Efficacy of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection in traumatic submacular hemorrhage: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated the efficacy of short-term intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) in treating traumatic submacular hemorrhage. METHODS: A total of 115 patients were diagnosed with submacular hemorrhage between 2018 and 2022 at Shenzhen Eye Hospital. In a retrospective analysis, we examined 13 of these patients who presented with submacular hemorrhage and choroidal rupture due to ocular trauma. Eight patients were treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and 5 with oral drugs. We systematically analyzed changes in their ocular conditions pre and post-treatment. The evaluations encompassed best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein angiography, and retinal imaging. RESULTS: The 13 patients diagnosed with submacular hemorrhage comprised of 10 males and 3 female, with their age ranging between 27 and 64 years, with an average age of 38.1 years (standard deviation [SD]: 11.27). A statistically significant reduction in central foveal thickness (CFT) was observed following intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF drugs (P = 0.03). In control group, the CFT was reduced without statistical significance (P = 0.10). The BCVA of the patients in treatment group improved significantly from 1.15 (SD: 0.62. Range: 0.4-2) to 0.63 (SD: 0.59. Range: 0.1-1.6), indicating an average increase of 4.13 lines (SD: 3.36. Range: 0-9) as measured by the visual acuity test using an eye chart (P = 0.01). The difference between baseline visual acuity and final visual acuity was not statistically significant in control group (P = 0.51). CONCLUSION: Short-term administration of anti-VEGF drugs exhibited significant efficacy in reducing submacular hemorrhage following ocular trauma and enhancing visual acuity.

Overexpression of TRPV1 activates autophagy in human lens epithelial cells under hyperosmotic stress through Ca2+-dependent AMPK/mTOR pathway.

AIM: To explore whether autophagy functions as a cellular adaptation mechanism in lens epithelial cells (LECs) under hyperosmotic stress. METHODS: LECs were treated with hyperosmotic stress at the concentration of 270, 300, 400, 500, or 600 mOsm for 6, 12, 18, 24h in vitro. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed for the mRNA expression of autophagy-related genes, while Western blotting detected the targeted protein expression. The transfection of stub-RFP-sens-GFP-LC3 autophagy-related double fluorescence lentivirus was conducted to detect the level of autophagy flux. Scanning electron microscopy was used to detect the existence of autolysosome. Short interfering RNA of autophagy-related gene (ATG) 7, transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) 1 overexpression plasmid, related agonists and inhibitors were employed to their influence on autophagy related pathway. Flow cytometry was employed to test the apoptosis and intracellular Ca2+ level. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by JC-1 staining. The cell counting kit-8 assay was used to calculate the cellular viability. The wound healing assay was used to evaluate the wound closure rate. GraphPad 6.0 software was utilized to evaluate the data. RESULTS: The hyperosmotic stress activated autophagy in a pressure- and time-dependent manner in LECs. Beclin 1 protein expression and conversion of LC3B II to LC3B I increased, whereas sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1) protein expression decreased. Transient Ca2+ influx was stimulated caused by hyperosmotic stress, levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation decreased, and the level of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation increased in the early stage. Based on this evidence, autophagy activation through the Ca2+-dependent AMPK/mTOR pathway might represent an adaptation process in LECs under hyperosmotic stress. Hyperosmotic stress decreased cellular viability and accelerated apoptosis in LECs and cellular migration decreased. Inhibition of autophagy by ATG7 knockdown had similar results. TRPV1 overexpression increased autophagy and might be crucial in the occurrence of autophagy promoted by hyperosmotic stress. CONCLUSION: A combination of hyperosmotic stress and autophagy inhibition may be a promising approach to decrease the number of LECs in the capsular bag and pave the way for improving prevention of posterior capsular opacification and capsular fibrosis.

