Effect of Sleeping Position on the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Individuals with Glaucoma.

Aims and background: To evaluate the effect of sleeping in the lateral decubitus position on the average thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in the peripapillary region of the optic nerve since the effect of posture on intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma progression is not yet sufficiently understood. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out with 40 volunteers who preferably slept in a right lateral decubitus (RLD) (RLD group N = 20) and left lateral decubitus (LLD) (LLD group N = 20) position. IOP was measured in both eyes, first in the sitting position and again after 10 minutes in a supine position, right lateral, and LLD, respectively. The mean thickness of the RNFL and the vertical papillary cup were measured by optical coherence tomography. Results: The average age of the volunteers was 60.53 ± 7.26 years. There were 32 female and eight male. There was an increase in IOP with the change from the sitting position to the lateral decubitus of 2.7 and 3.6 mm Hg in the RLD group (p < 0.001) and an increase of 3.0 and 3.15 mm Hg in the LLD group (p < 0.001), right eye (RE) vs left eye (LE), respectively. However, there was no difference in IOP values between the groups. The average thickness of the RNFL was in the RLD group-75.10 vs 78.05 µm (p = 0.325) and in the LLD group-81.55 vs 79.95 µm (p = 0.580). Vertical papillary excavation was in the RLD group-0.70 vs 0.65 (p = 0.175) and in the LLD group-0.65 vs 0.65 (p = 1.000), RE vs LE, respectively. Conclusion: We found no relationship between the lateral decubitus position when adopted preferentially for sleeping and the reduction of the RNFL. Clinical significance: Search for risk factors for the asymmetrical development of glaucoma, especially in well-controlled IOP in daytime measurements. How to cite this article: Vaz RT, Montenegro AAL, Quintas Segundo ADS, et al. Effect of Sleeping Position on the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Individuals with Glaucoma. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2024;18(2):57-62.

Advances on chalcogenide quantum dots-based sensors for environmental pollutants monitoring.

Water contamination represents a significant ecological impact with global consequences, contributing to water scarcity worldwide. The presence of several pollutants, including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and pathogens, in water resources underscores a pressing global concern, prompting the European Union (EU) to establish a Water Watch List to monitor the level of these substances. Nowadays, the standard methods used to detect and quantify these contaminants are mainly liquid or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/GC-MS). While these methodologies offer precision and accuracy, they require expensive equipment and experienced technicians, and cannot be used on the field. In this context, chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs)-based sensors have emerged as promising, user-friendly, practical, and portable tools for environmental monitoring. QDs are semiconductor nanocrystals that possess excellent properties, and have demonstrated versatility across various sensor types, such as fluorescent, electrochemical, plasmonic, and colorimetric ones. This review summarizes recent advances (2019-2023) in the use of chalcogenide QDs for environmental sensing, highlighting the development of sensors capable of detect efficiently heavy metals, anions, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, organic dyes, toxic gases, nitroaromatics, and pathogens.

Development and validation of a photograph-based instrument to assess nutrition literacy: The NUTLY project.

Most instruments measuring nutrition literacy evaluate theoretical knowledge, not necessarily reflecting skills relevant to food choices. We aimed to develop and validate a photograph-based instrument to assess nutrition literacy (NUTLY) among adults in Portugal. NUTLY assesses the ability to distinguish foods with different nutritional profiles; from each of several combinations of three photographs (two foods with similar contents and one with higher content) participants are asked to identify the food with the highest energy/sodium content. The NUTLY version with 79 combinations, obtained after experts/lay people evaluations, was applied to a sample representing different age, gender and education groups (n = 329). Dimensionality was evaluated through latent trait models. Combinations with negative or with positive small factor loadings were excluded after critical assessment. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha and construct validity by comparing NUTLY scores with those obtained in the Medical Term Recognition Test and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), and across education and training in nutrition/health groups. The cut-off to distinguish adequate/inadequate nutrition literacy was defined through ROC analysis using the Youden index criterion, after performing a Latent class analysis which identified a two-class model to have the best goodness of fit. Test-retest reliability was assessed after one month (n = 158). The final NUTLY scale was unidimensional and included 48 combinations (energy: 33; sodium: 15; α = 0.74). Mean scores (±standard deviation) were highest among nutritionists (39.9 ± 4.4), followed by health professionals (38.5 ± 4.1) and declined with decreasing education (p < 0.001). Those with adequate nutrition literacy according to NVS showed higher NUTLY scores (37.9 ± 4.3 vs. 33.9 ± 6.9, p < 0.001). Adequate nutrition literacy was defined as a NUTLY score≥35 (sensitivity: 89.3%; specificity: 93.7%). Test-retest reliability was high (ICC = 0.77). NUTLY is a valid and reliable nutrition literacy measurement tool.

