Prediction of foveal microstructure and visual outcomes following surgery for idiopathic macular hole: An assessment using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of two novel indices, the hole closure index (HCI) and the hole healing index (HHI), in predicting both the anatomic outcome and postoperative visual acuity following surgical intervention for idiopathic macular holes. METHODS: A total of 38 patients diagnosed with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) were included. All patients underwent standard surgical treatment, including vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, and gas tamponade. Preoperative and postoperative spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was utilized to assess the anatomical status of the macular hole (MH). The maximum distance between the tips of the external limiting membrane (ELM) was designated as the hole size (HS). HHI, calculated as the ratio of hole height to HS, and HCI, calculated as the ratio of hole height to the average of minimum diameter and base diameter, were determined. Postoperative reconstruction of ELM and ellipsoid zone (EZ) was evaluated, along with analysis of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) on a logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) scale. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between anatomical outcomes, postoperative visual acuity, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for both HHI and HCI. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed significant correlations between HCI and the restoration of ELM and EZ at 6 months after surgery (P = 0.002 and P = 0.014, respectively). In addition, a significant correlation was found between HHI and postoperative BCVA better than logMAR 0.52 also at 6 months after surgery (P = 0.033). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for HCI based on ELM and EZ reconstruction was high, with values of 0.942 and 0.842, respectively. AUC for HHI, determined by ROC curve analysis of postoperative BCVA, was 0.704. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our findings indicate that HCI may be the most accurate predictor of type 1 closure, while HHI could be considered a potential predictor of postoperative visual acuity.

Vitrectomy for retinal detachment associated with macular hole: Prognostic factor analysis under different axial length conditions.

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors for complete anatomical success (CAS) under different axial length (AL) conditions after vitrectomy plus internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for retinal detachment associated with macular hole (MHRD). METHODS: This retrospective study included 243 patients (251 eyes) with MHRD who underwent primary vitrectomy plus ILM peeling. Multivariate logistic regression explored prognostic factors for CAS in AL <30 mm and ≥ 30 mm groups. RESULTS: Overall, 113 eyes (45.0% of 251) exhibited complete CAS after initial surgery. Eyes with CAS had greater best-corrected visual acuity improvement than eyes without CAS (p < 0.001). CAS was more common in eyes with AL < 30 mm (50.3% of 155) than in eyes with AL ≥ 30 mm (36.5%, 35/96; p = 0.032). In the AL < 30 mm group, CAS was associated with ILM insertion (odds ratio [OR], 2.824, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.189-6.710; p = 0.019), silicone oil (SO)/perfluoropropane (C3F8) tamponade (SO: OR, 0.408, 95% CI, 0.191-0.873; C3F8: OR, 2.448, 95% CI, 1.145-5.234; p = 0.021) and staphyloma (OR, 0.318, 95% CI, 0.143-0.707; p = 0.005). In the AL ≥30 mm group, CAS was associated with ILM insertion (OR, 11.621, 95% CI, 2.557-52.813; p = 0.001), SO /C3F8 tamponade (SO: OR, 5.305, 95% CI, 1.206-23.334; C3F8: OR, 0.188, 95% CI, 0.043-0.829; p = 0.027) and age (OR, 0.928, 95% CI, 0.876-0.983; p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy plus ILM peeling can effectively treat MHRD but has limited efficacy in eyes with AL ≥ 30 mm. ILM insertion was associated with more frequent CAS at any AL. C3F8 tamponade yielded better outcomes with AL < 30 mm; SO tamponade yielded better outcomes with AL ≥ 30 mm.

