Iris colour and subjective emotional status in Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the iris colour might be a useful biomarker in predicting emotional health status. We aimed to examine the relationship of iris colour with subjective emotional status in a sample of Chinese adolescents aged 13 to 14 years. METHODS: A total of 2346 students from ten middle schools in Mojiang participated the examination. The emotional health status was measured by the adolescent self-reported PedsQL 4.0. We obtained standardized slit-lamp photographs and developed a grading system assessing iris colour (higher grade denoting darker). Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between iris colour and emotional status. RESULTS: The trend of decreasing negative emotional status with darker iris colour was significantly. Compared with grades 1 and 2 of iris colour, the students with grades 4 and 5 had less negative emotional status (ORfear = 0.56, 95 % CI: 0.41, 0.76; ORsadness = 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.49, 0.92; ORanger = 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.52, 0.98). In addition, the trend did not change after adjusting for potential confounders, including height, waist circumstance, sleep habits and computer times in logistic regression models. LIMITATIONS: Only negative emotional indexes were selected as evaluative materials, it is unclear whether the pattern found in the present study also exists with regard to positive emotional indexes, such as happiness. CONCLUSION: Darker iris colour might be associated with less negative emotional status in Chinese adolescents.

Factors associated with sleep disorders among adolescent students in rural areas of China.

Background: This study aimed to determine sleep patterns and the prevalence and association factors of sleep disorders in a regionally representative sample in Mo Jiang, China. Methods: A total of 2,346 (participation rate 93.5%) Grade 7 students (aged 13-14 years) from 10 middle schools, including 1,213 (51.7%) boys and 1,133 (48.3%) girls, participated in the study. All the participants were invited to complete questionnaires that acquired information on sleep patterns, academic performance, academic stress, and sociodemographic factors. Sleep disorders were assessed using the Chinese version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with sleep disorders. Results: The prevalence of sleep disorders among rural adolescents was 76.4%, which is higher than that among urban adolescents. Compared with previous findings in urban areas, our results indicate that sleep loss is much more severe in rural adolescents. Sleep disorders were positively associated with factors, such as watching TV [odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, p = 0.001], academic performance (OR = 1.80, p < 0.001), and academic stress (OR = 1.38, p = 0.04). In addition, girls were more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than boys (OR = 1.36, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Insufficient sleep and sleep disorders have become common health problems in rural Chinese adolescents.

Machine Learning-Based Integration of Metabolomics Characterisation Predicts Progression of Myopic Retinopathy in Children and Adolescents.

Myopic retinopathy is an important cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness. As metabolomics has recently been successfully applied in myopia research, this study sought to characterize the serum metabolic profile of myopic retinopathy in children and adolescents (4-18 years) and to develop a diagnostic model that combines clinical and metabolic features. We selected clinical and serum metabolic data from children and adolescents at different time points as the training set (n = 516) and the validation set (n = 60). All participants underwent an ophthalmologic examination. Untargeted metabolomics analysis of serum was performed. Three machine learning (ML) models were trained by combining metabolic features and conventional clinical factors that were screened for significance in discrimination. The better-performing model was validated in an independent point-in-time cohort and risk nomograms were developed. Retinopathy was present in 34.2% of participants (n = 185) in the training set, including 109 (28.61%) with mild to moderate myopia. A total of 27 metabolites showed significant variation between groups. After combining Lasso and random forest (RF), 12 modelled metabolites (mainly those involved in energy metabolism) were screened. Both the logistic regression and extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithms showed good discriminatory ability. In the time-validation cohort, logistic regression (AUC 0.842, 95% CI 0.724-0.96) and XGBoost (AUC 0.897, 95% CI 0.807-0.986) also showed good prediction accuracy and had well-fitted calibration curves. Three clinical characteristic coefficients remained significant in the multivariate joint model (p < 0.05), as did 8/12 metabolic characteristic coefficients. Myopic retinopathy may have abnormal energy metabolism. Machine learning models based on metabolic profiles and clinical data demonstrate good predictive performance and facilitate the development of individual interventions for myopia in children and adolescents.

