The ATR-Chk1 pathway plays a role in the generation of centrosome aberrations induced by Rad51C dysfunction.

Rad51C is a central component of two complexes formed by five Rad51 paralogs in vertebrates. These complexes are involved in repairing DNA double-strand breaks through homologous recombination. Despite accumulating evidence suggesting that the paralogs may prevent aneuploidy by controlling centrosome integrity, Rad51C's role in maintaining chromosome stability remains unclear.

[Tajimi Study review].

The results of The Tajimi Study (a population-based prevalence survey of glaucoma in Tajimi City performed by the Japan Glaucoma Society) are summarized. The Tajimi Study was carried out from September, 2000 to October, 2001 to investigate the prevalence of glaucoma among residents aged 40 years old or over in Tajimi. Seventy-eight point one % of 3,870 eligible people from 4,000 subjects who had been randomly selected from the 54,165 over 40 years old residents in Tajimi participated in the study.

Elevated intraocular pressure, optic nerve atrophy, and impaired retinal development in ODAG transgenic mice.

Purpose: In an earlier study, a cDNA was cloned that showed abundant expression in the eye at postnatal day (P)2 but was downregulated at P10; it was named ODAG (ocular development-associated gene). Its biological function was examined by generating and analyzing transgenic mice overexpressing ODAG (ODAG Tg) in the eye and by identifying ODAG-binding proteins.

Methods: Transgenic mice were generated by using the mouse Crx promoter.

Contact-based stiffness sensing of human eye.

Goldmann applanation tonometry is commonly used for measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) to diagnose glaucoma. However, the measured IOP by conventional applanation tonometry is valid only under the assumption that all subjects have the same structural eye stiffness. This paper challenges in vivo measurement of eye stiffness with a noninvasive approach and investigates individual differences of eye stiffness.

Simultaneous measurement of eye stiffness and contact area for living human eyes.

Goldmann applanation tonometry is commonly used for measuring IOP (IntraOcular Pressure) to diagnose glaucoma. However, the measured IOP by the applanation tonometry is valid only under the assumption that all the subjects have the same structural eye stiffness. Abnormal eye stiffness makes abnormal corneal deformation and thus the current applanation tonometer misestimates the IOP.

Understanding eye deformation in non-contact tonometry.

Non-contact tonometers are widely used to measure the internal eye pressure, i.e. the IntraOcular Pressure (IOP), which is an important parameter for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.

Eye stiffness measurement by probe contact method.

The internal eye pressure is an important index for judging whether an eye suffers from glaucoma or not. The conventional eye pressure measurement is valid only under the condition that all subjects have the same structural eye stiffness. This paper challenges the practice of measuring the stiffness of a human eye by pressing the cornea with a contact probe.

Postoperative cataract cases among atomic bomb survivors: radiation dose response and threshold.

Recent evidence argues against a high threshold dose for vision-impairing radiation-induced cataractogenesis. We conducted logistic regression analysis to estimate the dose response and used a likelihood profile procedure to determine the best-fitting threshold model among 3761 A-bomb survivors who underwent medical examinations during 2000-2002 for whom radiation dose estimates were available, including 479 postoperative cataract cases. The analyses indicated a statistically significant dose-response increase in the prevalence of postoperative cataracts [odds ratio (OR), 1.

Dynamic properties of human eyes.

This paper presents novel details on the dynamic behavior of human eyes (see Fig.1). A high speed camera is used to capture the movement of the eye surface, which is excited by an air jet.

Retinal mean transit time in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma.

Purpose: To compare the mean transit time (MTT) of retinal circulation in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and eyes with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and examine the possible relationship between MTT and visual field damage, expressed as mean deviation (MD).

Methods: Video fluorescein angiography was performed in 40 patients with POAG or NTG. Dye curves for fluorescein passing through the retinal arteries and veins were used to calculate MTT in each patient with a computer-assisted technique based on an impulse-response analysis (MTT(IR)).

No association of complement factor H gene polymorphism and age-related macular degeneration in the Japanese population.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether genetic polymorphism of complement factor H (CFH) is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the Japanese population.