Vascular features around the optic disc in familial exudative vitreoretinopathy: findings and their relationship to disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a rare congenital disorder of retinal vascular development. We aimed to study the vascular characteristics around the optic disc in neonates with FEVR and the relationship with disease severity. METHODS: A retrospective, case-control study including 43 (58 eyes) newborn patients with FEVR at stages 1 to 3 and 30 (53 eyes) age-matched normal full-term newborns was conducted. The peripapillary vessel tortuosity (VT), vessel width (VW) and vessel density (VD) were quantified by computer technology. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) algorithm was used to visualize the relationship between the severity of FEVR and the characteristics of perioptic disc vascular parameters. RESULTS: The peripapillary VT, VW and VD were significantly increased in the FEVR group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that VW and VD increased significantly with progressing FEVR stage (P < 0.05). And only VT in stage 3 FEVR was significantly increased compared with stage 1 and stage 2 (P < 0.05). After controlling the confounders, ordinal logistic regression analysis indicated that the VW (aOR: 1.75, P = 0.0002) and VD (aOR: 2.41, P = 0.0170) were significantly independent correlated with the FEVR stage, but VT (aOR: 1.07, P = 0.5454) was not correlated with FEVR staging. Visual analysis based on the t-SNE algorithm showed that peri-optic disc vascular parameters had a continuity along the direction of FEVR severity. CONCLUSIONS: In the neonatal population, there were significant differences in peripapillary vascular parameters between patients with FEVR and normal subjects. Quantitative measurement of vascular parameters around the optic disc can be used as one of the indicators to assess the severity of FEVR.

Intrascleral sewing-machine technique: A Grooveless/flapless cyclopexy technique for large traumatic Cyclodialysis cleft repairs in pars plana vitrectomy.

PURPOSE: To describe a minimally invasive technique for the repair of large traumatic cyclodialysis clefts using intrascleral sewing machine suture and overhand friction knot techniques in pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS: This prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series included seven eyes of seven patients with a large traumatic cyclodialysis cleft. The sewing machine technique was modified by an intrascleral approach. The procedure was transconjunctival or subconjunctival performed without scleral flaps/grooves. An overhand friction knot was used to lead the cutting ends of the suture buried in the scleral tunnel. RESULTS: The closure of the cyclodialysis cleft was achieved in seven eyes. The mean follow-up duration was 49.1 ± 15.6 weeks (range, 30-70 weeks). The intraocular pressure increased from 7.3 ± 2.1 mm Hg (range, 5-11 mmHg) preoperatively to 13.6 ± 2.4 mm Hg (range, 10-17 mmHg) postoperatively ( P < 0.01). The best-corrected visual acuity improved from a mean of 2.76 ± 2.77 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution preoperatively to 0.63 ± 0.82 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution at the final follow-up ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present technique is safe and effective in the treatment of large traumatic cyclodialysis clefts with minimal surgical trauma and a decreased surgical duration.

Effect of different amounts of fruit peel-based activator combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on enhancing phytoextraction of Cd from farmland soil by ryegrass.

To improve the uptake of heavy metals by plants and increase the effectiveness of phytoextraction, chelating agents are employed to change the speciation of heavy metals in soil and increase their bioavailability. However, the effect of a single activator is limited. In recent years, compound activators have been applied widely to improve phytoextraction efficiency. In this study, a fruit peel-based activator (OG) was prepared, containing a mixture of orange peel extracts and tetrasodium glutamate diacetate (GLDA) (1.6% v/v) in a ratio of 1:1 (v/v). The pot experiment was used to investigate the effects of different amounts of OG combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Acinetobacter pitti, AP) on the extraction of Cd from farmland soil by ryegrass (Lolium perenne L). The results indicated that the addition of OG and AP increased the pH and EC of the soil and improved the content of nutrient elements in the soil. The optimal combination of the application rates of OG and AP improved the growth of ryegrass and enhanced the phytoextraction of Cd. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that total soil nitrogen had the greatest influence on phytoextraction, with a contribution rate of 85.3%, followed by pH, with a contribution rate of 7.7%. Total nitrogen, pH, available phosphorus, alkaline nitrogen, and total organic matter were correlated positively with plant Cd, soil Cd decrease ratio, and the bioaccumulation factor but negatively with total Cd and available Cd. Based on the findings of this study, it is feasible to apply the fruit peel-based activator (amended with GLDA) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria to enhance phytoextraction of Cd, which will provide a valuable reference for the treatment of heavy metal-contaminated soils and the reutilization of fruit peel waste. When applying the compound activator, it is recommended to consider the influence of the additional amount of compound activator on the extraction efficiency.

