KIT Expression Is Regulated by DNA Methylation in Uveal Melanoma Tumors.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is an ocular tumor with a dismal prognosis. Despite the availability of precise molecular and cytogenetic techniques, clinicopathologic features with limited accuracy are widely used to predict metastatic potential. In 51 UM tissues, we assessed a correlation between the expression of nine proteins evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) (Melan-A, S100, HMB45, Cyclin D1, Ki-67, p53, KIT, BCL2, and AIFM1) and the presence of UM-specific chromosomal rearrangements measured by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), to find IHC markers with increased prognostic information. Furthermore, mRNA expression and DNA methylation values were extracted from the whole-genome data, achieved by analyzing 22 fresh frozen UM tissues. KIT positivity was associated with monosomy 3, increasing the risk of poor prognosis more than 17-fold (95% CI 1.53-198.69, p = 0.021). A strong negative correlation was identified between mRNA expression and DNA methylation values for 12 of 20 analyzed positions, five located in regulatory regions of the KIT gene (r = -0.658, p = 0.001; r = -0.662, p = 0.001; r = -0.816; p < 0.001; r = -0.689, p = 0.001; r = -0.809, p < 0.001, respectively). DNA methylation ß values were also inversely associated with KIT protein expression (p = 0.001; p = 0.001; p = 0.015; p = 0.025; p = 0.002). Our findings, showing epigenetic deregulation of KIT expression, may contribute to understanding the past failure to therapeutically target KIT in UM.

Ciliary Body Leiomyoma.

The report aims to present the case of intraocular leiomyoma. We conducted a case study on a patient who presented with an intraocular tumour. After examination, including magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography with computed tomography, B-scan, we performed surgery - enucleation of the eye globe with histological verification of tumour mass. Histological analysis of enucleated eyes proved intraocular leiomyoma. Leiomyoma is a rare intraocular tumour, which is clinically challenging to recognize; therefore, histological confirmation is most often required.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and conjunctival sac swab findings.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the positivity of conjunctival sac swab by PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) test in COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: Inclusion criteria of our study were COVID-19 patients hospitalized during March 2021 in inpatient wards at University Hospitals in towns Bratislava and Zilina, Slovakia. The conjunctival sac swabs collected by four ophthalmologists were stored for 24 h, then analyzed in the laboratory of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, Slovakia. The sampling apparatus, used for conjunctival sac swab, was the Dacron polyester swab. RESULTS: We examined one group of 302 COVID-19 patients, 168 Male (56%) and 134 Female (44%). The patients' mean age was 66.3 ± 13.66 years, ranging from 25 to 96 years, and the mean length of hospital stay in our patients with a nasopharyngeal positive PCR test was 7.33 ± 4.76, from 2 to 24 days. The PCR tests from the conjunctival sac swabs were positive in 33 patients (11%), negative in 259 patients (86%), and ten patients (3%) were with the unclear result. In the group of 33 positive patients were 17 males with a mean age of 74.6 ± 13.59 years and 16 females with a mean age of 70.63 ± 14.17 years. The cycle threshold (CT) values differed significantly between conjunctival sac swabs from the nasopharynx and the conjunctiva. Medians of the values were 25.1 (14.1, 32.1) and 31.5 (22.6, 36.6) (P <  0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study affirmed that in COVID-19 patients the SARS-CoV-2 was detectable with PCR test in conjunctival sac swab, but the positivity rate was only about one to ten cases (11%).

Transient myopia as rare condition after neurosurgery.

Refractive changes may be caused by systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, lupus erythematosus, or hypothyroidism. However, refractive changes following the removal of a brain tumour have not been reported. In our case report, we describe a young woman without any systemic disease. She came to the emergency department in our hospital, where she reported a headache on admission and no other difficulties. Vital computer tomography was performed at the emergency outpatient clinic. The frontoparietal round hypodense lesion with an indicated dense margin - suspicious abscess, was detected. The patient was admitted to the Neurological Department of Slovak Medical University to have her condition diagnosed. After magnetic resonance, she was admitted to the Neurosurgery department, she underwent a neurosurgical procedure, where the diffuse anaplastic glioma grade II was histopathologically confirmed. Afterward, she reported worsening of vision. We diagnosed transient myopia, which is a rare condition. One month after the procedure the patient's eyes were again emmetropic without any harm on eyes.