Evaluation of Bispecific T-Cell Engagers Targeting Murine Cytomegalovirus.

Human cytomegalovirus is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that, while latent in most individuals, poses a great risk to immunocompromised patients. In contrast to directly acting traditional antiviral drugs, such as ganciclovir, we aim to emulate a physiological infection control using T cells. For this, we constructed several bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) constructs targeting different viral glycoproteins of the murine cytomegalovirus and evaluated them in vitro for their efficacy.

Dynamics of structural reversal in Bruch's membrane opening-based morphometrics after glaucoma drainage device surgery.

Purpose: Structural reversal of disc cupping is a known phenomenon after trabeculectomy. The aim of this retrospective, longitudinal, cross-sectional analysis was to evaluate the postoperative dynamics of Bruch's membrane opening-based morphometrics of the optic nerve head following glaucoma drainage device surgery.

Methods: Forty-three eyes, treated by glaucoma drainage device surgery, were included in the study.

[Excision and tectonic covering of a vascular leiomyoma of the ciliary body with large anterior staphyloma using scleral patch graft].

Benign tumors of the ciliary body are rare and may potentially be confused with uveal melanoma in clinical routine. Clinical findings rarely allow for safe differentiation. Hence primary excisions are frequent.

Onset of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Atrophy Subsequent to Anti-VEGF Therapy in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for the development of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Procedures: This post hoc analysis of the prospective RESPONSE study includes 52 therapy-naive nAMD patients without baseline RPE atrophy, who were treated with ≥9 anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections for ≥3 years. RPE atrophy was assessed via multimodal imaging.

Structural Reversal of Disc Cupping After Trabeculectomy Alters Bruch Membrane Opening-Based Parameters to Assess Neuroretinal Rim.

Objective: To assess the impact of trabeculectomy for glaucoma on morphometric neuroretinal parameters of the optic nerve head (ONH) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Design: Retrospective, interventional case series.

Methods: Participants: Eighty-eight eyes of 88 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in 2016.

The Optimal Diameter for Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measurement by SD-OCT in Glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic power for glaucoma detection using circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cRNFL) thickness in 3 diameter sizes from the center of the optic nerve head (ONH) by spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Patients And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, case-control, 437 eyes diagnosed with glaucoma and 183 eyes of healthy controls underwent spectral domain optical coherence tomography of the ONH, visual field testing, and a clinical examination. cRNFL was measured by circular scans in 3.

Evaluation of two-dimensional Bruch's membrane opening minimum rim area for glaucoma diagnostics in a large patient cohort.

Purpose: To characterize the two-dimensional parameter Bruch's membrane opening minimum rim area (BMO-MRA) in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of the optic nerve head (ONH) compared to minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in a large patient cohort.

Methods: Case-control, cross-sectional study of 705 eyes of 445 participants. A total of 449 eyes with glaucoma, 67 eyes with ocular hypertension and 189 healthy controls, underwent SD-OCT and confocal laser scanning tomography (CSLT), visual field testing and clinical examination.

Intraoperative changes in corneal structure during excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) assessed by intraoperative optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: Excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) is a safe treatment for superficial corneal opacities, e.g., in corneal dystrophies or degenerations.

Optimization Strategies for Bruch's Membrane Opening Minimum Rim Area Calculation: Sequential versus Simultaneous Minimization.

To compare a simultaneously optimized continuous minimum rim surface parameter between Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) and the internal limiting membrane to the standard sequential minimization used for calculating the BMO minimum rim area in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). In this case-control, cross-sectional study, 704 eyes of 445 participants underwent SD-OCT of the optic nerve head (ONH), visual field testing, and clinical examination. Globally and clock-hour sector-wise optimized BMO-based minimum rim area was calculated independently.

Intraday Repeatability of Bruch's Membrane Opening-Based Neuroretinal Rim Measurements.

Purpose: To assess possible intraday variability in Bruch's membrane opening-based (BMO) assessment of neuroretinal rim by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of the optic nerve head (ONH) as well as to evaluate its independence from intraindividual IOP changes.

Methods: In this noninterventional, prospective cohort study, 51 consecutively enrolled patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension underwent standardized SD-OCT of the ONH and IOP assessment at two different time points with a time gap of 5 hours on the same day. Random effects models, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to analyze repeatability of BMO minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and area (BMO-MRA) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements.

Novel Bruch's Membrane Opening Minimum Rim Area Equalizes Disc Size Dependency and Offers High Diagnostic Power for Glaucoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic power of the novel two-dimensional parameter Bruch's membrane opening minimal rim area (BMO-MRA) in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for detection of glaucoma compared to minimal rim width (BMO-MRW) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in large and small optic discs.

Methods: In this case-control, cross-sectional study, 207 eyes of 207 participants, including 89 controls and 97 patients with glaucoma and 21 with ocular hypertension (OHT), with a disc size <1.63 mm2 or >2.

