[Seropositivity for human T-cell lymphotropic virus [HTL V] in donors at the eye bank of I.R. Iran]

To determine the prevalence of Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus [HTLV] in corneal donors at the Eye Bank of I.R. Iran from 2005 to 2007. Serologic tests for HTLV-1, 2 were performed in all donors at the Eye Bank from August 2005 to July 2007. Hospital and medicolegal reports of HTLV-reactive cases as well as their geographic origin were reviewed. Overall, 5533 donors including 4467 [80.7%] male subjects aged from 2 to 84 years were evaluated. Thirty seven [0.67%] cases with mean age of 45.8 +/- 17 [range 7-84] years were seropositive for HTLV-1, 2 of whom 26 [70.3%] were male. The most common causes of death in HTLV-reactive cases were car accidents [37.8%] followed by cardiovascular diseases [24.3%], falls [10.8%] and drug intoxication [10.8%]. No evidence of neurologic or hematologic disorders was found on reviewing the hospital and medicolegal reports of HTL V -reactive cases. This is the first report on HTLV-reactivity in corneal donors in Iran revealing a prevalence of 1 per 150 cases

[Corneal endothelial cell evaluation in donors with aluminum phosphide intoxication]

To evaluate corneal endothelial cells of donors who died from aluminum phosphide intoxication. Endothelial cell count and quality of eight corneas from four donors with aluminum phosphide intoxication were evaluated by slit lamp biomicroscopy and specular microscopy at the Eye Bank of I.R. Iran. Confocal scan examination was carried out only in one of the recipients. Donor age ranged from 21 to 60 years. All corneas were clear and the estimated endothelial cell density was very good to excellent. The endothelial cell density ranged from 2600 to 3300 cell/mm2 with a mean of 2920 cell/mm2. The pleomorphism ranged from 33% to 50% with mean of 40% and the polymegathism ranged from 31% to 39% with mean of 35%. In one recipient, 5 months after penetrating keratoplasty, the endothelial cell density was 2848 cells/mm2 on confocal scan with 40.8% polymegathism and 44.9% pleomorphism. Oral intoxication with aluminum phosphide seems not to affect corneal endothelial cell count and viability. Further experimental study is suggested