Rate of central corneal thickness changes in primary angle closure eyes: long-term follow-up results.

BACKGROUND: Central corneal thickness (CCT) and its association with intraocular pressure, which is a pivotal parameter in glaucoma management, has previously been reported. In this study, we intended to investigate the long-term change of CCT in terms of rate in eyes with primary angle-closure (PAC). Additionally, we aimed to analyze events that could affect CCT. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 26 patients with PAC who had a follow-up period of more than 5 years were analyzed. The rate of CCT changes from baseline was evaluated from the serial CCT measurements over the average follow-up period. The pattern of CCT change rate according to modes of treatment and history of angle-closure attack was analyzed using the repeated linear mixed model analysis. RESULTS: A total of 52 eyes were enrolled. The CCT reduction rate of the entire study population was - 0.72 ± 0.22 µm/yr (P = 0.001) with statistical significance. The CCT thinning rate of the laser peripheral iridotomy (PI) group was - 0.53 ± 0.25 µm/yr (P = 0.034) and that of the surgical trabeculectomy group was - 1.32 ± 0.43 µm/yr (P = 0.002), and it was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). The rate of CCT thinning in patients with a history of acute angle-closure attack was - 0.81 ± 0.31 µm/yr (P = 0.009) and that in patients without an attack was - 0.63 ± 0.30 µm/yr (P = 0.001), and it was not statistically significant (P = 0.680). Baseline CCT appeared to be the only significant factor affecting the rate of CCT changes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant reduction in CCT over a long observation period in PAC eyes. We also found that the rates of CCT reduction were not affected by different treatment modalities or acute angle-closure attacks. The analysis of long-term CCT changes in conjunction with baseline CCT would also be helpful in the clinical evaluation of the PAC patients.

Novel Interface for High-Throughput Analysis of Biotherapeutics by Electrospray Mass Spectrometry.

With the rapid rise of therapeutic antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, significant investments have been made in developing workflows that utilize mass spectrometry to detect these intact molecules, the large fragments generated by their selective digestion, and the peptides generated by traditional proteomics workflows. The resultant data is used to gain insight into a wide range of parameters, including primary sequence, disulfide bonding, glycosylation patterns, biotransformation, and more. However, many of the technologies utilized to couple these workflows to mass spectrometers have significant limitations that force nonoptimal modifications to upstream sample preparation steps, limit the throughput of high-volume workflows, and prevent the harmonization of diverse experiments onto a single hardware platform. Here, we describe a new analytical platform that enables direct and high-throughput coupling to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The SampleStream platform is compatible with both native and denaturing electrospray, operates with a throughput of up to 15 s/sample, provides extensive concentration of dilute samples, and affords similar sensitivity to comparable liquid chromatographic methods.

Multidimensional Top-Down Proteomics of Brain-Region-Specific Mouse Brain Proteoforms Responsive to Cocaine and Estradiol.

Cocaine addiction afflicts nearly 1 million adults in the United States, and to date, there are no known treatments approved for this psychiatric condition. Women are particularly vulnerable to developing a cocaine use disorder and suffer from more serious cardiac consequences than men when using cocaine. Estrogen is one biological factor contributing to the increased risk for females to develop problematic cocaine use. Animal studies have demonstrated that estrogen (17ß-estradiol or E2) enhances the rewarding properties of cocaine. Although E2 affects the dopamine system, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of E2-enhanced cocaine reward have not been characterized. In this study, quantitative top-down proteomics was used to measure intact proteins in specific regions of the female mouse brain after mice were trained for cocaine-conditioned place preference, a behavioral test of cocaine reward. Several proteoform changes occurred in the ventral tegmental area after combined cocaine and E2 treatments, with the most numerous proteoform alterations on myelin basic protein, indicating possible changes in white matter structure. There were also changes in histone H4, protein phosphatase inhibitors, cholecystokinin, and calmodulin proteoforms. These observations provide insight into estrogen signaling in the brain and may guide new approaches to treating women with cocaine use disorder.