Computational methods applied to syphilis: where are we, and where are we going?

Syphilis is an infectious disease that can be diagnosed and treated cheaply. Despite being a curable condition, the syphilis rate is increasing worldwide. In this sense, computational methods can analyze data and assist managers in formulating new public policies for preventing and controlling sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Computational techniques can integrate knowledge from experiences and, through an inference mechanism, apply conditions to a database that seeks to explain data behavior. This systematic review analyzed studies that use computational methods to establish or improve syphilis-related aspects. Our review shows the usefulness of computational tools to promote the overall understanding of syphilis, a global problem, to guide public policy and practice, to target better public health interventions such as surveillance and prevention, health service delivery, and the optimal use of diagnostic tools. The review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 Statement and used several quality criteria to include studies. The publications chosen to compose this review were gathered from Science Direct, Web of Science, Springer, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and PubMed databases. Then, studies published between 2015 and 2022 were selected. The review identified 1,991 studies. After applying inclusion, exclusion, and study quality assessment criteria, 26 primary studies were included in the final analysis. The results show different computational approaches, including countless Machine Learning algorithmic models, and three sub-areas of application in the context of syphilis: surveillance (61.54%), diagnosis (34.62%), and health policy evaluation (3.85%). These computational approaches are promising and capable of being tools to support syphilis control and surveillance actions.

Osteoporosis screening using machine learning and electromagnetic waves.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by impairment of bone microarchitecture that causes high socioeconomic impacts in the world because of fractures and hospitalizations. Although dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for diagnosing the disease, access to DXA in developing countries is still limited due to its high cost, being present only in specialized hospitals. In this paper, we analyze the performance of Osseus, a low-cost portable device based on electromagnetic waves that measures the attenuation of the signal that crosses the medial phalanx of a patient's middle finger and was developed for osteoporosis screening. The analysis is carried out by predicting changes in bone mineral density using Osseus measurements and additional common risk factors used as input features to a set of supervised classification models, while the results from DXA are taken as target (real) values during the training of the machine learning algorithms. The dataset consisted of 505 patients who underwent osteoporosis screening with both devices (DXA and Osseus), of whom 21.8% were healthy and 78.2% had low bone mineral density or osteoporosis. A cross-validation with k-fold = 5 was considered in model training, while 20% of the whole dataset was used for testing. The obtained performance of the best model (Random Forest) presented a sensitivity of 0.853, a specificity of 0.879, and an F1 of 0.859. Since the Random Forest (RF) algorithm allows some interpretability of its results (through the impurity check), we were able to identify the most important variables in the classification of osteoporosis. The results showed that the most important variables were age, body mass index, and the signal attenuation provided by Osseus. The RF model, when used together with Osseus measurements, is effective in screening patients and facilitates the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. The main advantages of such early screening are the reduction of costs associated with exams, surgeries, treatments, and hospitalizations, as well as improved quality of life for patients.

Optimization of Resveratrol Used as a Scaffold to Design Histone Deacetylase (HDAC-1 and HDAC-2) Inhibitors.

Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are epigenetic enzymes responsible for repressing gene expression through the deacetylation of histone lysine residues. Therefore, inhibition of HDACs has become an interesting approach for the treatment of several diseases, including cancer, hematology, neurodegenerative, immune diseases, bacterial infections, and more. Resveratrol (RVT) has pleiotropic effects, including pan-inhibition of HDAC isoforms; however, its ability to interfere with membranes requires additional optimization to eliminate nonspecific and off-target effects. Thus, to explore RVT as a scaffold, we designed a series of novel HDAC-1 and -2 inhibitors containing the 2-aminobenzamide subunit. Using molecular modeling, all compounds, except unsaturated compounds (4) and (7), exhibited a similar mode of interaction at the active sites of HDAC 1 and 2. The docking score values obtained from the study ranged from -12.780 to -10.967 Kcal/mol. All compounds were synthesized, with overall yields ranging from 33% to 67.3%. In an initial screening, compounds (4), (5), (7), and (20)-(26), showed enzymatic inhibitory effects ranging from 1 to 96% and 6 to 93% against HDAC-1 and HDAC-2, respectively. Compound (5), the most promising HDAC inhibitor in this series, was selected for IC50 assays, resulting in IC50 values of 0.44 µM and 0.37 µM against HDAC-1 and HDAC-2, respectively. In a panel of selectivity against HDACs 3-11, compound (5) presented selectivity towards Class I, mainly HDAC-1, 2, and 3. All compounds exhibited suitable physicochemical and ADMET properties as determined using in silico simulations. In conclusion, the optimization of the RVT structure allows the design of selective HDAC inhibitors, mainly targeting HDAC-1 and HDAC-2 isoforms.

A method based on non-ionizing microwave radiation for ancillary diagnosis of osteoporosis: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone mineral density, which typically leads to fractures and reduced quality of life. Currently, diagnostic devices used to assess this condition (e.g., dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) are very costly, making it infeasible to meet the demand for testing in most countries. Therefore, we proposed a preclinical validation of a prototype called Osseus in an attempt to enhance osteoporosis screening tests and alleviate their costs. Osseus is a device developed to assist bone mineral density classification. It integrates a microcontroller into other peripheral devices to measure the attenuation at the middle phalanx of the middle finger, with two antennas operating at the 2.45 GHz frequency. RESULTS: We conducted tests with plaster, poultry, and porcine bones. A comparison of the measurements of the original and mechanically altered samples demonstrated that the device can handle the complexity of the tissues within the bone structure and characterize its microarchitecture. CONCLUSIONS: Osseus is a device that has been preliminarily validated. Ionising radiation needed for DXA tests is replaced by non-ionising microwave electromagnetic radiation. Osseus enables early detection of osteoporosis, reduces costs, and optimizes high-complexity testing referrals. There is a lack of validation studies with the reference/gold standard that are currently under development.

Corrigendum: Patterns of street food purchase in cities from Central Asia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.925771.].

Street Food and Takeaway Food Purchasing Patterns in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This study aimed to describe street food and takeaway food purchasing patterns in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, throughout the day and by city location. A cross-sectional evaluation of street food and takeaway food customers was conducted in 2017. All eligible vending sites (n = 348) in the vicinity of selected markets and bus stops were included. Data on the food items purchased, and time and geographic location of the purchases were collected. A total of 755 customers purchased 929 food items. Takeaway venues showed higher customer influx (5.0 vs. 2.0 customers observed per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001) and buying rates (6.7 vs. 2.0 items bought per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001; 1.5 vs. 1.0 items bought per customer, p < 0.001) than street food sites. These rates were higher in city peripheries for street food venues, and in city centres for takeaway establishments. The purchase of industrial food products prevailed throughout the day in street food venues, whereas most takeaway purchases comprised homemade foods, with or without industrial beverages. The proportion of customers buying foods and beverages together was higher in takeaway venues (15.3% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001), especially during lunchtime and in city centres. In street food vending sites, sweet and savoury snacks seemed to be preferred in the afternoon, whereas in takeaway food establishments, savoury pastries and main dishes were mostly purchased at breakfast or lunch, and bread during the morning. Soft drinks and industrial juices were frequently purchased in both types of vending site and at all hours of the day, particularly in the afternoon. Our findings provide an overview of street food and takeaway food buying habits and consumer demands in these cities, reflecting local food culture and dietary behaviours. The identification of the meal contexts and city sub-regions in which specific purchasing practices emerge point to potential priority targets. These insights can be useful when designing interventions adapted to the specificities of these food environments and the food habits of customers.

Patterns of Street Food Purchase in Cities From Central Asia.

