Corneal ulcers with non-infectious appearance caused by nasolacrimal duct obstruction or canaliculitis.

Purpose: To describe the clinical features of corneal ulcers with non-infectious appearance due to nasolacrimal disease in a retrospective case series.

Observations: Eight eyes of 8 patients (aged 74.4 ± 11.

Choroidal melanoma with massive extraocular extensions through sclera.

We report a case of choroidal melanoma with massive extraocular extensions through the sclera. A 64-year-old woman reported blurred vision in her right eye. At the first visit, visual acuity was 10/20 OD.

Neuroprotective effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on ischemia-reperfusion injury of the retina.

Purpose: It has been reported that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) provides neuroprotection in models in which neuronal cell death is induced. This research was designed to investigate the effects of G-CSF on neurodegeneration of the inner retinal layer in a rat model of ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Materials And Methods: Retinal ischemia was induced by increasing the intraocular pressure to 110 mm Hg for 45 min in the left eyes of the rats.

Dampening of diurnal intraocular pressure fluctuation by combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy in eyes with open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: Large diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation ([INCREMENT]IOP) is believed to be one of the causes of progression in glaucomatous changes. Some fully medicated glaucoma patients whose IOPs are controlled during the regular office hours (10:00 to 16:00 h) still have progression in glaucomatous changes and IOP elevation during off-office hours. The purpose of this study was to determine whether [INCREMENT]IOP is dampened after combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy (LOT+SIN) in glaucoma patients with low IOPs during the regular office hours.

Combination of intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation and subcutaneous donor splenocyte injection diminishes risk of graft-versus-host disease and enhances survival rate.

The combination of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) is a useful method for establishing donor chimerism and preventing a relapse of leukemia/lymphoma. However, there is a risk of inducing uncontrollable fatal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In fact, allo-BMT plus intravenous (IV)-DLI using donor splenocytes induces fatal GVHD in recipient mice.

Adult bone marrow cells can differentiate into hemopoietic cells and endothelial cells but not into other lineage cells in normal growth and normal life.

There have been reports that bone marrow cells (BMCs) can differentiate into various cells and tissues and that BMCs improve the function of the injured organs or reduce the organ damage, thereby rescuing the individuals from death. However, these reports also noted that injuries were induced in the organs. Therefore, it is not clear whether BMCs can differentiate into parenchymal cells in organs in normal life or whether BMCs can supply organ-specific stem cells.

Abnormal distribution of dendritic cells in (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice.

(NZW x BXSB)F1 mice (W/BF1 mice) have been reported to develop autoimmune diseases with aging. We have also reported that the number of dendritic cells (DCs) increases in the various organs, and that the B-cell response to LPS or interleukin-4 plus anti-mu increase with aging in W/BF1 mice. In the present experiment, we show that many DCs exist not only in the T-cell area but also in the B-cell area and the sinus in the spleen of aged W/BF1 mice, and that the coculturing of DCs from aged W/BF1 mice and B cells from disease-free young W/BF1 mice produces much more IgG and IgM than normal mice.

Caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk facilitates engraftment of donor hematopoietic stem cells in intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation.

When bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is carried out, survival of the donor hematopoietic stem cells is crucial to maintain donor hematopoiesis in the recipients. We have shown that intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation (IBM-BMT) can induce the rapid recovery of donor hematopoiesis and allow a reduction in radiation doses as a pretreatment for BMT. If IBM-BMT methodology can be further improved, BMT could be carried out more safely and more easily.

Anti-tumor effects of fusion cells of type 1 dendritic cells and Meth A tumor cells using hemagglutinating virus of Japan-envelope.

It has been reported that the fusion cells of dendritic cells (DCs) and tumor cells have anti-tumor effects. In this experiment, we examined the anti-tumor effects of fusion cells of bone marrow-derived DC type 1 (DC1) and irradiated tumor cells using a newly commercially available hemagglutinating virus of Japan-envelope (HVJ-E) after cell fusion, in a mouse model. To induce DC1, bone marrow cells (BMCs) from BALB/c mice were cultured with GM-CSF, IL-12 and IFN-gamma.

Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and pigment epithelium-derived factor in eyes before and after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Purpose: Bevacizumab is a human monoclonal IgG1 antibody that blocks the action of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The purpose of this study was to determine the level of VEGF and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) before and after an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Methods: Eleven eyes of ten patients were studied.

Posterior sub-Tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide as pretreatment for focal laser photocoagulation in diabetic macular edema patients.

Purpose: To determine whether a posterior sub-Tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) before focal photocoagulation is safe and effective in patients with diabetic macular edema.

Methods: Sixteen eyes of 11 diabetic patients with unresolved diffuse macular edema were treated with a 20-mg sub-Tenon injection of TA 1 to 2 months before focal photocoagulation. Focal photocoagulation was applied only to microaneurysms, and grid laser photocoagulation was not performed.

Relationship between pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and renal function in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy are microvascular complications in patients with diabetes that are considered to be related. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a strong inhibitor of angiogenesis, is significantly elevated in the blood of diabetic patients, especially those with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The level of PEDF in the blood, on the other hand, is reported to be low in a diabetic nephropathy.

Intraocular pressure elevation after injection of triamcinolone acetonide: a multicenter retrospective case-control study.

Purpose: To determine the risk factors for intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after the injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA).

Design: Retrospective interventional case-control study.

Setting: Multicenter.

[Case with metastasis of a squamous esophageal cancer of the iris with resemblance to hypopyon].

Background: Metastasis of a malignant tumor to the iris is rare. We treated a patient with such a metastasis from esophageal cancer.

Case: A 58-year-old man who had had an operation for squamous esophageal cancer complained of conjunctival injection affecting the left eye.

Plasma concentration of pigment epithelium-derived factor in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Context: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a strong inhibitor of angiogenesis. Eyes with diabetic retinopathy have low levels of ocular PEDF; however, the PEDF levels in the blood of diabetics have still not been determined.

Objectives: Our objective was to determine the plasma levels of PEDF in diabetic patients and to determine the relationship with the stage of the diabetic retinopathy.