CLINICAL FEATURES AND SURGICAL OUTCOMES OF ENCIRCLING SCLERAL BUCKLING WITH CRYOTHERAPY IN FAMILIAL EXUDATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY-ASSOCIATED RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical features and surgical outcomes of encircling scleral buckling surgery with cryotherapy in familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) patients with rhegmatogenous RD. METHODS: This study was a consecutive, retrospective interventional case series. Clinical features, including the FEVR stage, proliferative vitreoretinopathy grade, range of RD and degeneration, and presence of retinal breaks, and surgical outcomes, including the success rate, best-corrected visual acuity, and myopic shift, were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 16 eyes with Stage 3A FEVR and eight eyes with Stage 4A FEVR. 13 eyes had Grade A proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and 11 eyes had Grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Retinal reattachment was achieved in 22 of 24 eyes (91.67%) with FEVR-rhegmatogenous RD after initial encircling scleral buckling surgery. The best-corrected visual acuity improved from a mean of 1.08 ± 0.86 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution preoperatively to 0.45 ± 0.41 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution postoperatively (P < 0.01). A myopic shift of -2.39 ± 1.38 (range, -1 to -6) diopter (P < 0.01) was observed. The mean follow-up period was 34.5 ± 27.7 (range, 7-104) months. CONCLUSION: Our study clarified the efficacy of encircling scleral buckling surgery with cryotherapy in FEVR-rhegmatogenous RD with Stage 3A or 4A FEVR and Grade A or B proliferative vitreoretinopathy, especially in patients with multiple retinal holes.

Application of an iris speculum for removing Soemmerring's ring during secondary intraocular lens implantation in congenital cataract patients with small pupils.

An application of the XpandNT iris speculum in eyes with small pupils during secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in congenital cataract patients is described. The iris speculum was first positioned in the eye to expand the pupil. A 30-gauge needle was used to separate the adhesion of the iris tissue and the capsular rim. Vitrectomy was used to clean Soemmerring's ring near the capsular rim. The iris expander was retracted with the Williamson XpandNT Manipulator. The IOL was then implanted. Fourteen aphakic eyes from 10 consecutive patients were studied retrospectively; pupil expansion was achieved in all 14 eyes intraoperatively without serious intraoperative or postoperative complications. The iris speculum was a safe and excellent tool for removing Soemmerring's ring and solving small pupil problems during secondary IOL implantation in pediatric cataract surgery patients.