Prevalence, ethnic differences and risk factors of primary angle-closure glaucoma in a multiethnic Chinese adult population: the Yunnan Minority Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence and risk factors of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and to explore nationality difference in Chinese. METHODS: The Yunnan Minority Eye Study was conducted in a rural multiethnic area in Yunnan province and included 6546 participants aged over 50 years. PACG was diagnosed based on International Society of Geographical and Epidemiologic Ophthalmology criteria by experienced ophthalmologists. Multivariate regression modelling was conducted to examine risk factors for PACG. Principal component analyis (PCA) was performed to evaluate the effects of ethnicity on PACG. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PACG was 0.7% (95% CIs: 0.5% to 0.9%). PCA indicated that ethnicity is significantly related to the presence of PACG (p<0.001) after controlling for other risk factors. In addition, higher PACG prevalence was also correlated with older age (60-69 years group (OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 1.11 to 10.84; p<0.05) and 70-79 years group (OR: 4.71; 95% CI: 1.40 to 15.86; p<0.05) as compared with 50-59 years group), higher intraocular pressures (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.36; p<0.001), shorter axial lengths (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.56; p<0.001) and thinner central corneal thicknesses (OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81 to 0.99; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This multiethnic study on Chinese adults living in the same geographical location indicated that ethnicity is a significant risk factor for PACG. However, there were still some of the effects of ethnic differences on the prevalence of PACG that could not be explained and further studies should take culture and lifestyle factors into account.

Peripapillary vessel density correlates with visual field mean sensitivity in highly myopic eyes.

PURPOSE: To identify the global and regional distribution of peripapillary vessel density (pVD) and try to find out the relationships between pVD and the visual field mean sensitivity (VFMS) in healthy myopic eyes. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-two participants (393 eyes) with myopia (myopic refractive error < - 0.5 diopters) from two clinical centers were recruited in this study and were divided into 4 groups according to the spherical equivalent (SE): Group1:- 0.5D ≥ SE > - 6.00D, Group2: - 6.00D ≥ SE > - 8.00D, Group3:- 8.00D ≥ SE > - 10.00D, Group4:SE ≤ -10.00D.The pVD assessed with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was quantified in 8 sectors. Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) imaging was performed with SD-OCT. Visual field (VF) tests were performed with the 30-2 SITA standard program on the Humphrey 750i Visual Field Analyzer and were grouped into 8 regions that matched the structure. RESULTS: The pRNFL had no significant difference in all groups (p = 0.422). The average pVD were significantly lower in group 4 (47.61 ± 6.58) than in group 2 and 3 (51.49 ± 3.21, 50.48 ± 3.43 respectively) (p < 0.05). While both pVD in group2 and 3 were statistically lower than group1 (52.77 ± 2.86). The average VFMS was significantly lower in group 4 (901.85 ± 386.54) than other three groups (1169.15 ± 328.94, 1081.77 ± 338.83, 1076.89 ± 358.18, for group1,2,3 respectively). The pVD and VFMS were positively correlated in group3 (r = 0.184) and group4 (r = 0.476) (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that VFMS were positively associated with pVD especially in temporal and nasal quadrants in myopic eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The pVD shows a significant positive correlation with VFMS in highly myopic eyes with SE ≤ - 8.00D. We suggest that pVD measurement by OCTA could be a sensitive and useful method for monitoring myopic functional change.

Knowledge of glaucoma and associated factors among primary glaucoma patients in Kunming, China.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices about glaucoma and associated factors among primary glaucoma patients in Kunming, China. METHODS: A hospital-based study was conducted on 93 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data after written informed consent. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors. A Chi-square test was used to analyze the association between knowledge of glaucoma and medication compliance, Mann-Whitney U test was performed to assess the relationship between knowledge of glaucoma and quality of life in patients with glaucoma. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 93 patients, 55 (59.14%) were aware of glaucoma, 48 (51.61%) had good knowledge of glaucoma, while 45 (48.39%) had poor knowledge. Younger age and duration of glaucoma were associated positively with knowledge of glaucoma. 87 (93.54%) patients got knowledge of their disease from doctors. 79.17% of respondents could use all the anti-glaucoma medications on time, out of which 54.17% had good knowledge of glaucoma while 25.00% had poor knowledge of glaucoma. 30.56% of respondents used to stop anti-glaucoma medications on their own out of which only 9.72% had good knowledge of glaucoma while 20.83% had poor knowledge of glaucoma. Patients with good knowledge of glaucoma had lower scores on the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 questionnaire. Thus, the compliance to anti-glaucoma medications and glaucoma-related quality of life were better in patients with good knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: The level of knowledge of glaucoma among patients in Kunming is relatively low. Improving knowledge with suitable content for patients through effective multiple means such as the mass media rather than relying only on ophthalmologists may be a veritable first step in combating blindness from glaucoma and enhancing patients' quality of life.

Evaluation of Macular and Retinal Ganglion Cell Count Estimates for Detecting and Staging Glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical significance of macular estimated retinal ganglion cell (mRGC) and estimated retinal ganglion cell (eRGC) in the diagnosis and staging of glaucoma. Methods: This is a cross-section study. All enrolled subjects underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination. Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA)-FAST detection strategy and 24-2, 10-2 detection programs were employed in SAP assessment. The visual-field parameters and OCT parameters were calculated according to three formulas to obtain the eRGC and mRGC1 or mRGC2. The efficiency of eRGC, mRGC1, and mRGC2 estimates for the staging of glaucoma was compared. The sensitivity and specificity of each parameter for diagnosis of glaucoma were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 119 eyes were included in the analysis. Compared with the healthy controls, eRGC, mRGC1, and mRGC2 estimates were significantly decreased in patients with glaucoma. As glaucoma progressed, eRGC, mRGC1, and mRGC2 estimates were gradually reduced. In preperimetric glaucoma, mRGC1, mRGC2, and eRGC were reduced by 13.2, 14.5, and 18%, respectively. In the mild stage of glaucoma, mRGC1, mRGC2, and eRGC were reduced by 28, 34, and 38%, respectively. In the advanced stage of glaucoma, mRGC1, mRGC2, and eRGC were reduced by 81, 85, and 92% respectively. The proportion of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in the macula was close to that outside the macula. The specificity at 95% gave a sensitivity of 95.51, 86.52, and 87.64% for eRGC, mRGC1, and mRGC2, respectively. The sensitivity of structural parameters macular ganglion cell complex thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were 98.88 and 95.51%, respectively. The sensitivity of functional parameters mean deviation (24-2) and visual field index (VFI) were 80.90 and 73.03%, respectively. The area under ROC curve of mRGC1, mRGC2, and eRGC were 0.982, 0.972, and 0.995 (P < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusion: Estimated retinal ganglion cell, mRGC1, and mRGC2 provide value to the staging of glaucoma and better diagnostic performance. Macular RGC estimatesthat integration of both structural and functional damages in macular may serve as a sensitive indicator for assessing macular damage in glaucoma and are of importance for the diagnosis and progression management of glaucoma.

Declines in PDE4B activity promote myopia progression through downregulation of scleral collagen expression.