Methods: Genomic DNA was examined in a cohort of 67 Japanese patients with AMD and 107 controls. TT/TC/CC genotypes on exon 9 were screened for sequence alternation by polymerase chain reaction analysis and through sequencing.

Recovery of reliability by retest after a 5-minute interval in frequency doubling technology perimetry.

Purpose: In frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimetry, the incidence of tests classified as unreliable is higher in the second-tested left eye than in the first-tested right eye when perimetry is performed without a rest period. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the incidence of unreliable results was reduced when the retest began after a 5-min rest period.

Methods: The subjects were 978 residents of Miyoshi City, Japan, who underwent FDT perimetry during a medical checkup.

Risk factors for open-angle glaucoma in a Japanese population: the Tajimi Study.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Tajimi Study.

Design: Population-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study.

Participants: One hundred nineteen POAG patients and 2755 controls.

R659S mutation of gammaPKC is susceptible to cell death: implication of this mutation/polymorphism in the pathogenesis of retinitis pigmentosa.

It has been reported that mutations of gammaPKC cause hereditary spinocerebellar atrophy type 14 (SCA14). Our recent study has revealed that the SCA14 mutant gammaPKC is susceptible to aggregation and causes cell death. Among mutations/polymorphisms of gammaPKC, the R659S mutation was firstly segregated from families with hereditary retinitis pigmentosa type 11 (RP11).

Prevalence of glaucoma in adults with Down's syndrome.

Purpose: To compare the prevalence of glaucoma in adults with Down's syndrome (DS) to that in non-DS control adults.

Methods: Twenty-six patients (14 men and 12 women) with DS and 188 control subjects (105 men and 83 women) were studied. The mean age was 35.

High glucose concentration induces elevated expression of anti-oxidant and proteolytic enzymes in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

We investigated the differential protein expression patterns of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells exposed to increased glucose concentrations. Cultured human RPE cells (ARPE-19) were exposed for 4 days with normal blood glucose concentration (5.5 mM D-glucose), followed by exposure to either normal (5.

High frequency of open-angle glaucoma in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The clinical and genetic relationships between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and glaucoma remain obscure. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in patients with AD and whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) 4 allele is associated with AD, with or without OAG, in Japanese. The groups consisted of 172 patients with the diagnostic criteria of AD and 176 age-matched controls.

The efficacy and ocular discomfort of substituting brinzolamide for dorzolamide in combination therapy with latanoprost, timolol, and dorzolamide.

Purpose: The aim of this study was evaluate the efficacy and ocular discomfort of substituting brinzolamide for dorzolamide in patients with glaucoma treated by latanoprost, timolol, and dorzolamide.

Methods: An 8-week, prospective, randomized, open-label, comparative study was performed in 58 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma treated by latanoprost, timolol, and dorzolamide. These patients were randomly enrolled into two groups: (1) dorzolamide three times daily was substituted with brinzolamide twice-daily (substituting group); and (2) dorzolamide three times daily was continued (control group).

Reliability of the first eye and second eye in frequency doubling technology perimetry.

Purpose: To compare the reliability of the perimetry results of the first eye and the second eye with frequency doubling technology (FDT).

Methods: The subjects were 328 residents who underwent the C-20-5 mode of FDT at a city in central Japan. FDT perimetry was always performed first in the right eye and then in the left eye without any time between tests.

Intravitreal levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 are correlated with macular edema in branch retinal vein occlusion.

Background: To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) contributes to the pathogenesis of macular edema in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), the correlations between these factors were investigated.

Methods: We studied 25 patients suffering from macular edema with BRVO and 14 patients with nonischemic ocular disease (control group). The degree of retinal ischemia was evaluated in terms of the area of capillary nonperfusion using Scion Images, and the severity of macular edema was examined using optical coherence tomography.

The Tajimi Study report 2: prevalence of primary angle closure and secondary glaucoma in a Japanese population.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), secondary glaucoma (SG), and all glaucoma in a Japanese population as a part of the Tajimi Study.

Design: Population-based epidemiological survey.

Participants: A random sample of residents 40 years or older from Tajimi, Japan.