Authors' Reply to Letter to the Editor- in Response to: Comment on Dheyab AM et al. "Long-Term Efficacy of Oral Valganciclovir in Presumed Cytomegalovirus Unilateral Hypertensive Anterior Uveitis".

The clinical diagnosis of presumed cytomegalovirus hypertensive anterior uveitis was based on the following criteria: 1) Recurrent episodes of unilateral hypertensive anterior uveitis characterized by acute elevation of intraocular pressure, a few medium-sized or mutton-fat keratic precipitates and mild anterior chamber reaction. These findings might be associated with corneal endotheliitis and iris atrophy. 2) Posterior synechiae and vitreous involvement are typically absent.

Long-term Efficacy of Oral Valganciclovir in Presumed Cytomegalovirus Unilateral Hypertensive Anterior Uveitis.

Purpose: To describe long-term efficacy and safety of oral valganciclovir in the treatment of presumed cytomegalovirus (CMV) unilateral hypertensive anterior uveitis.

Methods: Retrospective review of 40 patients (40 eyes).

Results: All patients presented with high intraocular pressure (mean 39.

Pretreatment ocular blood flow and retinal oxygen metabolism in the acute uveitic phase is associated with final outcome in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Purpose: To investigate the association between pretreatment blood flow velocity in the choroid and optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal oxygen metabolism in the acute uveitic phase and the development of 'sunset glow fundus' in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 41 patients (82 eyes). Laser speckle flowgraphy and retinal oximetry measurements were performed at the presentation.

Optic Nerve Head Infiltration in Presumed Tuberculous Uveitis.

To report the clinical and multimodal imaging findings of presumed tuberculous optic nerve head (ONH) infiltration in 3 patients at a tertiary eye care center. In addition to unilateral presumed tuberculous ONH infiltration, all patients had clinical findings suggestive of tuberculous choroidal involvement which was confirmed by Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). All patients were treated successfully with a combination of antituberculous regimen and systemic corticosteroids.

Prognostic value of pretreatment indocyanine green angiography in the acute uveitic phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic value of pretreatment indocyanine green angiographic (ICGA) features in initial-onset acute uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 84 patients (168 eyes). Main outcome measures were final visual acuity, development of 'sunset glow fundus' (SGF) and progression to chronic recurrent evolution.

Comparisons of choroidal blood flow velocity between initial-onset acute uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and acute central serous chorioretinopathy.

Objectives: Acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease in the acute uveitic phase are characterized by serous retinal detachment caused by dysfunction of the choroid. The aim of this study is to compare blood flow velocity and pulse waveform parameters in the choroid between these two diseases.

Methods: In this study, 25 patients (50 eyes) with VKH disease, 21 patients (27 eyes) with CSC and 15 healthy controls (30 eyes) were studied.

CD40 Ligand-CD40 Interaction Is an Intermediary between Inflammation and Angiogenesis in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

We aimed to investigate the role of the CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) pathway in inflammation-mediated angiogenesis in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We analyzed vitreous fluids and epiretinal fibrovascular membranes from PDR and nondiabetic patients, cultures of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) and Müller glial cells and rat retinas with ELISA, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Functional tests included measurement of blood-retinal barrier breakdown, in vitro angiogenesis and assessment of monocyte-HRMEC adherence.

Macrophage-Myofibroblast Transition Contributes to Myofibroblast Formation in Proliferative Vitreoretinal Disorders.

Inflammation and fibrosis are key features of proliferative vitreoretinal disorders. We aimed to define the macrophage phenotype and investigate the role of macrophage-myofibroblast transition (MMT) in the contribution to myofibroblast populations present in epiretinal membranes. Vitreous samples from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and nondiabetic control patients, epiretinal fibrovascular membranes from PDR patients and fibrocellular membranes from PVR patients, human retinal Müller glial cells and human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were studied by ELISA, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry analysis.

Matrix metalloproteinases in arthritis: towards precision medicine.

Proteolysis of structural molecules of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an irreversible post-translational modification in all arthropathies. Common joint disorders, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, have been associated with increased levels of matrix remodelling enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). MMPs, in concert with other host proteinases and glycanases, destroy proteoglycans, collagens and other ECM molecules.

Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion Following Cocaine Inhalation: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Cocaine abuse has been reported to cause devastating systemic and ocular side effects. Retinal vascular occlusion following cocaine abuse has been scarcely reported in the literature. Herein, we are describing a rare case of branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) following intranasal cocaine use in a young female.

