bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polyunsaturated fatty acids and Plasmalogens in diabetics
Authors: KOEHRER P , SAAB S , BRON A , ACAR N 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose Plasmalogens (PLS) are phospholipids characterized by a vinyl ether bond and a preferential esterification of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). We have previously shown that the lack of PLS leads to retinal hyper‐capillarization. We hypothesize that PLS are negative regulators of vascular development, and aimed to check their circulating levels in diabetic patients.Methods Blood samples were collected from 88 patients and 14 control subjects. Among diabetics we had 14 patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR), 12 with a mild non proliferative DR, 12 with a moderate non proliferative DR, 22 with a severe non proliferative DR and 24 with a proliferative DR (PDR). Erythrocytes were isolated from total blood samples. The PLS content and the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phospholipids were determined using capillary column gas chromatography. Individual species of phospholipids, including PLS, were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry instrument (HPLC‐ESI+MS/MS).Results Gas chromatographic analyzes showed significant reduced levels of omega‐3 PUFAs including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and omega‐6 PUFAs including arachidonic acid in diabetic patients without DR and in patients with DR at any stage. The analysis of individual species of phospholipids by HPLC‐ESI+MS/MS showed reduced levels of choline‐phospholipids esterified with DHA in PRD patients and ethanolamine‐phospholipids esterified with DHA at the mild, moderate, severe stages of DR but not in PRD. Levels of cholin and ethanolamine‐PLS remained stable in all the diabetic patients when compared to controls.Conclusion Our results suggest that omega‐6 and omega‐3 PUFAs from conventional phospholipids but not PLS may be involved in the pathogenesis of DR.
Cicrulating markers of retinal and optic nerve lipids
Authors: ACAR N , BERDEAUX O , HE Z , GREGOIRE S , CABARET S , MARTINE L , GAIN P , THURET G , CREUZOT‐GARCHER C , BRON A , BRETILLON L 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose Blood lipids are frequently used as a surrogate of lipid composition of peripheral tissues. Even if it is well accepted such a relationship has never been clearly demonstrated for the eye. The aim of this study was to determine in human samples whether a lipidomic approach based on red blood cells could reveal associations between circulating and ocular lipid profiles.Methods Red blood cells, retinas and optic nerves were collected from 9 human donors. The lipidomic analyses on these tissues consisted in gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization source‐mass spectrometer (LC‐ESI‐MS).Results Gas chromatographic approach did not shpw any relevant association between circulating and ocular lipids except for arachidonic acid whose circulating amounts were positively associated with its retinal and optic nerve levels. However, significant associations emerged from LC‐ESI‐MS analyses. Indeed, phospholipid species in red blood cells were positively or negatively associated with representative pools of retinal DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), retinal VLC‐PUFA (very‐long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) or optic nerve plasmalogens.Conclusion First, our results show that LC‐ESI‐MS methodology is more appropriate than gas chromatography for lipidomics on red blood cells, and further extrapolation to ocular lipids. Second, this study has identified several individual lipid species as good candidates to represent circulating biomarkers of ocular lipids.
Obvious, non‐obvious MGD and new therapy options & the German perspective on MGD
Authors: KNOP N , KORB DR , BLACKIE CA , KNOP E 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose The concept of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) has drastically changed during the last century. Obstructive MGD has often few or no symptoms although an atrophic process proceeds inside the gland tissue. This conceivably most frequent form of MGD is called non‐obvious MGD or NOMGD.Methods A literature review on MGD together with own findings is discussed in order to explain the different types of MGD and new options for their diagnosis and treatment.Results Historically, MGD was thought to have purulent hypersecretion with ouvert inflammation. Since a few decades it has occurred that MGD also includes obstructive, hyposecretory forms, that had escaped attention because of less obvious symptoms. In fact this represents the vast majority of disease and results from stasis due to hyperkeratinization of the ducts and hardened secretum. It often leads to a still borderline normal tear film and hence symptoms only occur due to environmental stress like air condition, video terminal work or contact lenses. The term MGD was coined only 30 years ago when apparently normal patients became symptomatic after fitting of a contact lens. The diagnosis of tear film lipid deficiencies and the removal of hardened secretum by physical measures require new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and instruments but may offer, for the first time, a causative approach to dry eye diseaseConclusion Recognition of MGD with tear film instability due to lipid deficiency and with atropic gland destruction has lead to a paradigm shift in the understanding of dry eye disease and to new developments in diagnostics and therapy. This requires new sophisticated forms of lipid layer diagnostics and physical therapy together with addition of lipids to tear substitutions.
