Ophthalmology Commons^™

Strabismus Management In Retinoblastoma Survivors, Babak Masoomian, Carol L. Shields, Hamid Riazi Esfahani, Atefeh Khalili, Fariba Ghassemi, Pukhraj Rishi, Mohammad Reza Akbari, Masoud Khorrami-Nejad

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To report the result of strabismus surgery in eye-salvaged retinoblastoma (Rb) patients.

METHODS: A retrospective case series including 18 patients with Rb and strabismus who underwent strabismus surgery after completing tumor treatment by a single pediatric ophthalmologist.

RESULTS: A total of 18 patients (10 females and 8 males) were included with a mean age of 13.3 ± 3.0 (range, 2-39) months at the time tumor presentation and 6.0 ± 1.5 (range, 4-9) years at the time of strabismus surgery. Ten (56%) patients had unilateral and 8(44%) had bilateral involvement and the most common worse eye tumor's group was D …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Macular Thickness Map And Texture En Face Images For Detecting Glaucoma In Eyes With Axial High Myopia, Christopher Bowd, Akram Belghith, Jasmin Rezapour, Mark Christopher, Leslie Hyman, Jost B Jonas, Robert N Weinreb, Linda M Zangwill

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel optical coherence tomography texture-based en face image analysis (SALSA-Texture) that requires segmentation of only 1 retinal layer for glaucoma detection in eyes with axial high myopia, and to compare SALSA-Texture with standard macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness, and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness maps.

Design: Comparison of diagnostic approaches.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 92 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 44 healthy control eyes with axial high myopia (axial length >26 mm). Optical coherence tomography texture en face images, …

Leveraging Big Data For Pattern Recognition Of Socio-Demographic And Climatic Factors In Correlation With Eye Disorders In Telangana State, India, Amna Alalawi, Les Sztandera, Parth Lalakia, Anthony Vipin Das, Sai Prashanthi Gumpili, Richard Derman

Kanbar College Faculty Papers

Purpose: Big data is the new gold, especially in health care. Advances in collecting and processing electronic medical records (EMR) coupled with increasing computer capabilities have resulted in an increased interest in the use of big data in health care. Ophthalmology has been an area of focus where results have shown to be promising. The objective of this study was to determine whether the EMR at a multi-tier ophthalmology network in India can contribute to the management of patient care, through studying how climatic and socio-demographic factors relate to eye disorders and visual impairment in the State of Telangana.

Methods: …

A Foldable Nonpenetrating Keratoprosthesis: Medium To Long-Term Clinical Results In Patients With Corneal Blindness Due To Noninflammatory Anterior Cornea Disease., Jose M Vargas, Eric Shiuey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To report the medium to long-term safety and performance outcomes of the KeraKlear nonpenetrating artificial cornea (KeraKlear) as the primary procedure in patients with corneal blindness due to noninflammatory anterior cornea disease.

METHODS: Fifteen patients with corneal blindness (preoperative visual acuity [VA] of ≥20/200) due to a non-inflammatory anterior corneal condition were included in this prospective, single-center study. Preoperative diagnoses included corneal scars, keratoconus, and corneal dystrophies. Diseased corneas were implanted with the KeraKlear (KeraMed Inc., Irvine, California, USA) by a single surgeon (JMV) using a femtosecond laser to create all incisions. Participants were followed up with for as …

Vitamin A And Fish Oils For Preventing The Progression Of Retinitis Pigmentosa., Stephen G. Schwartz, Xue Wang, Pamela Chavis, Ajay E. Kuriyan, Samuel A. Abariga

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) comprises a group of hereditary eye diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors. It results in severe visual loss that may lead to blindness. Symptoms may become manifest during childhood or adulthood which include poor night vision (nyctalopia) and constriction of peripheral vision (visual field loss). Visual field loss is progressive and affects central vision later in the disease course. The worldwide prevalence of RP is approximately 1 in 4000, with 100,000 individuals affected in the USA. At this time, there is no proven therapy for RP.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to …

Commentary: Recognizing Pupillary Dysfunction In Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy, Padmaja Sudhakar

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Association Of Disease Location And Treatment With Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Of The Eye And Ocular Adnexal Region., Aseef H H. Ahmed, C. Stephen Foster, Carol L. Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Importance: Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the ocular region is rare, and the utility of surgery and radiation therapy remains unresolved.