A novel mechanism of macular holes in patients with Behçet's uveitis.

To describe two cases of Behçet's retinitis lesions in the macula causing sloughing of retinal tissue forming a full-thickness macular hole. This was a case series study. Case 1 was a 26-year-old presented, known case of Behçet's disease, presented with a large area of retinitis involving the center of the macula with overlying vitritis.

Clinical Findings Predicting Posttraumatic Endophthalmitis after Repair of Open Globe Injuries.

Background: To evaluate risk factors for developing endophthalmitis after repair of open globe injuries.

Methods: Retrospective chart analysis of 1303 patients from May 1996 till December 2019.

Results: All patients received prophylactic intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics for 5-7 days.

How to place the duality of specific MMP-9 inhibition for treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases into clinical opportunities?

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) with the involvement of immune cells and molecules, including cytokines, chemokines and proteases. A previous extensive review about the molecular biology of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (TIMPs), related to intestinal barrier destruction and restoration functions in IBD, is here complemented with the literature from the last five years. We also compare IBD as a prototypic mucosal inflammation of an epithelial barrier against microorganisms with inflammatory retinopathy as a disease with a barrier dysfunction at the level of blood vessels.

Differential Expression and Localization of ADAMTS Proteinases in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

We analyzed the expression of ADAMTS proteinases ADAMTS-1, -2, -4, -5 and -13; their activating enzyme MMP-15; and the degradation products of proteoglycan substrates versican and biglycan in an ocular microenvironment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. Vitreous samples from PDR and nondiabetic patients, epiretinal fibrovascular membranes from PDR patients, rat retinas, retinal Müller glial cells and human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were studied. The levels of ADAMTS proteinases and MMP-15 were increased in the vitreous from PDR patients.

Therapeutic window of opportunity in the acute uveitic phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: Prevention of late autoimmune complications by early intervention.

Purpose: To determine relationship between timing of treatment initiation and disease outcomes and whether a therapeutic window of opportunity exists in initial-onset acute uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 112 patients (224 eyes). Main outcome measures were final visual acuity, progression to chronic recurrent evolution, development of complications, particularly 'sunset glow fundus', and drug-free remission cure of uveitis.

Outcomes of initial-onset acute uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease occurred during pregnancy.

Purpose: To investigate the outcomes of initial-onset acute uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease that occurred during pregnancy.

Methods: This is a retrospective case series.

Results: During the period between January 2001 and December 2021, we identified 112 patients with initial-onset acute uveitis associated with VKH disease, 67 (59.

Occlusive Retinal Vasculitis in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Purpose: To investigate the frequency, clinical findings and outcomes of occlusive retinal vasculitis in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: A retrospective case series.

Results: During the period between January 2000 and December 2021, we identified 24 patients who were diagnosed to have uveitis associated with MS.

Acute uveitic phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: optic nerve head swelling, ocular blood flow and retinal oxygen metabolism.

Objectives: To investigate the association of optic nerve head (ONH) swelling in the acute uveitic phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease with blood flow velocity in the choroid and ONH and oxygen saturation and diameter of retinal vessels.

Methods: In this prospective study, 25 patients (50 eyes) were studied. Thirteen patients (26 eyes) had ONH swelling and 12 patients (24 eyes) had no ONH swelling.

Proprotein convertase furin is a driver and potential therapeutic target in proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Furin converts inactive proproteins into bioactive forms. By activating proinflammatory and proangiogenic factors, furin might play a role in pathophysiology of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods: We studied vitreous samples from PDR and nondiabetic patients, epiretinal membranes from PDR patients, retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), retinal Müller cells and rat retinas by ELISA, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy.

Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 Ameliorates Diabetes-Induced Retinal Inflammation.

Endogenous tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) has powerful regulatory effects on inflammation and angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of TIMP-3 in regulating inflammation in the diabetic retina. Vitreous samples from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and non-diabetic patients were subjected to Western blot analysis.

Thymoquinone Attenuates Retinal Expression of Mediators and Markers of Neurodegeneration in a Diabetic Animal Model.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a slow eye disease that affects the retina due to a long-standing uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress can lead to neuronal damage leading to DR.

Objective: The aim of the current investigation is to assess the protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) as a potential compound for the treatment and/or prevention of neurovascular complications of diabetes, including DR.