Chicken Astro virus (CAstV): Isolation and characterization of new strains in broiler flocks with poor performance.

Chicken astroviruses (CAstV) were associated with retarded growth, enteritis, kidney diseases, and white chick syndrome. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of CAstV infection on growth, performance, and gross and histopathological picture of commercial chicken flocks suffering increased culling rate and decreased performance. Samples were collected for virus isolation, identification, and sequencing on day one, 15 days, and 30 days of age. Body weight, feed conversion rate, and mortality rates were determined. A gross examination was performed, and tissue samples from the liver, intestine, kidneys, heart, and lungs were kept in formalin for histopathological evaluation. Embryos inoculated with CAstV revealed dwarfism, and edema. The cytopathic effect on CAstV inoculated cells included aggregation,, and sloughing. The isolated Egyptian isolates shared the highest nucleotide homology (93%) with the Korean isolate Kr/ADL102655-1/2010 and showed the most distant relation to the Indian isolate Indovax/APF/1319 with 82-83% homology. Body weight exhibited significant reduction with a decrease in feed conversion rate in CAstV infected flocks. Gross examination of CAstV-infected chickens revealed white feathered chicks on day one, and poor body condition in older chickens as well as swollen kidneys. Histopathological examination of CAstV-infected birds showed mild proventriculitis, shortening of intestinal villi, enteritis, focal hepatocellular necrosis, pericarditis, myocarditis, and proliferative response in lung tissue. Kidneys showed interstitial nephritis, urate deposition, and glomerular hypercellularity. CAstV is a chicken pathogen that could be related to decreased performance, and screening of flocks for CAstV might be an essential step for breeders.

Management of repository corticotropin injection therapy for non-infectious uveitis: a Delphi study.

PURPOSE: Diagnosis and management of non-infectious uveitis (NIU), a major cause of blindness worldwide, are challenging. Corticosteroids, the cornerstone of therapy, are not appropriate for long-term use, and while non-biologic and biologic immunomodulators may be used for some patients, data on their efficacy and safety in this population are limited. Repository corticotropin injection (RCI), believed to affect uveitis by multiple mechanisms, has received regulatory approval for treatment of ophthalmic diseases including posterior uveitis, but is not widely used or discussed in guidelines for the management of uveitis and ocular inflammatory diseases. METHODS: The index study employed a modified Delphi process with a panel of 14 US-based ophthalmologists. Consensus recommendations were developed through a series of three questionnaires. Panellists rated statements on a Likert scale from -5 (strongly disagree) to +5 (strongly agree). RESULTS: The Delphi panel provided consensus recommendations on examinations and testing needed for diagnosis, treatment goals, and the use of corticosteroids, as well as the use of non-biologic and biologic immunomodulators. The panel reached consensus that RCI may be considered for posterior and pan-uveitis, and dosing should be individualized for each patient. Dose reduction/discontinuation should be considered for excessive RCI-related toxicity, hyperglycaemia and/or diabetic complications, excessive costs, or remission ≥ 2 years. Patients should be weaned from RCI if uveitis is stable and well controlled. Adverse events during RCI therapy can be managed by appropriate interventions, with dose reduction/discontinuation considered if events are severe or recurrent. CONCLUSIONS: Expert consensus suggests RCI may be an appropriate treatment option for some patients with uveitis when other therapies are ineffective or intolerable.

PREVALENCE OF FOVEOLAR LUCENCY WITH DIFFERENT GAS TAMPONADES IN SURGICALLY CLOSED MACULAR HOLES ASSESSED BY SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of foveolar lucency (FL) in surgically closed macular holes by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. METHODS: One hundred forty-two eyes of 132 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and gas tamponade in a 60-month time frame. Anatomical success and FL rates assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, mean preoperative, and postoperative best-measured visual acuity and surgical details were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Spectral domain optical coherence tomography confirmed closed holes with FL in 33.7% (34/101) of eyes at 1 month, 7.3% (9/123) at 3 months, 4.6% (6/129) at 6 months, and 3% (4/133) at 12 months. Prevalence of FL in closed holes at Month 1 was lower in C3F8-treated eyes (9.5%, 2/21) compared with C2F6 (40.9%, 18/44, P = 0.03) and SF6-treated eyes (38.9%, 14/36, P = 0.05). No differences were observed at Month 3. No differences in best-measured visual acuity change were observed between closed holes with or without FL at Month 1 (-0.14 ± 0.19 vs. -0.11 ± 0.23, P = 0.48) or any of the other time points. CONCLUSION: Temporary FL is a highly prevalent feature in successfully closed macular holes. Eyes treated with C3F8 gas had lower rates of FL at Month 1 than C2F6 and SF6-treated eyes. The presence of FL in closed holes does not seem to have any effect on the visual outcomes.

Ocular Complications from Retained Intraocular Ointment Discovered 33 Months after Cataract Surgery.