MALDI-TOF MS-based total serum protein fingerprinting for liver cancer diagnosis.

Serum is one of the most commonly used samples in many studies to identify protein biomarkers to diagnose cancer. Although conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based methods have been applied as clinical tools for diagnosing cancer, there have been troublesome problems, such as inferior multiplexing capabilities, high development costs and long turnaround times, which are inappropriate for high-throughput analytical platforms. Here, we developed a simple and robust cancer diagnostic method using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based total serum protein fingerprinting. First, serum samples were simply diluted with distilled water and subsequently spotted onto a MALDI plate without prior chromatographic purification or separation. The sample preparation method was enough to collect reproducible total serum protein fingerprints and would be highly advantageous for high-throughput assay. Each of the integrated main spectrum profiles (MSPs), which are representative of liver cancer patients (n = 40) or healthy controls (n = 80), was automatically generated by the MALDI Biotyper 3 software. The reliability of the integrated MSPs was successfully evaluated in comparison with a blind test set (n = 31), which consisted of 13 liver cancer patients and 18 healthy controls. Additionally, our partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) demonstrated a statistically significant difference in MALDI-TOF MS-based total serum protein fingerprints between liver cancer patients and healthy controls. Taken together, this work suggests that this method may be an effective high-throughput platform technology for various cancer diagnoses and disease evaluations.

Traumatic optic neuropathy-associated progressive thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell complex: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is a form of optic nerve injury that occurs secondary to trauma and is etiologically associated with acute axonal loss with severe vision loss. Here, we reported longitudinal changes in the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) using wide-field swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) in two cases of TON and identified the source of the damage. CASE PRESENTATION: (Case 1) A 65-year-old man was admitted to the hospital due to an injury in the right eye (OD) and was subsequently diagnosed with indirect TON. He was then treated with high-doses of intravenous steroids. Wide-field SS-OCT was performed at the baseline and after 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months. The wide-field deviation map detected thinning earlier in the macular GCC than in the peripapillary RNFL. (Case 2) A 63-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a fractured left maxilla-zygomatic complex attributed to blunt-force trauma to the head and loss of vision in his left eye (OS). He was diagnosed with indirect TON and treated with high-doses of intravenous steroids. Wide-field SS-OCT was performed at the baseline and after 1 week, 2 weeks, 2 months 5 months, and 7 months. The wide-field deviation map detected thinning earlier in the peripapillary RNFL than in the macular GCC. CONCLUSIONS: Wide-field SS-OCT facilitated the identification of various sequential progression patterns in patients with TON. Furthermore, the area in which the structural damage was first detected was seen differently in the peripapillary and macular deviation maps for each case. Thus, wide-field imaging, which includes the macular and peripapillary areas, are useful in monitoring TON.

Top-Down Proteomics Enables Comparative Analysis of Brain Proteoforms Between Mouse Strains.

Over the past decade, advances in mass spectrometry-based proteomics have accelerated brain proteome research aimed at studying the expression, dynamic modification, interaction and function of proteins in the nervous system that are associated with physiological and behavioral processes. With the latest hardware and software improvements in top-down mass spectrometry, the technology has expanded from mere protein profiling to high-throughput identification and quantification of intact proteoforms. Murine systems are broadly used as models to study human diseases. Neuroscientists specifically study the mouse brain from inbred strains to help understand how strain-specific genotype and phenotype affect development, functioning, and disease progression. This work describes the first application of label-free quantitative top-down proteomics to the analysis of the mouse brain proteome. Operating in discovery mode, we determined physiochemical differences in brain tissue from four healthy inbred strains, C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, FVB/NJ, and BALB/cByJ, after probing their intact proteome in the 3.5-30 kDa mass range. We also disseminate these findings using a new tool for top-down proteomics, TDViewer and cataloged them in a newly established Mouse Brain Proteoform Atlas. The analysis of brain tissues from the four strains identified 131 gene products leading to the full characterization of 343 of the 593 proteoforms identified. Within the results, singly and doubly phosphorylated ARPP-21 proteoforms, known to inhibit calmodulin, were differentially expressed across the four strains. Gene ontology (GO) analysis for detected differentially expressed proteoforms also helps to illuminate the similarities and dissimilarities in phenotypes among these inbred strains.

