Determinants of progression of diabetic retinopathy in pregnancy.

Aims: To assess the rate of diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression in an Australian cohort and to identify the determinants of DR progression in pregnancy.

Methods: A total of 367 pregnancies of women with Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus attending King Edward Memorial Hospital, Western Australia, between June 2020 and July 2023 were included. These women were screened for the presence and severity of DR in the first trimester and/or at 28-32 weeks gestation via retinal imaging with a DRS camera.

Introduction of diabetic retinopathy screening into an antenatal clinic: Impact on maternal screening and diagnosis rates.

Pregnancy is a risk factor for the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in women with pre-gestational diabetes. However, a minority of pregnant women with diabetes adhere to retinal screening recommendations. The introduction of an onsite retinal camera at our tertiary maternity hospital significantly increased the proportion of women who received at least one retinal screen during pregnancy (93.

Evaluation of focus and deep learning methods for automated image grading and factors influencing image quality in adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy.

Adaptive optics flood illumination ophthalmoscopy (AO-FIO) is an established imaging tool in the investigation of retinal diseases. However, the clinical interpretation of AO-FIO images can be challenging due to varied image quality. Therefore, image quality assessment is essential before interpretation.

Retinal Differential Light Sensitivity Variation Across the Macula in Healthy Subjects: Importance of Cone Separation and Loci Eccentricity.

Purpose: Microperimetry measures differential light sensitivity (DLS) at specific retinal locations. The aim of this study is to examine the variation in DLS across the macula and the contribution to this variation of cone distribution metrics and retinal eccentricity.

Methods: Forty healthy eyes of 40 subjects were examined by microperimetry (MAIA) and adaptive optics imaging (rtx1).

Management of conjunctivitis and other causes of red eye during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Patients with red eyes frequently present to general practitioners (GPs). Although infrequent, some patients with COVID-19 may present with features typical of viral conjunctivitis. SARS-CoV-2 is expressed at a low rate in tears, which may be a source of infection to GPs caring for patients at high risk of COVID‑19.

Management of conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.

Conjunctivitis may be a feature of COVID-19, with tears containing SARS-CoV-2 virus, and a source of potential transmission via aerosols.

Perifoveal interdigitation zone loss in hydroxychloroquine toxicity leads to subclinical bull's eye lesion appearance on near-infrared reflectance imaging.

Purpose: To characterize the ultrastructural and functional correlates of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)-induced subclinical bull's eye lesion seen on near-infrared reflectance (NIR) imaging.

Methods: An asymptomatic 54-year-old male taking HCQ presented with paracentral ring-like scotoma, abnormal multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and preserved ellipsoid zone on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Dense raster OCT was performed to create en face reflectivity maps of the interdigitation zone.

Impact of Raised Serum Cobalt Levels From Recalled Articular Surface Replacement Hip Prostheses on the Visual Pathway.

Background: The articular surface replacement (ASR) was recalled in 2010 because of higher than expected revision rates. Patients reported symptoms of neurologic dysfunction including poor vision. This cohort study, using objective measurements, aimed to establish whether a higher incidence of visual function defects exists in ASR patients.

Analysis of copy number variation at DMBT1 and age-related macular degeneration.

Background: DMBT1 is a gene that shows extensive copy number variation (CNV) that alters the number of bacteria-binding domains in the protein and has been shown to activate the complement pathway. It lies next to the ARMS2/HTRA1 genes in a region of chromosome 10q26, where single nucleotide variants have been strongly associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the commonest cause of blindness in Western populations. Complement activation is thought to be a key factor in the pathogenesis of this condition.

The effect of cobalt on the human eye.

Purpose: The effect of elevated serum cobalt on the human visual system has not yet been established. In light of recent reports of visual problems with elevated cobalt in association with hip prostheses, this review examines the literature for evidence regarding the effects of cobalt on human visual function.

Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken in July 2013.

Retrospective analysis of the natural history and management of serpiginous choroiditis in Australia and New Zealand.