Nomogram for predicting non-proliferative vitreoretinopathy probability after vitrectomy in eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

AIM: To identify the risk factors for postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and develop a nomogram for predicting postoperative PVR-free probability. METHODS: A total of 741 patients (741 eyes) diagnosed with primary RRD who underwent first surgery in the same hospital were retrospectively reviewed and randomly assigned with 521 to the training set and 220 to the validation set. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed in the training cohort to determine risk factors to construct a nomogram for predicting the 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-month postoperative PVR-free probabilities. Nomogram performance was estimated by the concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, and the area receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A nomogram was constructed based on the preoperative PVR, silicone oil tamponade time (SOTT), photocoagulation energy (PE), retinal tear size (RTS), and hypertension. In the training set, the C-index of the nomogram was 0.896, 0.936, 0.961, and 0.972 at 3, 4, 5, and 6mo, respectively. The C-index values in the validation set were 0.860, 0.936, 0.951, and 0.965 at 3, 4, 5, and 6mo, respectively. Decision-curve analysis indicated that only the 4-, 5-, and 6-month nomograms had significant net benefits over a large threshold probabilities interval. CONCLUSION: Preoperative PVR, SOTT, PE, RTS, and hypertension are significant risk factors for postoperative PVR formation in patients with primary RRD. The proposed nomogram can effectively predict the 4-, 5-, and 6-month PVR-free probabilities after surgery and assist in making clinical decisions during follow-up.

Risk factors for epiretinal membrane in eyes with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment that received silicone oil tamponade.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study investigated the risk factors for epiretinal membrane (ERM) in eyes with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) that received silicone oil (SO) tamponade. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 1140 patients (1140 eyes) with RRD who underwent primary vitrectomy and SO tamponade. The prevalence of ERM was estimated and possible risk factors (eg, type 2 diabetes, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), SO tamponade time (SOTT), photocoagulation, vitreous haemorrhage, choroidal detachment, cryotherapy and retinal tear size) were analysed via multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of ERM was 12.3% (140/1140), and the accuracy of preoperative ERM diagnosis was 40.5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors for ERM in eyes with SO tamponade included preoperative PVR (OR=4.336, 95% CI 2.533 to 7.424, p<0.001), type 2 diabetes (OR=3.996, 95% CI 2.013 to 7.932, p<0.001), photocoagulation energy (OR=1.785, 95% CI 1.306 to 2.439, p<0.001) and SOTT (OR=1.523, 95% CI 1.261 to 1.840, p<0.001). No statistically significant associations were observed between the incidence of ERM and other risk factors. Preoperative PVR showed the strongest association with risk of ERM. The risk of ERM was positively associated with SOTT, photocoagulation energy and preoperative PVR grade. CONCLUSION: In eyes with RRD that received SO tamponade, the prevalence of ERM was 12.3%, while the accuracy of preoperative ERM diagnosis was low. Preoperative PVR, type 2 diabetes, photocoagulation energy and SOTT were the main risk factors for ERM.

Biocompatible tumor-targeted GQDs nanocatalyst for chemodynamic tumor therapy.

To deal with the complex tumor microenvironment (TME), chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has been developed, which uses nanocatalysts simulating peroxidase to convert high concentration hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) in situ and effectively kills tumor cells. Due to the low catalytic activity of traditional nanocatalysts, the present CDT treatment has to be combined with other anti-tumor therapies, which increases the complexity and uncertainty of the treatment. Thus, developing new nanocatalysts with stable and high enzymatic activity is the key point to CDT treatment. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are important metal-free catalysts with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity due to their excellent electron transport performance. Here, we prepare a nitrogen-doped GQD (NGOD) nanocatalyst, which displays much higher peroxidase activity than known metal nanocatalysts. The NGQD nanocatalyst is further grafted with RGDS peptide-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG), which guides the nanocatalyst to the tumor area and increases its circulation time in blood. The as-produced RGDS-PEG@NG nanocatalyst displays stable and high peroxidase activity, which achieves the conversion of H2O2 → ˙OH in the TME. Through an in vivo study it has been observed that RGDS-PEG@NGs obviously inhibit tumor growth without combining with other treatment methods and show excellent biocompatibility, which provides a unique idea for the application of GQDs in CDT.

