Cause Of Glaucoma Research Articles

Artificial Trabecular Meshwork Structure Combining Melt Electrowriting and Solution Electrospinning.

The human trabecular meshwork (HTM) is responsible for regulating intraocular pressure (IOP) by means of gradient porosity. Changes in its physical properties, like increases in stiffness or alterations in the extracellular matrix (ECM), are associated with increases in the IOP, which is the primary cause of glaucoma. The complexity of its structure limits the engineered models to one-layered and simple approaches, which do not accurately replicate the biological and physiological cues related to glaucoma. Here, a combination of melt electrowriting (MEW) and solution electrospinning (SE) is explored as a biofabrication technique used to produce a gradient porous scaffold that mimics the multi-layered structure of the native HTM. Polycaprolactone (PCL) constructs with a height of 20-710 µm and fiber diameters of 0.7-37.5 µm were fabricated. After mechanical characterization, primary human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMCs) were seeded over the scaffolds within the subsequent 14-21 days. In order to validate the system's responsiveness, cells were treated with dexamethasone (Dex) and the rho inhibitor Netarsudil (Net). Scanning electron microscopy and immunochemistry staining were performed to evaluate the expected morphological changes caused by the drugs. Cells in the engineered membranes exhibited an HTMC-like morphology and a correct drug response. Although this work demonstrates the utility of combining MEW and SE in reconstructing complex morphological features like the HTM, new geometries and dimensions should be tested, and future works need to be directed towards perfusion studies.

The effect of cumulative energy in repeated subliminal transscleral cyclophotocoagulation: a retrospective study

BackgroundThe long-term safety and efficacy of repeated applications of subliminal transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (SL-TSCPC) with a focus on cumulative energy was evaluated in glaucoma patients.MethodsIn this retrospective, multicentric study the data of a total of 82 eyes with various causes of glaucoma that were treated with a single or multiple applications of SL-TSCPC were collected. Treatments were performed under general or local anesthesia with an 810 nm diode laser. Power was 2000 mW; duty cycle, 31.3%; total treatment duration, 80–320 s; equaling a total energy of 50–200 J per treatment session. Fifty-five eyes (55 patients) presented for all follow-ups, and these eyes were selected for further statistical analysis. The mean age was 60.0 ± 17.1 years, and 22 (40%) of the patients were female. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and dependence on further glaucoma medication were evaluated at 12 months following the initial treatment.ResultsEyes underwent 1 or 2 consecutive SL-TSCPC treatments. Median (min–max) baseline IOP of 34 (13–69) decreased to 21.5 (7–61), 22 (8–68), 20 (9–68), and 19.5 (3–60) mmHg at the 1, 3, 6, and 12-month postoperative timepoints respectively. The mean (± SD) IOP decrease at 12 months was 26 ± 27%, 39 ± 32%, and 49 ± 33% in the low (below 120 J, n = 18), medium (120–200 J, n = 24), and high (above 200 J, n = 13) cumulative energy groups respectively. At the 12-month timepoint, oral carbonic anhydrase use was discontinued in ¾ of the cases.ConclusionsIt was found that the repeated application of SL-TSCPC safely and efficiently decreases IOP in a Caucasian population with heterogenous causes of glaucoma, eyes with silicone oil responded to a greater extent. Inclusion of cumulative energy scales may contribute to better addressing repeated procedures in a standardized fashion.

The Effect of Exercise on Intraocular Pressure and Glaucoma.

A review of the literature found that certain types of exercise and physical activity result in transient reductions in intraocular pressure and may have a beneficial effect on glaucoma severity and progression. Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Raised intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important risk factor for the disease. Exercise is known to result in changes in IOP. The purpose of this review was to investigate the effect of exercise on IOP and glaucoma. A comprehensive search of multiple literature databases was performed. Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries were used to search for the relevant terms. 16 original studies were selected for the review. Exercise of varying intensity and type has differing effects on IOP. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise results in transient reductions in IOP, while high-intensity resistance exercise and weight-lifting lead to transient elevations in IOP. There is evidence to suggest that exercise and higher levels of fitness may be protective against the development of glaucoma. In addition, increased daily physical activity may be associated with less visual field progression in patients with glaucoma. While secondary causes of glaucoma are included in some of the studies discussed in this review, the findings are largely applicable to primary open angle glaucoma. Exercise may be a beneficial lifestyle modification in the management of glaucoma; however, further longitudinal studies are required to validate this.