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and determine factors associated with overall survival in primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) and ocular adnexal (OA)-uveal DLBCL.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective analysis included 396 patients with ophthalmic DLBCL from January 1, 1973, through December 31, 2014, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The median follow-up was 39.0 months (interquartile range, 5.1-72.9 months). All patients diagnosed with primary DLBCL of the eye or retina (PVRL) or the eyelid, …

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Features Of Iris Racemose Hemangioma In 4 Cases., Jason L. Chien, Kareem Sioufi, Sandor Ferenczy, Emil Anthony T. Say, Carol L. Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Importance: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) allows visualization of iris racemose hemangioma course and its relation to the normal iris microvasculature.

Objective: To describe OCTA features of iris racemose hemangioma.

Design, Setting, and Participants: Descriptive, noncomparative case series at a tertiary referral center (Ocular Oncology Service of Wills Eye Hospital). Patients diagnosed with unilateral iris racemose hemangioma were included in the study.

Main Outcomes and Measures: Features of iris racemose hemangioma on OCTA.

Results: Four eyes of 4 patients with unilateral iris racemose hemangioma were included in the study. Mean patient age was 50 years, all patients were white, and …

GabaB Receptor Attenuation Of GabaA Currents In Neurons Of The Mammalian Central Nervous System, Wen Shen, Changlong Nan, Peter T. Nelson, Harris Ripps, Malcolm M. Slaughter

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Ionotropic receptors are tightly regulated by second messenger systems and are often present along with their metabotropic counterparts on a neuron's plasma membrane. This leads to the hypothesis that the two receptor subtypes can interact, and indeed this has been observed in excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA receptors. In both systems the metabotropic pathway augments the ionotropic receptor response. However, we have found that the metabotropic GABA_B receptor can suppress the ionotropic GABA_A receptor current, in both the in vitro mouse retina and in human amygdala membrane fractions. Expression of amygdala membrane microdomains in Xenopus oocytes by microtransplantation …

Cataract Surgery In Children From Birth To Less Than 13 Years Of Age: Baseline Characteristics Of The Cohort., Michael X. Repka, Trevano W. Dean, Elizabeth L. Lazar, Kimberly G. Yen, Phoebe D. Lenhart, Sharon F. Freedman, Denise Hug, Bahram Rahmani, Serena X. Wang, Raymond T. Kraker, David K. Wallace, Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To describe baseline characteristics, initial postoperative refractive errors, operative complications, and magnitude of the intraocular lens (IOL) prediction error for refractive outcome in children undergoing lensectomy largely in North America.

DESIGN: Prospective registry study of children from birth to enrollment.

PARTICIPANTS: Total of 1266 eyes of 994 children; 49% female and 59% white.

METHODS: Measurement of refractive error, axial length, and complete ophthalmic examination.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eye and systemic associated conditions, IOL style, refractive error, pseudophakic refraction prediction error, operative and perioperative complications.

RESULTS: Mean age at first eligible lens surgery was 4.2 years; 337 (34%) were(59%). Additional …

Outcomes With As-Needed Ranibizumab After Initial Monthly Therapy: Long-Term Outcomes Of The Phase Iii Ride And Rise Trials., David S. Boyer, Quan Dong Nguyen, David M. Brown, Karen Basu, Jason S. Ehrlich

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

PURPOSE: To determine whether the efficacy and safety achieved with monthly ranibizumab as treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) can be maintained with less-than-monthly treatment.

DESIGN: Open-label extension (OLE) phase of randomized, sham-controlled phase III trials: RIDE (NCT00473382) and RISE (NCT00473330).

PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred of 582 adults who completed the 36-month randomized core studies elected to enter the OLE.

