Efficacy of adjuvant mitomycin-C and triamcinolone-impregnated nasal packing for endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

Aim: To compare the success rate and complications of adjuvant use of mitomycin C and triamcinolone-impregnated biodegradable nasal packing (TABP) in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). And to evaluate the efficacy of combining intraoperative mitomycin C and TABP for endoscopic DCR.

Methods: A total of 198 eyes of 148 patients who underwent endoscopic DCR for acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction were retrospectively analysed.

A mass spectrometry assay for detection of endogenous and lentiviral engineered hemoglobin in cultured cells and sickle cell disease mice.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) results from a sequence defect in the β-globin chain of adult hemoglobin (HbA) leading to expression of sickle hemoglobin (HbS). It is traditionally diagnosed by cellulose-acetate hemoglobin electrophoresis or high-performance liquid chromatography. While clinically useful, these methods have both sensitivity and specificity limitations.

Threading the Needle: A Case of Periorbital Gold Threading.

While a rare periorbital finding, the aesthetic practice of gold threading is increasingly identified in Western care setting and may be misidentified as the practice of inserting charm needles (susuk). The authors present a unique case of gold threading discovered incidentally during workup of chronic sinusitis and report a rarely seen delayed local site reaction. The practice of gold threading and mimickers including the practice of inserting charm needles (susuk) are reviewed with emphasis on clinical and radiographic differentiation by oculoplastic surgeons.

Orbital resection by intranasal technique (ORBIT): A new classification system for reporting endoscopically resectable primary benign orbital tumors.

Background: The Cavernous Hemangioma Exclusively Endonasal Resection (CHEER) staging system has become the gold standard for outcomes reporting in endoscopic orbital surgery for orbital cavernous hemangiomas (OCHs). A recent systematic review demonstrated similar outcomes between OCHs and other primary benign orbital tumors (PBOTs). Therefore, we hypothesized that a simplified and more comprehensive classification system could be developed to predict surgical outcomes of other PBOTs.

Orbital Fractures.

Orbital fractures are common in facial trauma and can be a challenge to treat. Understanding anatomy of the orbit, the clinical evaluation, indications for surgery, surgical approaches, complications, and postoperative are essential in providing appropriate treatment for patients who have sustained orbital fractures. In this article, the authors review the diagnostic evaluation, acute management, treatment options, and common complications of orbital fractures, as well as recent advancements in orbital fracture repairs.

Factors Associated with Ocular Injury in Orbital Fracture Patients: Who Requires Urgent Ophthalmic Evaluation?

Create validated criteria to identify orbital fracture patients at higher risk for significant ocular injuries. Determine history and physical examination findings in orbital fracture patients who are associated with ocular injury and warrant urgent assessment by an ophthalmologist. Retrospective chart review of 535 adult orbital fracture patients evaluated at a Level I emergency department between 2014 and 2017, without prior history of orbital fracture, ocular injury, or ocular/orbital surgery.

Diseases of the Eyelids and Orbit.

The eyelids and orbit encompass intricate bony and soft tissue structures that work harmoniously in concert to protect, support, and nourish the eye in order to facilitate and maintain its function. Insult to periorbital and orbital anatomy can compromise orbital and ocular homeostasis. This article provides a foundational overview of eyelid and orbital anatomy, as well as common and key disorders that may confront internists and medical subspecialists.

Ophthalmic changes in patients with hemifacial atrophy (Parry-Romberg syndrome).

Purpose: Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a rare condition characterized by progressive, unilateral facial atrophy. We hypothesize that patients with this condition may have involvement of the ocular structures. Here, we report our ophthalmic, clinical and anatomical findings in an observational study of six patients with long-standing PRS.

Renal cell tumors convert natural killer cells to a proangiogenic phenotype.

Natural killer (NK) cells are classically associated with immune surveillance and destruction of tumor cells. Inconsistent with this function, NK cells are found in advanced human tumors including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). NK cells with non-classical phenotypes (CD56CD16; termed decidua NK (dNK) cells) accumulate at the maternal-fetal interface during embryo implantation.

Comparative analysis of lentiviral gene transfer approaches designed to promote fetal hemoglobin production for the treatment of β-hemoglobinopathies.

β-Hemoglobinopathies are among the most common single-gene disorders and are caused by different mutations in the β-globin gene. Recent curative therapeutic approaches for these disorders utilize lentiviral vectors (LVs) to introduce a functional copy of the β-globin gene into the patient's hematopoietic stem cells. Alternatively, fetal hemoglobin (HbF) can reduce or even prevent the symptoms of disease when expressed in adults.

Quantifying Eye Alignment in Orbital Fracture Patients: The Digital Hess Screen.

Quantifying diplopia to determine management and track outcomes for orbital fracture patients is vital for standardization between visits, physicians, and coordination among the multiple specialties that manage these patients. However, standardization is challenging, as diplopia is often reported subjectively. This study sought to describe the utility of the digital Hess screen in patients with orbital fractures compared with a control group.

