Current Eye Research最新文献

Purpose: To compare optic disc morphology and peripapillary structures in patients with varying degrees of myopia using swept-source optical coherence tomography, and to analyze their correlation with the peripapillary choroidal vascularity index.

Methods: Patients aged 18-40 years with myopia were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups according to spherical equivalent refraction: group A (low myopia, -3.00 D < spherical equivalent ≤ -0.5 D), group B (moderate myopia, -6.00 D < spherical equivalent ≤ -3.00 D), and group C (high myopia, spherical equivalent ≤ -6.00 D). We compared the incidence and area of parapapillary atrophy in the β-zone (β-parapapillary atrophy) and the γ-zone (γ-parapapillary atrophy). The incidence and degree of optic disc tilt and optic disc rotation were also compared. We further examined differences in peripapillary choroidal thickness and peripapillary choroidal vascularity index among the groups. Linear regression analysis evaluated the relationships between peripapillary choroidal vascularity index and these parameters.

Results: In groups with higher myopia, the incidence and area of parapapillary atrophy, as well as optic disc tilt, increased. No significant difference in optic disc rotation was observed among the groups; however, downward optic disc rotation was more common in groups with higher myopia. Temporal peripapillary choroidal thickness was positively correlated with peripapillary choroidal vascularity index. The area of β-parapapillary atrophy showed a negative correlation with temporal, superior, and inferior peripapillary choroidal vascularity index. The area of γ-parapapillary atrophy was negatively correlated with temporal and nasal peripapillary choroidal vascularity index.

Conclusion: The parapapillary atrophy area increases in higher myopia groups. γ-parapapillary atrophy enlarges predominantly in low-to-moderate myopia. Downward optic disc rotation is more prevalent in highly myopic groups. Reduced temporal peripapillary choroidal thickness may indicate impaired peripapillary choroidal blood flow.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single Tearmaestro^® liquid pulsation treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related dry eye disease.

Methods: In this prospective trial, 31 patients with MGD-related dry eye received a single 12-minute treatment. The primary outcome was the change in the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score from baseline to the 1-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included tear film break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibomian gland secretion (MGS) and orifice (MQS) scores, Schirmer I test, tear meniscus height (TMH), and safety parameters. All measures were assessed at baseline, 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months.

Results: The primary outcome, demonstrated a significant reduction at 1 month (p < 0.0001), with improvements sustained at all follow-ups (all p < 0.0001). Key secondary outcomes also showed significant improvement: TBUT increased at 1 and 3 months (p < 0.05), and CFS improved at 3 months (p < 0.0001). Significant enhancements in LLT, MQS, and MGS were observed at 1 and/or 3 months (all p < 0.01). LLT positively correlated with TBUT (p < 0.01) and negatively with CFS (p < 0.05). No serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusion: A single Tearmaestro^® liquid pulsation treatment significantly improves the primary outcome of patient-reported symptoms at 1 month, with concurrent benefits in tear film stability and meibomian gland function lasting up to 3 months. The treatment demonstrated a favorable safety profile, offering an efficient clinical option for MGD-related dry eye.

Purpose: Abnormal expression of glutamate receptors is believed to be associated with myopia. However, it is currently unclear which genes contribute to the occurrence of such diseases. This study aims to investigate the effects of glutamate receptor-related genes family on ocular growth and development in zebrafish.

Methods: Morpholino oligonucleotide injection, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, eye parameter measurements, visual motor responses, optokinetic responses, immunofluorescent staining, TUNEL assays, and Haematoxylin-Eosin staining were utilized to evaluate the alterations in the eyes following the deletion of grik1, gria4a, gria4b, grm5a, and grm5b.

