Clinical characteristics of toxoplasmosis patients in Korea: A retrospective study using health insurance review and assessment service data and electronic medical records.

This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with toxoplasmosis in Korea. We collected and analyzed the specific research data of 5,917 patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA; 2007-2020) and 533 electronic medical records (EMRs; 2003-2021) of Korean patients. The HIRA data showed that toxoplasmosis is an endemic disease that occurs constantly in Korea, with a large proportion of patients complaining of ocular symptoms.

Activation of the mTOR pathway enhances PPARγ/SREBP-mediated lipid synthesis in human meibomian gland epithelial cells.

The involvement of the mechanistic targets of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in lipid metabolism has been recently elucidated. However, its specific role in the Meibomian gland, where lipid metabolism is significant, remains not fully understood. We investigated the role of mTOR signaling system in the lipogenesis and differentiation of human meibomian gland epithelial cells (HMGECs).

Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Increases Lipid Layer Thickness Measured by Dynamic Tear Interferometry.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of aqueous deficiency on lipid layer thickness (LLT) measurement in dry eye disease before and after treatment of aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) using dynamic tear interferometry.

Methods: This prospective comparative study included 230 eyes from 230 patients with ADDE. The treatment group with punctal plug insertion was compared with the control group.

Comparative analysis of changes in retinal layer thickness following femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional cataract surgery.

Background: To investigate the influence of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) on macula by examining changes in retinal layers after FLACS and to compare these changes with those after conventional cataract surgery (CCS).

Methods: This study included 113 unrelated Korean patients with age-related cataract who underwent CCS or FLACS in Severance Hospital between September 2019 and July 2021. Optical coherence tomography was performed before and 1 month after surgery.

Comparison of Intense Pulsed Light Treatments including Upper Lid or Lateral Canthus in Patients of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

To determine the differences in the effects of intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment when including the upper and lower lid or lateral canthus area in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Patients who underwent three IPL treatment sessions at 3-week intervals were divided into three groups according to the treatment sites: group A, lower lid; group B, upper and lower lids; and group C, lower lid and lateral canthal area. Before and after the IPL treatment sessions, we obtained the lid abnormality score (LAS), meibum expressibility (ME), meibum quality (MQ), lipid layer thickness (LLT), type I Schirmer test (ST), tear break-up time (TBUT) test, corneal fluorescein staining scores (CFSs), and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI).

Comparing two mucin secretagogues for the treatment of dry eye disease: a prospective randomized crossover trial.

This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and investigate patients' preferences for two mucin secretagogues in the treatment of dry eye disease (DED). Thirty patients with DED were randomly treated with either 3% diquafosol or 2% rebamipide ophthalmic solution for 4 weeks, followed by an additional 4-week treatment using the other eye drop after a 2-week washout period. Objective and subjective assessments, including the corneal and conjunctival staining score, tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer 1 test, tear osmolarity, tear matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), lipid layer thickness (LLT) and ocular surface disease index (OSDI), were performed at baseline, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks.

Re-Esterified Triglyceride ω-3 Fatty Acids in Dry Eye Disease With Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Taking ω-3 supplements has been associated with a reduction in symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). However, a recent relatively large clinical trial concluded that treating DED with ω-3 consumption was ineffective, potentially warranting additional investigations.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of re-esterified triglyceride (rTG) ω-3 fatty acid supplementation on DED associated with MGD.

New Korean Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Dry Eye Disease.

New Korean guidelines for the diagnosis and management of dry eye disease were developed based on literature reviews by the Korean Dry Eye Guideline Establishment Committee, a previous dry eye guideline by Korean Corneal Disease Study Group, a survey of Korean Dry Eye Society (KDES) members, and KDES consensus meetings. The new definition of dry eye was also proposed by KDES regular members. The new definition by the regular members of the KDES is as follows: "Dry eye is a disease of the ocular surface characterized by tear film abnormalities and ocular symptoms.

A comparative study of two presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses combining bifocal and extended depth-of-focus profiles.

Objective: To compare the visual performance of two presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (IOLs) that combine both bifocal and extended depth-of-focus profiles, Artis® Symbiose® Plus (Symbiose Plus; Cristalens Industrie, Lannion, France) and Tecnis® Synergy® (Synergy; Johnson & Johnson Vision, Santa Ana, CA, USA).

Methods: The medical records of patients with cataract bilaterally implanted with either Symbiose Plus or Synergy between January 2022 and January 2023 were assessed. The principal measures of postoperative findings included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA), uncorrected near (40 and 33 cm) visual acuity (UNVA), objective optical quality (OOQ) parameters, distance-corrected defocus curve analysis, and surveys of subjective satisfaction.