Outcomes of a novel bubble ultra-wide field viewing system for vitreoretinal surgery.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical outcomes and evaluate the efficacy of a novel bubble ultra-wide field viewing system for vitreoretinal surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and fifty-one eyes of 146 consecutive patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), vitreous haemorrhage originating from retinal vein occlusion (VH-RVO), epiretinal membrane (EM), macular hole (MH) or retinal detachment (RD) who underwent vitreoretinal surgery using the bubble ultra-wide field viewing system were included. METHODS: A standard phacoemulsification was performed on each patient. Core humour and mid-peripheral vitreous humour were removed using a planoconcave lens. A suitably sized bubble was infused to attach to the posterior capsule or the anterior chamber depending on the integrity of the posterior capsule. The planoconcave lens and the air bubble formed the wide-angle viewing system, through which peripheral vitrectomy was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Range of applications, field of view, model validation and complications were recorded. RESULTS: The new ultra-wide field viewing system was successfully applied in all eyes, including 34 with PDR, 28 VH-RVO, 28 EM, 25 MH and 36 RD. Peripheral vitrectomy, local or panretinal laser photocoagulation, and removal of the peripheral proliferative membrane were successfully performed while viewing through this system. Maximum peripheral retinal area observable during the procedure was positively correlated with pupil diameter. Model analysis results showed that when the pupil diameter was 6 mm, the maximum field of view was approximately 128.1- 148.0 degrees with this system. Of 142 eyes, the main intraoperative complication was iatrogenic retinal breaks (IRBs) in 8 eyes (5.3%) and posterior capsule injury by vitreous cutter during bubble removal in 6 eyes (4.2%). The postsurgery mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (0.48 ± 0.39 logMAR) was significantly improved compared with the preoperative mean BCVA (1.60 ± 1.08 logMAR, p < 0.001). No incidents of postoperative choroidal detachment, secondary glaucoma or endophthalmitis were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with lens excision or absence, vitreoretinal surgery can be successfully performed using the novel viewing system described here. The system is a safe, convenient and economical ultra-wide field viewing system with a wide range of applications.

Removal of sticky silicone oil adhered to the retinal surface: comparison of methodological safety and effectiveness.

PURPOSE: To compare safety and effectiveness among methods to remove sticky silicone oil bubbles adhered to the retinal surface. METHODS: This retrospective nonrandomised case series included 14 eyes of 14 patients who had sticky silicone oil residue during silicone oil removal surgery. For small sticky silicone oil bubbles (< 2-disc diameter), aspiration was performed with a 23-gauge vitreous cutter. Residual tiny oil bubbles were then removed with a silicone-tipped flute needle or internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. For large sticky silicone oil bubbles (≥ 2-disc diameter) that could not be removed with a 23-gauge vitreous cutter, we devised a more efficient active removal method involving a modified 22-gauge venous indwelling cannula device. RESULTS: The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]) significantly improved from 1.28 ± 0.63 logMAR to 0.77 ± 0.58 logMAR (p = 0.014). The postoperative BCVA and improvement in BCVA were significantly better in the ILM peeling group than in the non-ILM peeling group (p = 0.004 and p = 0.045, respectively). Postoperative complications included residual sticky silicone oil bubbles in seven eyes without ILM peeling (50.0%), retinal neuroepithelial layer damage in two eyes (14.3%), and temporary hypotony in five eyes (35.7%). CONCLUSION: Various methods can safely and efficiently remove sticky silicone oil bubbles adhered to the retinal surface. A 22-gauge venous indwelling cannula enabled simple and safe removal of large sticky silicone oil bubbles, while small residual sticky silicone oil bubbles could be completely removed by ILM peeling.

Optical quality assessment in branch retinal vein occlusion after monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injection: a prospective, case-control study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate optical quality and intraocular scattering using the Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS) II in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and to investigate the influences of retinal changes on optical quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two patients with diagnosis of BRVO were enrolled in this prospective, case-control study. The control group consisted of the patients' fellow eyes. Initial logMAR visual acuity, central macular thickness, and optical quality parameters including modulation transfer function cutoff frequency (MTF cut off), Strehl ratio (SR), objective scatter index (OSI) and OQAS values (OVs) at 100%, 20%, and 9% contrast levels were measured. Every BRVO-affected eye was treated with monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injection. We investigated the differences between clinical parameters of the BRVO-affected eye and those of the control eye and changes in those parameters on the basis of the clinical course of BRVO over 3 months. RESULTS: All the OQAS parameters measured except objective refraction error differed statistically significantly between the two groups. As macular thickness decreased and visual acuity improved, all the optical quality parameters except for objective refraction error and OV at 100% contrast gradually recovered with time after treatment but did not return to normal compared with the control eye. Only visual acuity was found to be significantly related to central macular thickness change (p = .027). CONCLUSIONS: BRVO resulted in declined visual acuity and optical quality. It is suggested that the optical quality parameters are affected by the inner layers of the retina in BRVO.

