Publications by authors named "Wang Nan-Kai"
Retinal detachment and mortality in patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis: A multicenter study in taiwan.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
October 2024
Purpose: To characterize patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis and identify risk factors for retinal detachment (RD) and mortality in this Taiwanese patient population.
Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with CMV retinitis between 2007 and 2019. The diagnosis was confirmed through aqueous polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Background/aims: The aims of this study is to evaluate the anatomic, visual outcomes and associated prognostic factors in patients with advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) following vitrectomy.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients with ROP who underwent vitrectomy from 2005 to 2016 was conducted. All the patients had a follow-up period of at least 5 years.
Article Synopsis
- The paper looks at how inherited retinal diseases (IRD) are diagnosed and treated in the Asia-Pacific region.
- They surveyed 36 centers about their practices, including how they collect patient information and provide help for low vision.
- The results showed there are important gaps, like many centers not having a database for patients, not enough genetic counselors, and a need for better support for low-vision rehabilitation.
Background: To explore the role of gut microbiota in preterm infants at high risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Methods: Preterm infants with gestational age (GA) < 32 weeks and/or birth weight (BW) < 1500 g born between 2020 and 2021 were prospectively enrolled. Their faecal samples were collected and analysed at different postnatal ages of life using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Miseq platform.
This review explored the role of mitochondria in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which are essential for visual processing. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of various vision-related disorders, including glaucoma, hereditary optic neuropathy, and age-related macular degeneration. This review highlighted the critical role of mitochondria in RGCs, which provide metabolic support, regulate cellular health, and respond to cellular stress while also producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cellular components.
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- This study investigates genetic variants linked to outer retinal tubulation (ORT) by analyzing the prevalence and clinical consequences of ORT in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).
- A cohort of 565 IRD patients underwent SD-OCT imaging, revealing that 104 exhibited ORT, primarily associated with specific genetic variants, especially in RPE-specific and some non-RPE-specific genes.
- The findings show a strong correlation between ORT presence and IRDs caused by RPE-specific and non-RPE-specific genes, while no cases of ORT were found in patients with photoreceptor-specific gene variants.
Purpose: Cone-rod dystrophies (CORD) are inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by primary cone degeneration with secondary rod involvement. We report two patients from the same family with a dominant variant in the guanylate cyclase 2D () gene with different phenotypes in the electroretinogram (ERG).
Observations: A 21-year-old lady (Patient 1) was referred due to experiencing blurry vision and color vision impairment.
Background: Pentoxifylline is administrated to improve the hemodynamics of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite the improvement of capillary blood flow velocity in retina after pentoxifylline use, no evidence has been provided to prove the protective effect for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the risk of DR in pentoxifylline users with CKD and diabetes mellitus (DM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetically heterogeneous group of degenerative disorders causing progressive vision loss due to photoreceptor death. RP affects other retinal cells, including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). MicroRNAs (miRs) are implicated in RP pathogenesis, and downregulating miR-181a/b has shown therapeutic benefit in RP mouse models by improving mitochondrial function.
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- - The study identifies a unique case of a 40-year-old female patient with optic atrophy and a brain aneurysm, linked to a de novo copy number variation (CNV) deletion on chromosome 3q29.
- - Chromosomal analysis revealed that the deletion encompasses the OPA1 gene, which is known to be associated with optic nerve atrophy, but no direct relationship between the CNV and the brain aneurysm was found.
- - The conclusion emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to recognize the limitations of current sequencing technologies and to actively search for OPA1 deletions in patients with Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) to improve diagnostic accuracy in genetic disorders.
Aims: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are proposed to alleviate the development of inflammatory eye diseases. However, the association between SGLT2i and retinal vascular occlusion remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of SGLT2i on the incidence of retinal vascular occlusion.
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- Pathogenic bacterial membrane proteins (MPs) are important targets for vaccines and antibiotics, though their hydrophobic nature complicates proper folding in cells.
