Multidisciplinary approach to inherited causes of dual sensory impairment.

PURPOSE: This article presents a review of the main causes of inherited dual sensory impairment (DSI) with an emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach. METHODS: A narrative review of English literature published before January 2023 was conducted using PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases. The different causes of inherited DSI are discussed from a multidisciplinary perspective. RESULTS: There are a wide range of dual sensory impairment (DSI), commonly referred to as blindness and deafness. While Usher syndrome is the most frequent genetic cause, other genetic syndromes such as Alport syndrome or Stickler syndrome can also lead to DSI. Various retinal phenotypes, including pigmentary retinopathy as seen in Usher syndrome, vitreoretinopathy as in Stickler syndrome, and macular dystrophy as in Alport syndrome, along with type of hearing loss (sensorineural or conductive) and additional systemic symptoms can aid in diagnostic suspicion. A thorough ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic examination can help guide diagnosis, which can then be confirmed with genetic studies, crucial for determining prognosis. Effective hearing rehabilitation measures, such as hearing implants, and visual rehabilitation measures, such as low vision optical devices, are crucial for maintaining social interaction and proper development in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: While Usher syndrome is the primary cause of inherited dual sensory impairment (DSI), other genetic syndromes can also lead to this condition. A proper diagnostic approach based on retinal phenotypes and types of hearing loss can aid in ruling out alternative causes. Multidisciplinary approaches can assist in reaching a definitive diagnosis, which has significant prognostic implications.

Unmasking Retinitis Pigmentosa complex cases by a whole genome sequencing algorithm based on open-access tools: hidden recessive inheritance and potential oligogenic variants.

BACKGROUND: Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder that results in inherited blindness. Despite the large number of genes identified, only ~ 60% of cases receive a genetic diagnosis using targeted-sequencing. The aim of this study was to design a whole genome sequencing (WGS) based approach to increase the diagnostic yield of complex Retinitis Pigmentosa cases. METHODS: WGS was conducted in three family members, belonging to one large apparent autosomal dominant RP family that remained unsolved by previous studies, using Illumina TruSeq library preparation kit and Illumina HiSeq X platform. Variant annotation, filtering and prioritization were performed using a number of open-access tools and public databases. Sanger sequencing of candidate variants was conducted in the extended family members. RESULTS: We have developed and optimized an algorithm, based on the combination of different open-access tools, for variant prioritization of WGS data which allowed us to reduce significantly the number of likely causative variants pending to be manually assessed and segregated. Following this algorithm, four heterozygous variants in one autosomal recessive gene (USH2A) were identified, segregating in pairs in the affected members. Additionally, two pathogenic alleles in ADGRV1 and PDZD7 could be contributing to the phenotype in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: The optimization of a diagnostic algorithm for WGS data analysis, accompanied by a hypothesis-free approach, have allowed us to unmask the genetic cause of the disease in one large RP family, as well as to reassign its inheritance pattern which implies differences in the clinical management of these cases. These results contribute to increasing the number of cases with apparently dominant inheritance that carry causal mutations in recessive genes, as well as the possible involvement of various genes in the pathogenesis of RP in one patient. Moreover, our WGS-analysis approach, based on open-access tools, can easily be implemented by other researchers and clinicians to improve the diagnostic yield of additional patients with inherited retinal dystrophies.

A Multi-Strategy Sequencing Workflow in Inherited Retinal Dystrophies: Routine Diagnosis, Addressing Unsolved Cases and Candidate Genes Identification.

The management of unsolved inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD) cases is challenging since no standard pipelines have been established. This study aimed to define a diagnostic algorithm useful for the diagnostic routine and to address unsolved cases. Here, we applied a Next-Generation Sequencing-based workflow, including a first step of panel sequencing (PS) followed by clinical-exome sequencing (CES) and whole-exome sequencing (WES), in 46 IRD patients belonging to 42 families. Twenty-six likely causal variants in retinal genes were found by PS and CES. CES and WES allowed proposing two novel candidate loci (WDFY3 and a X-linked region including CITED1), both abundantly expressed in human retina according to RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. After comparison studies, PS showed the best quality and cost values, CES and WES involved similar analytical efforts and WES presented the highest diagnostic yield. These results reinforce the relevance of panels as a first step in the diagnostic routine and suggest WES as the next strategy for unsolved cases, reserving CES for the simultaneous study of multiple conditions. Standardizing this algorithm would enhance the efficiency and equity of clinical genetics practice. Furthermore, the identified candidate genes could contribute to increase the diagnostic yield and expand the mutational spectrum in these disorders.