Effect of light source size on discomfort glare thresholds
Authors: JIA Y , BARGARY G , BARBUR JL 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose Bright light sources, such as car headlamps or residential street lights, can cause visual discomfort. The origins of discomfort glare (DG) or the factors that contribute to it remain poorly understood, even after 50 years of multidisciplinary research [American Journal of Ophthalmology, 153(4):587‐593(2012)]. This study examined the effect of the light‐source intensity, size, surround luminance and pupil size on DG thresholds.Methods The pupil was measured in real time to calculate retinal illuminance, a more pertinent parameter in studies of DG. DG thresholds were estimated with a staircase procedure: the retinal illuminance was increased or decreased based on whether the participant indicated the absence or presence of DG, respectively. The subjects were required to view a source of light presented against a simulated residential street background. The size of the disc source was selected randomly under computer control. Five different source sizes were used to produce a 40 fold variation in stimulus area. The light source behind the aperture disc was designed to produce uniform flashes of light of varying intensity, while the surround light level remained unchanged.Results It was found that at the threshold for DG, the retinal illuminance is approximately constant and independent of source size. On the other hand, pupil plane illuminance increases as source size increases.Conclusion These findings suggest that DG depends mostly on localised retinal illuminance, rather than the total amount of light entering the eye. DG therefore appears to be largely related to saturation of photoreceptor signals. The results also suggest that higher levels of street illumination can be achieved by increasing the size of light source without causing any increase in DG.
The effect of discomfort glare on parallel processing of visual information
Authors: BARGARY G , BARBUR JL 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose When a person is confronted with a bright light source against a dim background, scattered light can cause visual discomfort in addition to reducing object contrast on the retina. Previous work addressing the effect of glare on visual performance has focused mainly on the reduction in retinal image contrast (known as disability glare) rather than the often accompanying experience of discomfort glare. This study examines how parallel processing of visual information is affected under conditions of discomfort glare.Methods Light scatter sources surrounded a monitor on which the subject carried out standard contrast acuity (CA) tasks. All CA tasks were carried out with and without discomfort glare (estimated in a prior experiment). In the parallel task, a fovea target (Landolt C) and four peripheral stimuli (three distractors and one target) were presented concurrently; the subject had to indicate both the orientation of the gap for the foveal target and the quadrant containing the peripheral target. The size of the peripheral target was increased relative to the foveal target to ensure that all targets were equally detectable. This was done separately with and without discomfort glare, thus negating any influence of disability glare.Results The presence of discomfort glare degrades visual performance in the parallel processing task even when adjustments are made to cancel out the effects of disability glare.Conclusion Studies that have focused only on disability glare may be underestimating the adverse effect glaring light sources can have on visual performance, particularly in real world scenarios where attention to objects in both the fovea and periphery is often required.
