Establishing Minimal Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs) for the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI).

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is a rare autoimmune blistering disease (AIBD) with potentially life-threatening consequences. Establishing minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for disease severity scores like the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI) is crucial for assessing treatment efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To calculate MCIDs for both improvement and deterioration in PDAI scores in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceous (PF) using the anchor-based method. METHODS: A total of 41 pemphigus patients were recruited, with 35 meeting the MCID analysis criteria. The anchor-based method was employed to calculate MCIDs for PDAI scores against the 15-point Likert scale and the Physician Global Assessment Visual Analogue Scale (PGA-VAS) anchors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to determine optimal MCID cutpoints with the highest Youden Index (J). The 15-point Likert scale scores the change in disease severity spanning from -7 to +7, designed to quantify the extent of disease improvement/deterioration since the preceding visit. RESULTS: The MCID for improvement in PDAI activity scores was 2.65 points using the 15-point Likert scale (78.7% correct classification; sensitivity 75.9%; specificity 73.5%) and 2.5 points using the PGA-VAS as the anchor (78.0% correct classification; sensitivity 84.4%; specificity 68.2%). Given the slightly higher correct classification rate using the 15-point Likert scale anchor, the MCID of 2.65 points was selected for PDAI activity score improvement. In contrast, MCID for deterioration consistently remained at 2.5 points for the 15-point Likert scale anchor (81.0% correct classification; sensitivity 72.7%; specificity 81.0%) and 2.5 points for the PGA-VAS anchor (70.9% correct classification; sensitivity 69.6%; specificity 76.9%). CONCLUSION: This study marks the inaugural attempt at MCID determination for PDAI scores in pemphigus, filling a critical knowledge gap. The study's calculated MCIDs provide essential benchmarks for clinical trials, treatment evaluation, and research design optimisation. Future studies should explore international collaborations to examine potential cross-cultural variations in MCIDs.

Short-term Detection of Fast Progressors in Glaucoma: The Fast Progression Assessment through Clustered Evaluation (Fast-PACE) Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of an intensive, clustered testing approach in identifying eyes with rapid glaucoma progression over 6 months in the Fast Progression Assessment through Clustered Evaluation (Fast-PACE) Study. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 125 eyes from 65 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) subjects. METHODS: Subjects underwent 2 sets of 5 weekly visits (clusters) separated by an average of 6 months and then were followed with single visits every 6 months for an overall mean follow-up of 25 months (mean of 17 tests). Each visit consisted of testing with standard automated perimetry (SAP) 24-2 and 10-2, and spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). Progression was assessed using trend analyses of SAP mean deviation (MD) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Generalized estimating equations were applied to adjust for correlations between eyes for confidence interval (CI) estimation and hypothesis testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic accuracy of the 6-month clustering period to identify progression detected during the overall follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 19 of 125 eyes (15%, CI, 9%-24%) progressed based on SAP 24-2 MD over the 6-month clustering period. A total of 14 eyes (11%, CI, 6%-20%) progressed on SAP 10-2 MD, and 16 eyes (13%, CI, 8%-21%) progressed by RNFL thickness, with 30 of 125 eyes (24%, CI, 16%-34%) progressing by function, structure, or both. Of the 35 eyes progressing during the overall follow-up, 25 had progressed during the 6-month clustering period, for a sensitivity of 71% (CI, 53%-85%). Of the 90 eyes that did not progress during the overall follow-up, 85 also did not progress during the 6-month period, for a specificity of 94% (CI, 88%-98%). Of the 14 eyes considered fast progressors by SAP 24-2, SAP 10-2, or SD-OCT during the overall follow-up, 13 were identified as progressing during the 6-month cluster period, for a sensitivity of 93% (CI, 66%-100%) for identifying fast progression with a specificity of 85% (CI, 77%-90%). CONCLUSIONS: Clustered testing in the Fast-PACE Study detected fast-progressing glaucoma eyes over 6 months. The methodology could be applied in clinical trials investigating interventions to slow glaucoma progression and may be of value for short-term assessment of high-risk subjects. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Precision in treatment evaluation: importance of minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) of outcome measures for autoimmune blistering diseases.

Autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) comprise a group of rare conditions marked by autoantibodies that specifically target intercellular adhesion molecules. Despite the progress made in comprehending the disease and the increasing number of treatment options available, there is still no definitive cure for AIBDs such as pemphigus, and it continues to have a devastating impact on those affected. The challenges in achieving new approved therapies for AIBDs are complex and multifaceted. One significant obstacle was the prior lack of validated and standardized outcome measures, which are crucial for ensuring precise comparisons between new and traditional therapies. This gap in knowledge has prompted the development of minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs), which enable efficient and reliable comparison of therapeutic outcomes between trials. MCID is defined as the minimum difference in an outcome measure that indicates a clinically significant improvement/deterioration in disease severity. Additionally, MCIDs provide a patient-centered approach to evaluating treatment efficacy, by considering whether patients experience a subjective improvement in their symptoms. Therefore, this literature review will examine the derivation and significance of MCIDs for various scoring systems in AIBDs.

Optineurin regulates osteoblast function in an age-dependent fashion in a mouse model of Paget's disease of bone.

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a degenerative disorder affecting the skull and bones. Hyperactive osteoclasts (OCs) initiate bone degradation in the early stage, followed by increased bone formation by osteoblasts (OBs) in trabecular bones during the advanced stage. This OB-OC uncoupling results in bone deformations and irregular trabecular bone patterns. Current mouse models poorly replicate the advanced-stage characteristics of PDB. Optineurin (Gene: OPTN in humans, Optn in mice, protein: OPTN) has been implicated in PDB by genetic analyses. We identified PDB-like cortical lesions associated with OC hyperactivation in an Optn knockout (Optn-/-) mouse model. However, the effects of OPTN dysfunction on OBs and trabecular bone in advanced PDB remain unclear. In this study, we used the Optn-/- mouse model to investigate trabecular bone abnormalities and OB activity in PDB. Micro-computed tomography analysis revealed severe pagetic alterations in craniofacial bones and femurs of aged Optn-/- mice, resembling clinical manifestations of PDB. Altered OB activity was observed in aged Optn-/- mice, implicating compensatory OB response in trabecular bone anomalies. To elucidate the role of OC-OB interactions in PDB, we conducted in vitro experiments using OC conditioned media (CM) to examine the effects on OB osteogenic potential. We found OC CM restored compromised osteogenic induction of Optn-/- bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from young mice, suggesting OCs maintain OB activity through secreted factors. Strikingly, OC CM from aged Optn-/- mice significantly enhanced osteogenic capability of Optn-/- BMSCs, providing evidence for increased OB activity in advanced stages of PDB. We further identified TGF-ß/BMP signaling pathway in mediating the effects of OC CM on OBs. Our findings provide insights into Optn's role in trabecular bone abnormalities and OB activity in PDB. This enhances understanding of PDB pathogenesis and may contribute to potential therapeutic strategies for PDB and related skeletal disorders.

Optineurin regulates NRF2-mediated antioxidant response in a mouse model of Paget's disease of bone.

Degenerative diseases affecting the nervous and skeletal systems affect the health of millions of elderly people. Optineurin (OPTN) has been associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases and Paget's disease of bone (PDB), a degenerative bone disease initiated by hyperactive osteoclastogenesis. In this study, we found age-related increase in OPTN and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) in vivo. At the molecular level, OPTN could directly interact with both NRF2 and its negative regulator Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) for up-regulating antioxidant response. At the cellular level, deletion of OPTN resulted in increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and increased osteoclastogenic potential. At the tissue level, deletion of OPTN resulted in substantially increased oxidative stress derived from leukocytes that further stimulate osteoclastogenesis. Last, curcumin attenuated hyperactive osteoclastogenesis induced by OPTN deficiency in aged mice. Collectively, our findings reveal an OPTN-NRF2 axis maintaining bone homeostasis and suggest that antioxidants have therapeutic potential for PDB.

Postoperative Management of Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy with Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction.

