Mycophenolic acid suppresses human pterygium and normal tenon fibroblast proliferation in vitro.

Aims: To investigate whether mycophenolic acid (MPA) exerts antifibrotic effects on pterygium fibroblasts (PFB) with and without stimulation with fibrogenic cytokines, and to compare the efficacy of MPA with mitomycin (MMC) and dexamethasone (DXM) on PFB and tenon fibroblasts (TFB).

Methods: TFB and PFB were obtained from tissue explants during strabismus or pterygium surgery. Proliferation of subconfluent fibroblasts ± basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (10 ng/ml) was assessed by using the (3H) thymidine-incorporation assay.

Prenatal molecular diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in a large cohort of Israeli families.

Objectives: To present our accumulated data on prenatal molecular diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in a large cohort of Israeli albino families.

Methods: Albinism consists of variable phenotypes, but only families with predicted severely handicapped albino offspring, who declared their wish to terminate a pregnancy of such a fetus, are eligible for prenatal testing. Prenatal testing is not offered otherwise.

The effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment on gingival tissue of patients with Behçet's disease.

Gingival biopsies were obtained at various intervals for a period of two years from 12 patients suffering from Behçet's disease who were under a clinical trial of cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment. The levels of nondialyzable hydroxyproline (Hypro) were determined in the medium of the cultured tissues. Histologic examinations were also performed every three months.