Topical antibiotic and steroid ointments are sometimes used topically at the conclusion of intraocular surgery, and inadvertent entry into the eye has been reported. Dispersed ointment droplets or consolidated globules in the anterior chamber (AC) can sometimes be visualized on exam. Occasionally, intraocular ointment is found incidentally without apparent toxic effect, but retained ointment usually presents with early or delayed intraocular inflammation, pressure rise, macular edema, or corneal edema. The usual treatment for toxicity from retained ointment is removal of the ointment. While the complication of ointment-induced cystoid macular edema has been reported, there is paucity of literature on the anatomical response and eventual visual outcome of patients who have been treated for long-standing edema from retained ointment. We present a case of a patient who presented with history of poor vision since the time of cataract surgery 33 months prior, who had cystoid macular edema, reduced endothelial cell count, and apparent Maxitrol ointment (neomycin, polymyxin B sulfate, and dexamethasone in paraffin vehicle; Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK) floating in the AC. The patient was treated with AC washout and sub-Tenon injection of triamcinolone. His vision, retinal architecture by optical coherence tomography, endothelial cell count, and pachymetry has been followed for 9 months following this treatment.

Risk factors for retinal detachment following cataract surgery: the impact of posterior capsular rupture.

AIM: To investigate risk factors for retinal detachment (RD) after cataract surgery, particularly posterior capsular rupture (PCR) with or without vitreous loss. METHODS: Single centre electronic medical record database study of 18 065 consecutive first eye cataract operations performed between 2005 and 2014. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves and a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to calculate HRs with respect to RD. RESULTS: The RD rate at 3 months and 7 years was 0.067% and 0.30%, respectively, with a median time to RD of 15 months (mean: 18 months, range: 0-84 months). Men had a higher RD risk (HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.03 to 3.88; p=0.03) in the univariate model. Patients <60 years and those >80 years had an HR of 5.12 (95% CI 2.60 to 10.07; p<0.001) and 0.16 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.69; p=0.01), respectively, compared with patients 60-80 years of age. Eyes longer than 25 mm had an HR of 3.98 (95% CI 1.93 to 8.20; p<0.001) compared with eyes 23-25 mm. PCR occurred in 400 (2.2%) eyes. The HR for RD was 12.83 (95% CI 5.62 to 29.30; p<0.001) for PCR with vitreous loss. There were no RD events in eyes with PCR without vitreous loss. CONCLUSIONS: The risk for RD after cataract surgery is higher in younger patients and eyes with longer axial length or PCR with vitreous loss during surgery.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists' National Ophthalmology Database Study of vitreoretinal surgery: report 5, anaesthetic techniques.

AIMS: To explore trends over time and variation in the use of anaesthetic techniques for vitreoretinal (VR) surgery in the UK. METHODS: Prospectively collected data from 13 centres contributing >50 VR operations, including either pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) or scleral buckle (SB), between May 2000 and November 2010 were retrospectively analysed. Anaesthesia was categorised as general anaesthesia (GA) or local anaesthesia (LA) and results were reported by year, centre, grade of surgeon and type of operation. RESULTS: 160 surgeons performed 12 124 operations on 10 405 eyes (9935 patients); 6054 (49.9%) under GA and 6070 (50.1%) under LA. The percentage performed under GA decreased from 95.3% in 2001 to 40.9% in 2010. Within LA techniques, peribulbar or retrobulbar injection was used in 2783 (45.8%) operations and sub-Tenon's cannula in 3287 (54.2%). The proportions of operations performed under GA or LA were similar for consultants and trainees. Primary SB, primary combined PPV and SB for retinal detachment (RD), repeat RD surgery and complex vitrectomy surgery were more commonly performed under GA (85.8%, 67.0%, 63.5% and 69.4%, respectively), while primary PPV for RD, simple vitrectomy surgery and macular surgery were more commonly performed under LA (58.1%, 53.7% and 58.2%, respectively). Marked intercentre variation existed with the extremes being one centre with 100% of operations performed under GA and one centre with 98.3% under LA. CONCLUSIONS: LA for VR surgery has steadily increased over the last decade in the UK but marked intercentre variation exists.

Jasmonic acid induces resistance to economically important insect pests in winter wheat.

BACKGROUND: Insect damage induces chemical changes in plants, and frequently these changes are part of a defensive response to the insect injury. Induced resistance was activated in winter wheat using a foliar application of synthetic jasmonic acid. Field trials were conducted to observe effects of jasmonic acid application on some wheat insects. Two wheat cultivars (Cubus and Tommi) were sprayed twice at growth stages (GS) 41 and 59 with two concentrations of jasmonic acid, along with control plots that were sprayed with water. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the number of thrips and wheat blossom midges (WBM) among treatments in both cultivars. Plants in control plots had higher numbers of thrips and midges than in treated plots. There were higher numbers of thrips in the Tommi cultivar than in the Cubus cultivar, while the latter had higher numbers of WBM larvae than the Tommi cultivar. There was a positive correlation between WBM numbers and infested kernels in both cultivars. This study also indicated that jasmonic acid enhances the wheat yield in sprayed plots compared with control plots. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that jasmonic acid induced pest resistance in wheat plants and may act as a resistance mechanism of wheat against insect herbivores.