Corneal Densitometry for Quantification of Corneal Deposits in Monoclonal Gammopathies.

Purpose: To assess the capability of Scheimpflug-based densitometry of the cornea to quantify light chain deposits in patients with active monoclonal gammopathies.

Methods: This is a case-control study in which data from a leading tertiary university center in myeloma care were analyzed. Ten eyes of 5 patients with monoclonal gammopathy and 26 eyes of 13 healthy controls undergoing clinical evaluation and Scheimpflug-based measurements were included in the study.

The use of Bruch's membrane opening-based optical coherence tomography of the optic nerve head for glaucoma detection in microdiscs.

Purpose: To assess the performance of Bruch's membrane opening (BMO)-based spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of the optic nerve head for glaucoma detection in microdiscs in comparison with confocal scanning laser tomography (CSLT).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: 82 eyes of 82 patients with disc size <1.

Neuroretinal rim in non-glaucomatous large optic nerve heads: a comparison of confocal scanning laser tomography and spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Background/aims: To compare margin-based rim area measurements from confocal scanning laser tomography (CSLT) with Bruch's membrane opening (BMO)-based measurements from spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) by analysis of a group of non-glaucomatous eyes with large optic discs, so-called macrodiscs (disc size >2.45 mm in CSLT). Objective is to create a reference base for large optic nerve heads in SD-OCT diagnostics.

In Situ Corneal Cross-Linking for Recurrent Corneal Melting After Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis.

Purpose: To present a new treatment modality for recurrent corneal melting in a patient with a Boston type I keratoprosthesis (B-KPro) including in situ corneal cross-linking (CXL) and lamellar keratoplasty (LKP) as combined treatment.

Methods: Case report.

Results: Our report concerns a 27-year-old man whose case history involved a severe chemical burn of his left eye.

Long-term alterations of systemic vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients treated with ranibizumab for age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To analyze long-term changes of systemic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in patients treated with ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Methods: Sixty-one patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration and 68 age-matched controls were included in the study. Patients were treated with ranibizumab on a pro re nata regimen.

Polymorphisms in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 are associated with better response rates to ranibizumab treatment in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections are currently the standard treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but a broad range of response rates has been observed. We evaluated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VEGF genes and their receptors (VEGFR) with the response rate to ranibizumab in 366 patients with neovascular AMD.

Design: Case series study.

Long-term stability of vascular endothelial growth factor suppression time under ranibizumab treatment in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To determine intra-individual long-term stability of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) suppression time in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with ranibizumab.

Design: Nonrandomized, prospective clinical study.

Methods: Eighty-three eyes of 83 patients with neovascular AMD undergoing intravitreal ranibizumab injections were included in the study.

Upregulation of TGF-ß1 in experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy is accompanied by epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

Background: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is characterized by epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and consecutive formation of fibrous membranes, leading to retinal redetachment. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) has been suggested to play an important role in this process, but the role of TGF-ß isoforms is unknown.

Methods: In pigmented rabbits (n = 14), PVR was induced by cryopexy and a full-thickness limbus-parallel incision.

Retrocorneal membrane formation after Baerveldt shunt implantation for iridocorneal endothelial syndrome.

Purpose: Retrocorneal membranes can occur after trauma or surgery and remain as a therapeutic problem in graft failure after penetrating keratoplasty. We report for the first time the finding of a retrocorneal membrane in Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in a young woman who underwent Baerveldt shunt implantation for iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome.

Methods: Clinical examination, preoperative and postoperative slit lamp-adapted optical coherence tomography of the anterior segment, and immunohistochemical staining and electron microscopic analysis of the stripped Descemet membrane were performed.

Intraocular growth factors and cytokines in patients with dry and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To analyze intraocular growth factor and cytokine concentrations in eyes with different stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared with controls.

Methods: The Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging (CARMS) system was used for assignment of patients into the respective categories. Aqueous humor specimens were taken before cataract surgery in 21 controls (CARMS 1) and in 17 early (CARMS 2) and 16 intermediate (CARMS 3) AMD patients.

Profibrotic cytokines in aqueous humour correlate with aqueous flare in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Background: Aqueous flare as determined by laser flare photometry in the anterior chamber is a strong preoperative predictor for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in patients with primary retinal detachment (RD). We analysed various cytokines in aqueous humour samples in relation to aqueous flare and postoperative PVR incidence in patients with RD.

Methods: Preoperatively, the aqueous flare of patients with RD was measured quantitatively with a laser flare metre and aqueous humour samples were collected and analysed for interferon γ, tumour necrosis factor α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-aa, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-aa and FGF-bb by multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassays.

Adherence to ranibizumab treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in real life.

Background: To identify factors and problems influencing treatment adherence in patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) under real-life conditions.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted of 95 patients receiving ranibizumab therapy on a pro re nata (PRN) regimen with monthly controls in a tertiary health care clinic. Monthly controls included best corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.