Development of Cell Culture Platforms for Study of Trabecular Meshwork Cells and Glaucoma Development.

Various cell culture platforms that could display native environmental cue-mimicking stimuli were developed, and effects of environmental cues on cell behaviors were studied with the cell culture platforms. Likewise, various cell culture platforms mimicking native trabecular meshwork (TM) composed of juxtacanalicular, corneoscleral and uveal meshwork located in internal scleral sulcus were used to study effects of environmental cues and/or drug treatments on TM cells and glaucoma development. Glaucoma is a disease that could cause blindness, and cause of glaucoma is not clearly identified yet. It appears that aqueous humor (AH) outflow resistance increased by damages on pathway of AH outflow can elevate intraocular pressure (IOP). These overall possibly contribute to development of glaucoma. For the study of glaucoma, static and dynamic cell culture platforms were developed. Particularly, the dynamic platforms exploiting AH outflow-mimicking perfusion or increased IOP-mimicking increased pressure were used to study how perfusion or increased pressure could affect TM cells. Overall, potential mechanisms of glaucoma development, TM structures and compositions, TM cell culture platform types and researches on TM cells and glaucoma development with the platforms were described in this review. This will be useful to improve researches on TM cells and develop enhanced therapies targeting glaucoma.

The association between perceived cause of glaucoma and illness perceptions.

The perceived cause of disease is an important factor that has been linked with treatment outcomes but has not been fully assessed in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). This study assessed the accuracy of patients' perceived cause of POAG and identified associations between accuracy, illness perceptions, medication adherence, and quality of life (QoL). The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) was used to assess illness perceptions and asked patients to rank the three most important causes of their disease in order of importance. POAG risk factors recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology were used to code responses as accurate or inaccurate based on the following three methods: (1) coding any reported cause, regardless of rank, (2) coding only the first-ranked cause, and (3) coding and weighting all reported causes. Medication adherence was measured electronically. QoL was measured using the Glaucoma Quality of Life questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test was used to detect differences in illness perceptions, medication adherence, and QoL between accuracy groups. A total of 97 patients identified a cause of their POAG and were included in this analysis. A higher proportion of patients reported an accurate cause (86.6% using method 1, 78.4% using method 2, and 79.4% using method 3; all p < 0.001). Mean medication adherence was 86.0% ± 17.8 and was similar across accuracy groups (all p > 0.05). Using method 2 (p = 0.045) and method 3 (p = 0.028), patients who reported an accurate cause of their POAG believed that their illness would last for a longer time compared to patients who reported an inaccurate cause. Method 3 also revealed that patients who reported an accurate cause of their POAG had lower perceived understanding of their illness (p = 0.048) compared to patients who reported an inaccurate cause. There were no differences in QoL between accuracy groups (all p > 0.05). This study highlights the association between perceived cause of POAG and illness perceptions related to knowledge level and POAG duration. Future studies should assess associations between perceived cause of disease and other critical dimensions of illness perception.

Identification of potential core genes in pseudoexfoliation using bioinformatics analysis and retrospective analysis of 84 patients with this disease.

Pseudoexfoliation (XFS) is a common cause of glaucoma in nowadays. Because of XFS causing irreversible blindness secondary to glaucoma (XFG), this study aims to identify the current prevalence of XFS among Xinjiang Province of China, and identify the hub genes involved in XFS. A retrospective chart review was conducted from 2007 to 2019 for patients aged 50 and older. All patients with XFS or XFG diagnosed by slit lamp exam were identified through chart review. Of the 84 patient charts available for review, 50% of the patients identified as male, with a mean age of 67years. The top ten genes evaluated by connectivity degree in the PPI network were identified. The results showed that Tyrobp was the most outstanding gene, followed by Ptprc, Fcgr3, Itgb2, Emr1, Cd68, Syk, Fcerlg, Hck, and Lyz2. All of these hub genes were downregulated in XFS. Our findings show a considerably biomarkers of XFS for diagnosis and treatment.

Phacodonesis in Angle-Closure Glaucoma: Phacomorphic or Other Lens- Induced?

Introduction : Glaucoma is defined as progressive optic neuropathies characterized by optic disk cupping, reduced visual field, and visual loss. As a “silent thief of sight”, glaucoma ranked second worldwide and third in Indonesia as the cause of blindness. The cause of glaucoma varies, one of which is lens-induced which presents as loss of vision and red eye.&#x0D; Case Illustration : A 53-year-old female complained about blurred and pained red eyes. Examination of the right eye revealed VOD 1/300, cloudy-milky lens, phacodonesis, and IOP 26.3 mmHg. She was diagnosed with angle-closure glaucoma suspected as phacomorphic or other lens-induced and was treated by topical hypotensive agents and phacoemulsification with IOL implantation procedure. Right eye examination on day one post operation showed VA 2/60 and IOP 13.6 mmHg. Improvement on two weeks follow- up revealed VA 6/15 with best VA of 6/6, IOP 15.7 mmHg, CD ratio 0.5, and negative glaucoma optic neuropathy (GON) finding.&#x0D; Discussion : When accompanied by phacodonesis, angle-closure glaucoma is mainly caused by a secondary process. It involves zonule of Zinn fragility, which usually occurs in subluxation but also appear in hypermature cataract. Dilated eye examination showed no sign of subluxation, therefore the final diagnosis was phacomorphic glaucoma and hypermature cataract. Cataract surgery as the definitive treatment must be done at an appropriate time as was done for this patient with a favorable outcome.&#x0D; Conclusion : The presence of phacodonesis in angle-closure glaucoma should be thoroughly evaluated. Meticulous decisions on definitive treatment can be planned afterward.

Research progress on ocular complications caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus and the function of tears and blepharons.

The purpose of this study was to explore the related research progress of ocular complications (OCs) caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), tear and tarsal function, and the application of deep learning (DL) in the diagnosis of diabetes and OCs caused by it, to provide reference for the prevention and control of OCs in T2DM patients. This study reviewed the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes retinopathy, keratopathy, dry eye disease, glaucoma, and cataract, analyzed the relationship between OCs and tear function and tarsal function, and discussed the application value of DL in the diagnosis of diabetes and OCs. Diabetes retinopathy is related to hyperglycemia, angiogenic factors, oxidative stress, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other factors. The increase in water content in the corneal stroma leads to corneal relaxation, loss of transparency, and elasticity, and can lead to the occurrence of corneal lesions. Dry eye syndrome is related to abnormal stability of the tear film and imbalance in neural and immune regulation. Elevated intraocular pressure, inflammatory reactions, atrophy of the optic nerve head, and damage to optic nerve fibers are the causes of glaucoma. Cataract is a common eye disease in the elderly, which is a visual disorder caused by lens opacity. Oxidative stress is an important factor in the occurrence of cataracts. In clinical practice, blood sugar control, laser therapy, and drug therapy are used to control the above eye complications. The function of tear and tarsal plate will be affected by eye diseases. Retinopathy and dry eye disease caused by diabetes will cause dysfunction of tear and tarsal plate, which will affect the eye function of patients. Furthermore, DL can automatically diagnose and classify eye diseases, automatically analyze fundus images, and accurately diagnose diabetes retinopathy, macular degeneration, and other diseases by analyzing and processing eye images and data. The treatment of T2DM is difficult and prone to OCs, which seriously threatens the normal life of patients. The occurrence of OCs is closely related to abnormal tear and tarsal function. Based on DL, clinical diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and its OCs can be carried out, which has positive application value.

