Determination of Neurodegeneration in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Retinal Segmentation Analysis.

Purpose: To compare the thickness of each retinal layer in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) versus healthy, age-matched controls by using retinal segmentation analysis.Methods: In our cross-sectional study, 37 patients with PCOS (i.e., patient group) and 35 healthy individuals (i.e., control group) underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging. Using built-in automatic retinal segmentation software to analyze the images collected, we compared the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner nuclear layer, outer plexiform layer, outer nuclear layer, photoreceptor layer (PRL), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), inner retinal layers, and outer retinal layers between the groups. To analyze the measurements, we used a traditional Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid.Results: In ETDRS subfields, 6-mm nasal RNFL thickness; 3- and 6-mm nasal GCL thickness; 3-mm superior and 6-mm nasal IPL thickness; 1-mm central, 3-mm nasal, superior, and inferior, and 6-mm nasal and inferior PRL thickness; and 6-mm inferior RPE thickness were significantly thinner in patients with PCOS than that of healthy controls.Conclusion: The results of our retinal segmentation analysis indicate that patients with PCOS tend to have thinner GCL, IPL, and PRL than healthy, age-matched controls due to neurodegeneration likely caused by insulin resistance, or subclinical retinal inflammation.

The prognostic importance of VEGF-A, PDGF-BB and c-MET in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess the effect of VEGF-A, PDGF-BB, and c-Met expression levels on survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving bevacizumab therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 105 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer between the years 2006 and 2016 were included in the research retrospectively. RESULTS: The progression-free survival (PFS) durations of patients with high expression levels of VEGF-A and with low expression levels of VEGF-A were 11 months and 10 months (p = 0.44), respectively. The PFS durations of patients with high PDGF-BB expression and low PDGF-BB expression were 12 months and 10 months (p = 0.16), respectively, while the PFS durations of patients with high and low c-Met expression were 8 months and 13 months (p = 0.005), respectively. Metastatic overall survival was 27 months and 18 months (p = 0.05) in patients with high and low VEGF-A expression levels, respectively, 31 months and 21 months (p = 0.16) in patients with high and low PDGF-BB expression levels, respectively, and 21 months and 26 months (p = 0.11) in patients with high and low c-Met expression levels, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this research revealed a high c-Met expression relationship with worse PFS and low VEGF-A expression associated with poor metastatic overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving bevacizumab therapies.