Aim: To review the efficacy and safety of two common postoperative regimens following Kahook Dual Blade goniotomy with phacoemulsification cataract extraction (KDB-CE). Materials and methods: This is a retrospective review of eyes undergoing KDB-CE from May 2016 to 2018 by a single surgeon. Almost 12-month follow-up data were assessed for two common postop regimens-treatment with (1) topical prednisolone acetate 1% with pilocarpine 1% (pred-pilo) or (2) difluprednate 0.05% postoperatively. Postoperative results were compared to each respective baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) levels. Results: There were 53 eyes in the difluprednate group and 25 eyes in the pred-pilo group. In the difluprednate group, the IOP decreased at postoperative day 1 (POD1) [16 ± 5 baseline vs 15 ± 5 POD1, mean ± standard deviation (SD) in mm Hg, and p = 0.321], but increased at postoperative week 1 (POW1) due to a 15% rate of IOP-spikes (19 ± 9, p = 0.099). The number of IOP-lowering drops decreased from baseline (2 ± 1 drops) to 1 ± 1 drops at POD1 (p < 0.0001), and remained at 1 ± 1 drops through postoperative month 12 (POM12) (p < 0.0001). In the pred-pilo group, there was a statistically significant decrease in mean IOP at POW1 (16 ± 4 POW1 vs 18 ± 6 baseline, p = 0.044), which persisted through POM6. The number of IOP-lowering drops was not statistically significantly lower from baseline at POM3 (2 ± 1 at POM3, p = 0.188). Spikes in IOP, corneal edema, and hyphema were the most common complications. Conclusion: Both postoperative regimens were effective following KDB-CE at reducing IOP at 12 months. The difluprednate group was likely to experience an IOP-spike at POW1 but used fewer IOP-lowering drops 12 months after KDB goniotomy. In the pred-pilo group, the number of IOP-lowering drops was equivalent to baseline levels at POM3. Aside from IOP spikes, there were similar complication rates observed between the two postoperative regimens. Due to demographic differences, it was not possible to compare relative IOP-lowering efficacy between the two postoperative regimens. Clinical significance: It is efficacious and safe to use either postoperative regimen following KBD-CE. Postoperative trajectories may differ with respect to the postoperative regimen, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to compare various topical steroid medications for postoperative regimens following KDB-CE. How to cite this article: Birnbaum F, Wakil S, Vu DM, et al. Postoperative Management of Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy with Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2023;17(4):169-174.

Intrinsic Antiviral Activity of Optineurin Prevents Hyperproliferation of a Primary Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection.

Very little knowledge exists on virus-specific host cell intrinsic mechanisms that prevent hyperproliferation of primary HSV type 2 (HSV-2) genital infections. In this study, we provide evidence that the Nemo-related protein, optineurin (OPTN), plays a key role in restricting HSV-2 infection both in vitro and in vivo. Contrary to previous reports regarding the proviral role of OPTN during Sendai virus infection, we demonstrate that lack of OPTN in cells causes enhanced virus production. OPTN deficiency negatively affects the host autophagy response and results in a marked reduction of CCL5 induction. OPTN knockout (OPTN-/-) mice display exacerbated genital disease and dysregulated T cell frequencies in infected tissues and lymph nodes. A human transcriptomic profile dataset provides further credence that a strong positive correlation exists between CCL5 upregulation and OPTN expression during HSV-2 genital infection. Our findings underscore a previously unknown OPTN/CCL5 nexus that restricts hyperproliferative spread of primary HSV-2 infection, which may constitute an intrinsic host defense mechanism against herpesviruses in general.

Biomimetic polydopamine-laced hydroxyapatite collagen material orients osteoclast behavior to an anti-resorptive pattern without compromising osteoclasts' coupling to osteoblasts.

Polydopamine-assisted modification for bone substitute materials has recently shown great application potential in bone tissue engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and adhesive properties. A scaffold material's impact on osteoclasts is equally as important as its impact on osteoblasts when considering tissue engineering for bone defect repair, as healthy bone regeneration requires an orchestrated coupling between osteoclasts and osteoblasts. How polydopamine-functionalized bone substitute materials modulate the activity of osteoblast lineage cells has been extensively investigated, but much less is known about their impact on osteoclasts. Moreover, most of the polydopamine-functionalized materials would need to additionally load a biomolecule to exert the modulation on osteoclast activity. Herein, we demonstrated that our biomimetic polydopamine-laced hydroxyapatite collagen (PDHC) scaffold material, which does not need to load additional bioactive agent, is sufficiently able to modulate osteoclast activity in vitro. First, PDHC showed an anti-resorptive potential, characterized by decreased osteoclast differentiation and resorption capacity and changes in osteoclasts' transcriptome profile. Next, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) activity was found to mediate PDHC's anti-osteoclastogenic effect. Finally, although PDHC altered clastokines expression pattern of osteoclasts, as revealed by transcriptomic and secretomic analysis, osteoclasts' coupling to osteoblasts was not compromised by PDHC. Collectively, this study demonstrated the PDHC material orients osteoclast behavior to an anti-resorptive pattern without compromising osteoclasts' coupling to osteoblasts. Such a feature is favorable for the net increase of bone mass, which endows the PDHC material with great application potential in preclinical/clinical bone defect repair.