Myopia is the most common cause of a visual refractive error worldwide. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-linked signaling pathways contribute to the regulation of myopia development, and increases in cAMP accumulation promote myopia progression. To pinpoint the underlying mechanisms by which cAMP modulates myopia progression, we performed scleral transcriptome sequencing analysis in form-deprived mice, a well-established model of myopia development. Form deprivation significantly inhibited the expression levels of genes in the cAMP catabolic pathway. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis validated that the gene expression level of phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B), a cAMP hydrolase, was downregulated in form-deprived mouse eyes. Under visually unobstructed conditions, loss of PDE4B function in Pde4b-knockout mice increased the myopic shift in refraction, -3.661 ± 1.071 diopters, more than that in the Pde4b-wildtype littermates (P < 0.05). This suggests that downregulation and inhibition of PDE4B gives rise to myopia. In guinea pigs, subconjunctival injection of rolipram, a selective inhibitor of PDE4, led to myopia in normal eyes, and it also enhanced form-deprivation myopia (FDM). Subconjunctival injection of dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, a cAMP analog, induced only a myopic shift in the normal visually unobstructed eyes, but it did not enhance FDM. As myopia developed, axial elongation occurred during scleral remodeling that was correlated with changes in collagen fibril thickness and distribution. The median collagen fibril diameter in the FDM + rolipram group, 55.09 ± 1.83 nm, was thinner than in the FDM + vehicle group, 59.33 ± 2.06 nm (P = 0.011). Thus, inhibition of PDE4 activity with rolipram thinned the collagen fibril diameter relative to the vehicle treatment in form-deprived eyes. Rolipram also inhibited increases in collagen synthesis induced by TGF-ß2 in cultured human scleral fibroblasts. The current results further support a role for PDE enzymes such as PDE4B in the regulation of normal refractive development and myopia because either loss or inhibition of PDE4B function increased myopia and FDM development through declines in the scleral collagen fibril diameter.

Comparison of the SITA Faster-a new visual field strategy with SITA Fast strategy.

AIM: To compare visual field defects using the Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA) Fast strategy with SITA Faster strategy, a newly developed time-saving threshold visual field strategy. METHODS: Ninety-three participants (60 glaucoma patients and 33 normal controls) were enrolled. One eye from each participant was selected randomly for the study. SITA Fast and SITA Faster were performed using the 24-2 default mode for each test. The differences of visual field defects between the two strategies were compared using the test duration, false-positive response errors, mean deviation (MD), visual field index (VFI) and the numbers of depressed test points at the significant levels of P<5%, <2%, <1%, and <0.5% in probability plots. The correlation between strategies was analyzed. The agreement between strategies was acquired by Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Mean test durations were 246.0±60.9s for SITA Fast, and 156.3±46.3s for SITA Faster (P<0.001). The test duration of SITA Faster was 36.5% shorter than SITA Fast. The MD, VFI and numbers of depressed points at P<5%, <2%, <1%, and <0.5% in probability plots showed no statistically significant difference between two strategies (P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed a high correlation for MD (r=0.986, P<0.001) and VFI (r=0.986, P<0.001) between the two strategies. Bland-Altman analysis showed great agreement between the two strategies. CONCLUSION: SITA Faster, which saves considerable test time, has a great test quality comparing to SITA Fast, but may be not directly interchangeable.

Impact of binocular integrated visual field defects on healthy related quality of life in glaucoma.

ABSTRACT: To investigate the impact of different types of binocular integrated visual field defects on the quality of life in glaucoma.Ninety-six patients with primary glaucoma were divided into 5 groups with 25, 24, 11, 15, and 21 patients according to types of the binocular integrated visual field (BVF) defects. The criteria for BVF grouping included mild visual field defect in binocular eyes, mild visual field defect in 1 eye and moderate or advanced defect in the other, moderate and non-overlapping visual field defect in both eyes, overlapping and moderate visual field defect in binocular eyes, and severe defect in both eyes, respectively. The visual field (VF) evaluation was based on H-P-A visual field grading system. Visual acuity, visual field tests and Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 Questionnaire (GQL-15) were performed for enrolled patients, and binocular visual field results were integrated. The changes and correlations of the Visual field index values and quality of life scores were compared among the 5 groups. The main factors affecting the quality of life in glaucoma were analyzed by multiple regression analysis.The best binocular integrated visual field index (BVFI) and optimal quality of life were observed in group A. The BVFI of group B was better than that of group C or group D, but the peripheral vision glare and dark adaptation were worse. No significant difference was noted between group C and group D in terms of BVFI. However, the glare and dark adaptation in group C were better than that in group D. The BVFI was the lowest and the quality of life was the worst in group E. In all, BVFI and decibels (dB) values were negatively correlated with GQL-15 scores and positively correlated with patients' quality of life.Binocular integrated visual field accurately reflects the visual function in glaucoma. Higher binocular integrated visual field indices represent a better quality of life for patients with glaucoma. Mild to moderate synchronous or complementary binocular VF defects had a slight effect on the quality of life, while severe and non-compensated VF loss significantly impacts on quality of life in glaucoma patients.

