Ligneous conjunctivitis with oral mucous membrane involvement and decreased plasminogen level.

Ligneous conjunctivitis (MIM 217090) is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disorder. We report a case with both ligneous conjunctivitis and ligneous periodontitis in association with plasminogen type I deficiency. Diagnosis was based on the clinical and histological findings and most importantly, decreased serum level of plasminogen type I.

Vitiligo vs. hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (histopathological and immunohistochemical study, univariate analysis).

Vitiligo is a common skin disease characterized by the presence of well circumscribed, depigmented milky white macules devoid of identifiable melanocytes. On the other hand, hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare variant of MF which presents clinically as persistent hypopigmented macules and patches. Both disorders show a predominance of CD8+ T cells in tissue samples and hence the differentiation between the two diseases on clinical, histopathological and even immunohistochemical grounds may offer great difficulty. The aim of this work is to identity certain histopathological clues which might help to differentiate between the two diseases. The study included 54 patients (26 vitiligo patients and 28 patients with Hypopigmented MF). Skin biopsies were taken and examined by hematoxylin and eosin and CD3, CD4 and CD8 markers were performed for ten vitiligo and nine MF patients. We have found that epidermotropism, hydropic degeneration of basal cells, partial loss of pigment, preservation of some melanocytes, presence of lymphocytes within the papillary dermis, increased density of the dermal infiltrate and wiry fibrosis of the papillary dermal collagen were detected with a significantly higher incidence in hypopigmented MF rather than vitiligo (P-values < 0.0001, < 0.00011, < 0.00011, = 0.001, = 0.008 and = 0.001 respectively). On the other hand, focal thickening of the basement membrane, complete loss of pigmentation, total absence of melanocytes, as well as absence or sparsness of lymphocytes in the dermal papillae were seen much more frequently in vitiligo. Statistical analysis of these differences was significant with P-values < 0.00011, < 0.00011, < 0.00011, = 0.008 respectively, regarding these pathological criteria. We conclude that differentiation of hypopigmented MF from vitiligo is possible by relying on the histopathological clues described in this study. This is particularly useful in areas of the world where cost benefit is crucial.

Host immune cellular reactions in corneal neovascularization.

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is a global important cause of visual impairment. The immune mechanisms leading to corneal heme- and lymphangiogenesis have been extensively studied over the past years as more attempts were made to develop better prophylactic and therapeutic measures. This article aims to discuss immune cells of particular relevance to CNV, with a focus on macrophages, Th17 cells, dendritic cells and the underlying immunology of common pathologies involving neovascularization of the cornea. Hopefully, a thorough understanding of these topics would propel the efforts to halt the detrimental effects of CNV.

Contralateral assessment of sub-Bowman keratomileusis (SBK) microkeratome suction duration on laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) flap characteristics.

PURPOSE: To describe the effect of prolonging the standard suction duration during laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and its effect on flap thickness and hinge length using sub-Bowman keratomileusis (SBK) microkeratome. METHODS: Fifty-six eyes (28 patients) were included and divided into 2 groups; Group-A: eyes with flatter corneas (36 eyes, 18 patients) and mean keratometric readings ranging from 40.13 to 43.71 diopters (D). Group-B: eyes with steeper corneas (20 eyes, 10 patients) with mean keratometric readings ranging from 43.85 to 46.72 D. One-Use-Plus SBK microkeratome was used for flap creation. For right eyes, flap was created immediately once suction was built up. In left eyes, the surgeon waited for 10 s after suction was built up before flap creation. Flap hinge length and flap thickness were measured using surgical caliper and ultrasonic pachymetry, respectively. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in corneal flap hinge size between right eyes versus left eyes, with a mean of 3.98 ± 0.48 vs. 3.78 ± 0.55 mm (p < 0.001). Mean flap thickness in both eyes did not prove to be statistically significantly different with either surgical technique (90.2 ± 1.68 vs. 90.07 ± 1.44 µm, p = 0.8). Sub-group analysis of Group-A vs. Group-B revealed hinge sizes that were significantly larger in steeper corneas (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). However, flap thickness in both groups was unaffected by surgical procedure (p = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing suction duration increases flap hinge length and stabilizes the flap, especially in steeper corneas.