Pseudoduplication of the optic disc initially resembling a bifurcated optic nerve in a strabismus child: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pseudoduplication of the optic disc is a rare clinical condition that is characterized by a circumscribed, disc-like lesion with radiating vessels but only one normal optic nerve. We report a rare case that initially resembled a bifurcated optic nerve in a strabismus child. CASE PRESENTATION: A 6-year-old female child was initially referred to our hospital due to perceptual exotropia of 15 degrees with poor fixation of the left eye. The visual acuity of the left eye was 3/100 with a refraction of + 1.75/- 1.25 × 175. Fundus images of her left eye revealed a circumscribed and disc-like lesion located one disc diameter (DD) below the true optic disc that showed profound central cupping resembling a second optic disc with a vascular supply. B scan ultrasonography showed an optic nerve with a bifurcated weak-echo region, suggesting that two strands originated from the optic nerve. Optic coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated a large crater-like depression of the lesion, indicating a colobomatous defect covered by a mysterious membranous structure, a disturbed nerve fibre layer and the absence of regular outer retinal layers. A perimetric examination revealed a relatively superior defect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the left eye globe showed an abnormal morphology and that the optic nerve was abnormally shaped and shifted nasally in the left eye. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) of the left eye revealed the absence of independent vascular vessels in the disc-like lesion. Hyperfluorescence with patchy fluorescence was evident in the inferotemporal area of the disc. Vascular loops surrounding the temporal region were evident in both eyes. Her right eye was normal except for the vascular loop. We proposed that this represented a case of pseudoduplication of the optic disc. The patient did not undergo any treatment, and her visual acuity remained stable during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Our patient presented with a deep and ectatic coloboma below the optic disc that communicated with the true optic nerve and was originally thought to indicate a bifurcated optic nerve. This case suggests that atypical ectatic colobomas should be considered before diagnosing malformations related to the optic nerve in double optic disc cases.

Simultaneous adsorption and oxidation of antimonite onto nano zero-valent iron sludge-based biochar: Indispensable role of reactive oxygen species and redox-active moieties.

The nano zero-valent iron sludge-based biochar (nZVI-SBC) was prepared in this study to eliminate Sb(III) from aqueous solutions, which was characterized by BET, SEM, XRD, TEM, FTIR, XPS. Our results proved that the incorporated nZVI on SBC matrix could significantly enhance eliminating Sb(III), and the max-adsorption capacity (160.40 mg g-1) can be achieved at pH = 4.8 ± 0.2 and temperature of 298 K. The effect of co-existing anions and natural organic matters on the Sb(III) adsorption efficiencies were systematically investigated. The surface complexation is the possible adsorption mechanisms by FTIR and XPS. Furthermore, mechanistic investigation revealed that •OH and hydroquinone radical (H-SQ•-) could be the primary oxidants for the transformation of Sb(III) under oxic conditions, while 9,10-phenanthrene quinone radical (P-SQ•-) were responsible under anoxic conditions. Thus, the enhanced elimination of Sb(III) from aqueous solution was ascribed to the combined adsorption and oxidation. The potential engineering application of nZVI-SBC can be proved through three actual water matrix experiments, including lake water, river water and acid mine drainage. Our present findings proved that nZVI-SBC could be a potential adsorbent, given the excellent performance in the adsorption processes, as well as the toxicity alleviating ability and economic advantages, especially under sub-surface water.

AIR/FLUID-DROPPING TECHNIQUE FOR INTRACAPSULAR DISTILLED WATER APPLICATION: A Vitrectomy Approach for Selective Targeting of Lens Epithelial Cells.

PURPOSE: We describe a simplified technique of intracapsular distilled water application for targeting lens epithelial cells using vitrectomy approach of fluid-air exchange and to evaluate the reliability and safety of this technique. METHODS: Consecutive patients with cataract were randomly assigned to treatment group and control group. After the nucleus removal and cortical aspiration, the space of anterior chamber and capsular bag were maintained with continuous infusion of sterile air by using fluid-air exchange technique through side-port incision. Distilled water was dropped into the capsular bag using a specially designed syringe. A concave air-fluid surface (a physical phenomenon) insured the contact of distilled water with the inner surface of the capsule without overflowing from the bag. The distilled water remained in place for 3 minutes and was then removed by the syringe. RESULTS: No intraoperative surgical complication was observed, and no damage to adjacent intraocular structures was observed during the postoperative follow-up. There was no statistical difference of corneal endothelial cell loss between the treatment group and the control group. Histological study confirmed damage to the lens epithelial cells from anterior capsular specimens treated by the technique. CONCLUSION: The simplified technique using vitrectomy approach is safe and specific for targeting lens epithelial cells without associated complications.