Üçüncü Basamak Sağlık Merkezinde Oküler Travmaya Bağlı Göz İçi Basıncı Yüksekliklerinin Tanı ve Tedavi Sürecinin Değerlendirilmesi: 1990-2018 yılları arası 28 yıllık analiz

AIM: To evaluate the etiological and demographic characteristics and treatment processes of patients with trauma-induced elevated intraocular pressure (IOP).&#x0D; MATHERIAL AND METHOD: We retrospectively analysed 191 patients with elevated IOP after trauma between 1990 and 2018. Demographic characteristics, type of trauma, cause of glaucoma, lens status, visual acuity, IOP, other ocular findings, medical and/or surgical treatments and follow-up periods were recorded.&#x0D; RESULTS: A total of 148 (77.5%) males and 43 (22.5%) females with a mean age of 29.68±19.47 years were analysed. Mean follow-up period was 158±23.73 months. The type of trauma was blunt in 171 patients (89.5%) and open in 20 patients (10.5%). The mean interval between trauma and IOP elevation was 78 days (3 days-5 years). Glaucoma was due to angle regression in 89 (46.6%), hyphema in 78 (40.8%), lens-related in 24 (12.6%) and other causes in 3 (1.54%) patients. Lens damage, lens-related IOP elevation and need for surgical intervention were more common after open injuries. 72% of the patients were able to achieve appropriate IOP with observation and medical treatment alone without surgery. Trabeculectomy was the most preferred effective surgical method in both trauma groups. &#x0D; CONCLUSION: The development of glaucoma after ocular trauma is an essential factor affecting visual prognosis. Early diagnosis and treatment might be challenging in proportion to the severity of ocular involvement. However, not all IOP elevations may cause glaucomatous damage, transient IOP elevations could be monitored without medication. In our study, the frequency of posttraumatic IOP elevation was higher in men and young people. This might be related to more trauma exposure in the indicated population. Blunt traumas cause IOP elevation more frequently. In contrast, the need for glaucoma surgery is more frequent after open injuries. Angle recession is the most common cause of posttraumatic glaucuma. Therefore, angle assessment is necessary in all possible cases. The status of the lens after trauma will affect the prognosis and choice of surgery. Regular follow-up is crucial for the detection of secondary glaucoma since IOP elevation may develop in the late post-traumatic period. &#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Ocular trauma, blunt trauma, angle recession glaucoma, traumatic glaucoma

Exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma ‐ Current research and Management in Georgia

Exfoliation Syndrome (XFS) is an age‐related disorder of extracellular matrix affecting millions of people worldwide. It is the most common identifiable cause of glaucoma which is characterized by much more severe clinical course, more fluctuation of intraocular pressure (IOP), less response to medical treatment, faster progression of optic nerve atrophy and visual field deterioration, more frequent need of surgical treatment.XFS is a heritable condition. This fact is long known from familial aggregation studies. Very little is known about the mechanisms of disease development. This is especially true about Exfoliation Glaucoma (XFG), considering that not every XFS patient converts to XFG.The only evidence‐based treatment of XFG nowadays is IOP lowering, although addressing mechanisms of IOP elevation could be the best preventive and treatment measure.The aim of this talk is to summarize the current status of genetic studies of XFS/XFG and to provide some tips for treatment based on several clinical examples.

Clinical profile, management and outcomes of pseudoexfoliation syndrome with glaucoma in a tertiary eye care hospital

To study the clinical profile, management and outcomes of pseudoexfoliation (PXF) syndrome with glaucoma in a tertiary eye care hospital.This is a prospective hospital based interventional study over a period of two years from January 2020 to December 2022. 300 eyes of 150 cases aged between forty to ninety years, visiting OPD and diagnosed with PXF syndrome with glaucoma were enrolled in the current study. Cases with other causes of glaucoma, ocular trauma or surgery, cases who were lost on follow-up were excluded. In our study, 67% eyes with PXF syndrome were non-glaucomatous and 33% (300 eyes) were glaucomatous which was taken as the study population. PXF syndrome cases having glaucoma showed 43 % of PXF glaucoma, 27% primary open angle glaucoma, 18 % primary angle closure glaucoma and 12 % normal tension glaucoma respectively. Bilateral glaucoma was seen in 83% .Mean Intra ocular Pressure (IOP) of the cases was found to be 18.28 ± 3.48 mmHg. Surgical intervention was done in 20% with surgical complications reported among 16.7 % eyes. Mean IOP after 1 month and 12 month of surgery was 16.8 mmHg and 14.6 mmHg respectively.Greater prevalence rate was found with age greater than 60 yrs, mean being 64 yrs and there was no gender predilection.We observed a greater incidence of PXF syndrome with glaucoma in our region and a positive statistical correlation with increasing age, poor mydriasis and progressive glaucomatous optic neuropathy unresponsive to medical management.Rate of surgical complications was very high.Hence, Ophthalmologists must emphasize on screening and meticulous preoperative examination of PXF to avoid intraoperative complications in these cases.

