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Age-related macular degeneration(ARMD)is one of the leading causes of irreversible visual impairment worldwide, and the number of patients is increasing with the aging of the population, with dry ARMD accounting for about 90% of cases. Effective treatments for dry ARMD are currently lacking, making it a prominent area of research. Pharmacotherapy, targeting pathogenic factors such as oxidative damage, inflammation, and vascular issues contributing to ARMD, is one of the main treatments and some drugs have been shown to slow the progression of ARMD. This article reviews drug treatments for dry ARMD, including antioxidant drugs, complement biological agents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants, vasodilators, neurotrophic drugs, as well as traditional Chinese medicine. It summarizes their mechanisms and recent clinical research to contribute valuable insights for the treatment of dry ARMD and the development of novel therapeutic agents.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the changes in retinal functions using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) following intravitreal injection of Lucentis for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This prospective study was conducted in 14 patients (9 men and 5 women, 14 eyes) with wet age-related macular degeneration receiving treatment with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (Lucentis) in our hospital between October, 2014 and January, 2016. All the patients received the treatment following a 1+PRN protocol and after the initial injection, the patients were followed up monthly for 6 months to decide if additional injections were needed. The corrected visual acuity and mfERG findings of the patients were assessed before and at l, 3 and 6 months after the initial injection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the last follow-up, the patients received injections for a mean of 2.86∓1.58 times. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1 month after the initial treatment was not significantly different from that before treatment (P=0.07), but showed significant improvements at 3 and 6 months (P<0.05). In mfERG, the implicit time of the 6 rings showed no significant decrease after the treatment, but the amplitude density of P1 and N1 in rings 1 and 2 improved significantly at 1, 3, and 6 months after the initial injection (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Multifocal electroretinography can serve as a useful modality for evaluating visual function changes in patients receiving intravitreal injection of Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration.</p>
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Background The diagnosis of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is mainly dependent onfluorescine fundus angiography (FFA). However, the combination of optical coherence topography (OCT) with FFA offers a new approach to the research of the pathogenesis of CSC. Objective This clinical study was designed to study the combined application of the FFA and OCT for the research of the pathogenesis of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods Forty-four eyes of 44 patients with CSC were included in this study with 36 cases of males and 8 cases of female. The patients were aged 39.3 ± 5.3 years and the visual acuity was 0. 64 ±0. 27. FFA and OCT examinations were performed in all patients and the FFA images were imported into the Topcon 3D OCT 1000 device to locate the conformity of OCT lesions with the leakages of FFA. The neuroepithelial layer thickness at the fovea and the height of the neuroepithelial layer detachment were measured using 3-D OCT. Results OCT showed serous REP detachment in 34 eyes (77.3%) and rough surfaces of RPE in 10 eyes (22. 7% ). In thirtyfour eyes with RPE detachment, the OCT lesions and FFA leakage spots conformed to the same locations in 31 eyes, but the other three eyes did not. The mean foveal neuroepithelial thickness was (138.5±19.4) μm in CSC eyes and that of normal eyes was ( 131.35±5. 01 ) μm ,showing a significant difference between them( t=0. 39 ,P＞0. 05 ). The mean height of neuroepithelial detachment was (263.3 ± 126.7 ) μm in CSC eyes. Conclusion RPE detachment occurs in CSC eyes and further induces macular neuroepithelial detachment. Leakage lesion of fluorescine corresponds to RPE detachment. CSC without RPE detachment may be related to the increase in RPE permeability. OCT can accurately measure the thickness of the macular neuroepithelial layer and the height of the neuroepithelial detachment.