Molecular underpinnings of corneal angiogenesis: advances over the past decade.

The cornea is maintained in an avascular state by maintaining an environment whereby anti-angiogenic factors take the upper hand over factors promoting angiogenesis. Many of the common pathologies affecting the cornea involve the disruption of such equilibrium and the shift towards new vessel formation, leading to corneal opacity and eventually-vision loss. Therefore it is of paramount importance that the molecular underpinnings of corneal neovascularization (CNV) be clearly understood, in order to develop better targeted treatments. This article is a review of the literature on the recent discoveries regarding pro-angiogenic factors of the cornea (such as vascular endothelial growth factors, fibroblast growth factor and matrix metalloproteinases) and anti-angiogenic factors of the cornea (such as endostatins and neostatins). Further, we review the molecular underpinnings of lymphangiogenesis, a process now known to be almost separate from (yet related to) hemangiogenesis.

Molecular and clinical implementations of ovarian cancer mouse avatar models.

Innovation in oncology drug development has been hindered by lack of preclinical models that reliably predict clinical activity of novel therapies in cancer patients. Increasing desire for individualize treatment of patients with cancer has led to an increase in the use of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) engrafted into immune-compromised mice for preclinical modeling. Large numbers of tumor-specific PDX models have been established and proved to be powerful tools in pre-clinical testing. A subset of PDXs, referred to as Avatars, establish tumors in an orthotopic and treatment naïve fashion that may represent the most clinical relevant model of individual human cancers. This review will discuss ovarian cancer (OC) PDX models demonstrating the opportunities and limitations of these models in cancer drug development, and describe concepts of clinical trials design in Avatar guided therapy.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase promoter polymorphism: a molecular susceptibility marker for vitiligo in Egyptians.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a depigmentary disease characterized by loss of melanocytes from the skin and mucous membranes. The pathomechanism of vitiligo is still obscure. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) produces very large amounts of nitric oxide (NO). Promotor polymorphisms within iNOS gene have been reported to be associated with overproduction of NO, which may induce melanocyte destruction. AIM: The current study aimed at investigating the possible association between iNOS gene polymorphism (-954 G/C and Ex 16+14 C/T) and susceptibility to non-segmental vitiligo in a cohort of Egyptians. METHODS: The study was conducted on 200 participants: 100 patients with vitiligo and 100 aged matched healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction using restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP) was used to identify the genotypes. RESULTS: Our results showed that iNOS -954 G/C heteromutant genotype (GC) was associated with increased risk of vitiligo (OR = 3.35, 95% CI = 1.77-6.33), and the risk increased when confined to females (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 2.80-19.40). iNOS Ex 16 + 14 C/T heteromutant genotype (CT) conferred two folds increased risk of vitiligo (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.39-4.37). Furthermore, the risk of vitiligo increased when the heteromutant genotype of iNOS -954 G/C (GC) was co-inherited with the wild genotype of iNOS Ex16+14 C/T (CC) (OR = 23.2, 95% CI = 3.04-177.21). CONCLUSIONS: Inducible nitric oxide synthase -954 G/C and Ex 16+14 C/T might be considered as genetic susceptibility markers for non-segmental vitiligo among Egyptians.

Clinical correlates of common corneal neovascular diseases: a literature review.

A large subset of corneal pathologies involves the formation of new blood and lymph vessels (neovascularization), leading to compromised visual acuity. This article aims to review the clinical causes and presentations of corneal neovascularization (CNV) by examining the mechanisms behind common CNV-related corneal pathologies, with a particular focus on herpes simplex stromal keratitis, contact lenses-induced keratitis and CNV secondary to keratoplasty. Moreover, we reviewed CNV in the context of different types of corneal transplantation and keratoprosthesis, and summarized the most relevant treatments available so far.