Integrated glycoproteomics demonstrates fucosylated serum paraoxonase 1 alterations in small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive type of lung cancer, and the detection of SCLCs at an early stage is necessary for successful therapy and for improving cancer survival rates. Fucosylation is one of the most common glycosylation-based modifications. Increased levels of fucosylation have been reported in a number of pathological conditions, including cancers. In this study, we aimed to identify and validate the aberrant and selective fucosylated glycoproteins in the sera of patients with SCLC. Fucosylated glycoproteins were enriched by the Aleuria aurantia lectin column after serum albumin and IgG depletion. In a narrowed down and comparative data analysis of both label-free proteomics and isobaric peptide-tagging chemistry iTRAQ approaches, the fucosylated glycoproteins were identified as up- or down-regulated in the sera of limited disease and extensive disease stage patients with SCLC. Verification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry to select reliable markers. Four fucosylated proteins, APCS, C9, SERPINA4, and PON1, were selected and subsequently validated by hybrid A. aurantia lectin ELISA (HLE) and Western blotting. Compared with Western blotting, the HLE analysis of these four proteins produced more optimal diagnostic values for SCLC. The PON1 protein levels were significantly reduced in the sera of patients with SCLC, whereas the fucosylation levels of PON1 were significantly increased. Fucosylated PON1 exhibited an area under curve of 0.91 for the extensive disease stage by HLE, whereas the PON1 protein levels produced an area under curve of 0.82 by Western blot. The glycan structural analysis of PON1 by MS/MS identified a biantennary fucosylated glycan modification consisting of a core + 2HexNAc + 1Fuc at increased levels in the sera of patients with SCLC. In addition, the PON1 levels were decreased in the sera of the Lewis lung carcinoma lung cancer mouse model that we examined. Our data suggest that fucosylated protein biomarkers, such as PON1, and their fucosylation levels and patterns can serve as diagnostic and prognostic serological markers for SCLC.

The Xeno-glycomics database (XDB): a relational database of qualitative and quantitative pig glycome repertoire.

SUMMARY: In recent years, the improvement of mass spectrometry-based glycomics techniques (i.e. highly sensitive, quantitative and high-throughput analytical tools) has enabled us to obtain a large dataset of glycans. Here we present a database named Xeno-glycomics database (XDB) that contains cell- or tissue-specific pig glycomes analyzed with mass spectrometry-based techniques, including a comprehensive pig glycan information on chemical structures, mass values, types and relative quantities. It was designed as a user-friendly web-based interface that allows users to query the database according to pig tissue/cell types or glycan masses. This database will contribute in providing qualitative and quantitative information on glycomes characterized from various pig cells/organs in xenotransplantation and might eventually provide new targets in the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knock out pigs era. AVAILABILITY: The database can be accessed on the web at http://bioinformatics.snu.ac.kr/xdb.

Liver extracellular matrix providing dual functions of two-dimensional substrate coating and three-dimensional injectable hydrogel platform for liver tissue engineering.

