Efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma for acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: a prospective cohort study.

Background: As the most common acute optic neuropathy in older patients, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) presents with varying degrees of visual acuity loss and visual field defect. However, there is no generally accepted treatment for NAION. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for patients with acute NAION within 2 months. Design: A prospective, nonrandomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients were enrolled. Of them, 13 received anisodine hydrobromide and butylphthalide-sodium chloride injection continuously for 10 days as basic treatment in the control group, and 12 received two tenon capsule injections of PRP on a 10 days interval as an additional treatment in the PRP group. We compared the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and capillary perfusion density (CPD) of radial peripapillary capillaries and the moth-eaten eara of the peripapillary superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus at 1 day (D1) before the first PRP treatment and 7 days (D7), 14 days (D14), and 30 days (D30) after the first PRP injection. Ocular and systemic adverse effects were assessed. Results: In the PRP group, a better BCVA occurred at D30 (adjusted p = 0.005, compared with D1, recovered from 0.67 ± 0.59 to 0.43 ± 0.59), and a significant improvement in CPD was observed at D30 (adjusted p < 0.001, p = 0.027, p = 0.027, compared with D1, D7, D14, in sequence, the value was 35.97 ± 4.65, 38.73 ± 4.61, 39.05 ± 5.26, 42.71 ± 4.72, respectively). CPD at D7 in the PRP group was better than that in the control group (p = 0.043). However, neither BCVA nor the moth-eaten area index were significantly different (all p > 0.5) between the two groups. The main adverse effect was local discomfort resolved within 1 week, and no other systemic adverse events occurred. Conclusion: Tenon capsule injection of PRP was a safe treatment for AION and could improve capillary perfusion of the optic nerve head and might be helpful in increasing short-term vision in patients with acute NAION.

Detection of Novel BEST1 Variations in Autosomal Recessive Bestrophinopathy Using Third-generation Sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB), a retinal degenerative disease, is characterized by central visual loss, yellowish multifocal diffuse subretinal deposits, and a dramatic decrease in the light peak on electrooculogram. The potential pathogenic mechanism involves mutations in the BEST1 gene, which encodes Ca2+-activated Cl- channels in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), resulting in degeneration of RPE and photoreceptor. In this study, the complete clinical characteristics of two Chinese ARB families were summarized. METHODS: Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing was performed on the probands to screen for disease-causing gene mutations, and Sanger sequencing was applied to validate variants in the patients and their family members. RESULTS: Two novel mutations, c.202T>C (chr11:61722628, p.Y68H) and c.867+97G>A, in the BEST1 gene were identified in the two Chinese ARB families. The novel missense mutation BEST1 c.202T>C (p.Y68H) resulted in the substitution of tyrosine with histidine in the N-terminal region of transmembrane domain 2 of bestrophin-1. Another novel variant, BEST1 c.867+97G>A (chr11:61725867), located in intron 7, might be considered a regulatory variant that changes allele-specific binding affinity based on motifs of important transcriptional regulators. CONCLUSION: Our findings represent the first use of third-generation sequencing (TGS) to identify novel BEST1 mutations in patients with ARB, indicating that TGS can be a more accurate and efficient tool for identifying mutations in specific genes. The novel variants identified further broaden the mutation spectrum of BEST1 in the Chinese population.

ELL associated factor 2 is a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator: evidence from the in silico and in vitro experiments.

Due to the lack of sensitive biomarkers, cancer disease kill 9.6 million individuals each year around the globe. The present study aimed to explore the association between ELL Associated Factor 2 (EAF2) expression and its diagnostic and prognostic landscape across different human cancers using an in silico and in vitro approach. To achieve the defined goals of this study, we used the following online sources: UALCAN, KM plotter, TNMplot, cBioPortal, STRING, DAVID, MuTarget, Cytoscape, and CTD. In addition to this, we also used additional The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets via TIMER2, GENT2, and GEPIA to confirm the expression of EAF2 on additional cohorts. Finally, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and targeted bisulfite sequencing (bisulfite-seq) techniques-based analysis using A549, ABC-1, EBC-1, LK-2 lung cancer cell lines, and MRC-9 normal control lung cell line for further validation of the results. On balance, EAF2 was elevated in 19 types of human cancers and its up-regulation was significantly correlated with shorter overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and metastasis in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (LIHC) and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC) patients. We further evaluated that EAF2 expression was also elevated across LIHC and LUSC patients belonging to different clinicopathological features. Through pathway analysis, EAF2 associations were observed with four important pathways. Moreover, some worth noticing correlations were also documented between EAF2 expression and its promoter methylation level, genetic alterations, other mutant genes, tumor purity, and different immune cells infiltration. The higher EAF2 expression contributes significantly to the tumorigenesis and metastasis of LIHC and LUSC. Therefore, it can be used as a common biomarker in these cancers.

Acute Retinal Necrosis Associated with Pseudorabies Virus Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review.

PURPOSE: To analyze a case of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) associated with pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection and discusses the clinical characteristics of PRV-induced ARN (PRV-ARN). METHODS: Case report and literature review of ocular features in PRV-ARN. RESULTS: A 52-year-old female diagnosed with encephalitis presented with bilateral vision loss, mild anterior uveitis, vitreous opacity, occlusive retinal vasculitis, and retinal detachment in her left eye. The result of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) indicated that both cerebrospinal fluids and vitreous fluid tested positive for PRV. CONCLUSION: PRV, a zoonosis, can infect both humans and mammals. Patients affected with PRV may experience severe encephalitis and oculopathy, and the infection has been associated with high mortality and disability. ARN is the most common ocular disease, which develops rapidly following encephalitis and is characterized by five figures: bilateral onset, rapid progression, severe visual impairment, poor response to systemic antiviral drugs, and an unfavorable prognosis.

A Comparative Study of Vitrectomy Combined with Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for the Treatment of Idiopathic Macular Hole with Air or C3F8 Intraocular Tamponade.

PURPOSE: The treatment of idiopathic macular holes has been basically modeled, and vitreoretinal surgery is recognized as an effective treatment. However, the postoperative tamponade of gas will still make the patient uncomfortable and may have related complications. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether air as an intraocular tamponade is equivalent to gas and what advantages may exist. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in one hundred and ninety-eight patients from 2013 to 2017; 112 received gas tamponade and 86 received air tamponade. After receiving retinal surgery, the outcomes of best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination, fundus examination, and imaging of the macula by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were analyzed. RESULTS: Before operation, there was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, macular hole diameter, or visual acuity between groups. The median follow-up period for the C3F8 group was 26 months, and the median follow-up for the air group was 25 months. After the operation, the best corrected visual acuity and macular hole closure rate were not significantly different between the two groups. The face-down time after the operation, the incidence of lens opacity on the third postoperative day, the intraocular pressure on the third postoperative day, and the operation time were significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In idiopathic macular hole surgery, the effect of air as an intraocular tamponade material can be similar to that of C3F8 but has fewer complications. In particular, it is a better choice for patients for whom the face-down position is not suitable.