Ophthalmology Commons^™

Bactericidal Efficacy Of The Combination Of Maresin-Like Proresolving Mediators And Carbenicillin Action On Biofilm-Forming Burn Trauma Infection-Related Bacteria, Anbu Mozhi Thamizhchelvan, Abdul Razak Masoud, Shanchun Su, Yan Lu, Hongying Peng, Yuichi Kobayashi, Yu Wang, Nathan K. Archer, Song Hong

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Biofilm-associated bacterial infections are the major reason for treatment failure in many diseases including burn trauma infections. Uncontrolled inflammation induced by bacteria leads to materiality, tissue damage, and chronic diseases. Specialized proresolving mediators (SPMs), including maresin-like lipid mediators (MarLs), are enzymatically biosynthesized from omega-3 essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), by macrophages and other leukocytes. SPMs exhibit strong inflammation-resolving activities, especially inflammation provoked by bacterial infection. In this study, we explored the potential direct inhibitory activities of three MarLs on Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria in their biofilms that are leading …

The Optimization Of A Natural Language Processing Approach For The Automatic Detection Of Alzheimer’S Disease Using Gpt Embeddings, Benjamin S. Runde, Ajit Alapati, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The development of noninvasive and cost-effective methods of detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is essential for its early prevention and mitigation. We optimize the detection of AD using natural language processing (NLP) of spontaneous speech through the use of audio enhancement techniques and novel transcription methodologies. Specifically, we utilized Boll Spectral Subtraction to improve audio fidelity and created transcriptions using state-of-the-art AI services—locally-based Wav2Vec and Whisper, alongside cloud-based IBM Cloud and Rev AI—evaluating their performance against traditional manual transcription methods. Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were then trained and tested using GPT-based embeddings of transcriptions. Our findings revealed that AI-based transcriptions …

Collagen Type Xii Is Undetectable In Keratoconus Bowman’S Layer, Mohammed Rigi, Hyeck-Soo Son, Loren Moon, Mario Matthaei, Divya Srikumaran, Albert S Jun, Charles G Eberhart, Uri S Soiberman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Corneal biomechanical failure is the hallmark of keratoconus (KC); however, the cause of this failure remains elusive. Collagen type XII (

METHODS: TaqMan quantitative PCR was performed on 31 corneal epithelium samples of progressive KC and myopic control eyes. Tissue microarrays were constructed using full-thickness corneas from 61 KC cases during keratoplasty and 18 non-KC autopsy eyes and stained with an antibody specific to COL12A1. Additionally,

RESULTS: COL12A1 expression was reduced at transcript levels in KC epithelium compared to controls (ratio: 0.58, p<0.03). Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that COL12A1 protein expression in BL was undetectable, with reduced expression in KC epithelium, basement membrane, and stroma.

CONCLUSIONS: The apparent absence of COL12A1 in KC BL, together with the functional importance that

Orbital And Periocular Complications In Patients With Sinonasal Tumours With Orbital Invasion, Jiawei Zhao, Xinyang Jiang, Ehab Hanna, Shirley Y Su, Amy Moreno, Brandon Gunn, Steven Jay Frank, Renata Ferrarotto, Jing Ning, Bita Esmaeli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and associated risk factors of orbital/periocular complications in patients with sinonasal tumour with orbital invasion managed with eye-sparing treatments.

Methods: A retrospective case series of patients with primary sinonasal tumour with orbital invasion from January 2008 to December 2018. Patient factors were compared between the following groups: (1)patients with orbital/periocular complications versus those who did not and (2) patients who needed secondary oculoplastic surgical procedures versus those who did not.

Results: Out of 80 patients, 48 had eye-sparing surgery, 8 had orbital exenteration and 24 were managed non-surgically. The …

Ocular Syphilis: A Case Report And Public Health Discussion, Andrew L. Fine, Hope V. Daskalakis, Rutwik Pradeep Sharma M.D., Mirna Ogeilat M.D.

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Ocular Syphilis describes a localized manifestation of a systemic treponema pallidum infection. It most commonly presents with decreased visual acuity due to uveitis and can occur at any time throughout the disease course. This report describes a case of undiagnosed syphilis that was serendipitously diagnosed with blood product screening. This case highlights the need for better public education and outreach pertaining to sexually transmitted infections. This report will detail this patient's clinical course and discuss how healthcare providers can aid in early disease detection to improve both patient outcomes and overall public health.