Reoperation following vitrectomy for diabetic vitreous hemorrhage with versus without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab.

BACKGROUND: To compare the reoperation rate in patients with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with or without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 280 patients (362 eyes) with diabetic VH were divided into a group that received preoperative IVB and a group that did not receive preoperative IVB. According to B-scan or color Doppler ultrasonography, the eyes were grouped as a VH group and a tractional retinal detachment (TRD) group. The reoperation rate, visual and anatomical outcomes of treatment were evaluated after 6 months. RESULTS: There were 17.4% of eyes in the VH group that did not receive preoperative IVB later required additional vitrectomy, while only 7.7% of the eyes in the VH group that received preoperative IVB required additional vitrectomy (P = 0.025). There were 45.5% of eyes in the TRD group that did not receive preoperative IVB had no reoperation, while only 21.4% of the eyes in the TRD group that received preoperative IVB had no reoperation (P = 0.004). The patients with one operation achieved better vision than those required reoperations in the VH group (P = 0.038) and TRD group (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative IVB significantly reduced the re-vitrectomy rate in patients with VH without TRD, but there was an increase in the reoperation rate in patients with VH combined with TRD.

Comparative Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Tumor Resection in Vitrectomy for Retinal Vasoproliferative Tumors.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of combined vitrectomy with tumor resection in the treatment of retinal vasoproliferative tumors (RVPT). METHODS: Retrospective study. RVPT patients who underwent vitreous surgery at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2011 to July 2017 were included. The main outcomes included treatment type, tumor activity, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Altogether, 16 patients with 17 eyes were enrolled with follow-up of no less than 6 months. Eight eyes were in the resection treatment group (Group R) and 9 eyes were in the conservative treatment group (Group C). Female (69%) were more common. The mean age was 50 (49.72 ± 12.92) years. Fifteen patients got unilateral onset and only one patient suffered bilaterally. The common symptoms were decreased visual acuity, floaters, and visual distortion. The preoperative BCVA ranged from hand movement to 20/20, with an average of 0.82 ± 0.75 LogMAR. Patients were all not high myopia, with a mean axial length of 23.27 ± 0.27 mm (21.61 mm to 24.67 mm). Of the retinal diseases, the epiretinal membrane was the most common, followed by vitreous hemorrhage, uveitis, subretinal fluid, and so on. Compared with the baseline BCVA, it improved more at postoperative 6 months and the last visit in Group R than in Group C (P=0.006 and P=0.033). The BCVA-improved 0.2 LogMAR or above in 6 months was 2 eyes in Group C and 7 eyes in Group R. All tumors in Group R were completely resected, whereas three in Group C (33.3%) had definite activity (P=0.008). In all samples, tumors were located on the inner side of the retina and had small vessel wall thickening and hyaline degeneration. The degree of astrocyte proliferation varies widely among different tumors. CONCLUSIONS: RVPT was more likely to occur in nonhigh myopia patients. Epiretinal membrane and vitreous hemorrhage were the main causes for vitreous surgery in RVPT patients. Compared with conservative treatment, surgical resection of the tumor is more beneficial to patients on visual acuity recovery and preventing tumor relapse. It is a safe and effective way to treat RVPT.