Adjuvant stem cell‐based therapy in acute retinal injury after sodium iodate administration in mice
Authors: MACHALINSKA A 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose The aim of this study was to determine and optimize a new strategy of SC‐based therapy of selectively damaged retina after sodium iodate (NaIO3) administration in C57BL/6J mice.Methods To address this issue, we investigated the effects of NaIO3 administrated in two different concentrations, i.e. 40 and 20 mg per kg of the body mass. Electrophysiological function of the retina using dark‐and light‐adapted full field flash ERG as well as morphological characteristics, were determined at several time points after each dose administration. Next, we performed intravitreal transplantation of murine GFP+Lin‐ cells on the 1st day since NaIO3 administration. We analyzed the retinal functional changes as well as the number, localization and phenotype of intravitreally injected GFP+Lin‐ cells within recipients’ retinas.Results Our findings revealed that massive destruction of the tissue was associated with irreversible retinal dysfunction, whereas moderate retinal injury triggered regenerative mechanisms that restore bioelectrical function of the damaged retina.By employing SC‐based therapy we achieved noticeable improvement of the retinal function, particularly in the short‐term observation. We observed the presence and proliferation of the injected cells at the site of RPE injury.Conclusion Our study provides evidence that NaIO3‐induced retinal damage triggers a sequence of pathophysiological events dedicated to supporting the self‐regeneration of injured tissue. Our results indicate that if the scope of retinal destruction is profound, endogenous regeneration is ineffective and may ultimately require therapeutic transplantation of specific stem cell subpopulations and other adjuvant therapies.
Fructose diet induced short‐term impairment of cone sensitivity and gene expression in rat retina
Authors: THIERRY M , BUTEAU B , PASQUIS B , ACAR N , BRON A , CREUZOT‐GARCHER C , BRETILLON L 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose A high fructose diet has been widely used to trigger insulin resistance in rodent; insulin resistance is one of the major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Thirty to 40% of diabetic patients develop diabetic retinopathy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the short‐term effect, at 1, 3, 5, 8 days, of a 60% fructose diet, on photoreceptor sensitivity and gene expression in the retina of Brown Norway rats.Methods Flicker electroretinograms (8Hz) were recorded under anesthesia, from both eyes simultaneously in order to study sensitivity of photoreceptors. Then, rats were euthanized and enucleated. Retinae and posterior poles were collected to analyze gene expression by RT‐PCR. We specifically focused on 45 genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis, lipid trafficking, vascular changes and inflammation.Results Our data showed that a short period of fructose feeding induced early changes in retinal functionality and homeostasis. Interestingly, we reported a partial loss of cone sensitivity after 8 days of feeding rats with the high‐fructose diet. No effect was found in rod sensitivity.Conclusion These findings are consistent with the sensibility and susceptibility of cones to dietary changes. These data deserve further investigations on the cross‐talk between cones and rods upon metabolic changes associated with aging.
Diced Alu: Canning the blinding inflammasome
Authors: AMBATI J 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose To determine the mechanisms of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cell death induced by DICER1 deficient and Alu RNA accumulation, which are observed in human geographic atrophy RPE.Methods Human and mouse RPE cell culture studies were combined with in vivo mouse models of RPE degeneration induced by DICER1 targeting or Alu RNA exposure.Results DICER1 deficit or Alu RNA exposure activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and triggers TLR‐independent MyD88 signaling via IL18 in the RPE. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of inflammasome components (NLRP3, Pycard, Caspase‐1), MyD88, or IL18 prevents RPE degeneration induced by DICER1 loss or Alu RNA exposure. Human GA RPE contains elevated amounts of NLRP3, PYCARD, and IL18 and evidence of increased Caspase‐1 and MyD88 activation.Conclusion These findings provide a rationale for targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL18/MyD88 pathways in GA.
