Corneal Transplant Follow-up Study II: a randomised trial to determine whether HLA class II matching reduces the risk of allograft rejection in penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: A randomised trial to test the hypothesis that human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II matching reduces the risk of allograft rejection in high-risk penetrating keratoplasty (PK).

Methods: All transplants were matched for HLA class I antigens (≤2 mismatches at the A and B loci) and corneas were allocated to patients by cohort minimisation to achieve 0, 1 or 2 HLA class II antigen mismatches. The corneal transplants (n=1133) were followed for 5 years.

Corneal transplant follow-up study II (CTFS II): a prospective clinical trial to determine the influence of HLA class II matching on corneal transplant rejection: baseline donor and recipient characteristics.

Purpose: To describe a study to determine the influence of HLA class II matching on allograft rejection of high-risk, full-thickness corneal transplants.

Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, clinical trial (ISRCTN25094892) with a primary outcome measure of time to first clinically determined rejection episode. Tissue typing used DNA-based techniques.

Statistical analysis plan for the Urodynamics for Prostate Surgery Trial; Randomised Evaluation of Assessment Methods (UPSTREAM).

Background: Current management for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is a pathway that results in prostate surgery in a significant proportion. While helpful in relieving benign prostatic obstruction (BPO), surgery may be ineffective for men suffering from difficulties not relating to BPO. The UPSTREAM trial started recruitment in October 2014 with the aim of establishing whether a care pathway including urodynamics (a diagnostic tool for BPO and thus an indication of whether surgery is needed) is no worse for men, in terms of symptomatic outcome, than one without (routine care).

MARIA M4: clinical evaluation of a prototype ultrawideband radar scanner for breast cancer detection.

A microwave imaging system has been developed as a clinical diagnostic tool operating in the 3- to 8-GHz region using multistatic data collection. A total of 86 patients recruited from a symptomatic breast care clinic were scanned with a prototype design. The resultant three-dimensional images have been compared "blind" with available ultrasound and mammogram images to determine the detection rate.

Thrombospondin-1 polymorphisms influence risk of corneal allograft rejection.

Purpose: We investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) on the risk of corneal allograft rejection. The TSP-1 is known to be involved in the immune response of the anterior chamber of the eye, activating TGF-β2, promoting peripheral and systemic tolerance, and counteracting the proangiogenic activity of VEGF.

Methods: Three tagging SNPs spanning the TSP-1 region (rs1478604, A>G; rs2228261, C>T; and rs2228262, A>G) were genotyped.

Characterization of genetically modified human retinal pigment epithelial cells developed for in vitro and transplantation studies.

Purpose: To develop, by specific genetic modification, a differentiated human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line with an extended life span that can be used for investigating their function in vitro and for in vivo transplantation studies.

Methods: Primary human RPE cells were genetically modified by transfecting with a plasmid encoding the simian virus (SV)40 large T antigen. After characterization, two cell lines, designated h1RPE-7 and h1RPE-116, were chosen for further investigation, along with the spontaneously derived RPE cell line ARPE-19.