Clinical Evaluation of a Hydrophobic Intraocular Lens Using a Preloaded Automated Injector in a Korean Population.

Purpose: This study assessed post-market clinical outcomes of the Clareon monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) preloaded in the AutonoMe Delivery System in a real-world setting of Korean patients.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, single-arm study in Korea was conducted from July 2020 to December 2021. Patients were ≥20 years old with unilateral or bilateral cataracts who received Clareon IOLs (CNA0T0) preloaded in an automated injector system.

Intravitreal Administration of Retinal Organoids-Derived Exosomes Alleviates Photoreceptor Degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons Rats by Targeting the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway.

Increasing evidence suggests that exosomes are involved in retinal cell degeneration, including their insufficient release; hence, they have become important indicators of retinopathies. The exosomal microRNA (miRNA), in particular, play important roles in regulating ocular and retinal cell functions, including photoreceptor maturation, maintenance, and visual function. Here, we generated retinal organoids (ROs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells that differentiated in a conditioned medium for 60 days, after which exosomes were extracted from ROs (Exo-ROs).

Effect and Safety of Pressure Sensor-equipped Handpiece in Phacoemulsification System.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the Active Sentry handpiece of the Centurion Vision System compared to the Centurion Ozil handpiece for phacoemulsification in cataract surgery.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 281 patients (449 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery between August 2020 and June 2021. Preoperative measurements, intraoperative parameters, complication rate, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the Active Sentry handpiece and the Centurion Ozil handpiece groups.

Efficacy and safety of 1% and 2% rebamipide clear solution in dry eye disease: a multicenter randomized trial.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of 1% and 2% rebamipide clear solution in the treatment of dry eye disease (DED).

Methods: Two hundred twenty patients with DED were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the 1% rebamipide, 2% rebamipide, or placebo (eye drops containing the same ingredients, except for the active components). Each eye drop was instilled four times daily for 12 weeks.

Causes of Punctal Plug Loss in Sjögren's Syndrome.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term maintenance rate and associated factors of silicone punctal plugs in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 163 patients with SS who underwent silicone punctal plug insertion between December 2013 and July 2021 at Severance Hospital. The status of punctal plug insertions was classified into the following three categories by the clinician: maintenance, spontaneous loss, and intended removal.

Severe ocular complications of SJS/TEN and associations among pre-onset, acute, and chronic factors: a report from the international ophthalmology collaborative group.

We formed an international research collaboration that included Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, Taiwan, the UK, and the US (682 patients from 13 hospitals between 2005 and 2020), to better evaluate the role of race, ethnicity, and other risk factors in the pathophysiology of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Ophthalmologists often see SJS/TEN patients with severe ocular complications (SOC; frequency 50% SJS/TEN patients) when the patients are referred to them in the chronic stage after the acute stage has passed. Global data were collected using a Clinical Report Form, capturing pre-onset factors, as well as acute and chronic ocular findings.

Automatic measurement of mouse visual acuity based on optomotor response: SKY optomotry.

In the field of visual science study using rodents, several assessment methods have been developed for measuring visual function. However, methods such as electroretinograms tests, visual evoked potentials tests and maze tests have limitations in that they measure function of only a specific type of cells, are difficult to quantify or require sufficient training time. The method which uses an optokinetic reflex and optomotor response, a compensatory eye and head movement in response to changes in the visual scene, became the most widely used method.

Comparison of the Predictive Accuracy of Intraocular Lens Power Calculations after Phototherapeutic Keratectomy in Granular Corneal Dystrophy Type 2.

Granular corneal dystrophy type 2 (GCD2) is an autosomal dominant disease affecting vision. Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) is advantageous in removing vision-threatening corneal opacities and postponing keratoplasty; however, it potentially disturbs accurate intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in cataract surgery. The myopic/hyperopic Haigis-L method with or without the central island has been reported; nevertheless, an optimal method has not yet been established.

Synthetic Strategies for Improving Solubility: Optimization of Novel Pyrazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine CFTR Activator That Ameliorates Dry Eye Disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most prevalent ocular diseases but has limited treatment options. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a major chloride channel that stimulates fluid secretion in the ocular surface, may pave the way for new therapeutic strategies for DED. Herein, we report the optimization of Cact-3, a potent CFTR activator with poor solubility, to , a potent CFTR activator with suitable solubility for eye drop formulation.

Gut microbiota of the young ameliorates physical fitness of the aged in mice.

Background: Aging is a natural process that an organism gradually loses its physical fitness and functionality. Great efforts have been made to understand and intervene in this deteriorating process. The gut microbiota affects host physiology, and dysbiosis of the microbial community often underlies the pathogenesis of host disorders.