[Role of point-by-point light sensitivity in the assessment of glaucoma progression]. / Rol' potochechnoi svetochuvstvitel'nosti v otsenke progressirovaniya glaukomy.

PURPOSE: This study analyzes changes in light sensitivity in each test point of the visual field in patients with different stages of glaucoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of a prospective analytical case-control study were analyzed. All patients underwent assessment of retinal light sensitivity and its variability in 54 points corresponding to the 24-2 program. Mean light sensitivity values were calculated in each point. Intergroup analysis was performed to evaluate changes in light sensitivity in each point. RESULTS: The range of light sensitivity decrease in the early glaucoma group compared to the control group was from 1.5 to 3.6 dB. The range of light sensitivity decrease in the moderate glaucoma group compared to the control group was from 2.1 to 11.5 dB, and compared to the early glaucoma group - from -0.9 to 7.9 dB. The most frequent decrease in light sensitivity was detected in the nasal sector and along the horizontal line in the upper half of the visual field. This trend persisted within the central 10 degrees of the visual field. The range of light sensitivity decrease in the advanced glaucoma group compared to the control group was from 14.1 to 28.0 dB, and compared to the early glaucoma group - from 11.35 to 26.08 dB, compared to the moderate glaucoma group - from 9.1 to 23.5 dB. The most frequent and severe decrease in light sensitivity was detected in the paracentral zone in the lower half of the visual field. CONCLUSION: The study analyzed the trends in the development of glaucoma from the early to the advanced stage. The most frequent and severe defect in light sensitivity in cases of verified advanced glaucoma was found in the lower half of the visual field. Points No. 32, 33 and 40 can be indicated as the area of interest in assessing the progression of glaucoma, as they were found to have the most profound changes in light sensitivity as glaucoma progressed.

[Static automated perimetry in the diagnosis of glaucoma. Assessment of disease progression]. / Staticheskaya perimetriya v diagnostike glaukomy. Sposoby otsenki progressirovaniya.

There are several ways to assess glaucoma progression using standard automated perimetry. Most often, ophthalmologists evaluate the stability of visual functions manually when comparing several study protocols. The advantages of clinical assessment are ease of implementation and the ability to interpret data from any device. The main disadvantage of this method is its subjectivity. There are many available automated methods for assessing disease progression involving Humphrey Field Analyzer and Octopus perimeters. Event analysis allows determining glaucoma progression at the time of examination, with consideration of the possible physiological fluctuations in light sensitivity. Trend analysis of perimetric indices makes it possible to assess the rate of glaucoma progression and forecast the trend of changes in visual functions over the next five years. All these methods for assessing progression have certain advantages and disadvantages and cannot be considered ideal. Pointwise and cluster trend analysis are more sensitive in early glaucoma and are being actively researched and developed. These methods have great potential, although they are not yet sufficiently available in clinical practice.

[Coefficient of biomechanical stress in assessment of the degree of intraocular pressure compensation]. / Koeffitsient biomekhanicheskogo napryazheniya v otsenke stepeni kompensatsii vnutriglaznogo davleniya.

Intraocular pressure is the one modifiable factor, which correct assessment and normalization initiates the treatment of glaucoma. The accuracy of its measurement by traditional methods depends on biomechanical properties of the fibrous tunic of the eye, which in modern clinical practice are most successfully studied by the method of bidirectional applanation of the cornea using the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA). Mathematical integration of the parameters it measures makes it possible to calculate the coefficient of biomechanical stress (Kbs) that characterizes changes in the fibrous tunic of the eye induced by intraocular pressure, and serves as a criterion for intraocular pressure compensation. PURPOSE: To determine the range of normal values of the Kbs coefficient, and to evaluate its specificity and sensitivity as a criterion for the degree of intraocular pressure compensation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two consecutive studies on representative clinical material were used to determine the range of normal Kbs values in patients without significant ophthalmic pathologies (400 patients, 800 eyes) and establish the sensitivity and specificity of the coefficient in the diagnosis of glaucoma in patients with newly diagnosed glaucoma (673 patients, 1346 eyes). The age and gender composition of patients in both study groups was similar. RESULTS: The cut-off value for Kbs is 1.0. In the range of values from 1.0 to 1.09, additional risk factors for glaucoma progression must be taken into account to assess intraocular pressure compensation. In cases when Kbs is equal to or exceeds 1.1, the intraocular pressure is considered elevated and a high risk of disease development or progression is predicted. In glaucoma patients with uncompensated intraocular pressure, the specificity of Kbs is 81.5%, the relative specificity (including the borderline range) is 98%. With Kbs values over 1.1, its specificity reaches 100%. CONCLUSION: The performed clinical and statistical analysis demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity of the biomechanical stress coefficient in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.

[Is the health care system ready to apply gene therapy preparations?]

The gene therapy is totally new approach to treatment of patient. It has significant therapeutic potential for wide range of diseases, including those caused by genetic disorders. The in vivo therapy is one of types of gene therapy meaning that impact on gene apparatus of somatic cells occurs straight within organism of patient. Among significant advantages of of this kind of therapy is potential opportunity of treatment of diseases which previously had no effective therapy or only supportive symptomatic therapy was administered. The article describes international approaches to classification of gene therapy preparations. The review of in vivo gene therapy preparations currently registered in different countries. Also, the features of their development, production and registration are analyzed. For many in vivo gene therapy preparations, due to small number of patients, clinical evidence base is limited, especially in terms of long-term clinical effect that complicates process of registration and economic evaluation for subsequent their inclusion in the system of state funding. It should also be noted that gene preparations currently registered abroad have extremely high cost that limits their widespread implementation into clinical practice. The production of gene therapy preparations requires a number of additional measures targeted to supporting product quality that complicates process of their production and registration. Due to absence of necessity in large production capacities, gene therapy preparations are produced centrally that results in their logistic complexities. It is actual to analyze international experience of distribution of in vivo gene therapy preparations in order to optimize approaches to regulation, assessment and financing of gene technologies in the Russian Federation.