Decellularization of tissues or organs can provide an efficient strategy for preparing functional scaffolds for tissue engineering. Microstructures of native extracellular matrices and their biochemical compositions can be retained in the decellularized matrices, providing tissue-specific microenvironments for efficient tissue regeneration. Here, we report the versatility of liver extracellular matrix (LEM) that can be used for two-dimensional (2D) coating and three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel platforms for culture and transplantation of primary hepatocytes. Collagen type I (Col I) has typically been used for hepatocyte culture and transplantation. In this study, LEM was compared with Col I in terms of biophysical and mechanical characteristics and biological performance for enhancing cell viability, differentiation, and hepatic functions. Surface properties of LEM coating and mechanical properties and gelation kinetics of LEM hydrogel could be manipulated by adjusting the LEM concentration. In addition, LEM hydrogel exhibited improved elastic properties, rapid gelation, and volume maintenance compared to Col I hydrogel. LEM coating significantly improved hepatocyte functions such as albumin secretion and urea synthesis. More interestingly, LEM coating upregulated hepatic gene expression of human adipose-derived stem cells, indicating enhanced hepatic differentiation of these stem cells. The viability and hepatic functions of primary hepatocytes were also significantly improved in LEM hydrogel compared to Col I hydrogel both in vitro and in vivo. Albumin and hepatocyte transcription factor expression was upregulated in hepatocytes transplanted in LEM hydrogels. In conclusion, LEM can provide functional biomaterial platforms for diverse applications in liver tissue engineering by promoting survival and maturation of hepatocytes and hepatic commitment of stem cells. This study demonstrates the feasibility of decellularized matrix for both 2D coating and 3D hydrogel in liver tissue engineering.

Evaluation of PDL1 positive cancer cell-specific binding activity of recombinant anti-PDL1 scFv.

Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PDL1) is a transmembrane protein that is characterized as an immune regulatory molecule. We recently developed a recombinant single-chain fragment of variable domain (scFv) against PDL1, which showed high binding efficiency to purified recombinant PDL1 protein. However, at that time, proof-of-concept data for the effect of scFv using PDL1-expressing cells was lacking. In this study, we conducted two kinds of cell-based immunoassays, western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using anti-PDL1 scFv. The results indicate that scFv can selectively and sensitively detect PDL1 from PDL1 positive human cancer cell lines. Our findings suggest that scFv could be used as a potential PDL1 inhibitor agent and probe for cell-based immunoassays to detect PDL1.

Efficient generation of recombinant anti-HER2 scFv with high yield and purity using a simple method.

We developed a method to produce a soluble form of a single-chain fragment variable (scFv) targeting human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in Escherichia coli. By optimizing the orientations of the variable heavy (VH) and variable light (VL) domains and the His-tag, we identified the HL-His type antibody with the highest HER2-binding activity. Purification of HL-His yielded 40.7 mg from a 1 L culture, achieving >99% purity. The limit of detection was determined to be 2.9 ng, demonstrating high production yield, purity, and sensitivity. Moreover, we successfully labeled HER2+ cell lines with fluorescent dye-conjugated scFv, resulting in a significantly higher observed signal-to-background ratio, compared to that of HER2- cell lines. This highlights the potential of these fluorescent scFvs as valuable probes for HER2+ breast cancer diagnostics. Notably, the process for the complete scFv production was streamlined and required only 4-5 days. Additionally, the product maintained its activity after freeze storage, allowing for large-scale production and a wide range of practical applications.

Detection of Hanganutziu-Deicher antigens in O-glycans from pig heart tissues by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: In the α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (α-GalT KO) pig era, identification of the non-Gal epitopes is necessary for successful pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Recently, we successfully detected α-Gal epitopes as well as Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D) antigens from the N-glycans in the pig heart tissues, which have been considered as promising non-Gal antigens. However, the profiling of O-glycan from pig heart tissues had not been performed owing to the difficulty of O-glycan preparation. METHODS: In this study, we established the simple and sensitive method to profile O-glycans from pig heart aortic valve, aortic wall, pulmonary valve, pulmonary wall, and cardiac muscle tissues. To liberate O-glycans from the pig heart tissues, we used non-reductive ß-elimination reagent and subsequently purified the glycans. After permethylation, the glycans were qualitatively analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). RESULTS: The comprehensive O-glycan analysis method was successfully validated using model glycoproteins such as bovine serum fetuin (BSF) and bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM) glycoproteins, and their O-glycan profiles were in accordance with the data of previous studies. Next, we applied the method for O-glycan release and characterization to analysis of various pig heart tissues. As a result, total 39, 33, 24, 36, and 25 of O-glycans were detected from aortic valve, aortic wall, pulmonary valve, pulmonary wall, and cardiac muscle, respectively. Furthermore, four in aortic valve, one in aortic wall, one in pulmonary valve, one in pulmonary wall, and one in cardiac muscle were particularly determined as terminally N-glycolylneuraminic acid-linked O-glycans, which is considered to be the H-D antigens. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we initially described the O-glycan structures of various pig heart tissues, and additionally, the existence of H-D antigen type O-glycans was firstly identified. These results will be fundamental information for overcoming the xenoantigenic carbohydrate-related immunological rejection in pig-to-human heart tissue xenotransplantation.