Rates and Predictors of Nonadherence to Postophthalmic Screening Tertiary Referrals in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: To determine the rates and develop an initial risk prediction model for nonadherence to post screening ophthalmic referral (PSOR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients attending a national diabetic retinopathy screening program in Singapore. Methods: Data from 2387 patients with T2DM (mean [standard deviation] age: 66.5 [11] years; 52.5% female patients) who underwent teleophthalmic screening between 2010 and 2014 under the Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Program were extracted from electronic medical records. All were referred for tertiary ophthalmic management at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). Nonadherence was defined as not attending the SNEC appointment within 6 months of the assigned appointment date. Regression analysis using traditional modified Poisson and conditional inference models was used to construct and evaluate the discriminative ability of the preliminary risk prediction model to identify nonadherent individuals. Results: Nonadherence rates to PSOR was 12.7% (95% confidence interval, 11.4%-14.1%). In traditional multivariable models adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and ocular factors, nonadherent individuals had higher triglyceride levels and were less likely to have a referable eye condition (P < 0.05). This model was able to identify nonadherent individuals with an accuracy (area under the curve) of 84%. In contrast, the conditional inference model was able to achieve similar discriminative ability using only participants' ocular health characteristics. Conclusions: The rates of nonadherence to PSOR in Singaporean individuals with T2DM is low, with better ocular health being strongly predictive of nonadherence in our Asian population. Translational Relevance: Our results may inform interventions to decrease nonadherence to PSOR.

Asian-specific vertical cup-to-disc ratio cut-off for glaucoma screening: An evidence-based recommendation from a multi-ethnic Asian population.

IMPORTANCE: Evidence-based guidelines are essential for glaucoma screening to work effectively. BACKGROUND: To derive a vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) cut-off for glaucoma screening in a multi-ethnic Asian population. DESIGN: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) study is a population-based study conducted from 2004 to 2011 in a single tertiary care research institute. PARTICIPANTS: SEED comprised of 10 033 Chinese, Malay and Indian adults aged ≥40 (response rate 75.6%). After excluding participants with a history of glaucoma medication or surgery, 9673 participants were included for analysis. METHODS: A systematic eye examination, which included applanation tonometry, visual field testing, gonioscopy and dilated fundus examination was conducted. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Diagnosis of glaucoma. RESULTS: The distribution of VCDR and VCDR asymmetry were relatively homogenous in this multi-ethnic Asian population, with a 97.5th percentile value of 0.67 and 0.17, respectively. In the absence of more definite signs of glaucoma, VCDR ≥0.60 and VCDR asymmetry ≥0.20 provided the best balance between sensitivity (95.1%) and specificity (90.9%) in detecting glaucoma. For larger optic disc (≥2.0 mm), VCDR ≥0.65 with VCDR asymmetry ≥0.20 provided the best balance between sensitivity (84.8%) and specificity (93.2%). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Overall, VCDR ≥0.60 with VCDR ≥0.20 asymmetry provides a good balance between sensitivity and specificity in detecting glaucoma. For larger optic disc, VCDR ≥0.65 should be considered instead to mitigate against false-referrals due to larger physiological disc cupping. Our findings may act as a reference to populations with similar VCDR distribution.

Effect of intraocular lens implantation on visual field in glaucoma and comorbid cataracts.