Results: It was observed that, after silencing gria4a, gria4b, and grm5a, the eyes were smaller, but the axial length to equatorial axis ratio increased significantly, indicating impaired eye growth and a tendency toward myopia. Furthermore, a reduction in choroidal vascular endothelial fluorescence and a decrease in eye movement frequency were consistent with the previously mentioned results. Additionally, the deletion of grik1, gria4a, gria4b, grm5a, and grm5b led to reduced fluorescence in bipolar cells, amacrine cells, and RPE cells, as well as diminished ON and OFF responses in the visual motor responses.

Conclusions: Glutamate receptor-related genes, especially gria4a, gria4b, and grm5a, are likely involved in the onset of myopia and the regulation of visual development. The role of glutamate receptors in the onset and progression of myopia warrants further investigation.

Purpose: Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) -1 is a key regulator of endogenous fibrinolysis and is widely acknowledged as a its primary inhibitor. Beyond this function, PAI-1 also plays a role in macrophage migration during inflammatory conditions. This study aims to investigate the contribution of PAI-1 to the progression of uveitis.

Methods: We quantified PAI-1 protein levels in vitreous samples collected from uveitis patients utilizing a magnetic bead-based multiplex immunoassay. To clarify the changes in PAI-1 expression in uveitis, experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) was induced in mice through immunization with bovine retinal antigens. The mRNA levels of PAI-1 in the retinochoroidal tissues of EAU mice and control mice, which were immunized without retinal antigen, were examined using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The severity of EAU treated with the PAI-1 inhibitor; IMD4482, was clinically assessed over time. Furthermore, THP-1 macrophages were cultured with PAI-1 and each concentration of IMD4482 (0 μM, 0.1 μM, 1 μM, 10 μM and 100 μM) for 24 h. The number of migrated cells was quantified using a transwell assay.

Results: Vitreous PAI-1 protein levels were markedly eleveted in uveitis patients compared to controls (p < 0.01). In EAU mice, retinochoroidal PAI-1 mRNA expression was significantly higher than in control mice (n = 6, p = 0.03). Treatment with IMD4482 significantly reduced the clinical severity of EAU (n = 18-20, p < 0.01) and the migration of THP-1 macrophages was significantly inhibited by IMD4482 (100 μM; p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the level of PAI-1 is locally high in the eye of uveitis patients as well as in experimental uveitis models. Suppression of EAU through PAI-1 inhibition highlights its potential as a therapeutic target for uveitis.

Purpose: Aniseikonia, a perceptual asymmetry in ocular image size or shape, disrupts binocular vision and stereopsis. Aniseikonia testing is essential for quantifying visual dysfunction and improving prognosis. This review aims to evaluate advances in aniseikonia testing, with emphasis on clinical utility and methodological limitations.

Methods: A narrative review was conducted to synthesize evidence on traditional and digital approaches to aniseikonia assessment, with attention to testing principles and clinical applications.

Results: Traditional afocal lens methods have been supplanted by digital innovations like the New Aniseikonia Test (NAT) and Aniseikonia Inspector version 3 (AI3), which enhance precision through patient-specific optical modeling and adaptive psychophysical protocols. These tools enable efficient quantification of global and meridional aniseikonia, with clinical studies linking measurements to retinal pathologies (epiretinal membranes, macular edema) and surgical outcomes (cataract extraction, retinal detachment repair). Clinical applications extend to patients undergoing retinal surgery and those with amblyopia or binocular vision disorders. However, current tests remain constrained by methodological inconsistencies, including variability in stimulus types (e.g., dichoptic shapes vs. red-green filters), testing distances, and scoring criteria, which limit cross-study comparability.

Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of aniseikonia tests in clinical practice, which provide valuable insights into visual dysfunction and can aid in predicting treatment outcomes. Future efforts should prioritize the standardization of test parameters (luminance, contrast) and validation in diverse populations, particularly amblyopic and pediatric patients, to refine diagnostic thresholds. Emerging technologies such as tablets and cell phones will facilitate test administration and improve accessibility. Establishing consensus guidelines for clinical interpretation will enhance reliability in diagnosing and managing aniseikonia. By addressing these challenges, next-generation tests can better align theoretical accuracy with practical application, ultimately improving patient outcomes in conditions where binocular vision is compromised.