Preliminary evaluation of safety and migration of immune activated mesenchymal stromal cells administered by subconjunctival injection for equine recurrent uveitis.

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), an immune mediated disease characterized by repeated episodes of intra-ocular inflammation, affects 25% of horses in the USA and is the most common cause of glaucoma, cataracts, and blindness. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have immunomodulatory properties, which are upregulated by preconditioning with toll-like receptor agonists. The objective was to evaluate safety and migration of TLR-3 agonist polyinosinic, polycytidylic acid (pIC)-activated MSCs injected subconjunctivally in healthy horses prior to clinical application in horses with ERU. We hypothesized that activated allogeneic MSCs injected subconjunctivally would not induce ocular or systemic inflammation and would remain in the conjunctiva for >14 days. Bulbar subconjunctiva of two horses was injected with 10 × 106 pIC-activated (10 μg/mL, 2 h) GFP-labeled MSCs from one donor three times at two-week intervals. Vehicle (saline) control was injected in the contralateral conjunctiva. Horses received physical and ophthalmic exams [slit lamp biomicroscopy, rebound tonometry, fundic examination, and semiquantitative preclinical ocular toxicology scoring (SPOTS)] every 1-3 days. Systemic inflammation was assessed via CBC, fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A (SAA). Horses were euthanized 14 days following final injection. Full necropsy and histopathology were performed to examine ocular tissues and 36 systemic organs for MSC presence via IVIS Spectrum. Anti-GFP immunohistochemistry was performed on ocular tissues. No change in physical examinations was noted. Bloodwork revealed fibrinogen 100-300 mg/dL (ref 100-400) and SAA 0-25 μg/mL (ref 0-20). Ocular effects of the subjconjucntival injection were similar between MSC and control eyes on SPOTS grading system, with conjunctival hypermia, chemosis and ocular discharge noted bilaterally, which improved without intervention within 14 days. All other ocular parameters were unaffected throughout the study. Necropsy and histopathology revealed no evidence of systemic inflammation. Ocular histopathology was similar between MSC and control eyes. Fluorescent imaging analysis did not locate MSCs. Immunohistochemistry did not identify intact MSCs in the conjunctiva, but GFP-labeled cellular components were present in conjunctival phagocytic cells. Allogeneic pIC-activated conjunctival MSC injections were well tolerated. GFP-labeled tracking identified MSC components phagocytosed by immune cells subconjunctivally. This preliminary safety and tracking information is critical towards advancing immune conditioned cellular therapies to clinical trials in horses.

Acute Closed Angle Glaucoma : A Case Report

Glaucoma is an eye disorder characterized by disruption of the tissue and integrity of eye function. This study aims to describe a case of Glaucoma along with an explanation and management of its therapy so that it can help increase knowledge and detect it early. This type of research is a descriptive case study. The research was conducted at an eye clinic on February 12 2022 on patients who were diagnosed with acute angle closure glaucoma through anamnesis and direct physical examination of the patient. Based on the results of the anamnesis and physical examination obtained, Mrs. K was diagnosed with acute left angle closure glaucoma, an eye disorder that occurs due to a rapid increase in intraocular pressure as a sign of anterior eye closure. room, blocking the flow of aqueous humor. In this case, Timolol maleate 0.5% ED 2 dd gtt 1 OS therapy was given, a beta (?)-adrenergic receptor antagonist whose function is to reduce aqueous humor production. Apart from that, Acetazolamide 250 mg 3x1 therapy was also given, which is a class of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor which functions to suppress the production of aqueous humor. The conclusion of this study is that the most common cause of glaucoma is obstruction of aqueous humor outflow due to pupillary blockade, closure of the angle of the anterior chamber, narrowing of the trabecular meshwork and increased episcleral venous pressure thereby increasing intraocular pressure.

