Morphometric Assessment of the Ciliary Body in Patients With Marfan Syndrome and Ectopia Lentis: A Quantitative Study Using Ultrasound Biomicroscopy.

PURPOSE: To explore the biometric characteristics of the ciliary body in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and ectopia lentis (EL). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Seventy-two consecutive patients with MFS and EL and 72 nondiseased control subjects were recruited. Ciliary body biometric parameters such as ciliary muscle cross-sectional area at 2000 µm from the scleral spur (CMA2000), ciliary muscle thickness at 1000 µm from the scleral spur (CMT1000), and maximum ciliary body thickness (CBTmax) were measured from multiple directions with ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). The relationship between ciliary body parameters and other ocular characteristics was also evaluated. RESULTS: Average CMA2000, CMT1000, and CBTmax were 0.692 ± 0.015 mm2, 0.405 ± 0.010 mm, and 0.855 ± 0.023 mm in eyes of patients with MFS, respectively, and were significantly smaller than these values in control subjects (all P < .001). The prevalence of ciliary body thinning was 22.2% in the MFS group vs 0 in the control group (P < .001); eyes with more severe EL had smaller CMA2000 (P = .050), thinner CMT1000 (P = .022), and shorter CBTmax (P = .015). Patients with microspherophakia (MSP) had even smaller CMA2000 (P = .033) and CMT1000 (P = .044) than those without MSP. The most common subluxation direction was in the superonasal quadrant (n = 25; 39.7%), which probably correlates with the thinnest CMT1000 in the inferotemporal quadrant (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MFS and EL had thinner ciliary muscles, shorter ciliary processes, and a higher prevalence of ciliary body thinning, especially those with MSP. Both the extent and direction of subluxation were associated with ciliary body biometry..

One-step viscoelastic agent technique for ICL V4c implantation for myopia.

AIM: To investigate the safety and efficacy of using a one-step viscoelastic agent technique for posterior chamber phakic implantable collamer lens with a central hole (ICL V4c) implantation for myopia correction. METHODS: The one-step viscoelastic agent technique for ICL V4c implantation was used in 100 eyes of 52 patients. Refractive outcomes, intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal endothelial cell, and corneal densitometry values were evaluated at 1d, 1wk, 1 and 3mo postoperatively. RESULTS: All the surgeries were uneventful. No corrected distance visual acuity was lost after 3mo. IOP was 16.12±3.18 mm Hg before surgery, and 14.74±3.08 mm Hg at 1d and 14.50±2.56 mm Hg at 3mo after surgery (P<0.05). Corneal endothelial cell density was 2580±242 cell/mm2, the coefficient of variation in cell size was 42.11%±7.92%, and the percentage of hexagonal cells was 40.98%±9.46% before surgery. No significant difference was found when these outcomes were compared between the studied time points (P>0.05). The corneal densitometry values of the central 2 mm and 2 to 6 mm areas showed similar regularities. After surgery, the values significantly increased at 1d, then decreased to the preoperative values at 1wk, and then continued to decrease at 3mo (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The one-step viscoelastic agent technique for ICL V4c implantation is found to be safe and effective for myopia correction and causes little disturbance to the cornea.

[The effects of protein-free calf blood extract for recovery of corneal nerve after LASEK and LASIK].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of protein-free calf blood extract for recovery of corneal nerve after LASEK and LSEIK. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, control and double-blind study was carried out from January through February 2009 at Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University. Forty-nine eyes of 25 patients who underwent LASEK were randomly divided into two groups. One group with 16 patients (32 eyes) was treated by protein-free calf blood extract eye gel which was defined as drug treated group and the other group with 9 patients (17 eyes) was not treated by protein-free calf blood extract eye gel which was defined as no drug treated group. Forty-four eyes of 23 patients who underwent LASIK were also randomly divided into two groups. One group with 13 patients (24 eyes) was treated by protein-free calf blood extract eye gel which was defined as drug treated group and the other group with 10 patients (20 eyes) was not treated by protein-free calf blood extract eye gel which was defined as no drug treated group. Protein-free calf blood extract eye gel was delivered in both drug treated groups 3 times per day for three months after surgery. Laser scanning confocal microscopic examinations were performed on 48 eyes in vivo. Central corneal sensitivity and tear break-up time (BUT) were tested on 93 eyes preoperatively and 1, 3, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. The obtained dates in the study were analyzed using independent samples t-test, paired t-test and Mann-Whitney Test. RESULTS: The morphology observed by confocal microscope of sub-basal nerve fibers was not different between drug treated group and no drug treated group until the last follow up after LASIK or LASEK (Z = 0.0000, P = 1.00) and (Z = 0.0000, P = 1.00). Nerve fibers with interconnections were observed in drug treated group at 3 months after LASEK. The morphology of sub-basal nerve fibers had not recovered completely until 1 year after surgery. The central corneal sensitivity was better in drug treated group than in no drug treated group at 1 month after LASEK [(4.95 ± 0.84) µm, (3.62 ± 1.38) µm; t = 4.23, P < 0.01] and at 1 and 3 months after LASIK [(3.29 ± 1.40)µm, (2.35 ± 1.51) µm; t = 2.10, P < 0.05], [(4.31 ± 1.61) µm, (3.18 ± 1.62) µm; t = 2.31, P < 0.05]. At 6 months postoperatively, the central corneal sensitivity of both drug treated group and no drug treated group which underwent LASEK was not significantly different from pre-operation [(5.81 ± 0.35) µm; t = -1.26, P > 0.05], [(5.79 ± 0.36) µm; t = -0.70, P > 0.05]. At 6 months postoperatively, the central corneal sensitivity of drug treated group which underwent LASIK was not significantly different from pre-operation [(5.25 ± 0.91) µm; t = -1.87, P > 0.05]. No significant difference was seen in BUT between drug treated group and no drug treated group after LASEK or LASIK until 1 year after surgery [(8.13 ± 2.18) µm, (8.76 ± 1.64) µm; t = -0.90, P > 0.05], [(7.71 ± 2.14) µm, (7.45 ± 2.37) µm; t = 0.30, P > 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Protein-free calf blood extract could significantly promote the recovery of corneal nerve in the early period after LASEK and LASIK.

A ribosome-free extract from cultured cells improves recovery of polysomes from the mosquito fat body: analysis of vitellogenin and ribosomal protein rpL34 gene expression.

We have examined the association of ribosomal protein rpL34 mRNA with polysomes in Aedes albopictus C7-10 cells in culture using a simple, two-step sucrose gradient. In growing cells, 40-50% of the ribosomes were engaged on polysomes. This proportion could be increased to 80% when metabolism was stimulated by refeeding the cells with fresh medium. Conversely, ribosomes shifted off polysomes when cells were starved with phosphate-buffered saline or cell lysates were treated with puromycin. When similar approaches were used with fat body from blood-fed female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, we were unable to obtain the polysome fraction that contained vitellogenin mRNA, which is abundantly translated after a blood meal. Addition of post-mitochondrial supernatant from fat body to polysomes from cultured cells shifted the polysome profile towards smaller polysomes and monosomes, in a dose-dependent fashion. Disruption of fat body tissue in a post-ribosomal supernatant from refed cells improved the recovery of polysomes, demonstrating both the engagement of vitellogenin mRNA on polysomes and the mobilization of rpL34 from messenger-ribonuceloprotein particles onto polysomes in blood-fed mosquitoes. These observations suggested that ribonucleases remain active when polysomes are prepared from mosquito fat body, and that cell culture supernatant contains a ribonuclease inhibitor.