Clinical Outcomes of Implantable Contact Lens and Iris-Fixed Intraocular Lens for Correction of Myopia

PURPOSE: We compared the results of implanting an implantable contact lens (ICL) and an iris claw lens (Artisan(R) lens) in patients' wtih myopia and sought to determine a basis for choosing between the two lenses. METHODS: ICLs were implanted in 32 eyes of 18 patients, and Artisan(R) lenses were implanted in 40 eyes of 23 patients. Uncorrected visual acuity, refraction, endothelial cell density, intraocular pressure, and slit lamp measurements were taken for 12 months. RESULTS: All the patients had improved UCVA from the day after the operation until the 12th month. The mean spherical equivalent refraction at postoperative month 12 was -0.78+/-0.54D in the ICL group and -0.78+/-0.59D in the Artisan(R) lens group. In the same period, endothelial cell density loss was 5.34% in the ICL group but was not significant in the Artisan(R) lens group. There were no significant complications in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Both ICL and Artisan(R) lens implantation resulted in immediate visual improvement and stability of vision during the follow-up period. There was no significant difference in post-operative results. Further study will be needed to decide which lens is the better choice for delicate conditions in myopic patients.

A Study of Intraocular Pressure During Hemodialysis in CRF Patients

PURPOSE: Hemodialysis, a treatment for patients with severely compromised renal failure, is the elimination of osmotic active substances by diffusion. Some authors have reported that change in osmorality between the serum and the aquous humor during hemodialysis increased in intraocular pressure (IOP). We investigated the change of IOP and serum osmolarity during hemodialysis and the effect of oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (Diamox(R)), topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (Trusopt(R)) and oral hypertonic solution(glycerol). METHODS: In 45 CRF patients (90 eyes) without glaucoma, IOP, serum osmorality, pH, and HCO3- were measured during hemodialysis, and oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (Diamox(R)), topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (Trusopt(R)) and oral hypertonic solution (glycerol) werw administered if IOP rose by over 6mmHg during hemodialysis. After adminitration of the agents, we checked effect of preventing IOP elevation and metabolic change during hemodialysis. RESULTS: The intraocular pressure rose above 6 mmhg in 24 eyes (24.6%) during hemodialysis. Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor induced more severe metabolic acidosis than topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor but topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor was less effective in lowering IOP. CONCLUSIONS: Because of more effective lowering of IOP and rare complications of metabolic acidosis, hypertonic solution (glycerol) was effective and safe in neovascular glaucoma and in glaucoma patients with severely damaged optic nerve.

Effects of Carboplatin in Combination with Hyperthermia on Cell Death in Retinoblastoma Cell Line

PURPOSE: The effect of environmental acidity on the induction of apoptosis by heat and carboplatin alone or combined was investigated. METHODS: Human retinoblastoma Y79 and WERI cells were treated with hyperthermia at 42.5degrees C for 1 hr and 25~50 mM carboplatin alone or combined with hyperthermia in pH 7.5 or pH 6.6 medium and the resultant apoptosis was assessed based on the flow cytometric determination of DNA content, DNA fragmentation, and PARP cleavage. The cell viability was alone determined with trypan blue exclusion method. Expressions of p53 and p21 were examined using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The degree of apoptosis after heating in pH 6.6 medium was greater than in pH 7.5 medium in WERI cells. When heated in the same pH medium, more apoptosis occurred in the WERI cells than in the Y79 cells. The decline in cell viability caused by hyperthermia was greater than that by 50 mM of carboplatin in pH 6.6 medium but not in pH 7.5 medium. CONCLUSIONS: The cell death caused by the combination of carboplatin and hypethermia was greater than that by either treatment alone regardless of the environmental pH. It was concluded that an acidic environment enhances not carboplatin-induced cell death but heat-induced cell death.