Gene transfer to trabecular meshwork endothelium via direct injection into the Schlemm canal and in vivo toxicity study.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to investigate the efficiency of adenoviral gene transfer via direct injection into the Schlemm canal ex vivo in human donor eyes and to examine the effect of human MMP-3 transgene expression in a rat model in vivo. METHODS: A viscocanalostomy-like operation was performed and adenoviral vector encoding for MMP-3 and green fluorescent protein was injected into human Schlemm canal or rat anterior chamber. RESULTS: Transgene expression was high in trabecular meshwork endothelium in human donor eyes. In vivo, adenovirus caused dose-dependent inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Direct injection of adenoviral vectors into the Schlemm canal has potential in glaucoma treatment.

Expression of herpes simplex associated antigens in ocular tissues following induced herpetic anterior uveitis.

Timing and distribution of the expression of herpes simplex virus, type 1, associated antigen (HSV-1 AA) positive cells were studied immunohistochemically, following unilateral inoculation of HSV-1 into the anterior chamber of BALB/c mice. Inflammatory cells appeared in the corneal limbus, the anterior chamber angle, and Schlemm's canal of the inoculated eyes within 24 hours. HSV-AA positive cells developed in this period in the non-pigmented epithelium (which corresponds to the human pigmented epithelium) of the iris and the corneal endothelium; they also appeared in the ciliary body by the day 3 and remained positive until day 7. Apparent involvement of the posterior segment of the eye was seen in only 2 of the 9 inoculated eyes on day 3. However, once invasion of the posterior segment has occurred, there appears to be a stronger reaction in the retinal non-pigmented epithelial (RnPE) layer, which corresponds to the human retinal pigmented epithelium, than in the sensory retina.

Association of human papilloma virus with pterygia and ocular-surface squamous neoplasia.

There are more microorganisms that colonize the human body than resident cells; some are commensal whereas others are pathogenic. Pathogenic microorganisms are sensed by the innate or adaptive immune system, an immune response is initiated, and the infection is often cleared. Some microorganisms have developed strategies to evade immune defenses, ensuring their long-term survival with potentially devastating consequences for the host. Approximately 18% of all cancers can be attributed to infective agents; the most common being Helicobacter pylori, Human papilloma virus (HPV) and Hepatitis B and C virus in causing stomach, cervical and liver carcinoma, respectively. This review focuses on whether HPV infection is necessary for initiating pterygia, a common benign condition and ocular-surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN), a rare disease with metastatic potential. The search engine PubMed was used to identify articles from the literature related to HPV and pterygium or conjunctival neoplasia. From 34 investigations that studied HPV in pterygia and OSSN, a prevalence rate of 18.6% (136/731) and 33.8% (144/426), respectively, was recorded. The variation in HPV prevalence (0-100%) for both disease groups may have arisen from study-design faults and the techniques used to identify the virus. Overall, the data suggest that HPV is not necessary for initiating either condition but may be a co-factor in susceptible hosts. Currently, over 60 million people worldwide have been immunized with HPV vaccines, but any effect on pterygium and OSSN development may not be known for some time as these lesions can evolve over decades or occur in older individuals.