Seroreactivity against aqueous-soluble and detergent-soluble retinal proteins in posterior uveitis.

Objective: To characterize the seroreactivity against retinal proteins in patients with posterior uveitis, retinal disease of noninflammatory origin, and healthy controls.

Methods: Patients with posterior uveitis (n = 47), molecularly confirmed photoreceptor degenerations (n = 11), and healthy controls (n = 33) received dilated fundus examinations at the University of Iowa. Aqueous-soluble and detergent-soluble fractions of human retina were separated by gel electrophoresis and transferred to polyvinylidene fluoride membranes.

HTRA1 variant confers similar risks to geographic atrophy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible visual impairment in the developed world. The two forms of advanced AMD, geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (wet AMD), represent two types of degenerative processes in the macula that lead to loss of central vision. Soft confluent drusen, characterized by deposits in macula without visual loss are considered a precursor of advanced AMD.

Perceptions of recent ophthalmology residency graduates regarding preparation for practice.

Objective: To evaluate young ophthalmologists' perceptions of how well residency training prepared them for various aspects of their clinical practice.

Design: Self-administered survey.

Participants: Two hundred sixty-nine United States ophthalmologists who have been in practice for < or =5 years.