Diagnostic Function of 3D Optical Coherence Tomography Images in Diagnosis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease at Acute Uveitis Stage.

BACKGROUND This study analyzed the macular 3D-OCT images of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) in uveitis, explored the characteristics of 3D-OCT images of the macular region of VKH, and assessed which characteristics contribute most to VKH diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The 3D-OCT examination of 25 cases of VKH was performed on the macular area, and the image characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS Our study included a total of 50 eyes from 25 cases of VKH patients, 10 males and 15 females, aged 17 to 64 years, mean (39.44±11.60) years old. According to OCT B-scan images, 49 (98%) eyes had ERD, 49 (98%) eyes had nerve retinal edema, 36 (72%) eyes had endometrium-like structure (including cysts), 5 (10%) eyes had RPE folds, 35 (70%) eyes had changes in the internal septum, 49 (98%) eyes had RPE monolayer structure outside the ERD region. In ILM-RPE thickness, 49 (98%) eyes had retinal irregular thickening and 31 (62%) eyes had radial stripe changes. In ILM contour figure, 50 eyes (100%) showed exceptional uplift, 5 (10%) eyes had small focal uplift for PED on the RPE surface, and 48 (96%) eyes had wavy ups and downs. CONCLUSIONS In OCT B-scan imaging, the ERT, retinal edema of the retina, and the RPE monolayer structure outside the range are most likely to occur in VKH. The ILM-RPE thickness chart in 3D reconstruction showed irregular thickening of the retina. The ILM contour graph showed abnormal uplift, and RPE surface wavy ups and downs in VKH most likely to occur.

Diagnostic value of 3D Optical Coherence Tomography Multimode Images in the Diagnosis of Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) provides non-invasive, high-speed, high-resolution, three-dimensional cross-section imaging of the macula. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of the multimodal imaging technique of three-dimension (3D) optical coherence tomography (OCT) (3D-OCT) for the diagnosis and characterization of acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: In this prospective clinical study 3D-OCT examinations of 82 cases with acute CSC were performed on the macular area, and the image characteristics were analyzed. Our study included a total of 87 eyes from 82 cases of CSC patients, 67 males and 15 females (mean age ± standard deviation (SD): 42.89 ±7.80 years old; age range: 27 to 56 years old. The 3D-OCT images were evaluated for the presence of subretinal fluid, subretinal space, fluctuation of the internal limiting membrane (ILM), folds of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE), retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED), and flat irregular PED. The foveal thickness was measured using the manual caliper of OCT software. RESULTS: The OCT B-scan images showed 87 (100%) eyes had exudative retinal detachment (ERD), 38 (44%) had flat irregular PED, 36 (41%) had PED, 8 (9%) had subretinal turbidity structure, 2 (2%) had subretinal dot-like precipitates, 1 (1%) had focal choroidal excavation (FCE), and 1 (1%) eye had fluctuation of internal limiting membrane (FI). In the ILM-RPE thickness map, all eyes had a round or round like regular uniform domes. Fifty-seven (66%) domes were limited in the examination area and 30 (44%) domes were beyond the scope of this examination and only a partial section of the dome could be observed. In the en-face image, all eyes had a round or round-like black figure that corresponded with domes in the ILM-RPE thickness map. In RPE surface, 76 (87%) eyes had a shallow plate depression, 71(82%) had small focal uplift, and 1 (1%) eye had a focal concave feature. CONCLUSIONS: In the OCT ILM-RPE thickness, en-face image, and RPE surface maps, acute CSC exhibited specific imaging characteristics that can be helpful for reliable diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CSC.

Increased expression and activation of IL-12-induced Stat4 signaling in the mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic inflammatory diseases with unsolved pathogenesis. Imbalanced Th1/Th2 may play a role in the sustained inflammation of IBD. In China, CD is rare but the incidence of UC has been rising steadily in the last two decades. We investigated the expression of IL-12 (p40) and IFN-gamma, and the activational state of Stat4 signaling in mucosal tissues at the site of disease from 30 active UC patients in comparison with 30 healthy controls. RT-PCR analyses revealed increased mRNA expression of IL-12 (p40) but not IFN-gamma in UC patients. Western blot analyses discovered, for the first time, increased levels of constitutive Stat4 in the cytoplasm and phosphorylated Stat4 in the nucleus of mucosal cells from UC patients. We conclude that a heightened, perhaps persistent, activational state of IL-12/Stat4, and/or IL-23/Stat4 signaling may be present in active Chinese UC patients, and possibly involved in chronic inflammation in UC.

Increased CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells alter the balance between Treg and Th17 cells in colitis mice.

AIM: To investigate the role of regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in the balance between Treg and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in various tissues from mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. METHODS: Treg cells, Treg cell subsets, Th17 cells, and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+IL-17+ cells from the lamina propria of colon (LPC) and other ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse tissues were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), and RORC mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR, while interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-17A levels were detected with a Cytometric Beads Array. RESULTS: In peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC), mesenteric lymph node (MLN), lamina propria of jejunum (LPJ) and LPC from UC mice, Treg cell numbers were increased (P < 0.05), and FoxP3 and IL-10 mRNA levels were decreased. Th17 cell numbers were also increased in PBMC and LPC, as were IL-17A levels in PBMC, LPJ, and serum. The number of FrI subset cells (CD4+CD45RA+FoxP3low) was increased in the spleen, MLN, LPJ, and LPC. FrII subset cells (CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3high) were decreased among PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC, but the number of FrIII cells (CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low) and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+IL-17A+ cells was increased. FoxP3 mRNA levels in CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells decreased in PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC in UC mice, while IL-17A and RORC mRNA increased. In UC mice the distribution of Treg, Th17 cells, CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3high, and CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells was higher in LPC relative to other tissues. CONCLUSION: Increased numbers of CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells may cause an imbalance between Treg and Th17 cells that is mainly localized to the LPC rather than secondary lymphoid tissues.