Quality of vision: A consensus building initiative for a new ophthalmologic concept.

PURPOSE: Many studies have addressed the quantification of visual acuity, and the conventional method of measuring it has so far demonstrated serious limitations. Vision testing requires new methods that can more precisely express the quality of vision as perceived by the patient. METHODS: This study employed the Delphi method of consensus building. Concepts associated with quality of vision (QoV) were identified by a board of experts and proposed to participating specialists in two subsequent questionnaires. Upon receipt of the completed questionnaires, the replies were classified to determine the building blocks of a consensus. RESULTS: By analyzing the replies to the two questionnaires, the authors determined the key elements of QoV on which a consensus was found among the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: A consensus was reached on the opinion that the quantification of visual acuity by traditional means is inadequate for investigating QoV. Although visual acuity is still a basic element for testing, the experts believe that contrast sensitivity, reading speed, and microperimetry are additional parameters necessary for quantifying QoV. The use of a psychometric questionnaire on visual function could allow a better interpretation of visual impairment.

Immune complexes and diabetic microangiopathy.

Soluble immune complexes (AgAb) as detected and quantitated by the solid phase Clq assay (Clq-SP) were found to be increased in (a) long-duration diabetics with proliferative retinopathy and (b) short duration diabetics with early onset of retinopathy irrespective of whether they were treated with insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA), in comparison to a normal population. No such increases were observed in diabetics of comparable duration without retinopathy. The trend for long-term diabetics to show an increased prevalence of AgAb according to the severity of retinopathy was statistically significant. Detection and quantitation of AgAb by the Raji cell assay (RAJI) gave comparable results although the differences were less pronounced and fell short of statistical significance. AgAb as detected by either method in insulin-treated diabetics could not be correlated with insulin antibodies. These findings suggest that AgAb, not necessarily comprised of insulin and anti-insulin antibodies, may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy.