Long-term efficacy of infliximab treatment and the predictors of treatment outcomes in patients with refractory uveitis associated with Behçet's disease.

Objective: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) treatment for refractory uveitis associated with Behçet's disease (BD) and to identify predictors of long-term IFX therapy outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 44 consecutive BD patients with uveitis who were started on IFX therapy and analyzed the efficacy and safety of IFX and the treatment continuation rate. To determine predictors of IFX responsiveness, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of the patients who received regular maintenance therapy and those who required treatment intensification.

Association Study of Gene Variants with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease in Japanese Patients.

: To investigate whether variants in the gene encoding KU-MEL-1 are associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease in a Japanese population. : We recruited 380 Japanese patients with VKH disease and 744 Japanese healthy controls to genotype seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in . We also performed imputation analysis of the region and 195 imputed SNPs were included in the statistical analysis.

Immunohistochemical and Immunocytochemical Analyses in Patients with Vitreoretinal Lymphoma.

: The aim of this study was to analyze immunohistochemical and immunocytological findings by examining enucleated eyes and vitreous cell block (CB) in patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL).: Histological specimens were obtained from two enucleated eyes with VRL associated with neovascular glaucoma. CB specimens were prepared in 18 patients from diluted waste fluids containing shredded vitreous.

Clinical Features of Systemic Metastatic Retinal Lymphoma in Japanese Patients.

Purpose: Systemic metastatic retinal lymphoma (SMRL) originates in systemic organs. It has been reported to exhibit clinical features similar to those of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL). We report six cases of SMRL in a single-center survey in Japan.

Distinct Profiles of Soluble Cytokine Receptors Between B-Cell Vitreoretinal Lymphoma and Uveitis.

Purpose: To determine the profiles of soluble cytokine receptors and cytokines, including mostly their ligands, in the vitreous humor of patients with B-cell vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) and uveitis.

Methods: Vitreous samples were collected from immunocompetent patients with VRL (n = 21), uveitis (n = 20), and idiopathic epiretinal membrane (n = 21) as controls. Cytometric beads assay were used to determine the vitreous concentrations of soluble receptors and cytokines.

Choroidal thickening prior to anterior recurrence in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Aim: To assess choroidal thickness changes associated with anterior segment recurrences in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

Methods: EDI-OCT images were obtained periodically from 11 patients with VKH disease (22 eyes) who were followed-up due to anterior segment recurrences. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) values at the following stages were evaluated: (1) during the remission phase, (2) 1 month before detecting the anterior recurrence, (3) during the anterior recurrence and (4) after systemic prednisolone (PSL) treatment leading to remission.

[A case report of malignant lymphoma receiving infliximab therapy with Behçet's disease].

Background: To report a case of malignant lymphoma occurring in Behçet's disease (BD) with infliximab therapy.

Case: A 62-year-old man was diagnosed with BD in 1997. Despite treatment with colchicine, cyclosporine and prednisolone, he had frequent bilateral posterior ocular attacks.

EBI3 is pivotal for the initiation of experimental autoimmune uveitis.

Murine experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) is a model for human autoimmune uveitis, whose pathogenesis is caused by both Th1 and Th17 cell responses. Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) is a component of the heterodimeric cytokines: interleukin (IL)-27 and IL-35. Although IL-27 was shown to initiate Th1 cell development, it is also recognized as a negative regulator of fully activated CD4+ T cells, including Th17 cells.

Behçet's disease ocular attack score 24: evaluation of ocular disease activity before and after initiation of infliximab.

Purpose: We developed a novel scoring system for uveitis due to Behçet's disease (BD), termed Behçet's disease ocular attack score 24 (BOS24), and examined its validity and usefulness by estimating changes in ocular disease activities both before and after initiation of infliximab therapy.

Methods: BOS24 consists of a total 24 points divided into 6 parameters of ocular inflammatory symptoms. To examine the validity of our scoring system, 5 uveitis specialists examined the severity of 50 ocular attacks in clinical charts using both our system and a physician's impression score (grade 1-10).

Unilateral superior laryngeal nerve lesion in an animal model of dysphagia and its effect on sucking and swallowing.

We tested two hypotheses relating to the sensory deficit that follows a unilateral superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) lesion in an infant animal model. We hypothesized that it would result in (1) a higher incidence of aspiration and (2) temporal changes in sucking and swallowing. We ligated the right-side SLN in six 2-3-week-old female pigs.

Differential involvement of two cortical masticatory areas in modulation of the swallowing reflex in rats.

To clarify the functional role of cortical descending inputs involved in the swallowing reflex, the effect of electrical stimulation of two cortical masticatory areas (CMAs: A- and P-area) on rhythmic jaw movements (RJMs) and superior laryngeal nerve (SLN)-evoked swallows were studied. RJMs and swallowing reflex were elicited by repetitive electrical stimulation of CMAs and the SLN, respectively. The electromyographic activities of jaw-closer (masseter), jaw-opener (digastric), and laryngeal-elevator (thyrohyoid) muscles were recorded to identify the RJMs and swallowing reflex.

The digastric muscle is less involved in pharyngeal swallowing in rabbits.

The swallowing reflex is centrally programmed by the lower brain stem, the so-called swallowing central pattern generator (CPG), and once the reflex is initiated, many muscles in the oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal regions are systematically activated. The mylohyoid (MH) muscle has been considered to be a "leading muscle" according to previous studies, but the functional role of the digastric (DIG) muscle in the swallowing reflex remains unclear. In the present study, therefore, the activities of single units of MH and DIG neurons were recorded extracellularly, and the functional involvement of these neurons in the swallowing reflex was investigated.

Effects of electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve on the jaw-opening reflex.

The present study aimed to examine whether the jaw-opening reflex (JOR) is modulated during swallowing, and if so, to compare the modulation between the low- and high-threshold afferent-evoked reflex responses. Experiments were carried out on 11 anesthetized rabbits. The inferior alveolar nerve was stimulated to evoke the JOR in the digastric muscle.