Effect of myopia on the progression of normal tension glaucoma.

Purpose: Identify risk factors of progression in treated normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) in highly myopic and non-highly myopic eyes.

Methods: This retrospective, observational case series study included 42 highly myopic glaucoma (HMG, <-6D) eyes and 39 non-highly myopic glaucoma (NHG,≧-6D) eyes. Glaucoma progression was determined by serial visual field data.

Retinal protection by fungal product theissenolactone B in a sodium iodate-induced AMD model through targeting retinal pigment epithelial matrix metalloproteinase-9 and microglia activity.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of low vision and blindness for which there is currently no cure. Increased matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was found in AMD and potently contributes to its pathogenesis. Resident microglia also promote the processes of chronic neuroinflammation, accelerating the progression of AMD.

Association of neovascular age-related macular degeneration with migraine.

Patients with early onset vascular pathology have been reported to manifest neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). While the blood vessels involved in pathogenesis of migraine remains controversial, it is generally accepted that a major contributor is blood vessel pathology. This study aimed to examine the association between migraine and AMD using a nationwide population-based dataset.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles impair the inner blood-retinal barrier and retinal electrophysiology through rapid ADAM17 activation and claudin-5 degradation.

Background: Depending on their distinct properties, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO-NPs) are manufactured extensively and widely present in our daily necessities, with growing environmental release and public concerns. In sunscreen formulations, supplementation of TiO-NPs may reach up to 25% (w/w). Ocular contact with TiO-NPs may occur accidentally in certain cases, allowing undesirable risks to human vision.

Associations between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Ocular Abnormalities in Children: A Population-based Study.

: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was reported to be associated with disturbances in the prefrontal circuitry and seems to be associated with dysfunctions of eye motility. This study aimed to explore associations between ADHD and ocular abnormalities, including amblyopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and heterotropia, using a large, nationwide population-based dataset in Taiwan.: We retrieved our sample for this cross-sectional study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

The fungus-derived retinoprotectant theissenolactone C improves glaucoma-like injury mediated by MMP-9 inhibition.

Background: Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for glaucoma that has been found to induce matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activation and result in eventual retinal dysfunction. Proinflammatory cytokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were also found to be involved in disease progression by mediating MMP-9 production. We previously reported that fungal derivative theissenolactone C (LC53) could exert ocular protective effects by suppressing neuroinflammation in experimental uveitis.

Novel Protective Effects of Cistanche Tubulosa Extract Against Low-Luminance Blue Light-Induced Degenerative Retinopathy.

Background/aims: Blue light-emitting diode light (BLL)-induced phototoxicity plays an important role in ocular diseases and causes retinal degeneration and apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Cistanche tubulosa extract (CTE) is a traditional Chinese medicine with many beneficial protective properties; however, few studies have examined the ocular protective roles of CTE. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the effects of CTE on BLL-induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

Theissenolactone C Exhibited Ocular Protection of Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis by Attenuating Ocular Inflammatory Responses and Glial Activation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a natural component, theissenolactone C (LC53), on the ocular inflammation of experimental endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) and its related mechanisms in microglia. Evaluation of the severity of anterior uveitis indicated that LC53 treatment significantly decreased iridal hyperemia and restored the clinical scores. Additionally, the deficient retina functions of electroretinography were improved by LC53.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is associated with cataract surgery.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study examines the association between cataract surgery and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) during 5-year follow-up using population-based claims data.

Methods: We analysed data sourced from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. The study included 3465 patients who had undergone cataract operations and did not have a diagnosis of AMD before or on the surgery date (study group), and 10 395 age- and sex-matched comparison patients selected randomly from the remaining patients without an AMD diagnosis before the index date.

Anti-inflammatory properties of shikonin contribute to improved early-stage diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a major microvascular complication of diabetes, leads to retinal vascular leakage, neuronal dysfunction, and apoptosis within the retina. In this study, we combined STZ with whole-body hypoxia (10% O) for quicker induction of early-stage retinopathy in C57BL/6 mice. We also compared the effects of a high glucose condition combined with hypoxia (1% O) to a low glucose condition by using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which are a crucial component of the outer blood-retinal barrier and the damage is related to retinopathy.