Purpose: Here, we aimed to obtain normative data for the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the peripapillary area (p-RNFL) using the spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in healthy Caucasian children using the OCT Spectralis instrument.

Methods: Caucasian patients of our hospital 5-15 years with spherical equivalent refraction of ±2 diopters, physiological ocular findings, delivered at gestational age ≥38 weeks, whose legal guardians volunteered with their participation in this cross-sectional study and signed informed consent were included. Exclusion criteria were a personal history of toxoplasmosis and other diseases that could potentially affect p-RNFL thickness. Results of 3.5 mm circular p-RNFL scans with automatic calculation of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were prospectively collected. Both eyes were measured in each participant and values for the global diameter (G) and average thickness in six sectors (NS, N, NI, TI, T, TS) were determined and statistically evaluated.

Results: 154 patients were included, with a mean age of 11.03 years. We have acquired data for p-RNFL in healthy Caucasian children aged 5-15 years and used them to create a normative database for improving the quality of the interpretation of the p-RNFL results in children. No significant differences between the left and right eyes in the same individuals were detected. However, a negative association between age and p-RNFL thickness, in particular in the NI sector, was revealed.

Conclusions: We have created a high-quality normative database that will allow us to accurately interpret the results of p-RNFL measurements in the Caucasian pediatric population.

Purpose: To assess the clinical performance and patient-reported outcomes of a new trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) over a 6-month follow-up period.

Methods: Prospective, non-comparative, single-center study including 20 eyes (10 patients, age, 47-79 years) undergoing bilateral cataract surgery with implantation of the trifocal diffractive IOL AT ELANA 841 P (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany). Visual acuity (VA) and refraction changes were evaluated over a 6-month follow-up period. Likewise, other clinical and patient reported outcomes were analyzed: binocular defocus curve (1 month), patient satisfaction and vision-related difficulties (Catquest 9SF, 3 months), photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity (CS) and photic phenomena (6 months).

Results: The 6-month postoperative spherical equivalent was within ±1.00 and ±0.50 D in 100% and 85% of cases, respectively. Mean binocular 6-month postoperative uncorrected distance, intermediate and near VA of -0.12 ± 0.06, -0.02 ± 0.06 and 0.06 ± 0.09 logMAR, respectively. Mean binocular 6-month postoperative distance-corrected intermediate and near VA were 0.00 ± 0.05 and 0.04 ± 0.08 logMAR. VA in the defocus curve remained ≤0.10 logMAR across defocus levels ranging from +0.50 D to -3.00 D. All CS values fell within the normal range, except for the 18 cycles/° spatial frequency measured under mesopic conditions with glare. Postoperatively, 90% of patients reported no vision-related difficulties in daily life and all patients reported being "very satisfied" postoperatively. A web-based simulator confirmed that photic phenomena were minimally disruptive postoperatively.

Conclusions: The trifocal IOL evaluated provides preliminarily a successful distance, intermediate and near visual rehabilitation, with high levels of patient satisfaction and visual quality associated.

Purpose: To evaluate choroidal abnormalities in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) using near-infrared reflectance (NIR) and en face optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to assess their associations with retinal and choroidal structural and microvascular parameters across diagnostic criteria and disease severity.

Methods: Fifty-two NF1 cases and 52 age- and sex-matched controls underwent multimodal imaging (SD-OCT, EDI-OCT, OCTA). Eye-level analyses used generalized estimating equations to account for inter-eye correlation. Multiple comparisons were controlled by the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR).