Street food makes a significant contribution to the diet of many dwellers in low- and middle-income countries and its trade is a well-developed activity in the central Asian region. However, data on its purchase and nutritional value is still scarce. This study aimed to describe street food purchasing patterns in central Asia, according to time and place of purchase. A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016/2017 in the main urban areas of four central Asian countries: Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan). Street food markets (n = 34) and vending sites (n = 390) were selected by random and systematic sampling procedures. Data on the purchased foods and beverages were collected by direct observation. Time and geographic location of the purchases was registered, and their nutritional composition was estimated. A total of 714 customers, who bought 852 foods, were observed. Customers' influx, buying rate and purchase of industrial food were higher in city centers compared to the outskirts (median: 4.0 vs. 2.0 customers/10 min, p < 0.001; 5.0 vs. 2.0 food items/10 min, p < 0.001; 36.2 vs. 28.7%, p = 0.004). Tea, coffee, bread and savory pastries were most frequently purchased in the early morning, bread, main dishes and savory pastries during lunchtime, and industrial products in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon periods. Energy and macronutrient density was highest at 11:00-12:00 and lowest at 09:00-10:00. Purchases were smaller but more energy-dense in city centers, and higher in saturated and trans-fat in the peripheries. This work provides an overview of the street food buying habits in these cities, which in turn reflect local food culture. These findings from the main urban areas of four low- and middle-income countries which are currently under nutrition transition can be useful when designing public health interventions customized to the specificities of these food environments and their customers.

Nutritional Characterization of Street Food in Urban Turkmenistan, Central Asia.

Objective: Describing the availability and nutritional composition of the most commonly available street foods in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Methods: One hundred sixty-one street food vending sites (six public markets) were assessed, through a collection of data on vending sites' characteristics and food availability, and samples of commonly available foods (21 homemade; 11 industrial), for chemical analysis. Results: Fruit, beverages, and food other than fruit were available in 6.8, 29.2, and 91.9% of all vending sites, respectively. Regarding the latter, 52.7% of the vending sites sold only homemade products (main dishes, snacks, cakes, biscuits and pastries, bread, ice-cream chocolate and confectionery, savory pastries and sandwiches), 37.2% only industrial (ice-cream, chocolate and confectionery, cakes, biscuits and pastries, snacks, bread and savory pastries) and 10.1% both. Homemade foods presented significantly higher total fat [homemade 11.6 g (range 6.6-19.4 g); industrial 6.2 g (range 4.0-8.6 g), p = 0.001], monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans-fat, and sodium and potassium content per serving. Industrial wafers presented the highest mean saturated (11.8 g/serving) and trans-fat (2.32 g/serving) content. Homemade hamburgers presented the highest mean sodium content (1889 mg/serving). Conclusions: Strategies to encourage the production and sales of healthier street foods, especially homemade, are needed to promote healthier urban food environments in urban Turkmenistan.

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among front-line healthcare workers in Northeast Brazil: a respondent-driven sampling approach.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and occurrence of biological accidents among front-line healthcare workers (HCW). DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Using respondent-driven sampling, the study recruited distinct categories of HCW attending suspected or confirmed patients with COVID-19 from May 2020 to February 2021, in the Recife metropolitan area, Northeast Brazil. OUTCOME MEASURES: The criterion to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW was a positive self-reported PCR test. RESULTS: We analysed 1525 HCW: 527 physicians, 471 registered nurses, 263 nursing assistants and 264 physical therapists. Women predominated in all categories (81.1%; 95% CI: 77.8% to 84.1%). Nurses were older with more comorbidities (hypertension and overweight/obesity) than the other staff. The overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 61.8% (95% CI: 55.7% to 67.5%) after adjustment for the cluster random effect, weighted by network, and the reference population size. Risk factors for a positive RT-PCR test were being a nursing assistant (OR adjusted: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.42 to 4.61), not always using all recommended PPE while assisting patients with COVID-19 (OR adj: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.02 to 4.53) and reporting a splash of biological fluid/respiratory secretion in the eyes (OR adj: 3.37; 95% CI: 1.10 to 10.34). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the high frequency of SARS-CoV2 infection among HCW presumably due to workplace exposures. In our setting, nursing assistant comprised the most vulnerable category. Our findings highlight the need for improving healthcare facility environments, specific training and supervision to cope with public health emergencies.

