Corneal graft outcome study.

PURPOSE: To determine overall 2- and 5-year corneal graft survival rates and to identify risk factors for corneal graft failure in our patient population. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 696 patients undergoing corneal transplantation performed by a single surgeon at The Toronto Western Hospital over a 7.5-year period. RESULTS: A total of 468 eyes met the inclusion criteria for this study. Overall, the 2- and 5-year graft survival rates were 78.8% and 64.5%, respectively. In a univariate analysis, patient age, gender, history of glaucoma, preoperative diagnosis, type of operative procedure, and postoperative factors all were shown to be significantly associated with graft survival. In a multivariate analysis, six independent predictors of graft failure were identified: preoperative diagnosis, neovascularization of the graft, the presence of peripheral anterior synechiae, gender, occurrence of one or more rejection episodes, and age of the recipient at the time of corneal transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of graft failure can vary substantially within a population of patients receiving a corneal transplant. The outcomes of this study concur with the risk factors for corneal graft failure in the literature and can be used as prognostic guidelines for both surgeons and patients.

[Rationalization of the double-antibody ELISA for cortisol determination from microtest plates using the Sumal system]. / Rationalisierung des Doppelantikörper-ELISA zur Cortisolbestimmung auf Mikrotestplatten unter Einsatz des Sumal-Systems.

A method for enzyme-immunologic determination of cortisol by double-antibody-precipitation using microtest plates instead of centrifuge-glass-tubes is presented. By the use of highly productive technology, e.g. the Sumal-system, connected with accession to computer-techniques, the demand for workers is considerable reduced, especially with analyses of greater series. Another advantage is the reduction of the demand for biochemicals to 20%.

[Determination of biologic aging within the scope of the Halberstadt Gerontologic Study. 5. Correlation of physiologic parameters with calendar and biologic age. 1. Relative cell number of peripheral B and T lymphocytes]. / Zur Bestimmung des biologischen Alters im Rahmen der Halberstädter gerontologischen Studie. 5. Mitteilung: Die Korrelation physiologischer Parameter zum kalendarischen und biologischen Alter. 1. Die relative Zahl peripherer B- und T-Lymphozyten.

There can occur considerable differences between the individual chronological age and the biological (functional) age of individuals. The relationship between chronological age, biological age and the relative number of T- and B-lymphocytes is examined. Whereas the number of B-lymphocytes does not show a dependence of biological age, the number of T-lymphocytes shows significant modifications dependent of biological age.