The sweets standing at the borderline between allo- and xenotransplantation.

Animal cells are densely covered with glycoconjugates, such as N-glycan, O-glycan, and glycosphingolipids, which are important for various biological and immunological events at the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Endothelial α-Gal carbohydrate epitopes (Galα3Gal-R) expressed on porcine tissue or cell surfaces are such glycoconjugates and directly mediate hyperacute immunological rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Although researchers have been able to develop α1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) gene knockout (KO) pigs, there remain unclarified non-Gal antigens that prevent xenotransplantation. Based on our expertise in the structural analysis of xenoantigenic carbohydrates, we describe the immunologically significant non-human carbohydrate antigens, including α-Gal antigens, analyzed as part of efforts to assess the antigens responsible for hyperacute immunological rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. The importance of studying human, pig, and GalT-KO pig glycoprofiles, and of developing adequate pig-to-human glycan databases, is also discussed.

Genome-based cryptic gene discovery and functional identification of NRPS siderophore peptide in Streptomyces peucetius.

Identification of secondary metabolites produced by cryptic gene in bacteria may be difficult, but in the case of nonribosomal peptide (NRP)-type secondary metabolites, this study can be facilitated by bioinformatic analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. To illustrate this concept, we used mass spectrometry-guided bioinformatic analysis of genomic sequences to identify an NRP-type secondary metabolite from Streptomyces peucetius ATCC 27952. Five putative NRPS biosynthetic gene clusters were identified in the S. peucetius genome by DNA sequence analysis. Of these, the sp970 gene cluster encoded a complete NRPS domain structure, viz., C-A-T-C-A-T-E-C-A-T-C-A-T-C domains. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed that the functional siderophore peptide produced by this cluster had a molecular weight of 644.4 Da. Further analysis demonstrated that the siderophore peptide has a cyclic structure and an amino acid composition of AchfOrn-Arg-hOrn-hfOrn. The discovery of functional cryptic genes by analysis of the secretome, especially of NRP-type secondary metabolites, using mass spectrometry together with genome mining may contribute significantly to the development of pharmaceuticals such as hybrid antibiotics.

Biomimetic Silica Particles with Self-Loading BMP-2 Knuckle Epitope Peptide and Its Delivery for Bone Regeneration.

Biomimetic silica deposition is an in-situ immobilization method for bioactive molecules under biocompatible conditions. The osteoinductive P4 peptide derived from the knuckle epitope of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), which binds to BMP receptor-II (BMPRII), has been newly found to contain silica formation ability. We found that the two lysine residues at the N-terminus of P4 played a vital role in silica deposition. The P4 peptide co-precipitated with silica during P4-mediated silicification, yielding P4/silica hybrid particles (P4@Si) with a high loading efficiency of 87%. P4 was released from P4@Si at a constant rate for over 250 h, representing a zero-order kinetic model. In flow cytometric analysis, P4@Si showed a 1.5-fold increase in the delivery capacity to MC3T3 E1 cells than the free form of P4. Furthermore, P4 was found anchored to hydroxyapatite (HA) through a hexa-glutamate tag, followed by P4-mediated silicification, yielding P4@Si coated HA. This suggested a superior osteoinductive potential compared to silica or P4 alone coated HA in the in vitro study. In conclusion, the co-delivery of the osteoinductive P4 peptide and silica by P4-mediated silica deposition is an efficient method for capturing and delivering its molecules and inducing synergistic osteogenesis.

