Dermatol Online J
November 2019
Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) with ocular involvement, also referred to as ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, is a rare, autoimmune blistering disease that can have devastating effects for patients. The resulting corneal neovascularization, recurrent corneal abrasions, and ulceration can ultimately result in severe vision loss. We present a 64-year-old man with recalcitrant ocular MMP and consequently advanced corneal involvement that received bilateral keratoprostheses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To analyze current practice patterns in the prevention and treatment of corneal graft rejection for both penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and endothelial keratoplasty (EK) and to compare these patterns with previously reported practices.
Methods: In 2011, an electronic survey was sent to 670 members of the Cornea Society worldwide addressing the routine postoperative management of corneal transplants at different time points, treatment of various manifestations of corneal graft rejection, and preferred surgical techniques.
Results: A total of 204 of 670 surveys (30%) were returned and evaluated.
A growing body of evidence suggests that protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occur amongst glycosyltransferases (GTs) required for plant glycan biosynthesis (e.g. cell wall polysaccharides and N-glycans) in the Golgi apparatus, and may control the functions of these enzymes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe glycosyltransferases (GTs) are an important and functionally diverse family of enzymes involved in glycan and glycoside biosynthesis. Plants have evolved large families of GTs which undertake the array of glycosylation reactions that occur during plant development and growth. Based on the Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZy) database, the genome of the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana codes for over 450 GTs, while the rice genome (Oryza sativa) contains over 600 members.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this case we introduce Sporothrix pallida, a non-pathogenic environmental Sporothrix species as a cause of infectious keratitis in a corneal transplant recipient. Human infections caused by S. schenckii are well-known but human infection with Sporothrix pallida has not been previously reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStCKP1 (Solanum tuberosum cytokinin riboside phosphorylase) catalyses the interconversion of the N9-riboside form of the plant hormone CK (cytokinin), a subset of purines, with its most active free base form. StCKP1 prefers CK to unsubstituted aminopurines. The protein was discovered as a CK-binding activity in extracts of tuberizing potato stolon tips, from which it was isolated by affinity chromatography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFXylan comprises up to one-third of plant cell walls, and it influences the properties and processing of biomass. Glucuronoxylan in Arabidopsis is characterized by a linear β-(1,4)-linked backbone of xylosyl residues substituted by glucuronic acid and 4-O-methylglucuronic acid (collectively termed [Me]GlcA). The role of these substitutions remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith the advent of fast genome analysis, many genes encoding novel putative cellulolytic enzymes are being identified in diverse bacterial and fungal genomes. The discovery of these genes calls for quick, robust, and reliable methods for qualitative and quantitative characterization of the enzymatic activities of the encoded proteins. Here, we describe the use of the polysaccharide analysis by carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE) method, which was previously used, among other applications, to characterize various hemicellulose degrading enzymes; for structural elucidation of these carbohydrates; and for analysis of products resulting from enzymatic cleavage of cellulose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report the histopathologic findings of the iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome and posterior polymorphous membranous dystrophy (PPMD) in 3 patients who underwent Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), and to correlate these findings with the clinical diagnosis.
Methods: Three patients with clinical findings compatible with either ICE syndrome (1 patient) or PPMD (2 patients) underwent DSAEK. The DSAEK specimens were processed for light microscopy, immunhistochemical staining for cytokeratins AE1/3 and MAK6, and electron microscopy.
Purpose Of Review: To review the most recent management strategies for corneal ectasia after keratorefractive surgery.
Recent Findings: Management options for postoperative ectasia include conservative management with various types of contact lenses such as rigid gas permeable lenses, custom wave front-guided soft contact lenses, hybrid lenses and tandem soft contact lens-rigid gas permeable lenses. Minimally invasive surgical options including corneal ring segment implantation with Intacs, KeraRings or Ferrara rings have shown to have good results in the initial period after insertion.