OPTN is a host intrinsic restriction factor against neuroinvasive HSV-1 infection.

Fast-replicating neurotropic herpesviruses exemplified by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) naturally infect the central nervous system (CNS). However, most individuals intrinsically suppress the virus during a primary infection and preclude it from significantly damaging the CNS. Optineurin (OPTN) is a conserved autophagy receptor with little understanding of its role in neurotropic viral infections. We show that OPTN selectively targets HSV-1 tegument protein, VP16, and the fusion glycoprotein, gB, to degradation by autophagy. OPTN-deficient mice challenged with HSV-1 show significant cognitive decline and susceptibility to lethal CNS infection. OPTN deficiency unveils severe consequences for recruitment of adaptive immunity and suppression of neuronal necroptosis. Ocular HSV-1 infection is lethal without OPTN and is rescued using a necroptosis inhibitor. These results place OPTN at the crux of neuronal survival from potentially lethal CNS viral infections.

Deficiency of optineurin enhances osteoclast differentiation by attenuating the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response.

Abnormally increased resorption contributes to bone degenerative diseases such as Paget's disease of bone (PDB) through unclear mechanisms. Recently, the optineurin (OPTN) gene has been implicated in PDB, and global OPTN knockout mice (Optn-/-) were shown to exhibit increased formation of osteoclasts (osteoclastogenesis). Growing evidence, including our own, has demonstrated that intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulated by receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) can act as signaling molecules to promote osteoclastogenesis. Here, we report that OPTN interacts with nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), the master regulator of the antioxidant response, defining a pathway through which RANKL-induced ROS could be regulated for osteoclastogenesis. In this study, monocytes from Optn-/- and wild-type (Optn+/+) mice were utilized to differentiate into osteoclasts, and both qRT-PCR and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining showed that the Optn-/- monocytes exhibited enhanced osteoclastogenesis compared to the Optn+/+ cells. CellROX® staining, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting indicated that OPTN deficiency reduced the basal expression of Nrf2, inhibited the expression of NRF2-responsive antioxidants, and increased basal and RANKL-induced intracellular ROS levels, leading to enhanced osteoclastogenesis. Coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) showed direct interaction, and immunofluorescence staining showed perinuclear colocalization of the OPTN-NRF2 granular structures during differentiation. Finally, curcumin and the other NRF2 activators attenuated the hyperactive osteoclastogenesis induced by OPTN deficiency. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel OPTN-mediated mechanism for regulating the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response in osteoclasts and extend the therapeutic potential of OPTN in the aging process resulting from ROS-triggered oxidative stress, which is associated with PDB and many other degenerative diseases.

Roles of autophagy in orthodontic tooth movement.

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) relies on efficient remodeling of alveolar bone. While a well-controlled inflammatory response is essential during OTM, the mechanism regulating inflammation is unknown. Autophagy, a conserved catabolic pathway, has been shown to protect cells from excess inflammation in disease states. We hypothesize that autophagy plays a role in regulating inflammation during OTM. METHODS: A split-mouth design was used to force load molars in adult male mice, carrying a GFP-LC3 transgene for in vivo detection of autophagy. Confocal microscopy, Western blot, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses were used to evaluate autophagy activation in tissues of loaded and control molars at time points after force application. Rapamycin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved immunosuppressant, was injected to evaluate induction of autophagy. RESULTS: Autophagy activity increases shortly after loading, primarily on the compression side of the tooth, and is closely associated with inflammatory cytokine expression and osteoclast recruitment. Daily administration of rapamycin, an autophagy activator, led to reduced tooth movement and osteoclast recruitment, suggesting that autophagy downregulates the inflammatory response and bone turnover during OTM. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration that shows that autophagy is induced by orthodontic loading and plays a role during OTM, likely via negative regulation of inflammatory response and bone turnover. Exploring roles of autophagy in OTM holds great promise, as aberrant autophagy is associated with periodontal disease and its related systemic inflammatory disorders.

