Long term effect of phacoemulsification on intraocular pressure in patients with medically controlled primary open-angle glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: The effect of cataract surgery on IOP in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a subject of debate. We investigated the effect of cataract surgery by phacoemulsification on intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with medically POAG . METHODS: Seventy eyes of 40 POAG patients undergoing cataract surgery by phacoemulsification were retrospectively evaluated. All patients had their POAG medically controlled without prior glaucoma surgery. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were recorded. IOP and the number of glaucoma medications were evaluated before and for 1 year after cataract surgery. We analyzed IOP variations from baseline with a Student t-test for a paired sample. We used a Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression to study the relation between IOP change from baseline and preoperative characteristics. RESULTS: One year after phacoemulsification, IOP decreased by a mean 1.15 ± 3 mmHg (6.8 ± 18.1%) (P = 0.01) and the number of glaucoma medications remained unchanged with a difference of - 0.1 ± 0.43 (P = 0.09). Higher preoperative IOP was associated with a greater IOP decrease after 1 year of follow-up (P < 0.001). One and 7 days after cataract surgery, 12.9 and 4.2% of the eyes had IOP spikes > 30 mmHg, respectively. One year after cataract surgery, 75.7% of the POAG eyes maintained the same number of glaucoma medications while 17.1% had a decrease and 7.2% of the eyes required adding glaucoma medications. CONCLUSION: Cataract surgery by phacoemulsification in eyes with medically controlled POAG resulted at 1 year in a very small IOP decrease without a change in the number of glaucoma medications. A drop in IOP should not be expected after performing phacoemulsification alone in POAG patients.

In vivo confocal microscopy evaluation of ocular and cutaneous alterations in patients with rosacea.

AIMS: The physiopathology of rosacea and the correlation between ocular and cutaneous rosacea remains unclear. This study analysed ocular and cutaneous rosacea with in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS: Thirty-four eyes of 34 patients with confirmed rosacea-associated meibomian gland dysfunction-related evaporative dry eye were enrolled in the study. The ophthalmological investigations included dry eye ocular surface disease index (OSDI), the Schirmer test, tear osmolarity, tear break up time, the Oxford score, infrared meibography for meibomian gland (MG) analysis and IVCM investigation for cornea, MG and skin analysis (cheek, hand). Presences of Demodex in the MG and in the cheek were also investigated. We established scores for quantifying the MG alterations in the MG (IVCM-MG) and cheek (IVCM-Cheek), and scores for Demodex quantification in the MG and cheek (IVCM-MG-Dex and IVCM-Cheek-Dex). RESULTS: IVCM was relevant for analysing the cornea and MG structures and was also suitable for cutaneous analysis. Exposed skin explorations presented the epidermal and dermal layers clearly. In patients with rosacea, the IVCM-MG alteration scores were correlated with IVCM-Cheek (R2=0.27 and p=0.0006) and IVCM-MG-Dex was correlated with IVCM-Cheek-Dex (R2=0.70 and p<0.0001). However, no correlation was found between the IVCM-MG or IVCM-Cheek and the break up time, Schirmer, Oxford and osmolarity evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: IVCM could be a safe, effective and reliable tool to quantify alterations of the cornea, MG and cheek glands in patients with rosacea combined with quantification of Demodex infections. As a valuable tool for investigating the pathophysiology of the disease, it could be used to assess the effectiveness of therapy.

Effects of benzalkonium chloride on THP-1 differentiated macrophages in vitro.

PURPOSE: To characterize the effects of benzalkonium chloride (BAK) in THP-1 differentiated cells in vitro. METHODS: Macrophages were obtained after differentiation of THP-1 cells, a human monocytic leukemia cell line. Macrophages were exposed for 24 h to 33 nM (10(-5)%) benzalkonium chloride (BAK), 10 nM dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), 100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 5 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as controls. The expression of CD11b, CD11c, CD33 and CD54 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry (FCM). Phagocytosis function was analyzed using carboxylate-modified fluorescent microspheres and quantified by FCM. Migration was evaluated in cocultures with conjunctival epithelial cells. Cytokine production was detected and quantified in culture supernatants using a human cytokine array. RESULTS: Stimulation of THP-1-derived macrophages with a low concentration of BAK increased CD11b and CD11c expression and decreased CD33. Macrophages exposed to BAK, LPS and TNF-α had increased phagocytosis. In contrast to LPS, BAK and TNF-α increased macrophage migration. Cytokines in supernatants of macrophages exposed to BAK revealed an increased release of CCL1, CCL4/MIP-1ß, TNF-α, soluble CD54/ICAM-1 and IL-1ß. CONCLUSION: In vitro, BAK has a direct stimulating effect on macrophages, increasing phagocytosis, cytokine release, migration and expression of CD11b and CD11c. Long-term exposure to low concentrations of BAK should be considered as a stimulating factor responsible for inflammation through macrophage activation.