Availability and Nutritional Composition of Street Food in Urban Central Asia: Findings From Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Objective: To describe the availability and nutritional composition of commonly available street foods in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Methods: 384 street food vending sites (in 10 public markets) were assessed; information on vending sites' characteristics and food availability and samples of the most commonly available street foods (81 homemade; 40 industrial) were collected for chemical analysis. Results: Fruit, beverages and food other than fruit were available in 1.0%, 47.4% and 92.7% of all vending sites. Homemade food other than fruit (e.g., bread, main dishes, snacks, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes) were available in 63.4% of stationary vending sites, while industrial (e.g., snacks, chocolate, cakes, and cookies) in 45.6% of them. Industrial foods were the most energy-dense [median kcal/100 g: 438.8 vs. 267.2, p < 0.001 (homemade)]. Traditional homemade dishes were high in sodium, reaching 2,248 mg/serving (lagman) and major contributors of protein and fat to energy content (shashlik: 22.8% from protein, 68.3% from fat). Industrial chocolate and homemade cake presented the highest saturated (14.6 g/serving) and trans-fat (3.20 g/serving) contents. Conclusion: These findings advocate for the implementation of health promotion strategies targeted at vendors, consumers and other stakeholders.

"True" Helicobacter pylori infection and non-cardia gastric cancer: A pooled analysis within the Stomach Cancer Pooling (StoP) Project.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is the most important risk factor for non-cardia gastric cancer (NCGC); however, the magnitude of the association varies across epidemiological studies. This study aimed to quantify the association between H. pylori infection and NCGC, using different criteria to define infection status. METHODS: A pooled analysis of individual-level H. pylori serology data from eight international studies (1325 NCGC and 3121 controls) from the Stomach Cancer Pooling (StoP) Consortium was performed. Cases and controls with a negative H. pylori infection status were reclassified as positive considering the presence of anti-Cag A antibodies, gastric atrophy, or advanced stage at diagnosis, as available and applicable. A two-stage approach was used to pool study-specific adjusted odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A meta-analysis of published prospective studies assessing H. pylori seropositivity in NCGCs was conducted. RESULTS: The OR for the association between serology-defined H. pylori and NCGC was 1.45 (95% CI: 0.87-2.42), which increased to 4.79 (95% CI: 2.39-9.60) following the reclassification of negative H. pylori infection. The results were consistent across strata of sociodemographic characteristics, clinical features and lifestyle factors, though significant differences were observed according to geographic region-a stronger association in Asian studies. The pooled risk estimates from the literature were 3.01 (95% CI: 2.22-4.07) for ELISA or EIA and 9.22 (95% CI: 3.12-27.21) for immunoblot or multiplex serology. CONCLUSION: The NCGC risk estimate from StoP based on the reclassification of H. pylori seronegative individuals is consistent with the risk estimates obtained from the literature. Our classification algorithm may be useful for future studies.

Salt intake and gastric cancer: a pooled analysis within the Stomach cancer Pooling (StoP) Project.

PURPOSE: Previous studies show that consuming foods preserved by salting increases the risk of gastric cancer, while results on the association between total salt or added salt and gastric cancer are less consistent and vary with the exposure considered. This study aimed to quantify the association between dietary salt exposure and gastric cancer, using an individual participant data meta-analysis of studies participating in the Stomach cancer Pooling (StoP) Project. METHODS: Data from 25 studies (10,283 cases and 24,643 controls) from the StoP Project with information on salt taste preference (tasteless, normal, salty), use of table salt (never, sometimes, always), total sodium intake (tertiles of grams/day), and high-salt and salt-preserved foods intake (tertiles of grams/day) were used. A two-stage approach based on random-effects models was used to pool study-specific adjusted (sex, age, and gastric cancer risk factors) odds ratios (aORs), and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Gastric cancer risk was higher for salty taste preference (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.25-2.03), always using table salt (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.16-1.54), and for the highest tertile of high-salt and salt-preserved foods intake (aOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.51) vs. the lowest tertile. No significant association was observed for the highest vs. the lowest tertile of total sodium intake (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 0.82-1.43). The results obtained were consistent across anatomic sites, strata of Helicobacter pylori infection, and sociodemographic, lifestyle and study characteristics. CONCLUSION: Salty taste preference, always using table salt, and a greater high-salt and salt-preserved foods intake increased the risk of gastric cancer, though the association was less robust with total sodium intake.