Wide-field optical coherence tomography deviation map for early glaucoma detection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to establish a wide-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) deviation map obtained from swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) scans. Moreover, it also aimed to compare the diagnostic ability of this wide-field deviation map with that of the peripapillary and macular deviation maps currently being used for the detection of early glaucoma (EG). METHODS: Four hundred eyes, including 200 healthy eyes and 200 eyes with EG were enrolled in this retrospective observational study. Patients underwent a comprehensive ocular examination, including wide-field SS-OCT (DRI-OCT Triton; Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). The individual wide-field scan was converted into a uniform template using the fovea and optic disc centres as fixed landmarks. Subsequently, the wide-field deviation map was obtained via the comparison between individual wide-field data and a normative wide-field database that had been created by combining images of healthy eyes into a uniform template in a previous study. The ability of the new wide-field deviation map to distinguish between EG and healthy eyes was assessed by comparing it with conventional deviation maps based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The wide-field deviation map obtained using the normative wide-field database showed the highest diagnostic ability for the diagnosis of EG (AUC=0.980 and 961 for colour-coded pixels presenting <5% and <1%, respectively) among various deviation maps. Its AUC was significantly superior to that of most conventional deviation maps (p<0.05). The wide-field deviation map demonstrated early structural glaucomatous damage well over a wider area. CONCLUSION: The wide-field SS-OCT deviation map exhibited good performance for distinguishing between eyes with EG and healthy eyes. The visualisation of the wider damaged area on the wide-field deviation map could be useful for the diagnosis of EG in clinical settings.

Immediate and Quantitative Changes in Tear Film Parameters and Meibomian Gland Structures after Warm Compression and Meibomian Gland Squeezing in Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Patients and Normal Subjects.

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a chronic abnormality of meibomian glands, causes various dry eye symptoms. Principal treatments for MGD are warm compression and mechanical squeezing of the eyelids. In this study, the immediate impact of this treatment on tear film lipid layer thickness (TFLLT) and the meibomian gland (MG) structure in MGD and normal groups was investigated to establish its efficacy and potential side effects. Nineteen MGD patients and seven normal subjects were enrolled. TFLLT and blinking parameters were evaluated before and after warm compression. Morphological changes of MG structures after mechanical squeezing were analyzed using Image J and Fiji. Differential analysis of the MGD and the normal groups of TFLLT changes after warm compression showed a significant increase in the normal group. In normal eyes, the average, maximum, and minimum TFLLT were significantly increased, and in the MGD group, only the minimum TFLLT was improved. Blinking parameters showed no significant change in either group. Morphometric analysis showed no damages of the MG after MG squeezing. A significant increase in MG length was observed in normal eyes. Warm compression immediately increased TFLLT more significantly in the normal group than in the MGD patients. Mechanical expression is a safe therapeutic option without remarkable structural MG damages.

Topographic patterns of retinal edema in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion and their association with macular edema recurrence.

In this study, we evaluated the topographic pattern of retinal edema in eyes with macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) using a widefield retinal thickness map of optical coherence tomography and its association with ME recurrence. In 87 eyes with ME secondary to BRVO who were treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections and followed up for ≥ 1 years, 12 × 9 mm macular volume scans of swept-source optical coherence tomography (DRI-OCT Triton; Topcon Inc, Japan) were performed and retinal thickness maps were automatically generated at baseline and follow-up visits. Topographic patterns of retinal edema on the maps at baseline and 1 month after the first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment were classified as extramacular (outside the ETDRS grid), macular (within the grid), and combined pattern and correlated with ME recurrences. Seventy-five of 87 (86.2%) eyes with BRVO ME showed combined edema at baseline. There were 4 topographic patterns of edema at 1 month following anti-VEGF injection as follows: no residual edema, extramacular only, macular only, and combined edema. In contrast to the baseline pattern, the pattern of retinal edema 1 month following anti-VEGF therapy showed significant association with 6-month recurrence, number of ME recurrences during a 1-year period, and time to first recurrence. (all P < 0.05) An automatically generated widefield retinal thickness map could be used to effectively visualize the topographic patterns of retinal edema in eyes with BRVO. The map can be used as a valuable tool for detection of retinal edema on widefield retinal areas and prediction of ME recurrence in eyes with BRVO.