Foveal microstructure and visual outcomes of myopic macular hole surgery with or without the inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique on the macular hole (MH) closure and foveal microstructure recovery of patients with highly myopic MH. METHODS: Pars plana vitrectomy and gas tamponade with the inverted ILM flap technique (19 eyes) or with the ILM peeling technique (21 eyes) were performed in patients with highly myopic MH with or without retinal detachment. The rate of MH closure and retinal reattachment, the reconstructive anatomical change of the foveal microstructure and the best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA) of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The anatomic closure rate was statistically significantly higher in the inverted group (100%) than in the peeling group (66.7%; p=0.009). All eyes with MH retinal detachment had successful retinal reattachment in these two groups. However, the rate of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) (p=0.020), as well as gliosis (p=0.049) in macular area, detected by OCT, was significantly greater in the inverted group than in the peeling group. The postoperative BCVA was significantly better in the eyes with ELM, EZ (p=0.031) and gliosis (p=0.008), but without hyperreflective foci (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the inverted ILM flap technique has better efficacy than the ILM peeling technique for patients with myopic MH in closure rate, foveal microstructure and postoperative BCVA.

Treatment of Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis with endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy.

To evaluate the use of endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy in patients with sight-threatening Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis.A retrospective analysis was conducted in 15 eyes with Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis. Patients were divided into 2 groups: endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy (5 eyes) and conventional vitrectomy (10 eyes). The following clinical data were recorded and analyzed: sex, age, latent period, symptom duration, follow-up time, visual acuity pre- and postsurgery, recurrence of endophthalmitis, incidence of phithisis bulbi, and incidence of enucleation.In the conventional vitrectomy group, postoperative visual acuity ranged from no light perception in 5 patients (50%), light perception in 3 patients (30%), 20/1000 in 1 patient (10%), and 20/50 in 1 patient (10%). In the endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy group, postoperative visual acuity ranged from no light perception in 2 patients (40%), light perception in 1 patient (20%), and hand movements in 2 patients (40%). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of the final postoperative visual acuity (F = 0.006, P = .937). There is no difference between the 2 groups in terms of the incidence of enucleation. The median symptom duration was 4 hours (range: 2-6 hours) in the conventional group and 9 hours (range: 7-11 hours) in the endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy group. The difference in the symptom duration between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P = .002).There is no statistical significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of visual acuity and incidence of enucleation. Therefore, endoscopy-assisted vitrectomy can be considered as an alternative treatment for treatment of B cereus endophthalmitis particularly for cases when symptom duration was more than 6 hours.

A modified approach to actively remove high viscosity silicone oil through 23-gauge cannula.

AIM: To report a simple approach to actively remove high viscosity silicone oil through a 23-gauge cannula via pars plana. METHODS: Forty-eight eyes of 48 patients underwent silicone oil (5700 centistokes) removal (SOR) were enrolled. A section of blood transfusion set was prepared to connect a standard 23-gauge cannula and vitrectomy machine. Silicone oil was removed with suction of 500-mm Hg vacuum through the cannula. Main outcome measures were SOR duration, number of sutured sites, intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and complications. RESULTS: Silicone oil was successfully removed in all cases. The mean SOR time was 5.70±0.85min. Nine eyes (18.75%) needed suture partial sclerotomies. No intraoperative complications were noted. Transient hypotony (≤8 mm Hg) was seen in 3 eyes (6.25%) on postoperative day 1, but all resolved within 1wk. Retinal reattachment was achieved in all cases and no other postoperative complications were noted during 3-month following-up. BCVA at the final visit improved or stabilized in all patients comparing to the preoperative level. CONCLUSION: Active removal of high viscosity silicone oil through a 23-gauge instrument cannula jointed with blood transfusion set is a practical and reliable technique when considering two sides of efficacy and safety.

Viscoat Assisted Inverted Internal Limiting Membrane Flap Technique for Large Macular Holes Associated with High Myopia.