AIM: To investigate the effects of intraocular lens (IOL) implantation on visual field (VF) in patients with glaucoma and comorbid cataracts (G&C) with different disease severities. METHODS: Totally 56 eyes of 50 patients with primary G&C were included. All patients were divided into three groups based on the severity of the VF defect: the mild, moderate, and severe stage. Phacoemulsification was performed for cataract removal combined with IOL implantation. Visual acuity (VA) and VF tests were performed for all enrolled patients, up to 3mo after surgery. Changes in VF threshold and global VF index in various groups were also recorded before and after surgery. The mean light sensitivity (MS) values and the changes following surgery (DMS) were compared between the three groups. Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) scoring was analyzed on all VF results for analysis of changes in VF before and after surgery. RESULTS: Following surgery, the MS values of the three groups of G&C increased significantly, while the AGIS scores decreased statistically in all groups. The DMS values for the three zones in moderate and severe stage but not mild stage were statistically different between zones. The DMS value was significantly higher in zone I than those in zone II and III (zone I>zone II>zone III; P<0.05). The DMS was significantly higher in zone I than that in zone III in moderate stage patients (zone I>zone II>zone III; P<0.01), while the DMS values in the severe stage patients was significantly higher in zone I than those in zone II and III (zone I>zone II>zone III; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The mean VF sensitivity of glaucoma patients increased significantly after cataract removal and IOL implantation. Variations in the severity and distribution of characteristics of VF defects result in differences in postoperative VF improvements after cataract surgery. The magnitude of increase in VF sensitivity is associated with VF defect characteristic in glaucoma.

Differential metabolic markers associated with primary open-angle glaucoma and cataract in human aqueous humor.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify metabolic biomarkers and investigate the metabolic alterations in relation to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and cataract in human aqueous humor. METHODS: Sixteen POAG patients undergoing surgical treatments and 24 patients undergoing cataract surgeries were included in this case-control study. We performed the metabolomic analysis of aqueous humor samples using a non-targeted gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was computed to assess the discrimination capacities of each metabolite marker. Databases including the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and MetaboAnalyst were utilized to search for the potential pathways of metabolites. RESULTS: Aqueous humor metabolomic profiles could well distinguish POAG from controls. Fourteen metabolic biomarkers were identified as potential aqueous humor biomarkers for POAG, yielding AUC values from 0.62 to 0.86. In pathway analysis, Biotin metabolism was highly impacted, implying that these metabolic markers play important roles in the regulation of this pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified valuable metabolic biomarkers and pathways that may facilitate an improved understanding of the POAG pathogenesis. The finding holds translational value in the development of new therapeutic measures for POAG.

Association between Macular Thickness Profiles and Visual Function in Healthy Eyes: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between optical coherence tomography (OCT)-measured retinal layer thickness parameters with clinical and patient-centred visual outcomes in healthy eyes. Participants aged 40 and above were recruited from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study, a multi-ethnic population-based study. Average macular, ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), and outer retinal thickness parameters were obtained using the Cirrus High Definition-OCT. Measurements of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and 11-item visual functioning questionnaire (VF-11) were performed. Associations between macular thickness parameters, with BCVA and Rasch-transformed VF-11 scores (in logits) were assessed using multivariable linear regression models with generalized estimating equations, adjusted for relevant confounders. 4,540 subjects (7,744 eyes) with a mean age of 58.8 ± 8.6 years were included. The mean BCVA (LogMAR) was 0.10 ± 0.11 and mean VF-11 score was 5.20 ± 1.29. In multivariable regression analysis, thicker macula (per 20 µm; ß = -0.009) and GCIPL (per 20 µm; ß = -0.031) were associated with better BCVA (all p ≤ 0.001), while thicker macula (per 20 µm; ß = 0.04) and GCIPL (per 20 µm, ß = 0.05) were significantly associated with higher VF-11 scores (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, among healthy Asian eyes, thicker macula and GCIPL were associated with better vision and self-reported visual functioning. These findings provide further understanding on the potential influence of macular thickness on visual function.

Association Between Visual Impairment and Decline in Cognitive Function in a Multiethnic Asian Population.