The mRNA-Binding Protein IGF2BP1 Restores Fetal Hemoglobin in Cultured Erythroid Cells from Patients with β-Hemoglobin Disorders.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia are caused by structural abnormality or inadequate production of adult hemoglobin (HbA, αβ), respectively. Individuals with either disorder are asymptomatic before birth because fetal hemoglobin (HbF, αγ) is unaffected. Thus, reversal of the switch from HbF to HbA could reduce or even prevent symptoms these disorders.

Current treatment and management of infantile hemangiomas.

Infantile hemangiomas, otherwise known as infantile capillary hemangiomas, strawberry hemangiomas, or strawberry nevi, are nonmalignant vascular tumors that commonly affect children. The natural disease course typically involves growth for up to a year, followed by regression without treatment over a period of years with no cosmetic or functional sequelae. Less commonly, however, infantile hemangiomas can become a threat to vision or even life depending on location and size of the lesion.

Periorbital Scar Correction.

Periorbital scarring with eyelid retraction can have serious visual effects and can lead to loss of vision or even loss of the eye. Understanding of eyelid anatomy and the delicate balance of its structural supports is critical for the identification of the eyelid disorder responsible for the cicatrix and helps to guide treatment. The 2-finger test and lateral distraction of the lid can also be of significant help in proper diagnosis of the underlying disorder.

Orbital peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors of the orbit and ocular adnexa are a rare group of neoplasms hallmarked by nonspecific clinical presentations, variable tumor locations, challenging therapeutic efforts, and occasional diagnostic dilemmas. We review these tumor types and provide an updated summary on their clinical, histopathologic, radiological, and emerging molecular features.

Data in support of transcriptional regulation and function of Fas-antisense long noncoding RNA during human erythropoiesis.

This paper describes data related to a research article titled, "Fas-antisense long noncoding RNA is differentially expressed during maturation of human erythrocytes and confers resistance to Fas-mediated cell death" [1]. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly appreciated for their capacity to regulate many steps of gene expression. While recent studies suggest that many lncRNAs are functional, the scope of their actions throughout human biology is largely undefined including human red blood cell development (erythropoiesis).

Fas-antisense long noncoding RNA is differentially expressed during maturation of human erythrocytes and confers resistance to Fas-mediated cell death.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) interact with other RNAs, DNA and/or proteins to regulate gene expression during development. Erythropoiesis is one developmental process that is tightly controlled throughout life to ensure accurate red blood cell production and oxygen transport to tissues. Thus, homeostasis is critical and maintained by competitive outcomes of pro- and anti-apoptotic pathways.

Long noncoding RNA Saf and splicing factor 45 increase soluble Fas and resistance to apoptosis.

In multicellular organisms, cell growth and differentiation is controlled in part by programmed cell death or apoptosis. One major apoptotic pathway is triggered by Fas receptor (Fas)-Fas ligand (FasL) interaction. Neoplastic cells are frequently resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis, evade Fas signals through down regulation of Fas and produce soluble Fas proteins that bind FasL thereby blocking apoptosis.

Etiology of orbital fractures at a level I trauma center in a large metropolitan city.

Background/purpose: Orbital fractures are a common facial fracture managed by multiple surgical specialties. Methods: A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients (age, 18-85 years) presenting to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in Chicago, IL, USA with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for facial fractures or CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes for orbital fracture repair.

Results: A review of the electronic medical records identified 504 individual incidents of orbital fractures with available imaging for review.

A system for creating stable cell lines that express a gene of interest from a bidirectional and regulatable herpes simplex virus type 1 promoter.

Expression systems used to study the biological function of a gene of interest can have limited utility due to three major factors: i) weak or heterogeneous gene expression; ii) poorly controlled gene expression; and iii) low efficiencies of stable integration and persistent expression. We envisioned that the ideal system should be tightly controlled and coupled with the ability to efficiently create and identify stable cell lines. Herein, we describe a system based upon a bidirectional Herpes simplex virus type 1 promoter that is naturally responsive to the VP16 transactivator and modified to permit tetracycline-regulated transcription on one side while maintaining constitutive activity on the other side.

Potentially therapeutic levels of anti-sickling globin gene expression following lentivirus-mediated gene transfer in sickle cell disease bone marrow CD34+ cells.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) can be cured by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. However, this is only possible when a matched donor is available, making the development of gene therapy using autologous hematopoietic stem cells a highly desirable alternative. We used a culture model of human erythropoiesis to directly compare two insulated, self-inactivating, and erythroid-specific lentiviral vectors, encoding for γ-globin (V5m3-400) or a modified β-globin (βAS3-FB) for production of antisickling hemoglobin (Hb) and correction of red cell deformability after deoxygenation.