Efficacy and safety of transscleral cyclophotocoagulation versus cyclocryotherapy in the treatment of intractable glaucoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To perform a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) and cyclocryotherapy (CCT) in the treatment of intractable glaucoma. Systemic searches of the Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases yielded experimental and observational comparative studies. TSCPC and CCT efficacy and safety outcomes were compared. Subgroup analyses of participant ethnicity, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) level, and underlying causes of glaucoma were conducted. The pooled effects were computed using the random-effects model. The meta-analysis included nine studies totalling 668 eyes. There was no statistically significant difference between the TSCPC and CCT groups in the IOP reduction (IOPR%), decrease in antiglaucoma medications, the operative success rate with or without medications, or retreatment rate in the efficacy analysis. In the subgroup analysis, CCT had a better IOP-lowering effect among non-Asian participants and a non-inferior IOPR% to TSCPC among Asian participants. TSCPC and CCT were associated with similar rates of deterioration in visual acuity, postoperative visual analog scale, and other analysed postoperative complications in the safety analysis. In both groups, severe complications were uncommon. Diode laser TSCPC and CCT had nearly equivalent clinical efficacy in treating intractable glaucoma, while CCT demonstrated a better IOP-lowering effect in non-Asian. Both cyclodestructive procedures have a comparable safety profile.

Analysis of Corticosteroid-Induced Glaucoma Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Reporting Database.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness, which significantly reduces quality of life. Most glaucoma cases are primary glaucoma; nevertheless, many patients suffer from glaucoma caused by drugs, such as corticosteroids. A comprehensive review of the risks associated with corticosteroid-induced glaucoma is limited. Therefore, we used the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Reporting Database (JADER) published by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to analyze the risk factors associated with glaucoma and the trends and characteristics of corticosteroid-induced glaucoma. We did not find sex or age differences associated with the onset of glaucoma. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed that triamcinolone acetonide and betamethasone sodium phosphate, which are used around the eyes in Japan, are more likely to induce intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation compared with other corticosteroids. Increased IOP is a direct cause of glaucoma. Based on these findings, it may be necessary to limit or avoid the use of these corticosteroids.

A novel glaucoma detection model using Unet++-based segmentation and ResNet with GRU-based optimized deep learning

Glaucoma is a dangerous eye disease and it affects the vision in people. It mainly damages the eye nerves and the severe cause of glaucoma leads to permanent sight loss. The target of the glaucoma disease detection approach is lowering the intraocular pressure and reducing inflammation. The detection of glaucoma disease takes more time. This method functioned based on the availability of energy and sample resources. However, the existing approaches have the chance for human error and misclassification results. Many computer vision-based techniques are used for glaucoma detection but, none of them are detected glaucoma disease in the early stage. Then, they focused on the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) of segmentation and feature extraction for detecting glaucoma disease. In this research, a new glaucoma detection model with an ensemble learning architecture is implemented with the heuristic strategy. Then, the collected images are given into histogram equalization technique and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) for pre-processing the retinal fundus images. The pre-processed images are separately considered for performing the disc and cup segmentation, where both the segmentation is done through U-Shape Network (Unet++) technique. The segmented disc and cup images preceded towards the glaucoma detection, in which the hybrid deep learning technique of Residual Network (ResNet) with Gated Recurrent Units (ResNet-GRU) is used for detecting the glaucoma disease. Here, certain parameters in the deep learning techniques for glaucoma detection are tuned with a Modified Density Factor-based HBA (MDF-HBA). The detected output through disc-segmented and cup-segmented images are undergone averaging to finalize the optimal detection output.

Mutations in EFEMP1 in Patients with Juvenile Open-Angle Glaucoma

Determine the role of the EFEMP1 gene in the pathogenesis of juvenile open-angle glaucoma (JOAG). Prospective case-control PARTICIPANTS: 72 JOAG and 215 POAG patients and 362 controls from Iowa. DNA was tested for coding sequence mutations in the EFEMP1gene using Sanger or whole exome sequencing. No non-synonymous EFEMP1 mutations were detected in JOAG patients and one non-synonymous EFEMP1variant (c.146A>C, p.Asp49Ala) was detected in both POAG patients (n= 2, 1.5%) and controls (n=4, 1.1%) at similar frequencies (p = 0.67). EFEMP1 mutations are not a common cause of glaucoma in our cohort from Iowa.