Purpose. To investigate the surgical outcomes of Viscoat® assisted inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique for large macular holes (MHs) associated with high myopia. Design. Prospective, interventional case series. Methods. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients with high myopia underwent vitrectomy and Viscoat assisted inverted ILM flap technique to treat MH without RD. Patients were followed up over 6 months. The main outcome measures were MH closure evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best-corrected visual acuities (BCVAs). Result. MH closure was observed in all eyes (100%) following the initial surgery. Type 1 closure was observed in 13 eyes (86.7%); type 2 closure was observed in the remaining 2 eyes (13.3%). Compared to the preoperative baseline, the mean BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) improved significantly at 3 months and 6 months after surgery (P = 0.025, 0.019, resp.). The final BCVA improved in 10 eyes (66.7%), remained unchanged in 3 eyes (20.0%), and worsened in 2 eyes (13.3%). Conclusion. Vitrectomy combined with Viscoat assisted inverted ILM flap technique is an effective treatment for large MHs in highly myopic eyes. It may increase the success rate of the initial surgery and enhance the anatomical and functional outcomes.

Identification of a rhodopsin gene mutation in a large family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetically highly heterogeneous retinal disease and one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. Next-generation sequencing technology has enormous potential for determining the genetic etiology of RP. We sought to identify the underlying genetic defect in a 35-year-old male from an autosomal-dominant RP family with 14 affected individuals. By capturing next-generation sequencing (CNGS) of 144 genes associated with retinal diseases, we identified eight novel DNA variants; however, none of them cosegregated for all the members of the family. Further analysis of the CNGS data led to identification of a recurrent missense mutation (c.403C > T, p.R135W) in the rhodopsin (RHO) gene, which cosegregated with all affected individuals in the family and was not observed in any of the unaffected family members. The p.R135W mutation has a reference single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ID (rs104893775), and it appears to be responsible for the disease in this large family. This study highlights the importance of examining NGS data with reference SNP IDs. Thus, our study is important for data analysis of NGS-based clinical genetic diagnoses.

Protective effects of SS31 on t­BHP induced oxidative damage in 661W cells.

The present study aimed to investigate the ability of SS31, a novel mitochondria­targeted peptide to protect against t­BHP­induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in 661W cell lines. The 661W cells were treated with various concentrations of SS­31 and an MTT assay was used to determine cell viability. The expression of nitrotyrosine and 8­hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8­OHdG) was detected using immunofluorescent staining. Apoptosis were assessed using Hoechst staining and an annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometer. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected using MitoSOXTM with confocal microscopy. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were analyzed using flow cytometry. In addition, the release of cytochrome c was analyzed using confocal microscopy. The viability of the cells improved following treatment with SS31 between 100 nM and 1 µM, compared with untreated control group. Compared with the t­BHP treatment group (20.0±3.8%), the number of annexin V­positive cells decreased dose­dependently to 13.6±2.6, 9.8±0.5 and 7.4±2.0% in the SS­31 treated group at concentrations of 10 nM, 100 nM and 1 µM, respectively. Treatment with SS­31 significantly prevented the t­BHP­induced expression of nitrotyrosine and 8­OHdG, decreased the quantity of mitochondrial ROS, increased mitochondrial potential, and prevented the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Therefore, the SS31 mitochondria­targeted peptide protected the 661W cells from the sustained oxidative stress induced by t­BHP.

Cauterization technique for suture erosion in transscleral fixation of intraocular lenses.

Transscleral suturing is a commonly applied technique to fix intraocular implants in the sulcus. A major problem after transscleral implantation is suture erosion that normally happens in the late post-surgery period and may result in an increased incidence of endophthalmitis. Here we describe an original cauterization method by using a glass rod to melt the exposed suture end without damaging the suture knot in the sclera to avoid suture exposure in sclera-fixed IOL implantation. This is a simple, quick and effective technique that can be performed without conjunctiva incisions and will help to reduce suture erosion related complications.

Upregulation of heparanase in high-glucose-treated endothelial cells promotes endothelial cell migration and proliferation and correlates with Akt and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation.

