Etiological analysis of ocular herpes virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: To do the etiological analysis of ocular herps virus infection, revealing the pathogen species and the distribution of different virus types within the eye. METHODS: Samples were collected from 2017 to 2021 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital and tested using real-time PCR for common ocular viruses: herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The pathogenesis of the different viruses was classified and analyzed according to the site of infection. RESULTS: Viral PCR detections were performed on 3627 samples collected over the 5-years and 649 (17.89%) samples contained one or more of the viruses tested. The overall detection rate of CMV was highest at 9.93%. Of all sample types, aqueous humor was the most common (1752 cases), of which 340 were positive (19.41% positive rate). Corneal samples were the next most common, with 1481 cases and 250 positive results (16.88% positive rate). CMV positivity was higher in aqueous humor and corneal samples than other viruses; vitreous body had the highest positive rate at 36.36% (20/55), among which 18 cases were VZV positive. CONCLUSIONS: Distribution of virus types differed among infection sites, with CMV the most common virus type detected in the cornea and aqueous humor, while VZV was the most common virus detected in the vitreous body.

The efficacy of modified posterior scleral reinforcement with round scleral patches in Chinese children with high myopia.

PURPOSE: To observe the efficacy of modified Snyder-Thompson posterior scleral reinforcement with round scleral patches in Chinese children with high myopia. METHODS: This retrospective study included 46 Chinese children with high myopia (72 eyes) who underwent modified Snyder-Thompson posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) with round scleral patches and 43 Chinese children with high myopia (67 eyes) who wore only spectacles as a control group. Both groups attended a follow-up at 3 years. Axial length (AL), spherical equivalent (SE), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and full ocular assessment results were evaluated at the initial and final visits. Complications were recorded. RESULTS: AL had increased by 0.29 ± 0.33 mm in the PSR group and 0.82 ± 0.33 mm in the control group (P < 0.0001) at the final follow-up. The change in the SE was 0.31 ± 0.81 D in the PSR group and 2.25 ± 1.02 D in the control group (P < 0.0001). A decrease of 0.02 ± 0.11 LogMAR was found in the control group, and a change of 0.22 ± 0.35 LogMAR was found in the PSR group. No serious complications due to PSR surgery occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Snyder-Thompson PSR surgery with round scleral patches can effectively limit the progression of axial elongation in Chinese children with high myopia. The operation is safe, causes little damage, and can be customized.

Long-term blue light exposure induces RGC-5 cell death in vitro: involvement of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, oxidative stress, and MAPK signaling pathways.

The mechanism of blue light-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury is poorly understood. In this study, we established a patented light-emitting diode-based system to study the effects of long-term blue light exposure under culture conditions on RGC-5 cells. Long-term blue light exposure significantly reduced cell viability in a time-dependent manner and induced apoptosis and necrosis in RGC-5 cells. Long-term blue light exposure marked an increase in the expression of Bax and active Caspase-3 (p17), which was accompanied by Bcl-2 down-regulation, and displayed features of the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway. Blue light exposure also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and was a strong inducer of ROS-sensitive protein nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Moreover, blue light exposure constitutively activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), as well as induced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the early phase, in blue light-exposed RGC-5 cells. The protein expression of c-jun and c-fos was further enhanced after RGC-5 cells were exposed to blue light. Taken together, these findings indicated that blue light induced RGC-5 cell line death in dependence upon exposure duration. The potential mechanisms for this phenomenon might be via activated mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, increased ROS production and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1, and activated JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Corneal Subbasal Nerve Analysis Using In Vivo Confocal Microscopy in Patients With Dry Eye: Analysis and Clinical Correlations.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to observe corneal subbasal nerves and Langerhans cells (LCs) using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) in patients with dry eye, a tool for the evaluation of disease stage and severity and for treatment monitoring at the microstructural level. METHODS: A total of 107 eyes from 62 patients were included. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and other examinations were used to assess dry eye symptoms and signs. IVCM was performed to observe subbasal corneal nerves and LCs. Corneal nerves were graded using both objective and subjective methods. The correlations between dry eye symptoms and corneal nerve parameters, corneal nerve grading, and LC number were analyzed. RESULTS: Corneal nerve length was negatively correlated with sensitivity to light [correlation coefficient (CC)= -0.24, P < 0.05]; nerve width was positively correlated with the OSDI score, painful eyes, and blurred vision (CC = 0.41, 0.23, and 0.46, respectively, all P < 0.05); and nerve tortuosity was positively correlated with sensitivity to light (CC = 0.23, P < 0.05). Moreover, both total objective and subjective grading scores were positively correlated with OSDI scores (CC = 0.48 and 0.27, respectively, both P < 0.05). LC number was found not to be significantly correlated with dry eye symptoms (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IVCM is a useful tool to evaluate corneal subbasal nerve changes in patients with dry eye. Detailed nerve grading could help to understand and evaluate the pathophysiologic conditions of the disease and could be used for further treatment follow-up in the future.

Electroencephalogram alertness responses to blue light stimulus in elderly people with cataract.

Daytime blue light exposure can reduce fatigue and increase alertness in young healthy adults. Little is known of the daytime blue light influence on alertness in elders. A prospective with-in subject study was carried out in Peking University Third Hospital to evaluate the impact of cataract surgery on visual functions and the electroencephalogram alertness response to blue light stimulus before and after surgery. 14 participants diagnosed with age-related cataract were scheduled for monocular cataract surgery with ultraviolet-filtering intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), color discrimination and electroencephalogram results were measured before and after surgery. Exposure to blue light resulted in decreased delta (0.25-3.00 Hz) activity and increased beta (13.25-30.00 Hz) activity both before and after cataract surgery. Significant improvements in the BCVA and Farnsworth-Munsell-100-hue total error scores were found after cataract surgery. The partial error scores in the red-yellow, green blue-blue, and blue purple-purple red bands also showed significant differences, with the green blue-blue band showing the most obvious improvement. Day-time blue light stimulus can increase alertness in elderly people with significant cataracts. Cataract surgery with ultraviolet-filtering IOL implantation can increase light, particularly blue light transmittance. Opaque lens removal does not increase the alertness responses to blue light 1 day after surgery. Nevertheless, the increase in light especially blue light perception can be beneficial for the health of elder people in the long run.