The use of Nicotinamide and Nicotinamide riboside as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which leads to progressive visual field loss and may result in blindness. Currently, the only available treatment to avoid or delay progression in glaucoma patients is to decrease intraocular pressure (IOP). However, despite adequate IOP control, approximately 25% of the patients continue to progress. To delay or prevent optic nerve damage in glaucoma, two forms of vitamin B3, nicotinamide (NAM) and nicotinamide riboside (NR) are emerging as viable adjuvant therapies. These compounds are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) precursors. NAD is essential for proper cell functioning and is involved in several metabolic activities, including protection against reactive oxygen species, contribution to the performance of various enzymes, and maintenance of mitochondrial function. Due to its beneficial effects and to the evidence of the reduction of NAD bioavailability with aging, researchers are seeking ways to replenish the cellular NAD pool, by administrating its precursors (NAM and NR), believing that it will reduce the RGC vulnerability to external stressors, such as increased IOP. This article attempts to analyze the current knowledge regarding the use of NAM and NR for the prevention and/or treatment of glaucoma.

"Association of APOE gene polymorphisms with primary open angle glaucoma in Brazilian patients".

Background: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a multifactorial disease that affects 65.5 million people worldwide. In addition to the genetic variants already established as indicators of greater risk for POAG, the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene has been studied in some populations, with controversial results. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of the genetic variants of APOE in the Brazilian population, and to evaluate the association between these polymorphisms and the risk of POAG. Methods: APOE variants (rs429358; rs7412) were genotyped in 402 POAG patients and 401 controls. We evaluated the association between APOE genetic variants and the risk for POAG, as well as the correlation between the requirement of glaucoma surgery and the APOE polymorphisms. Results: Among the three APOE gene isoforms, we found a low frequency of APOE alleles ε2 (7.34%) and ε4 (11.76%), but a high frequency of ε3 (80.88%) in our population. When compared to ε3ε3 reference genotype, ε2 allele-carriers (OR = 1.516; p-value = 0.04) and ε2ε3 genotype (OR = 1.655; p-value = 0.02) were associated with a greater risk for POAG. An additive genetic model confirmed the influence of the ε2 allele in the risk of POAG in this sample of the Brazilian population (OR = 1.502; p-value = 0.04). There was no significant association between the analyzed genotypes and the requirement or number of glaucoma surgeries (p > .05). Conclusion: Brazilian individuals carrying the APOEε2 allele may be at an increased risk for the development of POAG.

Nanotechnology for Medical and Surgical Glaucoma Therapy-A Review.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Even though significant advances have been made in its management, currently available antiglaucoma therapies suffer from considerable drawbacks. Typically, the success and efficacy of glaucoma medications are undermined by their limited bioavailability to target tissues and the inadequate adherence demonstrated by patients with glaucoma. The latter is due to a gradual decrease in tolerability of lifelong topical therapies and the significant burden to patients of prescribed stepwise antiglaucoma regimens with frequent dosing which impact quality of life. On the other hand, glaucoma surgery is restricted by the inability of antifibrotic agents to efficiently control the wound healing process without causing severe collateral damage and long-term complications. Evolution of the treatment paradigm for patients with glaucoma will ideally include prevention of retinal ganglion cell degeneration by the successful delivery of neurotrophic factors, anti-inflammatory drugs, and gene therapies. Nanotechnology-based treatments may surpass the limitations of currently available glaucoma therapies through optimized targeted drug delivery, increased bioavailability, and controlled release. This review addresses the recent advances in glaucoma treatment strategies employing nanotechnology, including medical and surgical management, neuroregeneration, and neuroprotection.

Degeneração marginal pelúcida superior / Superior marginal pellucid degeneration

Resumo A degeneração marginal pelúcida (DMP) é uma ectasia corneana rara. Caracteriza-se por afinamento periférico, sem sinais inflamatórios, tipicamente inferior e bilateral, separado do limbo por área de espessura normal. Há protrusão da córnea acima da área de afinamento, resultando em elevado astigmatismo irregular. À topografia corneana, obtém-se a imagem característica, porém não patognomônica, em "asa de borboleta". Relata-se, nesse caso, um paciente com DMP superior - apresentação atípica da doença -destacando a importância da inclusão da DMP como hipótese diagnóstica nos casos de afinamentos corneanos periféricos não inflamatórios, que não comprometam apenas a região inferior da córnea.

Abstract Pellucid marginal corneal degeneration (PMCD) is a rare bilateral noninflammatory ectatic peripheral corneal disorder, usually involving the inferior portion of the cornea, separated from limbus by an area of normal corneal thickness. There is protrusion of the cornea above the thinning area, resulting in high irregular astigmatism. Corneal Topography shows the characteristic, but not pathognomonic, image of a "butterfly wing". A patient with superior PMCD - an atypical presentation of the disease - is presented, highlighting the importance of the inclusion of PMCD as a diagnostic hypothesis, in cases of non-inflammatory peripheral corneal thinning that does not compromise only the inferior corneal area.

Aspectos terapêuticos do cisto de íris / Therapeutic aspects of the iris cyst

Objetivo: Analisar as diferentes opções terapêuticas para o tratamento do cisto de íris. Embora seja uma patologia rara e de curso benigno, existe a possibilidade de evoluir com complicações diversas decorrentes de uma conduta inadequada. Local: Instituto de Oftalmologia Tadeu Cvintal, São Paulo, Brasil. Método: Foram revistos 15 casos de cisto de íris, nos quais as condutas terapêuticas seguiram critérios protocolados e seus resultados analisados. Resultados: Várias foram as opções terapêuticas aplicadas, as quais levaram em consideração características diversas como: etiologia, dimensão, tempo de duração e localização anatômica. Dessa forma, as alternativas variaram de simples acompanhamento periódico (26,6 por cento dos casos), passando pela aplicação de Yag Laser (33,3 por cento dos casos), até a ressecção cirúrgica (40 por cento dos casos). Conclusão: Nos casos analisados, verificou-se que a padronização terapêutica segundo critérios específicos permite um grande índice de sucesso, minimizando o risco de complicações.

Resultados visuais e incidência de complicaçöes em facoemulsificaçäo com LIO por residentes / Visual results and complications of phacoemulsifications with intraocular lens implantation performed by residents

Os autores analisaram retrospectivamente a evoluçäo visual e a incidência de complicaçöes em 48 olhos submetidos à facoemulsificaçäo por 4 residentes do terceiro ano. Em todos os casos foi implantada uma lente de 7,0mm de zona óptica com a supervisäo de um assistente. As incidências de rotura de cápsula posterior e perda vítrea foi 6,25 p/cento (2/48) e 10,40 p/cento (5/48), respectivamente. O momento da rotura capsular ocorreu em 60 p/cento dos casos (3 pacientes) durante a emulsificaçäo do núcleo e em 2 (40 p/cento) olhos ao se aspirar o córtex automaticamente. A acuidade visual foi 20/40 em 89,60 p/cento dos casos com folow-up médio de 5,4 meses. Estes resultados säo comparáveis ao desempenho de residentes fazendo extra-capsular publicado em trabalhos anteriores. Nós acreditamos que, com treinamento apropriado e supervisäo de cirurgiöes