Case Report: Acanthamoeba Keratitis Management in a First-trimester Pregnant Patient.

SIGNIFICANCE: Lacrimal punctal plugs may prevent the teratogenicity of the treatment used in infectious keratitis. Its use should be strongly considered in these cases. PURPOSE: We present the case of a 7-week pregnant patient with Acanthamoeba keratitis. CASE REPORT: The patient was a contact lens user with photophobia, redness, and intense pain in the right eye that started 2 weeks earlier. Corrected visual acuity was 20/63 (0.5 logMAR). Biomicroscopy revealed a ciliary injection, perineural infiltrates, and corneal edema. Confocal microscopy and culture confirmed the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Prior to treatment with amebicidal eye drops, plugs were implanted in the lacrimal puncta to reduce the risk of drugs' teratogenicity. Three months after initiating amebicidal treatment, a melting ulcer of immunological etiology developed, which was treated with ReGeneraTing Agent eye drops, carboxymethyl glucose polysulfate (Cacicol; Théa, Clermont-Ferrand, France). CONCLUSIONS: Lacrimal occlusion with punctal plugs is one of the available options available in cases of pregnant patients to reduce the risk of teratogenicity.

External validation of existing formulas to predict the risk of developing proliferative vitreoretinopathy: the Retina 1 Project; report 5.

PURPOSE: To externally validate the accuracy of previously published formulas for predicting proliferative vitreoretinopathy development after retinal detachment surgery. METHODS: Clinical variables from consecutive retinal detachment patients (n = 1,047) were collected from the Retina 1 Project conducted in 17 Spanish and Portuguese centers. These data were used for external validation of four previously published formulas, F1 to F4. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to validate the quality of formulas, and measures of discrimination, precision, and calibration were calculated for each. Concordance among the formulas was determined by Cohen kappa index. RESULTS: The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves were as follows: F1, 0.5809; F2, 0.5398; F3, 0.5964; and F4, 0.4617. F1 had the highest accuracy, 74.21%. Almost 19% of proliferative vitreoretinopathy cases were correctly classified by F1 compared with 13%, 15%, and 10% for F2, F3, and F4, respectively. There was moderate concordance between F2 and F3 but little between the other formulas. CONCLUSION: After external validation, none of the formulas were accurate enough for routine clinical use. To increase its usefulness, other factors besides the clinical ones considered here should be incorporated into future formulas for predicting risk of developing proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Adverse events of antibody-drug conjugates on the ocular surface in cancer therapy.

Antibody-drug conjugates consist of a monoclonal antibody attached to a cytotoxic therapeutic molecule by a connector. This association allows a highly specific therapy, which increases their effectiveness and decreases their potential toxicity. This new therapy emerged approximately 20 years ago; since then, numerous combinations have appeared in the field of treatment-related neoplasms as an alternative for patients who do not achieve good results with conventional treatment options. Adverse effects of these drugs on the ocular surface are frequent and varied. Their prevalence ranges from 20 to 90% depending on the drug and administration condition, probably due to multiple receptor-mediated factors or mechanisms not mediated by specific receptors, such as macropinocytosis. These adverse events can greatly limit patients' comfort; thus, the objectives of this article were, in the first place, to compile the information currently available on different types of adverse effects of antibody-drug conjugates on the ocular surface, including pathophysiology, prevalence, and treatment, and in second place, to contribute to the correct identification and management of these events, which will result in a lower rate of cessation of treatment, which is necessary for the survival of candidate patients.

Conjunctival Inflammation and Panuveitis as Manifestations of Ig-G4-Related Disease: A Case Report.

PURPOSE: To report a case of isolated conjunctival inflammation as initial manifestation of IgG4-related disease and subsequent development of panuveitis. CASE REPORT: A 75-year-old female presented with a diffuse mass lesion in the temporal area of the left eye, involving the conjunctiva, and an abscessed corneal ulcer. An incisional biopsy was diagnostic of IgG4-related disease with an elevated IgG4/IgG ratio (>40%) and the presence of >10 cells that tested positive for IgG4/CGA. No other ocular, orbital or systemic manifestations were noted at the time of diagnosis. After a year of treatment with topical dexamethasone, oral prednisone, and methotrexate, the patient developed panuveitis, which was controlled by increasing steroids and switching to rituximab. CONCLUSION: IgG4-related disease is a rare entity that can be particularly challenging to diagnose if it manifests in an atypical manner. Continuous follow-up of patients is crucial as relapses and worsening of symptoms can occur despite treatment.