METHODS: All patients participating in the OLE were eligible to receive 0.5 mg ranibizumab according to predefined re-treatment criteria: Treatment was administered when DME was identified by the investigator on optical coherence tomography or when best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worsened by …

Naturally Occurring Deletion Mutants Of The Pig-Specific, Intestinal Crypt Epithelial Cell Protein Clca4b Without Apparent Phenotype., Stephanie Plog, Nikolai Klymiuk, Stefanie Binder, Matthew J. Van Hook, Wallace B. Thoreson, Achim D. Gruber, Lars Mundhenk

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

The human CLCA4 (chloride channel regulator, calcium-activated) modulates the intestinal phenotype of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients via an as yet unknown pathway. With the generation of new porcine CF models, species-specific differences between human modifiers of CF and their porcine orthologs are considered critical for the translation of experimental data. Specifically, the porcine ortholog to the human CF modulator gene CLCA4 has recently been shown to be duplicated into two separate genes, CLCA4a and CLCA4b. Here, we characterize the duplication product, CLCA4b, in terms of its genomic structure, tissue and cellular expression patterns as well as its in vitro electrophysiological …

Ca2+ Diffusion Through Endoplasmic Reticulum Supports Elevated Intraterminal Ca2+ Levels Needed To Sustain Synaptic Release From Rods In Darkness., Minghui Chen, Matthew J. Van Hook, Wallace B. Thoreson

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

UNLABELLED: In addition to vesicle release at synaptic ribbons, rod photoreceptors are capable of substantial slow release at non-ribbon release sites triggered by Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) from intracellular stores. To maintain CICR as rods remain depolarized in darkness, we hypothesized that Ca(2+) released into the cytoplasm from terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be replenished continuously by ions diffusing within the ER from the soma. We measured [Ca(2+)] changes in cytoplasm and ER of rods from Ambystoma tigrinum retina using various dyes. ER [Ca(2+)] changes were measured by loading ER with fluo-5N and then washing dye from the cytoplasm with …

Powerful Anti-Tumor And Anti-Angiogenic Activity Of A New Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 Peptide In Colorectal Cancer Models, Valeria Cicatiello, Ivana Apicella, Laura Tudisco, Valeria Tarallo, Luigi Formisano, Annamaria Sandomenico, Younghee Kim, Ana Bastos-Carvalho, Augusto Orlandi, Jayakrishna Ambati, Menotti Ruvo, Roberto Bianco, Sandro De Falco

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

To assess the therapeutic outcome of selective block of VEGFR1, we have evaluated the activity of a new specific antagonist of VEGFR1, named iVR1 (inhibitor of VEGFR1), in syngenic and xenograft colorectal cancer models, in an artificial model of metastatization, and in laser-induced choroid neovascularization. iVR1 inhibited tumor growth and neoangiogenesis in both models of colorectal cancer, with an extent similar to that of bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody anti-VEGF-A. It potently inhibited VEGFR1 phosphorylation in vivo, determining a strong inhibition of the recruitment of monocyte-macrophages and of mural cells as confirmed, in vitro, by the ability to inhibit …

Low Vision Depression Prevention Trial In Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Barry W. Rovner, Robin J Casten, Mark T Hegel, Robert W Massof, Benjamin E Leiby, Allen C Ho, William S Tasman

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of behavior activation (BA) + low vision rehabilitation (LVR) with supportive therapy (ST) + LVR to prevent depressive disorders in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

DESIGN: Single-masked, attention-controlled, randomized, clinical trial with outcome assessment at 4 months.

PARTICIPANTS: Patients with AMD and subsyndromal depressive symptoms attending retina practices (n = 188).

INTERVENTIONS: Before randomization, all subjects had 2 outpatient LVR visits, and were then randomized to in-home BA+LVR or ST+LVR. Behavior activation is a structured behavioral treatment that aims to increase adaptive behaviors and achieve valued goals. Supportive therapy is a nondirective, psychological treatment …

Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection For Macular Edema Due To Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Persisting Despite Multiple Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injections., Rayan A Alshareef, Sunir Garg, Jason Hsu, James Vander, Carl Park, Marc J Spirn

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the response to intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema persisting or recurring despite multiple intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) treatments for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

METHODS: Retrospective interventional case series of 21 eyes with CRVO from 21 patients who were diagnosed with persistent or recurrent macular edema secondary to CRVO and treated with 0.1mL (4mg) intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) after initial treatment with 3 or more IVB injections. Anatomic and visual responses were the study primary outcomes.

