Potential environmental effect of reducing the variation of disposable materials used for cataract surgery.

Purpose: To analyze the cataract package variability in 1 country, Austria.

Setting: Austrian Departments of Ophthalmology.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Systemic counterregulatory response of angiopoietin-2 after aflibercept therapy for nAMD: a potential escape mechanism.

Purpose: To analyse the effect of intravitreal aflibercept injections on systemic angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A levels in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods: In a prospective, randomized study, aflibercept (2.0 mg/50 µl) or ranibizumab (0.

Triamcinolone in small-gauge vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane peeling.

Objective: We compared visual and macular morphological outcomes after epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling, with and without IVTA treatment.

Design: Interventional, retrospective, consecutive case-control study.

Participants: Forty-one eyes of 41 participants (17 men, 24 women) were included.

Effects of Intravitreal Aflibercept on Galectin-1 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Plasma Levels in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: To analyze the interaction between aflibercept and galectin-1 and evaluate the plasma levels of galectin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A after intravitreal injection of aflibercept in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Interaction of galectin-1 with aflibercept was determined via immunoprecipitation. Seventeen patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic macular edema (DME) were each treated with a single intravitreal injection of aflibercept (2.

Systemic counterregulatory response of placental growth factor levels to intravitreal aflibercept therapy.

Purpose: Placental growth factor (PlGF) has been implicated as a contributor to resistance against anti-VEGF therapy. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the systemic levels of PlGF, VEGF-A, and VEGF-B in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after treatment with aflibercept, ranibizumab, or bevacizumab.

Methods: Totals of 19 patients were treated with intravitreal aflibercept, 19 with ranibizumab, and 18 with bevacizumab.

Systemic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor before and after intravitreal injection of aflibercept or ranibizumab in patients with age-related macular degeneration: a randomised, prospective trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plasma levels after intravitreal injections of aflibercept or ranibizumab in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients with exudative AMD were included in this randomised, prospective study. Nineteen patients were randomised to treatment with intravitreal aflibercept (2.

Systemic upregulation of PDGF-B in patients with neovascular AMD.

Purpose: To determine the plasma levels of platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B), VEGF, and TNF-α in patients with neovascular AMD and in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: Thirty patients with neovascular AMD, 30 patients with DME, and 12 healthy controls were included in this prospective study. The concentrations of PDGF-B, VEGF, and TNF-α were measured by ELISA.

Reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy combined with ranibizumab for nonproliferative macular telangiectasia type 2.

Purpose: To report the efficacy of reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of nonproliferative macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2.

Methods: Noncomparative, interventional, retrospective case series; 5 eyes of 4 patients were studied. Patients were treated with reduced-fluence PDT and intravitreal ranibizumab within 24 h.

Correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor plasma levels and glycemic control in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: To determine whether glycemic control of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) due to type 2 diabetes was related to VEGF plasma levels.

Methods: The prospective study included 30 patients with DR due to type 2 diabetes. Retinopathy was classified according to the international clinical DR disease severity scale.

Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor before and after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, ranibizumab and pegaptanib in patients with age-related macular degeneration, and in patients with diabetic macular oedema.

Aims: To determine the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the plasma of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) before and after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, ranibizumab or pegaptanib.

Methods: 30 patients with DME and 30 patients with ARMD were included in this randomized controlled study. Patients were randomized to treatment with ranibizumab (0.

[Diagnosis, therapy and follow up of diabetic eye disease].

Diabetes mellitus causes diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, optic neuropathy, cataract or dysfunction of the eye muscles. The incidence of these defects correlates with disease duration and quality of the metabolic control. The recommendations of the Austrian Diabetes Association for the diagnosis, the therapeutic procedures and requirements for adequate follow up depending on the stages of the different forms of diabetic eye disease are summarized.

Safety and feasibility of a novel intravitreal tamponade using a silicone oil/acetyl-salicylic acid suspension for proliferative vitreoretinopathy: first results of the Austrian Clinical Multicenter Study.

Background: The safety and efficacy of a new surgical method of intravitreal tamponade using silicone oil suspended with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was investigated for the treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Methods: The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter study. A total of 29 patients were included; 15 patients were treated with the silicone oil suspended with aspirin, and 14 patients represented the control group receiving only silicone oil.

Secretoneurin and the tachykinins substance P and neurokinin-A/B in NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in the rat retina.

In a recent investigation using the NMDA-excitotoxicity model in the rat retina, we found that, whereas, following intravitreal injection of NMDA, a time-dependent decrease of the levels of a neuropeptide, namely vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), was fully counteracted by topical treatment with flunarizine eye drops, the levels of pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating peptide-38 (PACAP-38), another neuropeptide, remained unchanged. The aim of the present study was to find out if NMDA causes reduction in the levels of other neuropeptides such as secretoneurin (SN), neurokinin-A/B (NKA/NKB) and substance P (SP), and if so, whether flunarizine has the ability to counteract this effect or prevent such reduction. The reduction of the levels of SN and NKA/NKB 14 days after intravitreal injection of 2 μl of 100 nmol NMDA into one eye was more pronounced than after 7 days; topical flunarizine had a slight counteracting effect, but could not prevent the decrease in the levels of these peptides.