Expanding the phenotype of THRB: a range of macular dystrophies as the major clinical manifestations in patients with a dominant splicing variant.

Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders that often severely impair vision. Some patients manifest poor central vision as the first symptom due to cone-dysfunction, which is consistent with cone dystrophy (COD), Stargardt disease (STGD), or macular dystrophy (MD) among others. Here, we aimed to identify the genetic cause of autosomal dominant COD in one family. WGS was performed in 3 affected and 1 unaffected individual using the TruSeq Nano DNA library kit and the NovaSeq 6,000 platform (Illumina). Data analysis identified a novel spliceogenic variant (c.283 + 1G>A) in the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene (THRB) as the candidate disease-associated variant. Further genetic analysis revealed the presence of the same heterozygous variant segregating in two additional unrelated dominant pedigrees including 9 affected individuals with a diagnosis of COD (1), STGD (4), MD (3) and unclear phenotype (1). THRB has been previously reported as a causal gene for autosomal dominant and recessive thyroid hormone resistance syndrome beta (RTHß); however, none of the IRD patients exhibited RTHß. Genotype-phenotype correlations showed that RTHß can be caused by both truncating and missense variants, which are mainly located at the 3' (C-terminal/ligand-binding) region, which is common to both THRB isoforms (TRß1 and TRß2). In contrast, the c.283 + 1G>A variant is predicted to disrupt a splice site in the 5'-region of the gene that encodes the N-terminal domain of the TRß1 isoform protein, leaving the TRß2 isoform intact, which would explain the phenotypic variability observed between RTHß and IRD patients. Interestingly, although monochromacy or cone response alterations have already been described in a few RTHß patients, herein we report the first genetic association between a pathogenic variant in THRB and non-syndromic IRDs. We thereby expand the phenotype of THRB pathogenic variants including COD, STGD, or MD as the main clinical manifestation, which also reflects the extraordinary complexity of retinal functions mediated by the different THRB isoforms.

Cost-effective sequence analysis of 113 genes in 1,192 probands with retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis.

Introduction: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) are two groups of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) where the rod photoreceptors degenerate followed by the cone photoreceptors of the retina. A genetic diagnosis for IRDs is challenging since >280 genes are associated with these conditions. While whole exome sequencing (WES) is commonly used by diagnostic facilities, the costs and required infrastructure prevent its global applicability. Previous studies have shown the cost-effectiveness of sequence analysis using single molecule Molecular Inversion Probes (smMIPs) in a cohort of patients diagnosed with Stargardt disease and other maculopathies. Methods: Here, we introduce a smMIPs panel that targets the exons and splice sites of all currently known genes associated with RP and LCA, the entire RPE65 gene, known causative deep-intronic variants leading to pseudo-exons, and part of the RP17 region associated with autosomal dominant RP, by using a total of 16,812 smMIPs. The RP-LCA smMIPs panel was used to screen 1,192 probands from an international cohort of predominantly RP and LCA cases. Results and discussion: After genetic analysis, a diagnostic yield of 56% was obtained which is on par with results from WES analysis. The effectiveness and the reduced costs compared to WES renders the RP-LCA smMIPs panel a competitive approach to provide IRD patients with a genetic diagnosis, especially in countries with restricted access to genetic testing.

Novel BEST1 mutations and clinical characteristics of autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy in a Spanish patient.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical and genetic characteristics (novel mutation in BEST1 gene) of a Spanish patient with autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB). METHODS: The detailed ophthalmological examination included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), color and autofluorescence photography, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and electrophysiology tests. A next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategy was applied to the index patient, and then sequenced in an Illumina NextSeq500 system. RESULTS: A 55-year-old male presented with a BCVA of 20/25 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Fundoscopy revealed perifoveal yellow flecked-like lesions. Fluorescein angiography and fundus autofluorescence results were consistent with pattern dystrophy. A homozygous frameshift mutation in BEST1 (c.341_342del; p.(Leu114Glnfs*57)) was identified as the cause of the disease. CONCLUSION: ARB is a genetic disease that leads to irreversible visual loss. In this report we found a novel mutation responsible for this disease.

A comprehensive WGS-based pipeline for the identification of new candidate genes in inherited retinal dystrophies.