RESULTS: Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 1.19 (20/316) immediately before IVTA injection, and improved to …

High-Speed Optical Coherence Tomography As A Reliable Adjuvant Tool To Grade Ocular Anterior Chamber Inflammation., Ann O. Igbre, Mario C. Rico, Sunir Garg

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the high-speed anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) grading of the AS inflammation in patients with ocular inflammation.

METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series study. Patients with clinically visible AS inflammation in at least one eye underwent AS-OCT (Visante; Zeiss Meditec) with three to eight line scans per eye, performed by a trained masked examiner. The images were reviewed for hyperreflective spots, noise, and artifact, and these were correlated to clinical examination.

RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes of 41 patients were imaged. Forty-seven eyes had anterior chamber cells on clinical examination, and 68 had hyperreflective spots visible on AS-OCT. …

The Spectrum Of Eye Disease In Hospitalized Adults Living With Hiv, 1995-2010., Christopher Miller, William Short, Md, Mph, Lorena Perez-Povis, Josephine Lontok, Christopher Fecarotta, Mengdan Liu, Jocelyn Sendecki, Katherine Belden

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Eye disease is a well-documented complication of HIV infection. Opportunistic infections generally comprised the majority of pre-antiretroviral therapy (ART) eye complications. With the introduction of ART, opportunistic infections diminished. However, early ART regimens were cumbersome regarding side effects and pill burden, making patient compliance difficult. Newer ART regimens are better tolerated and consist of fewer pills, theoretically making compliance easier and therapy more effective. The aim of this chart review study is to examine eye disease epidemiology in HIV patients as ART has evolved. We reviewed 222 admissions at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals for 188 patients. These cases were divided …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Ranibizumab Therapy For Diabetic Macular Edema: The 36-Month Results From Two Phase Iii Trials: Rise And Ride., David M. Brown, Quan Dong Nguyen, Dennis M. Marcus, David S. Boyer, Sunil Patel, Leonard Feiner, Patricio G. Schlottmann, Amy Chen Rundle, Jiameng Zhang, Roman G. Rubio, Anthony P. Adamis, Jason S. Ehrlich, J. Jill Hopkins

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

PURPOSE: To report 36-month outcomes of RIDE (NCT00473382) and RISE (NCT00473330), trials of ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema (DME).

DESIGN: Phase III, randomized, multicenter, double-masked, 3-year trials, sham injection-controlled for 2 years.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults with DME (n=759), baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 20/40 to 20/320 Snellen equivalent, and central foveal thickness (CFT) ≥ 275 μm on optical coherence tomography.

METHODS: Patients were randomized equally (1 eye per patient) to monthly 0.5 mg or 0.3 mg ranibizumab or sham injection. In the third year, sham patients, while still masked, were eligible to cross over to monthly 0.5 mg ranibizumab. Macular laser …

Rapid Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis In Cone Photoreceptors Of Salamander Retina., Matthew J. Van Hook, Wallace B. Thoreson

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

Following synaptic vesicle exocytosis, neurons retrieve the fused membrane by a process of endocytosis to provide a supply of vesicles for subsequent release and maintain the presynaptic active zone. Rod and cone photoreceptors use a specialized structure called the synaptic ribbon that enables them to sustain high rates of neurotransmitter release. They must also employ mechanisms of synaptic vesicle endocytosis capable of keeping up with release. While much is known about endocytosis at another retinal ribbon synapse, that of the goldfish Mb1 bipolar cell, less is known about endocytosis in photoreceptors. We used capacitance recording techniques to measure vesicle membrane …