Background: To examine the prevalence of serpiginous choroidopathy in a predominantly Caucasian community, to examine associations between serpiginous choroiditis and other systemic diseases, and to report on the effect of immunosuppression on the long-term course of serpiginous choroiditis.

Design: Retrospective cohort study with patients from tertiary care centres and private practices.

Participants: 18 patients, mean age 48 years at baseline.

Genetic influences on plasma CFH and CFHR1 concentrations and their role in susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration.

It is a longstanding puzzle why non-coding variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene are more strongly associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than functional coding variants that directly influence the alternative complement pathway. The situation is complicated by tight genetic associations across the region, including the adjacent CFH-related genes CFHR3 and CFHR1, which may themselves influence the alternative complement pathway and are contained within a common deletion (CNP147) which is associated with protection against AMD. It is unclear whether this association is mediated through a protective effect of low plasma CFHR1 concentrations, high plasma CFH or both.

Seven new loci associated with age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of blindness in older individuals. To accelerate the understanding of AMD biology and help design new therapies, we executed a collaborative genome-wide association study, including >17,100 advanced AMD cases and >60,000 controls of European and Asian ancestry. We identified 19 loci associated at P < 5 × 10(-8).

Genome-wide association study of age-related macular degeneration identifies associated variants in the TNXB-FKBPL-NOTCH4 region of chromosome 6p21.3.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual loss in Western populations. Susceptibility is influenced by age, environmental and genetic factors. Known genetic risk loci do not account for all the heritability.

Complement factor H genetic variant and age-related macular degeneration: effect size, modifiers and relationship to disease subtype.

Background: Variation in the complement factor H gene (CFH) is associated with risk of late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Previous studies have been case-control studies in populations of European ancestry with little differentiation in AMD subtype, and insufficient power to confirm or refute effect modification by smoking.

Methods: To precisely quantify the association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs1061170, 'Y402H') with risk of AMD among studies with differing study designs, participant ancestry and AMD grade and to investigate effect modification by smoking, we report two unpublished genetic association studies (n = 2759) combined with data from 24 published studies (26 studies, 26,494 individuals, including 14,174 cases of AMD) of European ancestry, 10 of which provided individual-level data used to test gene-smoking interaction; and 16 published studies from non-European ancestry.

Genetic variation in complement regulators and susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration.

Objectives: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the commonest cause of blindness in Western populations. Risk is influenced by age, genetic and environmental factors. Complement activation appears to be important in the pathogenesis and associations have been found between AMD and genetic variations in complement regulators such as complement factor H.

Age-related macular degeneration: the importance of family history as a risk factor.

Background: Family history is considered a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). With the advent of effective therapy for the disease, the importance of family history merits further investigation. This study quantifies the risk associated with family history, first, by a case-control study of reported family history and, second, by examining the siblings of AMD cases.

Gender differences on chest pain perception associated with acute myocardial infarction in Chinese patients: a questionnaire survey.

Aims: To investigate gender differences in chest pain perception among Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Thrombolytic therapy is beneficial to outcomes of acute myocardial infarction if administered within 12 hours from the onset of chest pain. However, cardiac symptom interpretation may impact time of presentation to hospital.

Charles Bonnet syndrome in age-related macular degeneration: the nature and frequency of images in subjects with end-stage disease.

Introduction: The term Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is used to describe visual hallucinations resulting from ocular pathology. As part of a larger case-control study we assessed factors which may predispose to this phenomenon in Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Three-hundred and sixty cases of late AMD underwent a detailed questionnaire about visual symptoms experienced.

Complement C3 variant and the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in Western populations. Susceptibility is influenced by age and by genetic and environmental factors. Complement activation is implicated in the pathogenesis.

Complement factor H variant Y402H is a major risk determinant for geographic atrophy and choroidal neovascularization in smokers and nonsmokers.

Purpose: The complement factor H (CFH) gene polymorphism Y402H (1277T-->C) has been associated with susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The purpose of this study was to confirm this association in a U.K.