Persistence with medical glaucoma therapy in newly diagnosed patients.

Background: Monotherapy, age, and side effects are significant risk factors for the discontinuation of antiglaucoma therapy. Long-term therapy persistence is crucial for slowing disease progression and preventing irreversible blindness. Therefore, it is essential to identify patients at higher risk of discontinuation.

Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly people. Current pharmacological treatment in vascular AMD includes anti-VEGF agents, such as ranibizumab and aflibercept. Additionally, the off-label use of bevacizumab has been shown to be effective and has a lower cost, making it an interesting pharmacological approach; however, there is no consensus about its use.

Ocular repercussions in COVID-19 patients: structural changes of the retina and choroid.

Background: Neurotropic capabilities of SARS-COVs allow viruses to reach the central nervous system by hematogenous neuronal dissemination. The human retina, as an extension of the Central Nervous System, may have some neurodegenerative and/or vascular modifications related to COVID-19.

Objectives: To evaluate choroidal and inner neural layers in participants previously recovered from COVID-19 compared to the control group using optical coherence tomography.

Correction: The Efficacy, Safety, and Efficiency of the Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/38658.].

The Efficacy, Safety, and Efficiency of the Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is recognized as the leading cause of vision loss in older people. Considering the phenomenon of aging societies worldwide, the prevalence of AMD is expected to increase gradually in the future. AMD can be divided into early, intermediate, and late stages, with the early and intermediate stages being mainly asymptomatic, and the late stage being classified as geographic atrophy, neovascular AMD, or both.

DNA methyltransferase expression (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) as a potential biomarker for anti-VEGF diabetic macular edema response.

Purpose: DNA methylation is involved in Diabetic Retinopathy progression showing a metabolic memory mechanism. However, the association of DNA methyltransferase with diabetic macular edema is still unknown. We aimed to describe the differences in DNA methyltransferase gene expression in patients with different diabetic macular edema responses.

Initial medication adherence in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients: three adherence measures.

Aim: To determine initial medication adherence in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients treated with anti-glaucoma drugs.

Methods: This retrospective and observational study included all patients diagnosed with glaucoma in the Primary Health Care units in Portugal during the years 2012 and 2013, which in consequence received a first prescription for anti-glaucoma drugs. Data was collected from electronic prescribing records of the primary care units and from pharmacy claims records.

The role of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography to detect early microvascular changes in Diabetic Retinopathy: a systematic review.

Purpose: To evaluate quantitative parafoveal microvascular changes using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) by comparing the area of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vessel density (VD) between nondiabetic controls and patients with different levels of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).

Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the recommendations of the "Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions" and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Three electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were systematically retrieved by using key terms with Boolean operators.

Manual Segmentation of 12 Layers of the Retina and Choroid through SD-OCT in Intermediate AMD: Repeatability and Reproducibility.

Purpose: To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the segmentation of 12 layers of the retina and the choroid, performed manually by SD-OCT, along the horizontal meridian at three different temporal moments, and to evaluate its concordance with the same measurements performed by two other operators in intermediate AMD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 40 eyes from 40 subjects with intermediate AMD was conducted. The segmentation was performed manually, using SD-OCT.

Mutations in ARL2BP, a protein required for ciliary microtubule structure, cause syndromic male infertility in humans and mice.

Cilia are evolutionarily conserved hair-like structures with a wide spectrum of key biological roles, and their dysfunction has been linked to a growing class of genetic disorders, known collectively as ciliopathies. Many strides have been made towards deciphering the molecular causes for these diseases, which have in turn expanded the understanding of cilia and their functional roles. One recently-identified ciliary gene is ARL2BP, encoding the ADP-Ribosylation Factor Like 2 Binding Protein.

Manufacturing of lightweight aggregates from biomass fly ash, beer bagasse, Zn-rich industrial sludge and clay by slow firing.

A 70:30 black-white clay mixture (C) has been blended with different proportions of three wastes: bagasse from beer production (BG), a flux sludge used in galvanization (FS) and fly ash enriched to 60% with KO from a biomass plant (FA). A complete characterization of the raw materials was performed. Mixtures of C and FA for 15, 17.

Outer Retina and Choroidal Thickness in Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Reticular Pseudodrusen Findings.

Purpose: To evaluate outer retina and choroidal thickness in subjects with intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) and to describe associations with the presence of reticular pseudodrusen (RPD).

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 157 consecutive eyes (specifically: 62 eyes classified as having RPD and 95 eyes with drusen ≥125 µm). Only cases with digital color fundus photographs, red-free, and infrared, obtained and graded according to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study to define iAMD, were used for this study.

Ganglion Cell Complex in Early and Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Evidence by SD-OCT Manual Segmentation.

Purpose: To evaluate ganglion cell layer (GCL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness manually by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in subjects with early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 12 locations on the horizontal meridian.

Methods: A total of 450 eyes (specifically, 246 eyes classified as having early/intermediate AMD plus 204 control eyes) were studied. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare values between the healthy controls and the AMD group and also between the subgroups under study.

Oxidative stress status in liver mitochondria and lymphocyte DNA damage of atherosclerotic rabbits supplemented with water soluble coenzyme Q10.

The effects of the administration of water soluble coenzyme Q10 (25 mg/kg per day) over 30 days, after 50 days feeding on a high-fat diet (3% lard + 1.3% cholesterol), were investigated in the plasma and liver mitochondria of rabbits. Results showed that this atherogenic diet enhanced lipid levels both in plasma and liver mitochondria, reduced plasma and mitochondrial concentrations of retinol and coenzyme Q10, led to higher DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes and reactive oxygen species concentration in liver mitochondria.

Effects of a leukocyte depleting arterial line filter on perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a controlled randomized trial.

Background: Activated leukocytes may increase morbidity in cardiac surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence on morbidity of leukocyte-depleting blood filters placed into the arterial line of cardiopulmonary bypass circuits.

Methods: Simple, blind, prospective, randomized and controlled clinical trial carried out in a cardiac surgery ICU at a university center.