Evaluation Of Very High- And Very Low-Dose Intravitreal Aflibercept In Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration., Quan Dong Nguyen, Peter A. Campochiaro, Syed Mahmood Shah, David J. Browning, Henry L. Hudson, Peter L. Sonkin, Seenu M. Hariprasad, Peter K. Kaiser, Jason Slakter, Julia A. Haller, Diana V. Do, William Mieler, Karen Chu, Avner Ingerman, Robert Vitti, Alyson J. Berliner, Jesse Cedarbaum, Clear-It 1 Investigators

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

PURPOSE: To determine bioactivity and duration of effect of intravitreal aflibercept injection (also known as vascular endothelial growth factor Trap-Eye) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS: In this double-masked, phase 1 study, 28 patients with lesions ≤12 disc areas, ≥50% active choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≤20/40 were randomized 1:1 to a single intravitreal injection of aflibercept 0.15 or 4 mg. The primary end point was the change from baseline in central retinal/lesion thickness (CR/LT) at week-8. Secondary outcomes were the change from baseline BCVA, the change in CNV lesion size and area of leakage, …

Treatment Of Steroid-Induced Elevated Intraocular Pressure With Anecortave Acetate: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Ingeborg Stalmans, David G. Callanan, Monte S. Dirks, Marlene R. Moster, Alan L. Robin, Joachim Van Calster, Sally A. Scheib, Jaime E. Dickerson, Theresa A. Landry, Michael V. W. Bergamini

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: The present study is the first randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect of anecortave acetate (AA) administered at 3 doses (3, 15, or 30 mg) as an anterior juxtascleral depot (AJD) in patients experiencing elevated IOP due to corticosteroid therapy.

METHODS: This was a double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel group trial. Eligible patients had an IOP of at least 24 mmHg and an IOP increase of at least 10 mmHg relative to their IOP before treatment with steroids. A target IOP was established for each patient at baseline. Patients were randomized to 1 of …

Resolution Of Bilateral Ptosis After Reduction Of Unilaterally Elevated Intraocular Pressure In A Child With Axenfeld-Reiger Spectrum Disorder., Ketki Soin, Alex V. Levin

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

We report a 9-month-old boy with bilateral pseudoptosis associated with elevated IOP. The patient had previously undergone bilateral trabeculectomies and Ahmed tube placement and right cataract extraction and penetrating keratoplasty. At presentation, the right eye IOP was 24 mm Hg and the left eye IOP was 32 mm Hg. Approximately 2 weeks after dorzolamide was added to the treatment regimen for the left eye, the mother reported that the ptosis had resolved. We suggest several explanations for the resolution of the ptosis.

Absence Of Altered Expression Of Optineurin In Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients., Khaled K Abu-Amero, Taif Anwar Azad, George L Spaeth, Jonathan Myers, L Jay Katz, Marlene Moster, Thomas M Bosley

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression level of the optineurin gene (OPTN) in the blood of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients to determine if altered expression is playing a role in primary open angle glaucoma systemically.

METHODS: Patients (n=47) were eligible for inclusion if they met standard clinical criteria for POAG, including age greater than 40 years, intraocular pressure ≥21 mmHg in at least one eye before treatment, normal-appearing anterior chamber angles bilaterally on gonioscopy, and optic nerve injury characteristic of POAG. Control subjects (n=27) were recruited who were free from glaucoma by examination. DNA from patient was sequenced to …

Unaltered Myocilin Expression In The Blood Of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients., Khaled K Abu-Amero, Taif Anwar Azad, George L Spaeth, Jonathan Myers, L Jay Katz, Marlene Moster, Thomas M Bosley

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression of the myocilin gene (MYOC) in the blood of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients to determine if altered systemic expression is playing a role.

