A Novel Murine Model for Lupus-Like Ocular Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease.

Purpose: Lupus-like chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) has been previously described, but the ocular findings have not been elucidated. Recipient mice in a lupus-like cGVHD model manifested notable and persistent ocular surface phenotypes. Herein, we further explored immunopathogenic mechanisms underlying these ocular phenotypes.

mm9_circ_014683 regulates microglia polarization through canonical NFκB signaling pathway in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is still the major cause of visual loss in working-aged people, one of the critical pathological processes are retinal microglia-mediated inflammation. Our previous study demonstrated that enhanced M1 microglial polarization was involved in retinal inflammation in DR, but the detailed mechanism needs further investigation. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important kind of noncoding RNAs involved in the regulation of various cell biological processes.

CRB1-associated retinal degeneration is dependent on bacterial translocation from the gut.

The Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene is associated with retinal degeneration, most commonly Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we demonstrate that murine retinas bearing the Rd8 mutation of Crb1 are characterized by the presence of intralesional bacteria. While normal CRB1 expression was enriched in the apical junctional complexes of retinal pigment epithelium and colonic enterocytes, Crb1 mutations dampened its expression at both sites.

Long-Term Visual Quality and Pupil Changes after Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction for Eyes without Preoperative Cylinder Refraction.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term changes in visual quality and pupil size after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) for eyes without preoperative cylinder refraction.

Methods: Thirty-three myopic eyes (33 patients) without preoperative cylinder refraction were corrected using SMILE. Refractive outcomes, corneal curvature, aberrations, contrast sensitivity (CS), and pupil diameter were evaluated preoperatively, and 30 months postoperatively.

Standard ophthalmology residency training in China: an evaluation of resident satisfaction on training program in Guangdong Province.

Background: National standardized training for resident doctors (STRD) in mainland China has been formally established since 2014 as a kind of postgraduate education. The purpose of this survey was to assess the satisfaction of the training residents in Guangdong Province on the ophthalmology STRD program after a duration of 5 years.

Method: A 48-item survey was sent to all postgraduate ophthalmology residents from bases in Guangdong Province to inquire about their attitude towards the program.

Comprehensive analysis of ferritinophagy-related genes and immune infiltration landscape in diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is deemed a microangiopathy and neurodegenerative disorder, which is a primary reason of visual impairment in the world. Ferritinophagy is a critical regulator of ferroptosis and has a vital part in the etiopathogenesis of DR. Nevertheless, its molecular mechanism in DR remains to be expounded.

Reconstructing auto tissue engineering lamellar cornea with aspartic acid modified acellular porcine corneal stroma and preconditioned limbal stem cell for corneal regeneration.

Tissue engineering cornea has shown great clinical potential for cornea reconstruction, but efficient recovery of natural structure and physiological function remains great challenges. In this study, the acellular porcine corneal stroma (APCS) was prepared by a phospholipase A decellularization method and further crosslinked with aspartic acid (Asp). The modified APCS-Asp scaffold showed significant increase of hydration degree, ultrastructure regularity, corneal viscoelasticity and anti-degradation ability compared to APCS.

Tear film cytokines as prognostic indicators for predicting early recurrent pterygium.

Cytokine profiles in tears have become a noninvasive biomarker for various ocular surface diseases. Therefore, the preoperative profile of cytokines in tear samples of 89 primary pterygium patients were obtained from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center during 2015-2017. Compared to the tear cytokines in primary groups, the concentrations of IL-8, MMP-1, MMP-9, bFGF and VEGF were generally higher in recurrent pterygium group.

High Expression of EZH2 Mediated by ncRNAs Correlates with Poor Prognosis and Tumor Immune Infiltration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant form of liver cancer and is accompanied by a complex regulatory network. Increasing evidence suggests that an abnormal gene expression of is associated with HCC progression. However, the molecular mechanism by which non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate remains elusive.

ALKBH5-Mediated mA Modification of A20 Regulates Microglia Polarization in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background: To investigate the role of microglia polarization in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, and study the mechanism of ALKBH5-mediated mA modification of A20 of retinal microglia polarization.

Methods: Diabetics rats were constructed and the M1/M2 polarization of retinal microglia was determined using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Glucose at different concentrations was added to treat the microglia, and the polarization rate was detected.

Rare cause of left eye floaters and blurred vision in an immunocompromised patient: acute retinal necrosis (ARN).

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a clinical syndrome featuring severe vitritis and occlusive vasculitis characterised by full thickness necrotising retinitis. ARN is usually caused by an acute infection by either varicella zoster virus or herpes simplex virus, rarely cytomegalovirus (CMV). ARN often occurs in healthy adults; occasionally affecting immunocompromised patients with poor prognosis including significant visual loss and detachment of the atrophic retina regardless of antiviral treatment.

Multiparametric quantitative MRI for the evaluation of dysthyroid optic neuropathy.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of quantitative MRI parameters for predicting dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON).

Methods: We retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical features and 3.0 T MRI data of 59 patients with Graves orbitopathy (GO), with (n = 26) and without DON (n = 33).

Visual Impairments Are Associated With Retinal Microvascular Density in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate retinal microvascular density in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and its correlation with visual impairment.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 24 eyes of 24 patients with PD and 23 eyes of 23 healthy controls. All participants underwent ophthalmic examination, visual evoked potential (VEP) test, 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) examination.

The Role of Elastase in Corneal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoproteins.

Purpose: To investigate the role of elastase in corneal epithelial barrier dysfunction caused by the exoproteins secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Methods: Exoproteins obtained from Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture supernatant were analyzed by shotgun proteomics approach. In vitro multilayered rabbit corneal epithelial barrier model prepared by air-liquid interface technique (CECs-ALI) were treated with 2 µg/ml exoproteins and/or 8 mM elastase inhibitor.

Utility of multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of the lacrimal gland for diagnosing and staging Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Purpose: To explore radiological changes of the lacrimal gland (LG) in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) based on multi-parametric quantitative MRI and its clinical utility in LG diagnosis and activity in GO.

Methods: We enrolled 99 consecutive patients with GO (198 eyes) and 12 Graves' Disease (GD) patients (24 eyes) from July 2018 to June 2020. Clinical, laboratory, and MRI data were collected at the first visit.

Corneal Endothelium: A Promising Quantitative Index for Graves Ophthalmopathy Activity Evaluation.

Purpose: To investigate the corneal endothelium damage in Graves ophthalmopathy (GO) and its role as a promising quantitative index to evaluate GO activity.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: This study included 128 eyes of 64 patients with GO.

Bacterial agents and changes in drug susceptibilities in cases of chronic dacryocystitis, Southern China.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the susceptibility and the changes of bacterial agents of chronic dacryocystitis and determine the risk factors for bacterial prevalence and drug sensitivity to provide a reference for clinical selection of antibiotics.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted using 112 patients with chronic dacryocystitis and 112 patients with non-infectious ophthalmopathy between August 2017 and April 2018. Lacrimal and conjunctival sac secretions were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

The Key Role of VEGF in the Cross Talk between Pterygium and Dry Eye and Its Clinical Significance.

Purpose: To examine whether dry eye severity is a risk factor for pterygium activity and whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is crucial in the cross talk between pterygium and dry eye.

Methods: A total of 103 patients with primary pterygium (Pteg) were included in the study group; they were divided into 2 groups according to the complication of dry eye (DE) (Pteg + DE group, Pteg - DE group). Further, 60 patients with just dry eye (DE group) and 60 normal individuals (normal) were included as 2 control groups.

Treatment with solubilized Silk-Derived Protein (SDP) enhances rabbit corneal epithelial wound healing.

There is a significant clinical need to improve current therapeutic approaches to treat ocular surface injuries and disease, which affect hundreds of millions of people annually worldwide. The work presented here demonstrates that the presence of Silk-Derived Protein (SDP) on the healing rabbit corneal surface, administered in an eye drop formulation, corresponds with an enhanced epithelial wound healing profile. Rabbit corneas were denuded of their epithelial surface, and then treated for 72-hours with either PBS or PBS containing 5 or 20 mg/mL SDP in solution four times per day.

Corticosteroids effects on LPS-induced rat inflammatory keratocyte cell model.

Purpose: Corticosteroids are efficient anti-inflammation treatments. However, there are still arguments on whether it should be used in keratitis. This study was to observe the effect of corticosteroids on keratocytes both in normal condition and inflammation status in vitro.

Silk-Derived Protein Enhances Corneal Epithelial Migration, Adhesion, and Proliferation.

Purpose: The corneal surface is vulnerable to a myriad of traumatic insults including mechanical, chemical, and thermal injuries. The resulting trauma may render the naturally occurring regenerative properties of the cornea incapable of restoring a healthy epithelial surface, and may result in the loss of corneal transparency and vision. Healing of the corneal epithelium requires a complex cascade of biological processes that work to restore the tissue after injury.

LIM Homeobox Domain 2 Is Required for Corneal Epithelial Homeostasis.

The cornea requires constant epithelial renewal to maintain clarity for appropriate vision. A subset of stem cells residing at the limbus is primarily responsible for maintaining corneal epithelium homeostasis. Trauma and disease may lead to stem cell deficiency and therapeutic targeting to replenish the stemness capacity has been stalled by the lack of reliable corneal epithelial stem cell markers.

Impaired systemic vascular endothelial function in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate systemic endothelial function in elderly hypertension patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) by using a noninvasive physiological method: endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD).

Methods: Forty-two systemic hypertension patients with NAION (NAION group), 64 age- and sex-matched patients with systemic hypertension and no other ocular disease (hypertension group), and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (normal group) were enrolled. FMD was evaluated using a high-resolution ultrasonography.