Substance P and secretoneurin in vitreous aspirates of patients with various vitreoretinal diseases.

By means of highly sensitive radioimmunoassays, the levels of substance P (SP) and secretoneurin (SN) were detected in vitreous aspirates of patients with macular holes which served as controls, in patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR), active proliferative diabetic retinopathy (active PDR), inactive PDR, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Furthermore, SN-like immunoreactivities were characterized by reversed phase-HPLC. The concentration of SN was more than 20-fold higher in macular holes when compared with SP and reversed phase HPLC revealed evidence that the vitreous levels of SN represent authentic SN.

Neurokinin A and neurokinin B in the human retina.

Very recently, the authors found levels of neurokinin (NK) A-like immunoreactivities in the human retina which were more than five times higher than those of substance P (SP). The present study aimed to find out how many of these immunoreactivities can be attributed to NKA and NKB and then the exact distribution pattern of both NKA and NKB was evaluated in the human retina and compared with that of SP. For this purpose, NKA-like immunoreactivities were characterized in the human retina by reversed phase HPLC followed by radioimmunoassay using the K12 antibody which recognizes both NKA and NKB.

Experimental model for proliferative vitreoretinopathy by intravitreal dispase: limited by zonulolysis and cataract.

Background: The intravitreal injection of dispase has been shown to be a valuable method for induction of experimental PVR. The goal of the present study was to gain additional information about potential side effects associated with this method.

Methods: Twenty-one pigmented rabbits received a single injection of dispase under topical anesthesia to one eye only, contralateral eyes served as untreated control.

Long-term outcome after vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema.

Background: To determine the benefit of vitrectomy on eyes with diabetic macular edema.

Methods: A retrospective institutional case series was used including 66 patients (69 eyes) who had undergone pars plana vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema between 1992 and 2000. Prior to surgery, the patients had been treated with laser coagulation as recommended by the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study.

Laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity: structural and functional outcome.

Background: To report the structural and refractive outcome after laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: Nineteen consecutive patients who had undergone photocoagulation for ROP between 1997 and 2002 at our clinic were examined for this non-comparative, consecutive, interventional, retrospective case series. A total of 37 eyes received either transscleral or transpupillary laser treatment.

[Diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of diabetic eye diseases].

Diabetes mellitus causes diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy, optical nerve neuropathy, cataract and defects of the eye muscles. The incidence of these defects correlates with duration and quality of the metabolic control. The recommendations of the Austrian Diabetes Association for the diagnosis, the therapeutic measures and requirements for adequate follow-up depending on the stages of the different forms of diabetic eye diseases are summarized.

Secretoneurin in the human aqueous humor and the absence of an effect of frequently used eye drops on the levels.

Secretoneurin (SN) was detected in the aqueous humor (AH) of patients treated topically with tobramycine eye drops alone or tobramycine and cyclosporine A, tobramycine and diclofenac or tobramycine and rimexolone. The levels of the peptide were found to be higher in the uninflamed human than in the rabbit aqueous humor which may be the result of species differences and/or age-related circumstances. Furthermore, they are approximately one hundred times higher than those of classical neuropeptides indicating release from nerve fibers and/or secretion from non-pigmented ciliary epithelium cells.

Inhibitory effect of certain neuropeptides on the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Aims: To define the effect of the neuropeptides substance P, calcitonin gene related peptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, and secretoneurin on the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

Methods: ARPE-19 cells were used. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium.

Elevated levels of secretoneurin in the rabbit aqueous humor in response to formaldehyde irritation.

Background: Secretoneurin, a 33-amino-acid neuropeptide, is generated by proteolytic processing of secretogranin II, which belongs to the chromogranin family. This study aimed to investigate whether secretoneurin is present in the uninflamed rabbit aqueous humor and whether it is released in response to treatment with topical formaldehyde, an agent known to release sensory peptides originating from the trigeminal ganglion.

Methods: Blood samples and aqueous humor of eyes pretreated with neutral formaldehyde and untreated controls were analyzed for secretoneurin immunoreactivity by a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay.

Ocular delivery of acetylsalicylic acid by repetitive coulomb-controlled iontophoresis.

To investigate the potential of transscleral coulomb-controlled iontophoresis (CCI) for repetitive delivery of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) into the eye, a total of 50 rabbits was included in this study. Fourteen animals received serial CCI treatment. Fourteen animals underwent CCI with either ASA or balanced salt solution (BSS) for at least 6 days at 24- and 48-hour intervals.