A Wide-Field Optical Coherence Tomography Normative Database Considering the Fovea-Disc Relationship for Glaucoma Detection.

Purpose: One purpose of this study was to collect wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) data from healthy eyes and build a wide-filed normative database. Another purpose was to compare the glaucoma diagnostic ability of new parameters based on this normative database to the parameters that are currently in use, such as the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer, and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness. Methods: This study had 220 healthy eyes and 292 eyes with early-stage glaucoma (EG) and moderate-stage glaucoma (MG) enrolled. Using the wide-field SS-OCT images (12 × 9 mm) of healthy eyes, a wide-field normative database was constructed by transforming and combining the individual images into a uniform template using the fovea and optic disc centers as fixed landmarks. Adjustment for the disc size was conducted. With this normative database, new parameters based on the ratio of the fovea-disc distance (FDD) consisting of the fovea-disc relationship were evaluated. The glaucoma diagnostic ability was assessed based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Among the new peripapillary parameters, the RNFL of the circumference of the circle with diameter 0.8 FDD showed the highest AUC value for EG and MG, but the value was not significantly superior to that of the initial RNFL (AUC = 0.940 vs. 0.937, P = 0.631). Among the macular parameters, the GCC of the area of the circle of 1.5 FDD showed the highest AUC value for EG and MG, and the value was significantly superior to that of initial GCC (AUC = 0.929 vs. 0.919, P = 0.033). However, there was no significant difference between the initial and adjusted GCC thickness in patients included in the EG or MG groups separately. Conclusions: A wide-field normative database was built to consider the relationship between the fovea and the optic disc. Considering this aspect, we found that the GCC analysis using a broader area presented a significantly greater glaucoma diagnostic performance for EG and MG in the macula than the initial parameter for the GCC. Translational Relevance: Based on this wide-field normative database, the clinical use of a wide-field deviation map may help diagnose the patients with EG and MG in the future.

New Interface for Faster Proteoform Analysis: Immunoprecipitation Coupled with SampleStream-Mass Spectrometry.

Different proteoform products of the same gene can exhibit differing associations with health and disease, and their patterns of modifications may offer more precise markers of phenotypic differences between individuals. However, currently employed protein-biomarker discovery and quantification tools, such as bottom-up proteomics and ELISAs, are mostly proteoform-unaware. Moreover, the current throughput for proteoform-level analyses by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) for quantitative top-down proteomics is incompatible with population-level biomarker surveys requiring robust, faster proteoform analysis. To this end, we developed immunoprecipitation coupled to SampleStream mass spectrometry (IP-SampleStream-MS) as a high-throughput, automated technique for the targeted quantification of proteoforms. We applied IP-SampleStream-MS to serum samples of 25 individuals to assess the proteoform abundances of apolipoproteins A-I (ApoA-I) and C-III (ApoC-III). The results for ApoA-I were compared to those of LCMS for these individuals, with IP-SampleStream-MS showing a >7-fold higher throughput with >50% better analytical variation. Proteoform abundances measured by IP-SampleStream-MS correlated strongly to LCMS-based values (R2 = 0.6-0.9) and produced convergent proteoform-to-phenotype associations, namely, the abundance of canonical ApoA-I was associated with lower HDL-C (R = 0.5) and glycated ApoA-I with higher fasting glucose (R = 0.6). We also observed proteoform-to-phenotype associations for ApoC-III, 22 glycoproteoforms of which were characterized in this study. The abundance of ApoC-III modified by a single N-acetyl hexosamine (HexNAc) was associated with indices of obesity, such as BMI, weight, and waist circumference (R ∼ 0.7). These data show IP-SampleStream-MS to be a robust, scalable workflow for high-throughput associations of proteoforms to phenotypes.