Application of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based cell tracking approach in bone tissue engineering.

Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) has emerged as a popular in vivo tracking modality in bone regeneration studies stemming from its clear advantages: non-invasive, real-time, and inexpensive. We recently adopted bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) principle to improve BLI cell tracking and generated the brightest bioluminescent signal known to date, which thus enables more sensitive real-time cell tracking at deep tissue level. In the present study, we brought BRET-based cell tracking strategy into the field of bone tissue engineering for the first time. We labeled rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) with our in-house BRET-based GpNLuc reporter and evaluated the cell tracking efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. In scaffold-free spheroid 3D culture system, using BRET-based GpNLuc labeling resulted in significantly better correlation to cell numbers than a fluorescence based approach. In scaffold-based 3D culture system, GpNLuc-rMSCs displayed robust bioluminescence signals with minimal background noise. Furthermore, a tight correlation between BLI signal and cell number highlighted the robust reliability of using BRET-based BLI. In calvarial critical sized defect model, robust signal and the consistency in cell survival evaluation collectively supported BRET-based GpNLuc labeling as a reliable approach for non-invasively tracking MSC. In summary, BRET-based GpNLuc labeling is a robust, reliable, and inexpensive real-time cell tracking method, which offers a promising direction for the technological innovation of BLI and even non-invasive tracking systems, in the field of bone tissue engineering.

Rates of Glaucomatous Structural and Functional Change From a Large Clinical Population: The Duke Glaucoma Registry Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate rates of structural and functional change in a large clinical population of glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. METHODS: Twenty-nine thousand five hundred forty-eight spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and 19,812 standard automated perimetry (SAP) tests from 6138 eyes of 3669 patients with ≥6 months of follow-up, 2 good quality spectral-domain OCT peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer scans, and 2 reliable SAP tests were included. Data were extracted from the Duke Glaucoma Registry, a large database of electronic health records of patients from the Duke Eye Center and satellite clinics. Rates of change for the 2 metrics were obtained using linear mixed models, categorized according to pre-established cutoffs, and analyzed according to the severity of the disease. RESULTS: Average rates of change were -0.73 ± 0.80 µm per year for global retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and -0.09 ± 0.36 dB per year for SAP mean deviation. More than one quarter (26.6%) of eyes were classified as having at least a moderate rate of change by spectral-domain OCT vs 9.1% by SAP (P < .001). In eyes with severe disease, 31.6% were classified as progressing at moderate or faster rates by SAP vs 26.5% by spectral-domain OCT (P = .055). Most eyes classified as fast by spectral-domain OCT were classified as slow by SAP and vice versa. CONCLUSION: Although most patients under routine care had slow rates of progression, a substantial proportion had rates that could potentially result in major losses if sustained over time. Both structural and functional tests should be used to monitor glaucoma, and spectral-domain OCT still has a relevant role in detecting fast progressors in advanced disease.

Dopamine suppresses osteoclast differentiation via cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway.

How the nervous system regulates bone remodeling is an exciting area of emerging research in bone biology. Accumulating evidence suggest that neurotransmitter-mediated inputs from neurons may act directly on osteoclasts. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can be released by hypothalamic neurons to regulate bone metabolism through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Dopamine is also present in sympathetic nerves that penetrate skeletal structures throughout the body. It has been shown that dopamine suppresses osteoclast differentiation via a D2-like receptors (D2R)-dependent manner, but the intracellular secondary signaling pathway has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activity responds to dopamine treatment during osteoclastogenesis. Considering the critical role of CREB in osteoclastogenesis, we hypothesize that CREB may be a critical target in dopamine's regulation of osteoclast differentiation. We confirmed that D2R is also present in RAW cells and activated by dopamine. Binding of dopamine to D2R inhibits the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway which ultimately decreases CREB phosphorylation during osteoclastogenesis. This was also associated with diminished expression of osteoclast markers that are downstream of CREB. Pharmacological activation of adenylate cyclase (to increase cAMP production) and PKA reverses the effect of dopamine on CREB activity and osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, we have identified D2R/cAMP/PKA/CREB as a candidate pathway that mediates dopamine's inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. These findings will contribute to our understanding of how the nervous and skeletal systems interact to regulate bone remodeling. This will enable future work toward elucidating the role of the nervous system in bone development, repair, aging, and degenerative disease.