Stochastic Petri net model describing the relationship between reported maternal and congenital syphilis cases in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. In 2016, it was declared an epidemic in Brazil due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, mainly in cases of maternal syphilis (MS) and congenital syphilis (CS) with unfavorable outcomes. This paper aimed to mathematically describe the relationship between MS and CS cases reported in Brazil over the interval from 2010 to 2020, considering the likelihood of diagnosis and effective and timely maternal treatment during prenatal care, thus supporting the decision-making and coordination of syphilis response efforts. METHODS: The model used in this paper was based on stochastic Petri net (SPN) theory. Three different regressions, including linear, polynomial, and logistic regression, were used to obtain the weights of an SPN model. To validate the model, we ran 100 independent simulations for each probability of an untreated MS case leading to CS case (PUMLC) and performed a statistical t-test to reinforce the results reported herein. RESULTS: According to our analysis, the model for predicting congenital syphilis cases consistently achieved an average accuracy of 93% or more for all tested probabilities of an untreated MS case leading to CS case. CONCLUSIONS: The SPN approach proved to be suitable for explaining the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) dataset using the range of 75-95% for the probability of an untreated MS case leading to a CS case (PUMLC). In addition, the model's predictive power can help plan actions to fight against the disease.

Evaluation of Bacteria and Fungi DNA Abundance in Human Tissues.

Whereas targeted and shotgun sequencing approaches are both powerful in allowing the study of tissue-associated microbiota, the human: microorganism abundance ratios in tissues of interest will ultimately determine the most suitable sequencing approach. In addition, it is possible that the knowledge of the relative abundance of bacteria and fungi during a treatment course or in pathological conditions can be relevant in many medical conditions. Here, we present a qPCR-targeted approach to determine the absolute and relative amounts of bacteria and fungi and demonstrate their relative DNA abundance in nine different human tissue types for a total of 87 samples. In these tissues, fungi genomes are more abundant in stool and skin samples but have much lower levels in other tissues. Bacteria genomes prevail in stool, skin, oral swabs, saliva, and gastric fluids. These findings were confirmed by shotgun sequencing for stool and gastric fluids. This approach may contribute to a more comprehensive view of the human microbiota in targeted studies for assessing the abundance levels of microorganisms during disease treatment/progression and to indicate the most informative methods for studying microbial composition (shotgun versus targeted sequencing) for various samples types.

Analysis of cytokines in the aqueous humor during intravitreal Ranibizumab treatment of diabetic macular edema.

This study aimed to analyze the concentrations of VEGF, b-FGF, TNF, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 in the aqueous humor of patients with diabetic macular edema with and without peripheral retinal ischemia and to ascertain the changes in the levels of these molecules during treatment with ranibizumab. A therapeutic, prospective, randomized interventional study was carried out. Twenty-four eyes from 24 patients were studied and divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (9 eyes) included patients with diabetic macular edema without peripheral ischemia. Group 2 (10 eyes) included patients with diabetic macular edema with peripheral ischemia. Group 3 (5 eyes), the control group, included patients without systemic and/or eye diseases. Patients in Groups 1 and 2 received 3 intravitreal injections of 2 mg/0.05 ml ranibizumab at an interval of approximately 30 days. Before administering the injections, the aqueous humor was collected. In the control group, aqueous humor was collected before facetectomy. During treatment, the median IL-6 concentration significantly increased in Group 1 but showed a slight but not significant decrease in Group 2. Interleukin 8 levels were significantly different at the end of treatment compared to the beginning in Groups 1 and 2. TNF, IL-1, IL-10, and IL-12 levels were practically unchanged in both groups. VEGF was significantly reduced at the end of the study in Groups 1 and 2. B-FGF was not detected in most of the studied patients, and in those with detectable levels, there was no significant variation. There was a significant increase in the median level of interleukin 6 in the group without ischemia and a significant decrease in VEGF in both groups. The cytokines TNF, IL-1, IL-10, and IL-12 did not show significant variation.