Results: NIR detected choroidal abnormalities in 69.2% of NF1 cases, while en face OCTA identified corresponding lesions in 57.7%. NF1 eyes showed significantly reduced subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT, FDR adj p < 0.001) and higher superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density and perfusion (FDR adj p = 0.012 for each). Deep capillary plexus (DCP) vessel density decreased with increasing disease severity in unadjusted analysis but lost significance after FDR adjustment. Apparent differences in age, central macular thickness (CMT), and FAZ circularity also became nonsignificant after adjustment.

Conclusions: NIR is more sensitive than OCTA for detecting choroidal abnormalities, whereas OCTA provides complementary quantitative insights. Reduced SFCT confirms choroidal involvement in NF1, and higher SCP metrics may reflect early remodeling or endothelial dysregulation. Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to validate DCP changes as potential markers of disease burden.

Purpose: To investigate changes in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation in posterior segment ocular tissues, scleral matrix metalloproteinase-2/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2/TIMP-2) balance, and their potential mechanisms during lens-induced myopia (LIM) development.

Methods: Sixty 2-week-old pigmented guinea pigs were divided into four groups: normal control (NC, no intervention), lens-induced myopia (LIM, right eye fitted with a -6.00D lens), LIM + AG490 (following LIM induction, intravitreal injection of 5 μL AG490 solution every 2 days), and LIM + injection control (LIM + InjCon, following LIM induction, intravitreal injection of 5 μL physiological saline every 2 days). At 2 and 4 weeks, refraction, axial length, retinal/choroidal thickness, posterior segment microstructure, and levels of STAT3/phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 (retina, choroid, sclera) and scleral MMP-2/TIMP-2 were measured.

Results: Compared with the NC group, the LIM group showed a significant myopic refractive shift, axial elongation, enhanced STAT3 activation in the retina, choroid, and sclera, upregulated scleral MMP-2, downregulated scleral TIMP-2, along with thinning and loosening of posterior pole tissues (including the sclera) at 2 and 4 weeks. In contrast to the LIM group, the LIM + AG490 group exhibited attenuated myopia progression, reduced STAT3 activation, downregulated scleral MMP-2, upregulated scleral TIMP-2, and alleviated thinning of posterior pole tissues. The results of the LIM + InjCon group were similar to those of the LIM group.

Conclusions: During LIM development, STAT3 activation is enhanced in the retina, choroid, and sclera, with disrupted scleral MMP-2/TIMP-2 balance. These changes may correlate with myopia-related phenotypes (e.g. axial elongation, scleral remodeling), though their specific mechanism(s) remain to be elucidated.

Purpose: Given the substantial damage to visual function caused by diabetic retinopathy, this study explored the changes in the fundus microcirculation of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy to provide a basis for the prevention and early detection of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: This clinical observational study included 162 eyes of diabetic patients without clinical diabetic retinopathy and 108 healthy eyes. Retinal and choroidal parameters, namely, the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vessel density of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), full retina and large and middle choroidal vessel (LMCV) layers, were measured in the central and peripheral areas of 24 × 20 mm² ultrawide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (UWF-SS-OCTA) images. The Mann‒Whitney U test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparisons between groups, and the Kruskal‒Wallis H test was used for comparisons among multiple groups, followed by Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: The FAZ in the diabetic group was greater than that of the control group. The diabetic group had lower vessel densities in the SCP (0-3, 4-6, and 13-24 mm diameter ranges), DCP (0-3, 4-6 and 7-12 mm diameter ranges), full retina (0-3 and 4-6 mm diameter ranges), and LMCV layers (4-6 and 13-24 mm diameter ranges) (p < 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the vascular density of the SCP (diameter ranges 0-3 and 7-12 mm), DCP, full retina, and LMCV layers (4-6 mm range) in all disease duration groups and those in the control group. Pairwise comparison showed that the vascular density decreased more significantly in the group > 15 y group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Decreased retinal choroidal microcirculation occurs in diabetic patients before clinical retinopathy develops and becomes more pronounced with increasing disease duration, suggesting that diabetic patients should undergo regular fundus examinations to detect and potentially prevent diabetic retinopathy as early as possible.