Quantitative evaluation of blinking in blepharospasm using electrooculogram-integrated smart eyeglasses.

Smart eyeglasses with an integrated electrooculogram (EOG) device (JINS MEME ES_R®, JINS Inc.) were evaluated as a quantitative diagnostic tool for blepharospasm. Participants without blepharospasm (n = 21) and patients with blepharospasm (n = 19) undertook two voluntary blinking tests (light and fast) while wearing the smart eyeglasses. Vertical (Vv) and horizontal (Vh) components were extracted from time-series voltage waveforms recorded during 30 s of the blinking tests. Two parameters, the ratio between the maximum and minimum values in the power spectrum (peak-bottom ratio, Fourier transform analysis) and the mean amplitude of the EOG waveform (peak amplitude analysis) were calculated. The mean amplitude of Vh from light and fast blinking was significantly higher in the blepharospasm group than in the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05). Similarly, the peak-bottom ratio of Vv from light and fast blinking was significantly lower in the blepharospasm group than in the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05). The mean amplitude of Vh and peak-bottom ratio of Vv correlated with the scores determined using the Jankovic rating scale (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Therefore, these parameters are sufficiently accurate for objective blepharospasm classification and diagnosis.

Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 12 (KLK12) in Breast Cancer as a Favorable Prognostic Marker.

Kallikrein-related peptides (KLKs) form an evolutionally conserved subgroup of secreted serine proteases that consists of 15 members (KLK1-15). Previous studies have shown that KLKs regulate diverse biological processes, but the clinical significance of KLKs remains largely unclear in human breast cancers. We examined the expression profile of 15 KLK genes in breast carcinomas using microarray data. Next, we immunolocalized KLK12 in 140 breast carcinomas and evaluated its clinical significance. Subsequently, we examined the effects of KLK12 on proliferation and migration in breast cancer cell lines. From microarray analyses, it turned out that KLK12 was the most strongly associated with low-grade malignancy in breast carcinomas among the 15 KLK members. Immunohistochemical KLK12 status was positively associated with ER and PR status, while it was inversely associated with stage, pathological T factor, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Prognostic analyses demonstrated that KLK12 was a favorable prognostic factor for both disease-free and breast cancer-specific survival of the patients. Furthermore, the knockdown of KLK12 significantly increased cell proliferation activity and cell migration of breast cancer cells. These results suggest that KLK12 has antitumorigenic effects associated with proliferation and migration and immunohistochemical KLK12 status as a potent favorable prognostic factor in breast carcinoma patients.

Risk Factors for Legal Blindness in 237 Japanese Patients with Exogenous Endophthalmitis: A Multicenter Cohort Study from J-CREST.

PURPOSE: We investigated potential risk factors for visual prognosis in Japanese patients with exogenous endophthalmitis. METHODS: In this retrospective observational multicenter cohort study, risk factors for legal blindness at 12 weeks after treatment initiation were evaluated based on patient characteristics, initial BCVA, causative events, pathogens, ocular symptoms, duration from symptom onset to initial treatment, and selected treatments. RESULTS: Overall, 23.1% of eyes developed legal blindness. The six risk factors for legal blindness were presence of eye pain, pathogen identification, poor BCVA at the initial visit, longer duration from symptom onset to initial treatment, type of causative event, and type of causative pathogen. Regarding the type of causative pathogen, coagulase-negative staphylococci was associated with a better visual impairment outcome. CONCLUSION: Exogenous endophthalmitis remains a severe ocular infection; however, it can be managed with rapid treatment, as well as other advances in medical knowledge and technology.

Synthetic rubber sheet to manage exposure keratopathy.

