Change in tear protein profile in diabetic retinopathy with duration of diabetes.

AIMS: To study change in tear protein profile with duration of diabetes and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tear protein profile was ascertained by SDS PAGE method in 30 patients with DR (group A) and 37 patients without DR (group B). RESULTS: Six distinct bands of proteins were identified; these proteins are as follows: 91kDa (P1), 66kDa (P2), 60kDa (P3), 30kDa (P4), 18.4kDa (P5) and 14.4kDa (P6). Prevalence of P3 was significant (p=0.036) in group A, especially in cases with diabetes ≤8 years compared with diabetes >8 years (p=0.0107). In group B, P2 was significantly prevalent (p<0.0013) in cases with diabetes ≤8 years compared to diabetes >8 years. Considering the changes in terms of duration of diabetes in general, patients with diabetes of ≤8 years, P3 was significantly prevalent in group A compared to group B (p=0.004); and when the duration of diabetes is >8 years, P2 was found significantly more in group A compared to group B (p=0.01). No significant difference in P3 (p=0.025), P4 (p=0.2877), P5 (p=0.4801), P6 (p=0.0985) was observed in mild to moderate NPDR group compared to severe NPDR to PDR group. P1 and P2 were present only in severe NPDR and PDR. CONCLUSION: Variable protein expression was observed with duration of diabetes and severity of diabetic retinopathy.

Thermal fluctuation based study of aqueous deficient dry eyes by non-invasive thermal imaging.

In this paper we have studied the thermal fluctuation patterns occurring at the ocular surface of the left and right eyes for aqueous deficient dry eye (ADDE) patients and control subjects by thermal imaging. We conducted our experiment on 42 patients (84 eyes) with aqueous deficient dry eyes and compared with 36 healthy volunteers (72 eyes) without any history of ocular surface disorder. Schirmer's test, Tear Break-up Time, tear Meniscus height and fluorescein staining tests were conducted. Ocular surface temperature measurement was done, using an FL-IR thermal camera and thermal fluctuation in left and right eyes was calculated and analyzed using MATLAB. The time series containing the sum of squares of the temperature fluctuation on the ocular surface were compared for aqueous deficient dry eye and control subjects. Significant statistical difference between the fluctuation patterns for control and ADDE was observed (p < 0.001 at 95% confidence interval). Thermal fluctuations in left and right eyes are significantly correlated in controls but not in ADDE subjects. The possible origin of such correlation in control and lack of correlation in the ADDE subjects is discussed in the text.

Comparison of autologous in situ blood coagulum versus sutures for conjunctival autografting after pterygium excision.

Our aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of autologous in-situ blood coagulum versus sutures for attaching conjunctival limbal autografts (CAG) among patients undergoing primary pterygium excision over a period of 1 year. Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with primary pterygium were randomly divided in into two groups: group I (16 eyes) underwent CAG with 10-0 monofilament nylon sutures and group II (16 eyes) underwent CAG with patient's own in-situ blood coagulum acting as bioadhesive or fixative followed by bandaging for 48 h. Patients were followed up postoperatively on the 2nd day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 months. All the surgeries were done by the same surgeon. Graft success, recurrence rate, operating time, patient comfort, graft retraction or any other complication were studied. The duration of surgery was significantly less (P < 0.001) in group II (mean duration 15 ± 2 min) than group I (mean duration 67 ± 2 min). Postoperative symptoms were fewer for group II than group I. Rate of recurrence was equal in both groups (one patient in each group, 6.25 %). But complications regarding graft failure and graft retraction were more common in group II (two patients, 12.5 %) than group I (one patient, 6.25 %); however, the difference was not statistically significant (Z = 0.61). Thus, autologous in-situ blood coagulum is a useful method for graft fixation in pterygium surgery with shorter operating time and less postoperative discomfort.