Corneal Toxicity Associated With Belantamab Mafodotin Is Not Restricted to the Epithelium: Neuropathy Studied With Confocal Microscopy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate epithelial and neuronal changes in patients with refractory/relapsed multiple myeloma (RRMM) before/during belantamab mafodotin (belamaf) treatment using confocal microscopy.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Methods: RRMM patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) testing and slitlamp examination/photography, followed by corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), to evaluate the epithelium and subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) to measure corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), branch density (CNBD), and fiber length (CNFL) before and during belamaf treatment.

Choroidal Line Scan Measurements in Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography as Surrogates for Volumetric Thickness Assessment.

Purpose: To compare choroidal thickness of different areas on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) line and cube scans for their interchangeable use.

Design: Validity analysis.

Methods: SSOCT line and cube scans were obtained from 21 patients with various choroidal thicknesses.

Extent of Detached Retina and Lens Status Influence Intravitreal Protein Expression in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare intravitreal cytokines and chemokines to clinical parameters in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Methods: In this prospective study vitreous samples were taken undiluted from 60 patients with RRD and 20 age-matched controls with idiopathic epiretinal membranes at the beginning of primary vitrectomy. The following clinical parameters were assessed from RRD patients prior to surgery: number of quadrants detached, RD height, lens status, symptom duration, and refractive power.

Quantitative proteomics of aqueous and vitreous fluid from patients with idiopathic epiretinal membranes.

The purpose of the study was to perform a detailed, quantitative protein analysis of the aqueous (AF) and vitreous fluids (VF) from human eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membranes (iERM). The complementary approaches of quantitative liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and multiplex protein assays were utilised to reveal the protein composition in ocular fluids of this retinal disorder. In a prospective clinical trial, AF and VF was collected during surgery from twenty four eyes corresponding to twenty four patients with iERM.

Intraocular activation of angiogenic and inflammatory pathways in uveal melanoma.

Purpose: To identify and quantify angiogenic and inflammatory cytokines in aqueous and vitreous humor in eyes with untreated uveal melanoma and to analyze clinicopathologic correlations.

Methods: Intraocular fluid samples of patients (uveal melanoma aqueous n = 21, vitreous n = 34) and controls (cataract aqueous n = 41, vitreomacular traction aqueous n = 35, vitreous n = 36) were taken intraoperatively and analyzed using Luminex xMAP suspension array technology. Beadlyte kits were used for detection of 28 different cytokines.

Proteomic analysis of human cataract aqueous humour: Comparison of one-dimensional gel LCMS with two-dimensional LCMS of unlabelled and iTRAQ®-labelled specimens.

In this study, we report a comparative and quantitative analysis by mass spectrometry of the protein content of aqueous humour from cataract (control) patients. In addition to protein profiling, the approach is layered with quantitative proteomics using the iTRAQ® methodology. Aqueous humour from ten clinically-matched patients was collected and depleted of albumin and immunoglobulin G.

Angiogenic and inflammatory markers in the intraocular fluid of eyes with diabetic macular edema and influence of therapy with bevacizumab.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of angiogenic and inflammatory markers in human eyes with diffuse diabetic macular edema before and during therapy with intravitreal bevacizumab and their association with disease activity.

Methods: In a prospective clinical trial, 10 eyes of 10 consecutive patients with vision loss because of diabetic macular edema were compared with 10 eyes of 10 age-matched controls. Bevacizumab was administered at baseline; retreatments were given monthly according to disease activity.

Preserved cognition after deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic area for Parkinson's disease: a case report.

At present, subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation is the preferred procedure for the amelioration of motor symptoms in medication refractory Parkinson's disease. Results are however impaired by negative impacts on mood, cognition, incentive, and social judgment. Alternative targets are therefore explored.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration: intraocular cytokines and growth factors and the influence of therapy with ranibizumab.

Purpose: To investigate concentrations of growth factors and inflammatory cytokines in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) before and during therapy with intravitreal ranibizumab and to identify associations with disease activity.

Design: Prospective clinical trial.

Participants And Controls: Twenty-eight eyes of patients with neovascular AMD were compared with 28 eyes of age-matched patients with cataract as control.

Intraocular concentrations of growth factors and cytokines in retinal vein occlusion and the effect of therapy with bevacizumab.

Purpose: To investigate concentrations of growth factors and inflammatory cytokines in eyes with central (CRVO) and branch (BRVO) retinal vein occlusion before and during therapy with bevacizumab and to identify associations with disease activity.

Methods: In a prospective clinical trial, 13 eyes of patients with CRVO (n = 5) or BRVO (n = 8) were included. Bevacizumab was administered intravitreously at baseline and months 1 and 2.