METHODS: Patients (n=47) were eligible for inclusion if they met standard clinical criteria for POAG. Control subjects (n=27) were recruited who were free from glaucoma by examination. RNA was extracted from leukocytes of patients and controls and converted to cDNA by reverse transcriptase enzyme, and quantitative PCR was used to assess expression levels of MYOC and the house keeping gene β-globulin (HBB). The ratio of MYOC expression to HBB expression …

Postenucleation Adjuvant Chemotherapy With Vincristine, Etoposide, And Carboplatin For The Treatment Of High-Risk Retinoblastoma., Swathi Kaliki, Carol L Shields, Sanket U Shah, Ralph C Eagle, Jerry A Shields, Ann Leahey

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: Analysis of 52 eyes with high-risk retinoblastoma managed with postenucleation adjuvant chemotherapy using vincristine sulfate, etoposide phosphate, and carboplatin showed no evidence of systemic metastasis in any case during a mean (range) follow-up of 66 (12-202) months.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of postenucleation adjuvant chemotherapy with vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin in the prevention of metastasis for patients with high-risk retinoblastoma.

METHODS: Retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series of 52 eyes in 51 patients with high-risk retinoblastoma consisting of tumor invasion into the anterior segment, posterior uvea 3 mm or greater, postlaminar optic nerve, or any combination of posterior uvea …

Lateral Mobility Of Presynaptic L-Type Calcium Channels At Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses., Aaron J. Mercer, Minghui Chen, Wallace B. Thoreson

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

At most synapses, presynaptic Ca(2+) channels are positioned near vesicle release sites, and increasing this distance reduces synaptic strength. We examined the lateral membrane mobility of presynaptic L-type Ca(2+) channels at photoreceptor ribbon synapses of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) retina. Movements of individual Ca(2+) channels were tracked by coupling quantum dots to an antibody against the extracellular α(2)δ(4) Ca(2+) channel subunit. α(2)δ(4) antibodies labeled photoreceptor terminals and colocalized with antibodies to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 and voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel 1.4 (Ca(V)1.4) α(1) subunits. The results show that Ca(2+) channels are dynamic and move within a confined region beneath the …

Calcium Regulates Vesicle Replenishment At The Cone Ribbon Synapse., Norbert Babai, Theodore M. Bartoletti, Wallace B. Thoreson

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

Cones release glutamate-filled vesicles continuously in darkness, and changing illumination modulates this release. Because sustained release in darkness is governed by vesicle replenishment rates, we analyzed how cone membrane potential regulates replenishment. Synaptic release from cones was measured by recording postsynaptic currents in Ambystoma tigrinum horizontal or OFF bipolar cells evoked by depolarization of simultaneously voltage-clamped cones. We measured replenishment after attaining a steady state between vesicle release and replenishment using trains of test pulses. Increasing Ca(2+) currents (I(Ca)) by changing the test step from -30 to -10 mV increased replenishment. Lengthening -30 mV test pulses to match the Ca(2+) …

Vitamin D Binding Protein-Macrophage Activating Factor Directly Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, And Upar Expression Of Prostate Cancer Cells, Kalvin J. Gregory, Bing Zhao, Diane R. Bielenberg, Sami Dridi, Jason Wu, Weihua Jiang, Bin Huang, Steven Pirie-Shepherd, Michael Fannon

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D binding protein-macrophage activating factor (DBP-maf) is a potent inhibitor of tumor growth. Its activity, however, has been attributed to indirect mechanisms such as boosting the immune response by activating macrophages and inhibiting the blood vessel growth necessary for the growth of tumors.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this study we show for the first time that DBP-maf exhibits a direct and potent effect on prostate tumor cells in the absence of macrophages. DBP-maf demonstrated inhibitory activity in proliferation studies of both LNCaP and PC3 prostate cancer cell lines as well as metastatic clones of these cells. Flow cytometry …

Spontaneous Disconnection Of Glaucoma Tube Shunt Extenders., Oseluese Dawodu, Alex V. Levin

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Glaucoma drainage implants are frequently used in children with severe forms of glaucoma, and tube extenders are sometimes required to compensate for ocular growth or when the intraocular portion of the tube is thought to be too short. We report 2 cases of spontaneous disconnection of a tube extender, occurring 8 months after insertion in one case and 3 years later in the other. In both cases the tube was removed and the patient treated with endoscopic diode laser photocoagulation.