Commercial interest
Neurodegeneration in retinal diseases and new strategies in its inhibition
Authors: REHAK M , WIEDEMANN P , RAO NA 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose Recent studies showed the role of toll‐like receptors (e.g.TLR4) in the generation of inflammatory cytokines, initiation of oxidative DNA damage, and induction of mitochondrial oxidative stress.Methods Several retinal diseases result in photoreceptor mitochondrial oxidative damage. The oxidative‐stress‐induced nitration of photoreceptor mitochondrial proteins and peroxidation of membrane lipids led to activation and migration of microglia toward the photoreceptors. These observations suggest oxidative stress could be an initial pathologic event leading to amplification of inflammation inducing photoreceptor damage. Molecules that prevent mitochondrial oxidative stress and photoreceptor apoptosis may help prevent retinal damage and preserve vision in patients with different retinal disease.Results Several different agents were investigated to reduce the mitochondrial oxidative stress. The small heat shock protein alpha‐A crystallin prevents photoreceptor mitochondrial oxidative stress‐mediated apoptosis in inflammatory disease such an experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Interestingly, only alpha‐A and not alpha‐B‐crystallin, a closely related small heat shock protein works, pointing to molecular specificity in the observed retinal protection. based on modulation of the systemic B and T cell immunity.Conclusion In the ischemic retinal diseases the neuroprotective role of neuroglobin has been shown. Neuroglobin overexpression plays a protective role against retinal ischemia reperfusion injury due to decreasing of mitochondrial oxidative stress‐mediated apoptosis.
ICGA: why I think that it is still relevant today
Authors: NERI P , ARAPI I , CAPUANO V , PIRANI V 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose To discuss the role of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in ophthalmology and the breaking news on this methodology.Methods The current literature is reviewed and the experience of a tertiary referral centre is reported.Results ICGA is an essential method used to explore the posterior pole in several sight‐threatening diseases. Although this technique has been proven effective in detecting anomalies which were unappreciable with the traditional methods, there is still reluctancy in making use of such method. In the recent past months the topic of ICGA has again moved to the forefront of angiographic actuality with two editorial articles in largely diffused ophthalmological journals. The scientific dignity of ICGA is discussed and advocated by the western World, mostly by highly specialized ophthalmic centres in Europe. We will discuss the state of the art of the clinical use and the evidences in the medical literature of the ICGA.Conclusion ICGA is a validated method for the evaluation of the posterior pole, which can provide essential informations for the clinical assessment and management of several diseases. Albeit the validity of such technique has been proven, there is still some unjustified reluctancy in accepting its pivotal role in ophthalmology: the evidences suggest its use for every single disease that can affect the choroid and cannot be appreciated by the traditional tests.
ICGA in inflammatory diseases
Authors: HERBORT CP 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose Choroidal involvement in uveitis is present at least as often if not more often than retinal involvement. Imaging of the different choroidal compartments is only possible using indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The trend presently seems to shift away from ICGA for diseases of the fundus. Unlike other fundus conditions where use of ICGA is debated, this imaging technique is crucial for inflammatory conditions in order not to miss choroidal involvement especially in diseases where the primary lesion process is exclusively situated either in the choroidal stroma as for Vogt‐Koyanagi‐Harada (VKH)disease or at the level of the choriocapillaris as for MEWDS or APMPPE.Methods ICGA is ideal to explore the choroid as the ICG molecule has two crucial properties : (1)it fluoresces in the infrared, allowing to "see" through the RPE into the choroid; linked to proteins it forms a macromolecular complex that is trapped in the choroidal stroma so outlining inflammatory foci. Hence, different lesion processi were identified by ICGA which allowed a classification of choroiditis into choriocapillaritis and stromal choroiditis according to the anatomic location of the disease. Mostly these lesions are occult and can only be identified by ICGA.Results Primary choroidal diseases (choriocapillaritis, stromal choroiditis) could only meaningfully be investigated and followed by ICGA. It was found to be diagnostic in a substantial proportion of cases. In those entities such as VKH where the inflammatory insult is exclusively limited to the choroid, ICGA is the only mean to monitor subclinical disease and adjust therapy.Conclusion In inflammatory diseases, unlike in other fields where opinions diverge, ICGA is not only relevant but essential for global appraisal and follow‐up.