Sensorimotor tongue representation in individuals with unilateral upper limb amelia.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of the congenital absence of one hand on cortical organization of the sensorimotor cortex (S1/M1). We investigated the tongue representation in S1/M1 in nine participants with normally developed limbs, comprising the control group, and in eight persons with a congenitally completely missing hand (i.e.

Ultrastructural changes in a murine model of graded Bruch membrane lipoidal degeneration and corresponding VEGF164 detection.

Purpose: To evaluate ultrastructural changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor knockout (R(-/-)) mice consuming different diets as a potential model of Bruch membrane (BM) lipoidal degeneration and to determine the distribution and concentration of VEGF(164) in this mouse model.

Methods: Eight-month-old LDL-R(-/-) mice and wild-type controls were fed a standard or a high-fat diet. Animals were killed, and plasma cholesterol levels were determined.

Mental rotation of congenitally absent hands.

We compared motor imagery performance of normally limbed individuals with that of individuals with one or both hands missing since birth (i.e., hand amelia).

Preservation of motor programs in paraplegics as demonstrated by attempted and imagined foot movements.

Execution and imagination of movement activate distinct neural circuits, partially overlapping in premotor and parietal areas, basal ganglia and cerebellum. Can long-term deafferented/deefferented patients still differentiate attempted from imagined movements? The attempted execution and motor imagery network of foot movements have been investigated in nine chronic complete spinal cord-injured (SCI) patients using fMRI. Thorough behavioral assessment showed that these patients were able to differentiate between attempted execution and motor imagery.

The Thr715Pro polymorphism of the P-selectin gene is not associated with ischemic stroke risk.

Background And Purpose: A Thr>Pro polymorphism at codon 715 in the coding region of the P-selectin gene has recently been described. Individuals carrying the Pro715 allele were reported to have a reduced risk of myocardial infarction. A possible association of this polymorphism with the risk of ischemic stroke is currently under discussion.

Factor VII gene haplotypes and risk of ischemic stroke.

Background: Coagulation factor VII (FVII) plays an important role in the activation of blood coagulation and clot formation. Recent studies have provided evidence for an association between common polymorphic markers in the FVII gene and plasma FVII concentrations. The 353R>Q sequence variation, and 3 common sequence variations in the promoter of the FVII gene-the 10-bp insertion/deletion at position -323 and the -401G>T and -402G>A sequence variations-are well-known determinants of circulating FVII concentrations.

PAI-1 4G/5G insertion/deletion promoter polymorphism and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in the regulation of fibrinolysis and extracellular matrix turnover. PAI-1 4G/5G insertion/deletion polymorphism in the PAI-1 promoter region has been shown to modulate PAI-1 plasma levels. We investigated the relationship between this polymorphism and the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Austrian population.

Motor processes in children's imagery: the case of mental rotation of hands.

In a mental rotation task, children 5 and 6 years of age and adults had to decide as quickly as possible if a photograph of a hand showed a left or a right limb. The visually presented hands were left and right hands in palm or in back view, presented in four different angles of rotation. Participants had to give their responses with their own hands either in a regular, palms-down posture or in an inverted, palms-up posture.

Association of a functional polymorphism in the clopidogrel target receptor gene, P2Y12, and the risk for ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Background And Purpose: There is considerable variability in the antiplatelet effects of the thienopyridine agent "clopidogrel." We tested for an association of gene sequence variations in P2Y12 and occurrence of neurological adverse events in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) during clopidogrel treatment.

Methods: We studied 137 patients undergoing antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and 336 patients with aspirin for the occurrence of neurological events (ischemic stroke and/or carotid revascularization).

Hand movement observation by individuals born without hands: phantom limb experience constrains visual limb perception.

Increasing evidence suggests that the visual analysis of other people's actions depends upon the observer's own body representation or schema. This raises the question of how differences in observers' body structure and schema impact their perception of human movement. We investigated the visual experiences of two persons born without arms, one with and the other without phantom sensations.

Vienna Stroke Registry. Impact of the platelet glycoprotein Ib alpha Kozak polymorphism on the risk of ischemic cerebrovascular events: a case-control study.

We performed a multicenter case-control study to evaluate the impact of the glycoprotein 1b alpha (-5)T/C Kozak polymorphism on the risk of ischemic cerebrovascular events. The genetic analysis in 1399 patients (745 men; median age, 70 years; interquartile ratio, 58-78) and 1066 control subjects (549 men; median age, 47 years; interquartile ratio, 39-59) was carried out with mutagenically separated polymerase chain reaction. Homozygous C/C genotype carriers had a 3.