Association of Open-Angle Glaucoma with Non-Alzheimer's Dementia and Cognitive Impairment.

PURPOSE: To compare the odds of central neurodegenerative diseases in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) with the odds in patients without glaucoma (control patients). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients 18 years of age or older who visited Duke University Health System between January 1, 2000, and July 31, 2015. METHODS: An electronic query of patient records at Duke University Health System was performed to identify patients with and without diagnoses of OAG, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), vascular dementia (VD), senile dementia (SD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and other neurodegenerative diseases. Univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate unadjusted odds ratios (OR). Age group, race, and gender were included as covariates in multiple logistic regression analyses to calculate adjusted ORs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios comparing the odds of each neurodegenerative disease in OAG patients with the odds in control patients. RESULTS: A total of 1 511 602 patients were included in this study: 24 892 OAG patients and 1 484 790 control patients. Mean age was 58.9 ± 14.0 years for OAG patients and 44.9 ± 14.1 years for control patients. After adjusting for age, race, and gender, the OR comparing the odds of each neurodegenerative disease in OAG patients with the odds in control patients were as follows: for AD: adjusted OR, 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-0.93; for ALS: adjusted OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.14-0.49); for PD: adjusted OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89-1.13; for VD: adjusted OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.99-1.25; for SD: adjusted OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.19-1.41; for MCI: adjusted OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.79-2.22; and for other neurodegenerative disease: adjusted OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.51-2.10. CONCLUSIONS: Open-angle glaucoma patients may have increased odds of SD, MCI, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Further work is necessary to identify potential causal relationships. A negative correlation exists between OAG and ALS diagnosis that is likely related to limited life expectancy and physical limitations in ALS patients. A weak negative correlation exists between OAG and AD diagnosis. No correlation exists between OAG and PD or VD.

Respiratory pathology in the Optn-/- mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that results in death due to respiratory failure. Many genetic defects are associated with ALS; one such defect is a mutation in the gene encoding optineurin (OPTN). Using an optineurin null mouse (Optn-/-), we sought to characterize the impact of optineurin deficiency on respiratory neurodegeneration. Respiratory function was assessed at 6 and 12 mo of age using whole body plethysmography at baseline during normoxia (FiO2: 0.21; N2 balance) and during a respiratory challenge with hypoxia and hypercapnia (FiCO2: 0.07, FiO2: 0.10; N2 balance). Histological analyses to assess motor neuron viability and respiratory nerve integrity were performed in the medulla, cervical spinal cord, hypoglossal nerve, and phrenic nerve. Minute ventilation, peak inspiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow are significantly reduced during a respiratory challenge in 6 mo Optn-/-mice. By 12 mo, tidal volume is also significantly reduced in Optn-/- mice. Furthermore, 12mo Optn-/- mice exhibit hypoglossal motor neuron loss, phrenic and hypoglossal dysmyelination, and accumulated mitochondria in the hypoglossal nerve axons. Overall, these data indicate that Optn-/- mice display neurodegenerative respiratory dysfunction and are a useful model to study the impact of novel therapies on respiratory function for optineurin-deficient ALS patients.

Retinal Ganglion Cells With a Glaucoma OPTN(E50K) Mutation Exhibit Neurodegenerative Phenotypes when Derived from Three-Dimensional Retinal Organoids.

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as the connection between the eye and the brain, with this connection disrupted in glaucoma. Numerous cellular mechanisms have been associated with glaucomatous neurodegeneration, and useful cellular models of glaucoma allow for the precise analysis of degenerative phenotypes. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) serve as powerful tools for studying human disease, particularly cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. Thus, efforts focused upon hPSCs with an E50K mutation in the Optineurin (OPTN) gene, a leading cause of inherited forms of glaucoma. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing introduced the OPTN(E50K) mutation into existing lines of hPSCs, as well as generating isogenic controls from patient-derived lines. RGCs differentiated from OPTN(E50K) hPSCs exhibited numerous neurodegenerative deficits, including neurite retraction, autophagy dysfunction, apoptosis, and increased excitability. These results demonstrate the utility of OPTN(E50K) RGCs as an in vitro model of neurodegeneration, with the opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches for glaucoma.