PURPOSE: Exposure keratopathy often progresses even with conventional various treatments and needs plastic surgery. However, plastic surgery of eye lid is often difficult in cases with poor general condition by cerebrovascular disorders. We will propose a novel method using synthetic rubber sheet to manage the exposure keratopathy under poor general conditions. OBSERVATIONS: We treated with synthetic rubber sheet on 9 eyes of 9 patients who suffered from refractory exposure keratopathy due to cerebrovascular disorders. Sheets cut from sterile surgical gloves made of synthetic rubber (SR sheets) were placed directly onto the ocular surface with antibiotic ointment and fixed with gauze and tape. Severity of the exposure keratopathy was scored before and after the application of SR sheet. Covered ocular surface with SR sheet could keep an adequate moist environment and exposure keratopathy was improved in all the cases with no adverse effects during an average observation period of 166.2 days. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Sterile synthetic rubber sheet cut from surgical gloves is an effective, safe, easy, and economical material to maintain better condition of ocular surface and especially useful for refractory exposure keratopathy under poor general condition.

Relationships between the clinical characteristics and copy numbers of DNA of cytomegalovirus determined by real-time PCR.

PURPOSE: To determine whether there is a correlation between the clinicals characteristics including various types of keratic precipitates and the copy numbers of the DNA of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in eyes with CMV corneal endotheliitis. METHODS: We reviewed the medical charts of four cases of corneal endotheliitis that were CMV-positive. We have classified types of clinical phenomenon into four types: coin-shaped KPs, sectoral corneal edema with or without Khodadoust line-like KPs, mutton-fat KPs, and fine KPs and have graded their severity. We also determined the copy numbers of the DNA of CMV in the aqueous humor by real-time polymerase chain reaction before and during the treatment. We evaluated the correlation between the patterns of clinical characteristics and copy number of the DNA of CMV. RESULTS: There were clinical improvements in all eyes following topical ganciclovir in conjunction with low dose of topical steroid treatment, with or without oral valganciclovir. The clinical characteristics and the copy numbers of the DNA of CMV varied during the treatment period. The presence of coin-shaped KPs was correlated with high copy numbers (105-103 copies/ml) of the DNA of CMV. The copy numbers of the DNA of CMV with sectoral corneal edema with or without Khodadoust line-like KPs ranged from 104 to 102 copies/ml, and it was occasionally accompanied by high intraocular pressure. Mutton-fat KPs were observed inferiorly, sometimes together with coin-shaped KPs and sectoral corneal edema, or solely. The copy numbers in eyes with mutton-fat KPs varied and occasionally less than the cutoff level. Fine-pigmented KPs were observed after the resolution of the endotheliitis, and no DNA of CMV was detected in the aqueous humor. CONCLUSIONS: Careful observations of the clinical characteristics such as the KPs and corneal edema might be helpful in estimating the amount of the DNA of CMV in eyes with corneal endotheliitis.

Cytochrome c1 as a favorable prognostic marker in estrogen receptor-positive breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome c1 (CYC1) is a heme-containing subunit of mitochondria complex III and is mainly involved in cellular energy production. A recent study has demonstrated that CYC1 was overexpressed in breast carcinoma tissues and induced proliferation, migration and invasion of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast carcinoma cells. However, the clinical significance of CYC1 protein remains largely unclear in invasive breast carcinoma, and biological functions of CYC1 have not been reported in ER-positive breast carcinoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We immunolocalized CYC1 in 172 invasive breast carcinomas and evaluated its clinical significance according to the ER-status. Subsequently, we examined the effects of CYC1 on proliferation, glycolysis and chemosensitivity to paclitaxel, which is one of the most common chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer, in ER-positive breast carcinoma cells (MCF7 and T47D). RESULTS: CYC1 immunoreactivity was detected in 47% of ER-positive cases and 30% of ER-negative cases. Immunohistochemical CYC1 status was inversely associated with Ki67 in ER-positive cases, and it was a significantly favorable prognostic factor for both disease-free and breast cancer-specific survival of the patients. On the other hand, no significant association was detected between CYC1 status and clinicopathological factors in ER-negative cases. In in vitro experiments, MCF7 and T47D cells transfected specific siRNA for CYC1 significantly increased cell proliferation activity, L-lactate production and cell viability after paclitaxel treatment. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CYC1 inhibits cell proliferation, glycolytic activity and increases chemosensitivity to paclitaxel in ER-positive breast carcinoma cells and that CYC1 status is a potent favorable prognostic factor in ER-positive breast cancer patients.