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@#AIM: To study the changes in higher-order aberrations following non-penetrating deep sclerectomy surgery augmented with sub-Tenon injection of mitomycin C(MMC)in patients with open angle glaucoma<p>METHODS: Twenty eyes from 20 patients were enrolled in the study. There were 10 eyes with primary open angle glaucoma(POAG)and 10 eyes with secondary open angle(SOAG; pseudoexfoliation). Patients underwent non-penetrating deep sclerectomy surgery augmented with sub-Tenon injections(0.2 mL of MMC 0.02%)before surgery. All patients were evaluated in terms of corneal total higher-order aberrations <i>via</i> i-Trace analyzer before surgery and 1mo and 3mo after surgery. The intraocular pressure(IOP), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), and bleb morphology were evaluated at each visit. The success rate of surgery was categorized as complete, relative, or failure.<p>RESULTS: The IOP before surgery was 24.05±3.07 mmHg with a mean of 2.85±0.67 medication, which reached to 12.30±3.32 mmHg with 0.70±0.98 medication at the 3mo follow-up. The reduction in IOP was significant at all periods of the follow-up(<i>P</i><0.001). The values of total higher-order total(HOT)root mean square(RMS)and total ocular spherical-like aberrations significantly increased at 1mo follow-up after surgery and decreased over the course of 3mo. Trefoil and total ocular coma-like aberration changes were not statistically significant at all periods after surgery. The HOT RMS, coma-like and spherical-like corneal increased significantly 1mo after surgery and decreased at the 3mo follow-up. Corneal trefoil changes were not statistically significant after surgery compared to preoperative state. Patients age and IOP did not have a significant effect on changes in HOT and corneal HOT aberrations.<p>CONCLUSION: Corneal and ocular higher-order aberrations increased within 1mo after deep sclerectomy surgery and then decreased over a 3mo period, which showed no statistically significant change compared to preoperative state. The BCVA and spherical equivalent(SE)of the patients shown no statistically significant differences compared to the preoperative state at the 3mo follow-up.
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@#AIM: To study the effect of autologous serum in corneal epithelial healing after photorefractive keratectomy(PRK).<p>METHODS:Forty eyes from 20 myopic and myopic-astigmatic patients(9 male and 11 female)were included in this study. One eye of each patient was randomized to receive 20% autologous serum in artificial tears(study group)and one eye received conventional artificial tears(control group). An 8 mm alcohol well was placed centrally in all 40 eyes, and 20% alcohol was applied for 20s during PRK operation. Patients were followed up daily until epithelial closure, and at 1mo, 6mo, and 12mo. Time to epithelial healing was the main outcome measure. Uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), manifest refraction, and haze were recorded.<p>RESULTS: The mean preoperative myopic spherical non-cycloplegic(dry)retinoscopy was not significantly different between two groups. The mean pain score in the study group was significantly lower than the control group on days 1, 2 and 3(<i>P</i><0.05). The mean horizontal and vertical epithelial defects in the study group was lower than in the control group in all follow up exams on days 1 and 3(<i>P</i><0.05). The mean total time to epithelial healing in the study group was about 0.7d less than in the control group(3.15±0.366d<i> vs</i> 3.85±0.587d, <i>P</i>=0.00).<p>CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that using autologous serum eye drops, by accelerating corneal epithelial healing and reducing the pain, which improves recovery time in visual acuity and reduces discomfort, haziness and infection risk after PRK.
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Urinary tract infection [UTI] is a frequently diagnosed renal and urologic disease. Escherichia coli is by far the most common etiologic agent of this disease. This study was aimed to type the E. coli strains isolated from the patients with urinary tract infection using sero-grouping Detection of pap adhesion-encoding operon was also targeted. A total of 130 E. coli strains isolated from patients with UTI were investigated for O-serotyping. The presence of pap adhesion-encoding operon was detected using polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. In serogrouping with 13 antisera, 86 strains [66.14%] were O-serogroupable and belonging to O1, O6, O15, O18 and O20 serogroups, while 44 strains [33.86%] were O-non typeable. Predominant serogroups were O6 and O18. The PCR results showed that 61% of strains exhibited the pap genotype. Serogroups O1, O6, O15 and O18 possessed pap operon. There was an obvious correlation between the pap operon and the O-serogroups of the strains. Our results showed that obtained protein patterns of the isolated strains were more reliable than serotyping results for typing purposes. Our findings indicated that pap adhesion-encoding operon has an important role in the development and severity of UTI. Many cases of serious urogenital diseases are caused by a limited number of uropathogenic E. coli strains that generally possess special virulence factors such as pap operon
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiology , Bacterial Typing Techniques , Serotyping , Operon , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, is an important process in tissue development and wound healing, but becomes pathologic when associated with solid tumor growth, proliferative retinopathies, and rheumatoid arthritis. Accurate and reliable qualification of neovascular [angiogenic] response, both in vitro and in vivo, is an essential requirement for the study of new blood vessel growth. The complexity of currently used three-dimensional in vitro angiogenesis systems makes it difficult to approve material in its models. Capillary-like structure occurs on basement membrane components such as collagen and/or laminin, while in other models, CLS formation occurs on transitional matrices such as fibrin. To solve this problem, we were interested in developing an angiogenesis system which allows rapid and reliable quantification of three-dimensional neovessel formation in vitro. Human bone marrow endothelial cells were seeded on gelatin-coated microcarriers and suspended in a solution of platelet-poor plasma which was induced to polymerize by addition of calcium chloride. In this way, microcarriers were entrapped in three-dimensional coagulated plasma. Within a few hours, endothelial cells begin to leave these supporting microcarries and migrate into the coagulated-plasma matrix and formed CLS within 48-72 hours. We developed a convenient angiogenesis in vitro system which allows reliable quantification of capillary formation in a three-dimensional environment
Subject(s)
Humans , Blood Coagulation , Plasma , Endothelial Cells , Bone Marrow CellsABSTRACT
Artemisia diffusa contains a new type of sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide group [Tehranolide]. Due to the existing similarity between the structures of Tehranolide and Artemisinin, it was hypothesized that Tehranolide would have similar effects as Artemisinin. In this study, the immunotherapeutic effectiveness of Tehranolide was investigated by direct intra-tumoral injection. Tehranolide was purified from Artemisia diffusa, and its effect on the tumor volume was investigated. The splenocyte proliferation, shifting of cytokine profile, and the presence of naturally-occurring CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells were assessed to describe the anti-tumor immune response. Analysis of immune response showed that, intra-tumoral injection of Tehranolide decreased the rate of tumor growth compared to control group. Furthermore, the proliferative response of mice treated with Tehranolide was enhanced. In comparison with the control group, production of both IL-4 and IFN-gamma was induced [p<0.05]. The results indicated a decrease in tumor CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T lymphocytes in the Tehranolide-treated group compared to the control group. Treatment of tumors with Tehranolide attenuated CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cell-mediated immune suppression and elicited a persistent anti-tumor immunity against cancer