisation of intraocular surgical instruments. Chang DF et al. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2018 Jun 13. pii: S0886-3350(18)30368-7.
These guidelines for the cleaning and sterilisation of intraocular surgical instruments were drafted by the Ophthalmic Instrument Cleaning and Sterilisation (OICS) Task Force, which is composed of representatives from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery. Society. These evidence-based recommendations support the implementation of safety protocols for common operating room practices, without increasing costs and waste.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29909254
9.
Effects of tear film dynamics on quality of vision. Koh S et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2018 Jun 15. pii: bjophthalmol-2018-312333.
The tear film acts as the anterior surface of the eye and plays an important role as the first refractive component. Alterations in tear film dynamics can cause symptoms related to both vision and ocular surface health. Although the quality of vision associated with tear film dynamics has received little attention in the past, objective measurements of visual quality using wavefront sensors have made it possible to quantify the optical aberrations induced by tear film alteration. This has provided an objective method to assess the vision quality of the dry eye patient. This review focuses on the current understanding of the mechanisms of wavefront variations caused by different aspects of tear film dynamics, in particular, tear film quality, quantity and properties, demonstrating their respective effects on vision quality.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29907632
10.
Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Macular Degeneration. Mehat MS et al. Ophthalmology. 2018 Jun 5. pii: S0161-6420(18)30024-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.04.037.
Transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells has potential benefits for macular degeneration. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of subretinal transplantation of approximately 200,000 RPE cells with systemic immunosuppressive therapy for 13 weeks in 12 patients with advanced Stargardt disease (STGD1), the most common cause of macular degeneration in children and young adults. The promising results showed that focal areas of subretinal hyperpigmentation developed in the recipient retina in all participants in a dose-dependent manner and persisted after immunosuppression was stopped. Furthermore, there was no uncontrolled proliferation or inflammatory responses. However, improvements in visual acuity were unsatisfactory or otherwise accompanied by similar improvement in the contralateral untreated eye over the 12-month follow-up period. Probably, due to the slow progression of macular degeneration at this advanced stage, protection against further deterioration only becomes apparent after a longer observation period.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29884405
Dr. Carmelo Chines
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