Importance: With the rapidly aging population, the burden of visual impairment (VI) and cognitive decline is expected to increase. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest an association between these 2 health outcomes. However, few longitudinal reports have examined this association, and to our knowledge, no studies have been performed in Asian populations. Further investigation on this association may help to better identify individuals at risk of cognitive decline. Objective: To examine the longitudinal association between VI and decline in cognitive function in a multiethnic Asian population. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this longitudinal, population-based, prospective cohort study, Chinese, Indian, and Malay adults 60 years or older at baseline were recruited from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) study. At baseline, participants from the SEED study were recruited under 3 studies: the Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES; 2004-2006), the Singapore Indian Eye Study (SINDI; 2007-2009), and the Singapore Chinese Eye Study (SCES; 2009-2011). Eligible participants were reexamined after 6 years (2011-2013 for SiMES, 2013-2015 for SINDI, and 2015-2017 for SCES). Data analysis was performed from November 1 to 24, 2019. Exposures: Visual impariment was defined as presenting visual acuity worse than 20/40 based on the better-seeing eye. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cognitive function was assessed using a locally validated Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT). The association between baseline VI and change in AMT score was determined using the multivariable linear regression model adjusting for baseline age; sex; race/ethnicity; presence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; history of cardiovascular disease; smoking status; alcohol intake; body mass index; educational status; and AMT score. Results: A total of 2478 individuals (1256 [50.7%] male; 1073 Chinese, 768 Indian, and 637 Malay adults) with mean (SD) age of 67.6 (5.6) years were evaluated, of whom 489 (19.7%) had reduction in AMT scores over 6 years. Baseline VI was associated with a decrease in AMT score over 6 years (ß = -0.27; 95% CI, -0.37 to -0.17; P < .001). When change in vision over 6 years was evaluated, unchanged or deteriorated VI was associated with a decrease in AMT score over 6 years (ß = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.40 to -0.18; P < .001). Among individuals with baseline VI and a substantial decrease in AMT score of 3 units or more over 6 years, the leading causes of VI were undercorrected refractive error (14 [45.2%]) and cataract (11 [35.5%]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, poor vision was independently associated with a decline in cognitive function. Causes of visual loss in these cases were mostly preventable, further suggesting that preserving good vision may be an important interventional strategy for mitigating cognitive decline.

The in vitro anti-fibrotic effect of Pirfenidone on human pterygium fibroblasts is associated with down-regulation of autocrine TGF-ß and MMP-1.

We aimed to investigate the in vitro effect of pirfenidone (PFD) on proliferation, migration and collagen contraction of human pterygium fibroblasts (HPFs). HPFs were obtained from tissue explants during pterygium surgery. After treatment with pirfenidone, the HPFs proliferation was measured by MTT, cell cycle progression measured by flow cytometry, cell migration measured by the scratch assay, and cell contractility evaluated in fibroblast-populated collagen gels. The expression of TGF-ß1, TGF-ß2, MMP-1 and TIMP-1 were also determined with quantitative PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Results showed pirfenidone markedly inhibited HPFs proliferation with an IC50 of approximately 0.2 mg/ml. After treatment with 0.2 mg/ml pirfenidone for 24 hours, HPFs were at G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, with significantly reduced cell migration capability and collagen contraction, decreased mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-ß1, TGF-ß2 and MMP-1, and no alterations of TIMP-1 expression. Thus, we have concluded that pirfenidone at 0.2 mg/ml inhibits proliferation, migration, and collagen contraction of HPFs, which is associated with decreased expression of TGF-ß and MMP-1, and pirfenidone might represent a potentially therapeutic agent to prevent the recurrence of pterygium after surgery.

Is kidney function associated with primary open-angle glaucoma? Findings from the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium.