To enhance the use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in clinical practice, it is still necessary to standardize data analysis pipelines. Herein, we aimed to define a WGS-based algorithm for the accurate interpretation of variants in inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD). This study comprised 429 phenotyped individuals divided into three cohorts. A comparison of 14 pathogenicity predictors, and the re-definition of its cutoffs, were performed using panel-sequencing curated data from 209 genetically diagnosed individuals with IRD (training cohort). The optimal tool combinations, previously validated in 50 additional IRD individuals, were also tested in patients with hereditary cancer (n = 109), and with neurological diseases (n = 47) to evaluate the translational value of this approach (validation cohort). Then, our workflow was applied for the WGS-data analysis of 14 individuals from genetically undiagnosed IRD families (discovery cohort). The statistical analysis showed that the optimal filtering combination included CADDv1.6, MAPP, Grantham, and SIFT tools. Our pipeline allowed the identification of one homozygous variant in the candidate gene CFAP20 (c.337 C > T; p.Arg113Trp), a conserved ciliary gene, which was abundantly expressed in human retina and was located in the photoreceptors layer. Although further studies are needed, we propose CFAP20 as a candidate gene for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Moreover, we offer a translational strategy for accurate WGS-data prioritization, which is essential for the advancement of personalized medicine.

Clinical Outcomes after Surgical Resection Combined with Brachytherapy for Uveal Melanomas.

Currently, brachytherapy is the most commonly used therapeutic approach for uveal melanomas. Surgical resection by means of endoresection or exoresection is an alternative approach. The present report recounts our experience over 15 years in the treatment of uveal melanoma using a combined approach of resection surgery with brachytherapy. This is a single-center observational retrospective cohort study in which we describe clinical outcomes, complications and survival in 35 cases of melanoma of the iris or the ciliary body after a combination of surgery and brachytherapy or brachytherapy alone. Local treatment of the tumor was successful in all cases with surgery and brachytherapy. The most frequent complications were scleromalacia, bullous keratopathy, retinal toxicity, cataracts, hypotonia, and photophobia. There were three cases of recurrence, all of which were found in the group of patients who had received brachytherapy alone, and in one case we had to perform a secondary enucleation due to tumor growth after brachytherapy. At present, only one patient has died during follow-up due to liver metastases six years after the start of treatment. In carefully selected patients, this approach can be effective and safe, as long as a close follow-up is carried out after surgery.

In vivo confocal microscopy indicates an inverse relationship between the sub-basal corneal plexus and the conjunctivalisation in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterised by a marked decrease in limbal stem cells. It is classified primarily using subjective slit-lamp observations. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) can non-invasively provide objective information on the condition of the limbal niche, the corneal epithelial basal cell density and the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus density (SND). We here used IVCM to evaluate changes in SND to improve LSCD classification. METHODS: We evaluated and classified 38 patients (76 eyes, 44 with LSC and 32 control eyes) using the Rama, López-García and Deng (clinical and confocal) classifications and evaluated the concordance of the confocal and clinical classifications. We constructed a logistic regression model using multivariate analysis to correlate different degrees of conjunctivalisation with IVCM parameters and used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to establish the SND cut-off value with maximum diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: The classification systems correlated moderately at best (kappa, 0.449). The corneal SND of cases (6469±6295 µm/mm2) was less (p<0.001) than in controls (20911±4142 µm/mm2). The SND, but not basal cell density, played a protective role against conjunctivalisation (OR, 0.069; 95% CI 0.008-0.619; p=0.01). An SND cut-off value of 17 215 µm/mm2 yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 90.6%, respectively, for LSCD diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The density of the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus was inversely related to conjunctivalisation in LSCD. Further studies are needed to verify this and to elucidate the directionality between these factors.

Keratograph 5M As A Useful And Objective Tool For Evaluating The Ocular Surface In Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency.

PURPOSE: In limbal stem cell deficiency, both the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and tear break-up time (BUT) are comparable between traditional methods and the Keratograph 5M. In this study, we aimed to correlate OSDI with Keratograph 5M interviewed OSDI, as well as slit-lamp tear BUT with Keratograph 5M noninvasive tear break-up time (NIKBUT) in limbal stem cell deficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight limbal stem cell-deficiency patients (76 eyes) from Virgen Macarena-Rocio Hospital (Seville, Spain) underwent this diagnostic test study. All patients completed the traditional OSDI. We measured the BUT, performed a Keratograph 5M analysis of NIKBUT first (employed for the analysis) followed by the average NIKBUT, the level of dryness, and conducted the OSDI questionnaire through an interview. For each pair of tests, we analyzed the means and applied an intraclass correlation coefficient (r), creating a Bland-Altman plot for data dispersion. RESULTS: Average values were 47.5 points (±25.8), and 47.3 points (±27.5) for traditional OSDI and Keratograph OSDI, respectively (P =0.87); the r value indicates good agreement (0.72). The Bland-Altman plot followed a linear pattern, and the results were similarly distributed. The NIKBUT mean was shorter than the BUT mean (P = 0.007); the r value indicates moderate agreement (0.574). The Bland-Altman plot formed an almost horizontal line, with almost all values between the mean and two standard deviations. CONCLUSION: Keratograph 5M is useful for the evaluation of the ocular surface in limbal stem cell deficiency. NIKBUT can substitute BUT based on its advantages of being noninvasive, objective, with intraobserver and interobserver repeatability and reliability. The Keratograph 5M OSDI is comparable to the traditional questionnaire.