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Background Researches demonstrated that avastin-assisted vitrectomy for serious proliferative diabetic retinopathy can decrease intra-operation complication and bring down difficulty of surgery.It is speculated that this is associated with suppression of avastin on neovascularization.However,the evidence of its pathology is lack.Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the application and mechanism of avastin in vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Methods Twenty-four eyes from consecutive 24 patients with vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy were enrolled in this study.Fourteen eyes received all intravitreal injection of 0.06 ml avastin(1.5 mg)14 days prior to vitrectomy。And the other 10 eyes underwent only vitrectomy without avastin injection as controls,Preretinal membranes were collected during vitrectomy for histopathologic examination by hemotoxylin and eosin staining.The differences in the density of the neovessels and micro-neovessels between the two groups were observed by detecting the expression of CD34 in vesse]endothelial cells using immunohistochemistry.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before surgery. Results No statistically significant differences were found in the demography and eye manifestations between only vitreetomy group and avastin+vitrectomy group(P＞0.05).The neovessels with grade three was in 10 eyes in only vitrectomy group and 1 eye in avastin+vitrectomy group(P＜0.01).More capillary-like neovascularization with single vascular endothelial cells,obvious hemorrhage and inflammatory cells infiltration were observed on preretinal membranes in vitrectomy group.However,there were less hemorrhage,ceUular components and few capillary-like neovascularization but more hyaline degeneration of fibrous tissue were observed in avastin+vitrectomy group under the light microscope.Immunochemistry revealed that CD34 was positively expressed in vascular endothelial cells on preretinal membrane in both two groups.The neovessels density and miero-neovessels density were 15.40±7.42/field and 1.88±1.70/field in avastin+vitrectomy group and those in vitreetomy group were 18.00±3.80/field and 0.45±0.56/field respectively,showing significant differences between these two groups(neovessels density:Z=-4.102,P＜0.01;micro-neovessels density:Z=-4.137,P＜0.01).Conclusion As an adjunct drug during the vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, avastin can improve the successful rate of surgery by inhibiting the neovascular formation and alleviating retinal edema.
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<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Neovascularization can cause vision loss in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and may be affected by many factors. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a potent stimulator of angiogenesis. The study was aimed to investigate the expression of SDF-1 and its correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the eyes with diabetic retinopathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The levels of SDF-1 and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the vitreous of 41 eyes of 41 patients with PDR and 12 eyes of 12 patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH). Vitreous fluid samples and fibrovascular preretinal membranes were obtained at vitrectomy. SDF-1 and VEGF were localized using immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The vitreous concentration of VEGF was significantly higher in eyes with PDR ((2143.7 +/- 1685.21) pg/ml) than in eyes with IMH ((142.42 +/- 72.83) pg/ml, P < 0.001). The vitreous level of SDF-1 was also significantly higher in eyes with PDR ((306.37 +/- 134.25) pg/ml) than in eyes with IMH ((86.91 +/- 55.05) pg/ml, P < 0.001). The concentrations of both VEGF and SDF-1 were higher in eyes with active PDR than in eyes with inactive PDR. Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) could decrease the SDF-1 levels in the vitreous of PDR patients. The vitreous concentration of SDF-1 correlated with that of VEGF in eyes with PDR (r = 0.61, P < 0.001). The costaining of SDF-1 and VEGF was confined to the vascular components in preretinal membranes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SDF-1 protein is highly expressed in both the vitreous and preretinal membranes of PDR patients; SDF-1 may be correlated with VEGF in angiogenesis in PDR.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Chemokine CXCL12 , Metabolism , Diabetic Retinopathy , Metabolism , Pathology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Immunohistochemistry , Neovascularization, Pathologic , Metabolism , Retinal Perforations , Metabolism , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A , Metabolism , Vitrectomy , Vitreous Body , MetabolismABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Neural apoptosis is generally believed to be mediated by two distinct pathways, caspase-dependant and caspase-independent pathways. This study investigated the apoptotic pathways involved in retinal ganglion cells in acute diabetes in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by a peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Expression and localization of caspase-3 and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) proteins in the retina of diabetic rats was examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. Terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and immunofluorescent staining specific for caspase-3 and AIF were applied to analyze for apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells. In addition, a caspase-3 inhibitor DEVD-CHO was injected intravitreally to further determine the apoptotic pathways of retinal ganglion cells triggered in acute diabetes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two weeks after induction of diabetes, a significant increase in caspase-3 protein expression and localization occurred in the nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, and inner plexiform layer of the retina. Four weeks after the onset of diabetes, the increase in caspase-3 expression was profound eight weeks postinduction of diabetes (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, no AIF protein expression was detected in this study. In addition, intravitreal administration of the caspase-3 inhibitor DEVD-CHO reduced apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells by its direct inhibitory action on caspase-3.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways may be the main stimulant of STZ-induced retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in acute diabetes.</p>