Investigation of lacrimal gland and extraocular muscle in thyroid eye disease patients with severe subjective dry eye disease: a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging study.

Purpose: To analyze the radiological features of the lacrimal gland (LG) and extraocular muscle (EOM) in thyroid eye disease (TED) patients with severe subjective dry eye disease (DED) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mechanical ocular exposure, dry eye assessment and MRI data were collected. Patients were classified into non-severe subjective DED group with ocular surface disease index (OSDI) < 33 and severe subjective DED group with OSDI ≥ 33.

Ocular surface and meibomian gland evaluation in euthyroid Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Purpose: Euthyroid Graves' ophthalmology (EGO) refers to the subgroup of thyroid eye disease patients with distinct clinical presentations. This study evaluated the ocular surface and meibomian gland changes in EGO patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at The Chinese University of Hong Kong including 34 EGO patients and 34 age-and sex- matched healthy controls.

Antiviral and Antibacterial 3D-Printed Products Functionalised with Poly(hexamethylene biguanide).

Infection prevention and public health are a vital concern worldwide, especially during pandemics such as COVID-19 and seasonal influenza. Frequent manual disinfection and use of chemical spray coatings at public facilities are the typical measures taken to protect people from coronaviruses and other pathogens. However, limitations of human resources and coating durability, as well as the safety of disinfectants used are the major concerns in society during a pandemic.

Ocular Surface Changes in Treatment-Naive Thyroid Eye Disease.

Objective: To investigate the association of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and ocular surface exposure with tear film instability in untreated thyroid eye disease (TED) patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of TED patients from September 2020 to September 2022 was conducted. Ocular surface parameters included ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear meniscus height (TMH), non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT), partial blinking rate, lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibomian gland dropout (meiboscore), Schirmer's test, and corneal punctate epithelial erosions (PEE).

Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Dry Eye Parameters.

Purpose: This study aims to compare dry eye parameters before and after COVID-19 infection in dry eye patients.

Methods: We included 44 dry eye patients (88 eyes) from our existing dry eye cohort, with 22 belonging to the post-COVID-19 group due to a prior COVID-19 infection and the other 22 forming the non-COVID-19 group as they had no history of COVID-19. We examined and compared the dry eye parameters of the post-COVID-19 group, including the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer's test results (ST), non-invasive Keratography tear break-up time (NIKBUT), lipid layer thickness (LLT), Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and the grading of papillae and follicles, both before and after the COVID-19 infection.

Clinical Significance of Corneal Striae in Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy.

Purpose: To elucidate the clinical implications of corneal striae (CS) in thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO) patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the presence of CS was confirmed after topical fluorescein staining on a slit lamp for consecutive treatment-naive TAO patients. Orbital parameters, including margin reflex distances, lagophthalmos, exophthalmos, intraocular pressure and radiological measurements, were compared between eyes with and without CS.

Influence of pH-responsive compounds synthesized from chitosan and hyaluronic acid on dual-responsive (pH/temperature) hydrogel drug delivery systems of Cortex Moutan.

The polysaccharide-based pH-responsive compounds, namely, N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC), polyethylene glycolated hyaluronic acid (PEG-HA), and polysaccharide-based nano-conjugate of hyaluronic acid, chitosan oligosaccharide and alanine [HA-Ala-Chito(oligo)] were chemically synthesized using biopolymers chitosan and hyaluronic acid, and applied here to observe the changes in morphology, pH-stability, mechanical and drug-release behavior, and cytotoxicity of thermo-responsive polymer: Poloxamer 407 (PF127)-based drug delivery systems for traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Moutan (CM). The thermo-responsive hydrogel of PF127 loaded with CM (Gel) was used as control. The dual-responsive (pH/temperature) hydrogels: PF127/TMC/PEG-HA (Gel) and PF127/HA-Ala-Chito(oligo) (Gel) showed improved mechanical behavior as obtained by rheology and mechanical agitation study, and pH-stability under various external pH conditions, and those improvements occurred due to the addition of polysaccharide-based pH-responsive compounds in the systems.

Povidone iodine treatment is deleterious to human ocular surface conjunctival cells in culture.

Objective: To determine the effect of povidone iodine (PI), an antiseptic commonly used prior to ocular surgery, on viability of mixed populations of conjunctival stratified squamous and goblet cells, purified conjunctival goblet cells and purified conjunctival stromal fibroblasts in primary culture.

Methods And Analysis: Mixed population of epithelial cells (stratified squamous and goblet cells), goblet cells and fibroblasts were grown in culture from pieces of human conjunctiva using either supplemented DMEM/F12 or RPMI. Cell type was evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy.