[DMEK in corneal endothelial disorders: first Swiss consecutive series]. / DMEK bei Hornhautendothelerkrankungen: erste Serie in der Schweiz.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyse clinical and functional results after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) as preferred technique in patients with Fuchs dystrophy and endothelial decompensation in a consecutive series. HISTORY AND SIGNS: In 12 eyes of 11 patients with Fuchs dystrophy or postoperative corneal decompensation a Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty as sole technique was indicated. All eyes were pseudophakic. Mean preoperative visual acuity was 0.25. Corneal stromal edema was observed since 18 months in mean. THERAPY AND OUTCOME: There were neither postoperative complications nor graft loss due to preparation. Mean follow-up time was 7 months. Stromal edema vanished within 4 weeks in mean. Postoperative visual acuity improved in all cases to 0.6 in mean. Neither immune reaction nor endophthalmitis nor primary graft failure were observed so far. Endothelial cell loss was 20% in mean. CONCLUSION: Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty seems to be a promising procedure. Long-term follow-up will show the real value of this exciting technique.

[Conservative treatment of dry eye]. / Konservative Therapie des trockenen Auges.

The use of topic anti-inflammatory drugs has become very important in the treatment of dry eye disease. Besides the basic therapy including tear replacement, use of serum eye drops and mucolytic eye drops, the topical application of corticosteroids and cyclosporin A is more commonly used in moderate to severe forms of dry eye disease. The consistent treatment of Meibomian gland dysfunction as a frequent reason for evaporative dry eye is also of particular importance. Understanding the chronicity of the disease and long-term compliance are the essential for successful therapy of this widespread disease.

New pleuromutilin derivatives with enhanced antimicrobial activity. I. Synthesis.

A series of new derivatives of the antibiotic pleuromutilin, produced by some Basidiomycetes, was synthesized by chemical modification of natural pleuromutilin. Most of them contain basic functional groups in the side chain at C14 of the mutilin skeleton. The monotosylate of pleuromutilin was used as a versatile intermediate for displacement by N-, O- and S-nucleophiles.

New pleuromutilin derivatives with enhanced antimicrobial activity.II.Structure-activity correlations.

Structural modification of the antibiotic pleuromutilin has afforded several derivatives with considerably enhanced activity against bacteria and mycoplasmas, and has permitted conclusions to be reached about structure-activity relationships. The carbonyl group in the five-membered ring and the hydroxyl group at C11 seem to be essential for activity. The vinyl group can be hydrogenated without loss of activity. Chemical modification at C14 offers the most possibilities for achieving the best activity and solubility properties. Mutilin, and other compounds with a free OH at C14, are inactive. It was shown that mutilin esters of substituted thioglycolic acids had distinctly superior MIC values, especially in combination with a tertiary amino group in the side chain, the latter group of derivatives having MIC values better than pleuromutilin by a factor of more than 10. Further variation within this group led to the development of 14-deoxy-14-[(2-diethylaminoethyl) thioacetoxy]-mutilin hydrogen fumarate (81.723 hfu, tiamulin) for extensive investigation of its chemotherapeutic potential.

Total protein concentration and T-cell suppression activity of aqueous humour before and after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: We wished to determine whether immune privilege parameters assayed in aqueous humour (AqH) are relevant to the fate of penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in humans. METHODS: AqH was collected in 28 patients before PK (prospective cohort), in 6 patients with no history of graft rejection undergoing cataract surgery after PK (acceptors), in another 6 patients undergoing treatment of an acute endothelial immune reaction (rejectors), and in 65 controls undergoing uncomplicated cataract extraction. AqH was tested for total protein concentration and the ability to suppress T-cell activation. RESULTS: AqH protein concentrations of acceptors and rejectors post-PK were elevated (2.7 ± 0.8 and 2.7 ± 0.7 mg/ml, respectively) compared with pre-PK AqH level and cataract controls (1.0 ± 0.1 mg/ml, P = 0.01). All AqH samples suppressed T-cell activation, irrespective of source and timing of AqH removal. CONCLUSION: Assays of immune privilege markers in AqH suggest that PK surgery may result in a sustained loss of integrity of the blood-aqueous barrier. Although trends were evident, values of immune privilege markers determined pre- and post-PK were not statistically significantly different between the study groups. However, further prospective studies determining additional immune privilege markers have to be conducted in order to find out whether these markers might serve as predictive parameters for immune reactions following PK.

[The 2009 performance report of the German cornea banks]. / Leistungsbericht der Deutschen Hornhautbanken 2009.

BACKGROUND: In Germany, human tissue for corneal and amniotic transplantation is supplied by 27 cornea banks. METHODS: The Section for Tissue Transplantation and Biotechnology of the German Ophthalmological Society records the cornea banks' activities by means of an annual questionnaire. RESULTS: In 2009, a total of 4,818 corneal grafts were processed by 21 responding cornea banks, and 57% were deemed suitable for transplantation. This ratio is slightly higher than the European average. In addition, German cornea banks released 1,257 amniotic grafts in 2009. DISCUSSION: German cornea banks are currently facing new regulatory issues due to updated legislation regarding tissue transplantation. Recent updates in European law have limited the cutoff time for postmortem blood sampling to 24 h, and this regulation may lead to a significant reduction in potential donors.

[Experimental studies on the schistosomicidal activity of the aminobenzaldehyde derivative 80.647 (author's transl)]. / Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum schistosomiziden Wirkprofil des Aminobenzaldehydderivates 80.647

In a group of aminobenzaldehyde derivatives the 2-cholor-4-(1)-piperazinobenalazine showed to be highly active in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), Mastomys natalensis and capucine monkeys (Cebus capucinus capucinus) against Schistosoma mansoni, slightly active against S. mattheei and inactive against S. haematobium and S. japonicum. The D.c.m. in mice and hamsters was 50 mg/kg body weight after a single oral dose and 20 or 50 mg/kg body weight respectively when dosed once daily on 5 consecutive days.