Intraocular Pressure-Lowering and Retina-Protective Effects of Exosome-Rich Conditioned Media from Human Amniotic Membrane Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is one of the most devastating eye diseases, since the disease can develop into blindness and no effective therapeutics are available. Although the exact mechanisms and causes of glaucoma are unknown, increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been demonstrated to be an important risk factor. Exosomes are lipid nanoparticles secreted from functional cells, including stem cells, and have been found to contain diverse functional molecules that control body function, inhibit inflammation, protect and regenerate cells, and restore damaged tissues. In the present study, exosome-rich conditioned media (ERCMs) were attained via hypoxic culture (2% O2) of human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells (AMMSCs) and amniotic membrane epithelial stem cells (AMESCs) containing 50 times more exosome particles than normoxic culture (20% O2) medium (NCM). The exosome particles in ERCM were confirmed to be 77 nm in mean size and contain much greater amounts of growth factors (GFs) and neurotrophic factors (NFs) than those in NCM. The glaucoma-therapeutic effects of ERCMs were assessed in retinal cells and a hypertonic (1.8 M) saline-induced high-IOP animal model. CM-DiI-labeled AMMSC exosomes were found to readily penetrate the normal and H2O2-damaged retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and AMMSC-ERCM not only facilitated retinal pigment epithelial cell (RPEC) proliferation but also protected against H2O2- and hypoxia-induced RPEC insults. The IOP of rats challenged with 1.8 M saline increased twice the normal IOP (12-17 mmHg) in a week. However, intravitreal injection of AMMSC-ERCM or AMESC-ERCM (3.9-4.5 × 108 exosomes in 10 μL/eye) markedly recovered the IOP to normal level in 2 weeks, similar to the effect achieved with platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB, 1.5 μg), a reference material. In addition, AMMSC-ERCM, AMESC-ERCM, and PDGF-AB significantly reversed the shrinkage of retinal layers, preserved RGCs, and prevented neural injury in the glaucoma eyes. It was confirmed that stem cell ERCMs containing large numbers of functional molecules such as GFs and NFs improved glaucoma by protecting retinal cells against oxidative and hypoxic injuries in vitro and by recovering IOP and retinal degeneration in vivo. Therefore, it is suggested that stem cell ERCMs could be a promising candidate for the therapy of glaucoma.

Understanding and Visualization of Different Feature Extraction Processes in Glaucoma Detection

In the recent years the usage of mobile phone is increased and it is the major reason for cause of vision loss in several people. The continuous usage increases pressure inside optic nerve head and it leads to glaucoma disease. Also, there are lot of other reasons which leads to the cause of glaucoma. The purpose of this paper is to determine the importance of feature extraction process in glaucoma detection and implementation of different techniques for extracting convenient features for training machine learning model using pre-processed OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) images. The two major feature extraction techniques narrated in this paper are convolutional neural network (CNN) model-based feature extraction and image processing model-based feature extraction. A performance analysis was conducted to find best feature extraction technique and both techniques performed well.

Genetic inhibition of collapsin response mediator protein-2 phosphorylation ameliorates retinal ganglion cell death in normal-tension glaucoma models.

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a cause of glaucoma. However, glaucoma often develops with normal IOP and is known as normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Glutamate neurotoxicity is considered as one of the significant causes of NTG, resulting in excessive stimulation of retinal neurons via the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The present study examined the phosphorylation of collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2), a protein that is abundantly expressed in neurons and involved in their development. In two mouse models, NMDA-injection and glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) mutant, CRMP2 phosphorylation at the cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) site was elevated in RGCs. We confirmed that the decrease in the number of RGCs and thickness of the inner retinal layer (IRL) could be suppressed after NMDA administration in CRMP2KI/KI mice with genetically inhibited CRMP2 phosphorylation. Next, we investigated GLAST heterozygotes (GLAST+/-) with CRMP2KI/KI (GLAST+/-;CRMP2KI/KI) and GLAST knockout (GLAST-/-) mice with CRMP2KI/KI (GLAST-/-;CRMP2KI/KI) mice and compared them with GLAST+/- and GLAST-/- mice. pCRMP2 (S522) inhibition significantly reduced RGC loss and IRL thinning. These results suggest that the inhibition of CRMP2 phosphorylation could be a novel strategy for treating NTG.