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to determine whether high-glucose-induced upregulation of heparanase (HPSE) expression and differential heparanase expression in human retinal vascular endothelial cells (HRECs) can alter HREC migration and proliferation. We also aimed to determine whether HREC migration and proliferation correlate with the levels of protein kinase B (Akt) and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and activation. METHODS: HRECs were treated with either 5 mM glucose (Glu5) or high (30 mM) glucose (Glu30) for 48 h. Untransfected HRECs were grown in human endothelial serum-free medium (HE-SFM) in the presence of 5 mM glucose and supplemented with 30 mM mannitol for 48 h as an osmotic control (mannitol). HRECs were also infected with a heparanase small interfering RNA recombinant lentiviral vector (HPSE-LV) or a control vector (Con-LV) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 60 for three days. Then the con-LV and HPSE-LV-infected cells were treated with 30 mM glucose for 48 h (Con-LV-Glu30 and HSPE-LV-Glu30, respectively). The expression levels of heparanase mRNA and protein and HREC proliferation and migration were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot analysis, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiahiazol-2-y1)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, bromodeoxyuridine histochemical staining, and the Boyden chamber assay. The expression level of paxillin was examined using immunofluorescent staining. Akt and ERK phosphorylation was evaluated using western blot analysis. RESULTS: We successfully transfected the HPSE RNAi lentiviral vector into HRECs and demonstrated that it can suppress the expression of the heparanase gene in these cells. Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses showed that HRECs treated with a high concentration of glucose exhibited increased heparanase protein and mRNA levels, while the levels were decreased in HRECs that had been infected with HPSE-LV before treatment with high glucose (HPSE-LV-Glu30; p<0.05). The observed increase or decrease in the levels of heparanase correlated with increased or decreased HREC migration and proliferation, respectively (p<0.05). HREC proliferation and migration were found to correlate with Akt and ERK phosphorylation levels (p<0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that heparanase plays a significant role in mediating retinal vascular endothelial cell proliferation and migration after the HRECs are exposed to high levels of glucose. Signaling inducing heparanase-stimulated HREC proliferation and migration appears to be related to the activation of Akt and ERK via their phosphorylation.

Prospective study of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide versus bevacizumab for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVT) versus intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) for the treatment of macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: Prospective, consecutive, clinical interventional study. A total of 31 consecutive patients (32 eyes) with ME associated with central retinal vein occlusion were randomized to 2 groups. Sixteen eyes were treated with intravitreal injection of 4 mg/0.1 mL preservative-free triamcinolone acetonide; 16 eyes received IVB 1.25 mg/0.05 mL. Patients were given additional injections if they had ME as determined by optical coherence tomography 3 months after the first treatment or visual acuity loss of at least 2 lines in a Snellen chart. Best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, the number of required injections, and adverse events were recorded during the 9-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Best-corrected visual acuity was significantly improved at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after injection in both the IVT and IVB groups, but no statistical difference was found between the 2 treatment groups during the 9-month follow-up period. The mean central macular thickness decreased at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after injection within each treatment group, and no statistical difference was found between the 2 treatment groups at any time during the follow-up period (P > 0.05). Patients who received IVT treatment appeared to have quicker visual recovery and improved central macular thickness at Week 2 compared with those who received IVB treatment. Five of 16 eyes in the IVT group and 12 of 16 eyes in the IVB group required a repeated injection because of recurrent ME or unresolved intraretinal or subretinal fluid. The mean number of treatment was 1.31 ± 0.48 in the IVT group, as compared with 2.38 ± 1.04 in the IVB group. Significant intraocular pressure increase was found only in the IVT group, and six patients received topical intraocular pressure lowering medication, and one patient required trabeculectomy. Premacular membranes were developed in 2 patients in the IVT group. CONCLUSION: This is a prospective interventional study evaluating the efficacy and safety outcomes of IVT and IVB treatment for ME secondary to central retinal vein occlusion. Both IVT and IVB treatments can effectively improve best-corrected visual acuity and reduce central macular thickness in patients with ME secondary to central retinal vein occlusion without systemic side effects; no statistical differences were found in either best-corrected visual acuity or mean central macular thickness measurement between the two treatment groups. Both the effect of triamcinolone acetonide and that of bevacizumab were not permanent, and less injections were performed in the IVT group. However, triamcinolone acetonide causes more adverse events than bevacizumab.