Editor's Highlight: Periodic Exposure to Smartphone-Mimic Low-Luminance Blue Light Induces Retina Damage Through Bcl-2/BAX-Dependent Apoptosis.

Blue light-induced phototoxicity plays an important role in retinal degeneration and might cause damage as a consequence of smartphone dependency. Here, we investigated the effects of periodic exposure to blue light-emitting diode in a cell model and a rat retinal damage model. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were subjected to blue light in vitro and the effects of blue light on activation of key apoptotic pathways were examined by measuring the levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Fas ligand (FasL), Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD), and caspase-3 protein.

The natural retinoprotectant chrysophanol attenuated photoreceptor cell apoptosis in an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mouse model of retinal degenaration.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited photoreceptor-degenerative disease, and neuronal degeneration in RP is exacerbated by glial activation. Cassia seed (Jue-ming-zi) is a traditional herbal medicine commonly used to treat ocular diseases in Asia. In this report, we investigated the retina-protective effect of chrysophanol, an active component of Cassia seed, in an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced mouse model of RP.

Long-term Fluorometholone Topical Use Induces Ganglion Cell Damage in Rats Analyzed With Optical Coherence Tomography.

To determine the toxic effects of long-term topical usage of fluorometholone (FLM) on ganglion cells using a direct in vivo retinopathological Brown Norway (BN) rat model. The BN rat retinal model was investigated with a minimum of 3 rats and a maximum of 4 rats per group. Rats received vehicle and 0.

Incremental Healthcare Service Utilization for Open-angle Glaucoma: A Population-Based Study.

Purpose: To investigate differences in the utilization of healthcare services between subjects with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and comparison subjects without OAG using Taiwan's National Health Insurance population-based database.

Patients And Methods: The study comprised 2204 subjects with OAG and 2204 sex-matched and age-matched subjects without OAG. We individually followed each subject for a 1-year period to evaluate their healthcare resource utilization.

Association of cataract with chronic rhinosinusitis: a population-based case-control study.

Purpose: To assess the association between cataract and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) using a population-based database.

Methods: The study sample for this case-control study was retrieved from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. The study included 3045 patients who had undergone cataract surgery as cases and 9135 subjects without cataract as controls.

Increased incidence of peptic ulcer disease in central serous chorioretinopathy patients: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To investigate peptic ulcer disease and other possible risk factors in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR) using a population-based database.

Methods: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, longitudinal data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. The study cohort comprised 835 patients with CSR and the control cohort comprised 4175 patients without CSR from January 2000 to December 2009.

Increased risk of Parkinson disease following a diagnosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To investigate the risk for Parkinson disease during a 3-year follow-up period after a diagnosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using a nationwide population-based dataset in Taiwan.

Design: A retrospective matched-cohort study.

Methods: We identified 877subjects with neovascular AMD as the study cohort and randomly selected 8770 subjects for a comparison cohort.

Obstructive sleep apnea and increased risk of glaucoma: a population-based matched-cohort study.

Purpose: Previous studies had reported an increased prevalence of glaucoma in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the risk of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) among patients with OSA remains unclear. Using a nationwide, population-based dataset in Taiwan, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk of OAG among patients with OSA during a 5-year follow-up period after a diagnosis of OSA.

Topiramate use and the risk of glaucoma development: a population-based follow-up study.

Purpose: To investigate the risk of glaucoma development after being prescribed topiramate.

Design: A retrospective, population-based cohort study using an administrative database.

Methods: The study group comprised 1956 patients who received their first prescription of topiramate between 2001 and 2007.

A one-year follow-up study on the incidence and risk of endophthalmitis after pyogenic liver abscess.

Purpose: Although endophthalmitis secondary to pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is becoming a globally emerging infectious disease, population-based investigations evaluating the relationship between PLA and endogenous endophthalmitis remain scarce. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk of endogenous endophthalmitis in patients with PLA compared with unaffected individuals by using a nationwide, population-based dataset.

Design: Retrospective, cohort study.

Seasonality of retinal detachment incidence and its associations with climate: an 11-year nationwide population-based study.

This study aimed to examine the seasonal variability of retinal detachment (RD) in Taiwan by using an 11-yr nationwide population database. This study also investigated the association of weather conditions, i.e.