Subretinal Transplant of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium on Nanostructured Fibrin-Agarose.

IMPACT STATEMENT: In the promising field of cellular therapy for retinal degenerative diseases, a new biomaterial is proposed as a scaffold to grow and surgically introduce a monolayer of retinal pigment epithelial cells into the subretinal space, keeping the orientation of the cells for a proper functional integration of the transplant. The use of induced pluripotent stem cells as the starting material for retinal pigment epithelial cells is intended to advance toward a personalized medicine approach.

Adverse events of antibody–drug conjugates on the ocular surface in cancer therapy

Antibody–drug conjugates consist of a monoclonal antibody attached to a cytotoxic therapeutic molecule by a connector. This association allows a highly specific therapy, which increases their effectiveness and decreases their potential toxicity. This new therapy emerged approximately 20 years ago; since then, numerous combinations have appeared in the field of treatment-related neoplasms as an alternative for patients who do not achieve good results with conventional treatment options. Adverse effects of these drugs on the ocular surface are frequent and varied. Their prevalence ranges from 20 to 90% depending on the drug and administration condition, probably due to multiple receptor-mediated factors or mechanisms not mediated by specific receptors, such as macropinocytosis. These adverse events can greatly limit patients’ comfort; thus, the objectives of this article were, in the first place, to compile the information currently available on different types of adverse effects of antibody–drug conjugates on the ocular surface, including pathophysiology, prevalence, and treatment, and in second place, to contribute to the correct identification and management of these events, which will result in a lower rate of cessation of treatment, which is necessary for the survival of candidate patients (AU)

Searching the second hit in patients with inherited retinal dystrophies and monoallelic variants in ABCA4, USH2A and CEP290 by whole-gene targeted sequencing.

Inherited Retinal Dystrophies are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders affecting the photoreceptors. Although NGS has shown to be helpful for the molecular diagnosis of these conditions, some cases remain unsolved. Among these, several individuals harboured monoallelic variants in a recessive gene, suggesting that a comprehensive screening could improve the overall diagnosis. In order to assess the contribution of non-coding variations in a cohort of 29 patients, 25 of them with monoallelic mutations, we performed targeted NGS. The design comprised the entire genomic sequence of three genes (USH2A, ABCA4 and CEP290), the coding exons of 76 genes and two disease-associated intronic regions in OFD1 and PRPF31. As a result, likely causative mutations (8 novel) were identified in 17 probands (diagnostic rate: 58.62%), including two copy-number variations in USH2A (one deletion of exons 22-55 and one duplication of exons 46-47). Possibly damaging deep-intronic mutations were identified in one family, and another with a monoallelic variant harboured causal mutations in a different locus. In conclusion, due to the high prevalence of carriers of IRD mutations and the results obtained here, sequencing entire genes do not seem to be the approach of choice for detecting the second hit in IRD patients with monoallelic variants.

Unravelling the genetic basis of simplex Retinitis Pigmentosa cases.

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) characterized ultimately by photoreceptors degeneration. Exhibiting great clinical and genetic heterogeneity, RP can be inherited as an autosomal dominant (ad), autosomal recessive (ar) and X-linked (xl) disorder. Although the relative prevalence of each form varies somewhat between populations, a major proportion (41% in Spain) of patients represent simplex cases (sRP) in which the mode of inheritance is unknown. Molecular genetic diagnostic is crucial, but also challenging, for sRP patients because any of the 81 RP genes identified to date may be causative. Herein, we report the use of a customized targeted gene panel consisting of 68 IRD genes for the molecular characterization of 106 sRP cases. The diagnostic rate was 62.26% (66 of 106) with a proportion of clinical refinements of 30.3%, demonstrating the high efficiency of this genomic approach even for clinically ambiguous cases. The high number of patients diagnosed here has allowed us to study in detail the genetic basis of the sRP. The solved sRP cohort is composed of 62.1% of arRP cases, 24.2% of adRP and 13.6% of xlRP, which implies consequences for counselling of patients and families.