- A new method has been developed to enhance the solubility of MP antigens by creating multi-epitope chimeric antigens (ChA) and using protein folding helpers.
- The engineered strain produced a high yield of highly soluble ChA, which is significant for its potential application in vaccine development and industrial processes.
Purpose: To evaluate choroidal changes over time in school-age children with a history of prematurity.
Methods: A study of 416 eyes of 208 eligible participants, including 88, 190, 36, 56, and 46 eyes in the full-term control, preterm, spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity, intravitreal bevacizumab (injection of bevacizumab)-treated retinopathy of prematurity, and laser-treated retinopathy of prematurity groups, respectively, were enrolled in this study. The choroidal thickness was measured 4 times at 6-month intervals using optical coherence tomography.
Article Synopsis
- - Trehalase is important in several industries but is difficult to produce efficiently; this study focuses on expressing a trehalase-encoding gene (Tre-zm) from Zunongwangia mangrovi in E. coli.
- - After optimizing the fermentation process, the researchers achieved high trehalase activity (15,068 U·mL) in a 15 L fermenter, and characterized the enzyme showing optimal performance at 35 °C and pH 8.5.
- - The enzyme TreZM not only inhibits biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis but also works well with low antibiotic concentrations, suggesting its potential for industrial use and controlling harmful biofilms.
Rationale and protocol paper for the Asia Pacific Network for inherited eye diseases.
Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila)
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- The Asia-Pacific region, housing about 60% of the world's population, lacks extensive knowledge about hereditary eye diseases, necessitating a regional collaboration to enhance precision medicine for affected patients.
- The Asia-Pacific Inherited Eye Disease (APIED) network, consisting of 55 members from 35 centers across 12 countries, aims to address these gaps in understanding inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) by bringing together experts in the field.
- The network's goals include improving genetic diagnosis of IRDs, standardizing phenotyping practices, and creating high-quality patient registries to support care and research in both regional and international contexts.*
Objectives: To determine the location and intensity of the corneal pigmented arc in orthokeratology (ortho-k)-treated children and its relationship with annual axial length (AL) change using Pentacam.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled children aged 9 to 15 years who had been followed up for at least one year after ortho-k treatment for myopia control. A Pentacam was used to determine the location and intensity of pigmented arc after lens wear.
Article Synopsis
- * Fourteen patients from nine families were analyzed, revealing common symptoms like chorioretinal atrophy and specific findings on imaging tests such as color fundus images, autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography.
- * The research identified five different PROM1 gene variants and noted that patients often showed incomplete penetrance of these variants, suggesting that the severity of retinal lesions varied between individuals.
Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a group of heterogeneous diseases caused by genetic mutations that specifically affect the function of the rod, cone, or bipolar cells in the retina. Electroretinography (ERG) is a diagnostic tool that measures the electrical activity of the retina in response to light stimuli, and it can help to determine the function of these cells. A normal ERG response consists of two waves, the a-wave and the b-wave, which reflect the activity of the photoreceptor cells and the bipolar and Muller cells, respectively.
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- Cones are critical for color vision and sharp sight, and their loss can lead to blindness; thus, understanding how they function is vital for developing treatments for retinal diseases.
- Researchers created three new mouse models with specific "CreER" sequences to study cone cells in the retina, using a bacterial artificial chromosome method that allows controlled genetic modifications.
- The Arr3 mouse model, in particular, allows for precise study of cone cell biology without affecting their normal function, and the ability to activate genetic changes early in development opens up new avenues for researching retinal disorders.
Background/purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes and assess genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).
Methods: Clinical charts of 40 patients with FEVR were reviewed. FEVR was staged per Pendergast and Trese, and retinal dragging and folds further classified per Yaguchi et al.
Associations of VEGF Polymorphisms With Retinopathy of Prematurity.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
June 2023
Purpose: This study investigated the associations between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) risk.
Methods: Infants born prematurely at any time from 2009 to 2018 were included. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VEGF were analyzed using real-time PCR in all infants.