AIM: To comprehensively examine the association between kidney function and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in a large consortium of multiple Asian population-based studies. METHODS: 28 925 participants (57 340 eyes) from 9 population-based studies (from China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Russia, Singapore) of the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium were included. Across all studies, POAG was defined based on the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated from serum creatinine. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Eye-specific data were pooled from each study. Multivariable regression analysis with generalised estimating equation models was performed to evaluate the associations between kidney function with POAG and intraocular pressure (IOP). RESULTS: After adjusting for age, gender, study group, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, body mass index, smoking status and IOP, lower eGFR (per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 decrease) was not significantly associated with POAG (OR=1.01; p=0.77). Presence of CKD was also not significantly associated with POAG (OR=1.01; p=0.739). Furthermore, lower eGFR and presence of CKD were not associated with IOP (all p≥0.12), However, in the subgroup of combined Korean and Chinese individuals, significant associations between lower eGFR (OR=1.09; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.18; p=0.048) and severe kidney function decline (<45 mL/min/1.73 m2; OR=2.57; 95% CI 1.34 to 4.93; p=0.004) with POAG, were observed. CONCLUSION: In this large pooled-analysis of multiple Asian population-based studies, our findings suggest that the association between CKD and POAG may only be present in East Asians specifically but not in the overall Asian population. Further evaluation in Japanese population is warranted to confirm this observation.

Profile of retinal nerve fibre layer symmetry in a multiethnic Asian population: the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study.

BACKGROUND: To examine the normative profile and determinants of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) symmetry in a non-glaucoma, multiethnic Asian population. METHODS: Chinese, Malay and Indian adults aged ≥40 years were recruited from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study. Participants underwent standardised systemic and ocular examinations. RNFL thickness was obtained using a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Cirrus HD-OCT). RNFL symmetry (in %) was calculated based on Pearson correlation coefficient between the RNFL thickness profiles of the right and left eyes. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between ocular and systemic factors with RNFL symmetry. RESULTS: 4211 participants (1227 Chinese, 1245 Malays, 1739 Indians) were included. The mean RNFL symmetry was 86.7%±8.5% in Chinese, 84.7%±10.2% in Malays and 84.0%±10.7% in Indians. The fifth percentile limit of RNFL symmetry was 71.2% in Chinese, 65.0% in Malays and 62.0% in Indians. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, intereye absolute differences in intraocular pressure (IOP), axial length and disc area, Malays (ß=-0.9; p=0.03) and Indians (ß=-1.76; p<0.001) were found to have lower RNFL symmetry compared with Chinese. Older age, greater intereye differences in IOP, axial length and disc area were significantly associated with lower RNFL symmetry (all p≤0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In non-glaucoma individuals, intereye RNFL profile is less symmetric in Malays and Indians than that in Chinese. This also suggests that current commercial optical coherence tomography's deployment of a single, universal RNFL symmetry cut-off for glaucoma detection is flawed, and ethnic-specific cut-off is warranted.

Systemic medications and cortical cataract: the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the association between systemic medications and cortical cataract prevalence in an Asian population. METHODS: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study recruited 10 033 Chinese, Malay and Indian residents aged 40+ years living in Singapore. Information on medication use was collected at interview using questionnaires. The presence and severity of cortical cataract were assessed from lens photographs using the modified Wisconsin Cataract Grading System. Associations between medications and the presence of cortical cataract were assessed using logistic regression. Associations between medications and greater severity of cortical cataract (none, minimal, early and late) were assessed using ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 8965 participants were included, the mean age was 57.6 (SD=9.8) years, and 4555 (50.8%) were women. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking status, socioeconomic status, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, duration of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, ACE inhibitors (OR=1.27; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.55), fibrates (OR=1.57; 95% CI 1.05 to 2.35), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) (OR=1.85; 95% CI 1.13 to 3.02) and insulin (OR=1.80; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.93) were significantly associated with the presence of cortical cataract. Further adjusting for concurrent medication use did not alter these associations. Consistently, the four medications were also associated with a greater severity level of cortical cataract. CONCLUSION: ACE inhibitors, fibrates and AGIs were associated with increased prevalence of cortical cataract in this Asian population, independent of the presence of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes, respectively. Whether they contribute to the risk of cortical cataract needs confirmation in longitudinal studies.