Peripapillary optical coherence tomography as an alternative to fluorescein angiography for monitoring Behcet's retinal vasculitis.

To study the correlation of OCT parameters including central subfield macular thickness (CSMT), peripapillary retinal thickness (PRT), and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (PNFLT) with fluorescein angiography (FA) in evaluation of inflammatory activity in Behcet's retinal vasculitis. In this case-series, concurrent FA and OCT were performed. A scoring system was devised for FA. PNFLT in 3.4-mm-diameter circle as well as PRT in doughnut shaped regions between the 1-mm- and 2.2-mm-diameter and between the 2.2-mm- and 3.45-mm-diameter circles was measured. The correlation of FA and OCT parameters was analyzed. A total of 105 sets of FA from 28 eyes (15 patients) were reviewed. Four (26.6%) were female and mean age was 31.6 ± 8.49 years. Each micron increase in CSMT, PRT2.2, PRT3.45, and PNFLT, caused a rise of 0.018 (95% CI 0.008-0.027, P < 0.001, r = 0.413), 0.053 (95% CI 0.035-0.070, P < 0.001, r = 0.443), 0.086 (95% CI 0.065-0.108, P < 0.001, r = 0.707), and 0.185 (95% CI 0.152-to 0.218, P < 0.001, r = 0.850) unit in FA score, respectively. Parameters having significant correlation with angiographic inflammatory activity, were CSMT, PRT2.2, PRT3.45 and RNFLT. Those with the strongest correlation, PRT3.45 and PNFLT, may be considered as quantitative non-invasive alternatives to FA for monitoring Behcet's retinal vasculitis.

CD209 promoter -336 A/G (rs4804803) polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in Zahedan, southeast Iran.

INTRODUCTION: The association between -336 A/G polymorphism of CD209 and susceptibility to/protection from tuberculosis is inconsistent. AIM: The present study aimed at evaluating the possible association between CD209 rs4804803 (-336 A/G) gene polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample of Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 156 PTB patients and 154 healthy individuals. Tetra-amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the polymorphisms. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the CD209 rs4804803 increased the risk of PTB in codominant [odds ratio (OR) = 5.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.60-16.59, p = 0.006, GG vs. AA], dominant (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.07-2.66, p = 0.024, AG + GG vs. AA), and recessive (OR = 4.20, 95% CI = 1.34-13.16, p = 0.014, GG vs. AA + AG) tested inheritance models. Furthermore, the rs4804803 G allele increased the risk of PTB (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.12-2.23, p = 0.011) as compared to the A allele. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that CD209 rs4804803 polymorphism increased the risk of PTB in a sample of Iranian population.