Advances in central serous chorioretinopathy: from diagnosis to treatment
Authors: NICOLO M 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose To discuss the role of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC)Methods Review of the current literature and the experience of a tertiary referral centre is reported.Results ICGA is an essential method used to diagnose, treat and follow patient affected by central serous chorioretinopathy. This technique enabled ophthalmologists to have more insight in the pathogenesis of CSC. Recently the utility of ICGA in CSC has been re‐discussed again in relation to the different patterns of choroidal permeability, distribution of the fluid and the reponse to photodynami therapy. We will discuss the state of the art of clinical use and the evidences in the medical literature of the ICGA.Conclusion ICGA is an validated method for the evaluation of CSC, which can provide essential informations for the clinical assessment and management of this disease. The evidences suggest its use in every case of CSC in order to make diagnosis and guide photodynamic therapy.
Anatomic response of occult choroidal neovascularization to intravitreal ranibizumab: a study by indocyanine green angiography
Authors: TRAN THC , QUERQUES G 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose To investigate changes in indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) features of occult choroidal neo‐vascularization (CNV) after intravitreal ranibizumab injections.Methods We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with newly diagnosed occult CNV secondary to age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) treated by intravitreal ranibizumab. In all patients, optical coherence tomography(OCT) and ICGA were performed at baseline, after 3 months and 12 months.Results Fifty‐one eyes of 44 patients (ten males, 34 females, mean age 77.8±7.3 years) were included. Mean follow‐up was 20.3±6.2 months. During the first 12 months, patients received 5.5±2.7 intravitreal ranibizumab injections.When compared with baseline, best‐corrected visual acuity(BCVA) significantly improved at the 3‐month follow‐up visit(60.5 ±22.0 vs 50.9 ±20.7 letters, p=0.04), and stabilized at 12‐month visit (55.7 ±18.2 letters; p=0.05). Central macular thickness (CMT) significantly improved during follow‐up (229±54.7µm vs 281±61.3 µm at baseline, p=0.003). An overall stabilization was observed on ICGA in both the lesion area (5.27±3.9 mm2 at baseline vs 4.60±3.5 mm2 at month 12, p=0.4), and greatest linear dimension (GLD 2.66±1.2 mm at baseline vs 2.55±1.0 mm at month 12, p=0.3). Eight eyes (15.7%) showed CNV growth on ICGA (lesion area 3.98±3.2 mm2 at baseline vs 4.3±2.7 mm2 at month‐12,p=0.6; GLD 2.11±1.0 mm at baseline vs 2.70±0.8 mm at month‐12, p=0.05).Conclusion ICGA suggests that functional outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab is related to CMT reduction rather than CNV regression
Integrated imaging approach in RAP diagnosis
Authors: PARRAVANO M , VARANO M , VIRGILI G 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose to explore the inter‐observer agreement in the diagnosis of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) using fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiographies (ICGA) and to detect which morphological features of the neovascular lesion are associated with RAP diagnosis.Methods cross‐sectional study. Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed neovascular AMD evaluated in 8 Retina Centres have been considered. FA and ICGA were obtained in all centres according to a standard protocol, both performed either as a static or as a dynamic examination. All images were graded by two observers from different institutions.Results 201 eyes with neovascular AMD of 155 consecutive patients (mean age: 76±8 years) have been considered. Overall RAP prevalence was 30% using FA and 26% using ICGA. Patients studied with dynamic angiography were twice more likely to be diagnosed RAP as those using static angiography. Inter‐observer agreement for the overall detection of RAP was high using FA (kappa: 0.868; 95%CI: 0.793‐0.944) and very high using ICGA (kappa: 0.905; 95%CI: 0.836‐0.974). The agreement between the two observers tended to be higher for the truncated vessel than for the anastomosis in FA as wells as in ICGA, but no comparison yielded statistical significance (p=0.258 and p=0.584, respectively).Conclusion the inter‐observer agreement for RAP detection was very good both using FA and ICGA, but the overall detection of RAP was higher for dynamic strategy compared with static one.