Targeting Cyp51 In The Treatment Of Acanthamoeba Keratitis, Ashkan Hassani, Vineet Sadarangani, Brad Haubrich

Annual Research Symposium

Acanthamoeba castellanii causes a rare but serious ocular infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Risk factors for infection include contact with contaminated water and poor hygiene of contact lenses. The first-line treatment is comprised of a months-long schedule of antibiotics. However, in cases where pharmacological interventions fail to address the infection, surgery may be necessary, with the continued risk of potential vision loss. Consequently, new treatments are needed, whether new pharmacological agents or new combination therapies with current agents. As an aerobic parasite, Acanthamoeba synthesizes ergosterol as a cell membrane insert, and ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors (EBIs), common in antifungal pharmaceuticals, could potentially …

Efficacy And Safety Of Artificial Tears Containing Lipidure And Hypromellose For The Treatment Of Moderate Dry Eye Disease In Contact Lens Wearers, Caterina Gagliano, Marco Zeppieri, Antonio Longo, Giovanni Rubegni, Roberta Amato, Roberta Foti, Francesco Cappellani, Massimiliano Cocuzza, Federico Visalli, Ludovica Cannizzaro, Alessandro Avitabile, Giuseppe Gagliano, Lucia Lapenna, Fabiana D'Esposito

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Background and Objectives: Dry eye disease (DED) affects 5–50% of the global population and deeply influences everyday life activities. This study compared the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of novel Respilac artificial tears containing lipidure and hypromellose (HPMC) with the widely used Nextal artificial tears, which are also HPMC-based, for the treatment of moderate DED in contact lenses (CL) wearers.

Materials and Methods: In a prospective, single-center, randomized investigation, 30 patients aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with moderate DED, and wearing CL were randomly assigned to the Respilac (n = 15) or Nextal group (n = 15). Patients self-administrated one drop of …

A Comparative Study Of Responses To Retina Questions From Either Experts, Expert-Edited Large Language Models, Or Expert-Edited Large Language Models Alone, Prashant D. Tailor, Lauren A. Dalvin, John J. Chen, Raymond Iezzi, Timothy W. Olsen, Brittni A. Scruggs, Andrew J. Barkmeier, Sophie J. Bakri, Edwin H. Ryan, Peter H. Tang, D. Wilkin Parke, Peter Belin, Jayanth Sridhar, David Xu, Ajay E. Kuriyan, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Matthew R. Starr

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality, empathy, and safety of expert edited large language model (LLM), human expert created, and LLM responses to common retina patient questions.

DESIGN: Randomized, masked multicenter study.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one common retina patient questions were randomly assigned among 13 retina specialists.

METHODS: Each expert created a response (Expert) and then edited a LLM (ChatGPT-4)-generated response to that question (Expert + artificial intelligence [AI]), timing themselves for both tasks. Five LLMs (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, Claude 2, Bing, and Bard) also generated responses to each question. The original question along with anonymized and randomized Expert + AI, Expert, and LLM …

Effect Of Suprachoroidal Triamcinolone On Intraocular Pressure: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Altamash Shahriyar Ghazanfar, Aly Hamza Khowaja, Haroon Tayyab

Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Background: Triamcinolone acetonide is a synthetic corticosteroid with multiple ocular uses. Like other corticosteroids, it too is associated with ocular side effects such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma and cataracts. Suprachoroidal administration of triamcinolone is hoped to reduce the ocular side effects of the drug, especially rises in IOP. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aims to study this phenomenon.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of suprachoroidal triamcinolone injections on IOP.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: We utilized the Medline, Scopus and Cochrane databases for this review. Studies published till June 2023, which …

Phenotypic Features Determining Visual Acuity In Albinism And The Role Of Amblyogenic Factors., Frank A Proudlock, Rebecca J Mclean, Viral Sheth, Sarim Ather, Irene Gottlob

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Albinism is a spectrum disorder causing foveal hypoplasia, nystagmus, and hypopigmentation of the iris and fundus along with other visual deficits, which can all impact vision. Albinism is also associated with amblyogenic factors which could affect monocular visual acuity. The foveal appearance in albinism can range from mild foveal hypoplasia to that which is indistinguishable from the peripheral retina. The appearance can be quickly and easily graded using the Leicester Grading System in the clinic. However, interquartile ranges of 0.3 logMAR for the grades associated with albinism limit the accuracy of the grading system in predicting vision. Here, we discuss …

Visual Field Deficits In Albinism In Comparison To Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus., Viral Sheth, Rebecca J Mclean, Zhanhan Tu, Sarim Ather, Irene Gottlob, Frank A Proudlock

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

PURPOSE: This is the first systematic comparison of visual field (VF) deficits in people with albinism (PwA) and idiopathic infantile nystagmus (PwIIN) using static perimetry. We also compare best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography measures of the fovea, parafovea, and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer in PwA.

METHODS: VF testing was performed on 62 PwA and 36 PwIIN using a Humphrey Field Analyzer (SITA FAST 24-2). Mean detection thresholds for each eye were calculated, along with quadrants and central measures. Retinal layers were manually segmented in the macular region.

RESULTS: Mean detection thresholds were significantly lower than normative …

Rates Of Reoperation In Duane Retraction Syndrome, Han Woong Lim, Bryce Hwang, Cyril Archambault, Scott Lambert

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the types of strabismus surgeries performed and the reoperation rate in patients with Duane retraction syndrome (DRS).

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis.

PARTICIPANTS: An insurance claims data set was used to identify patients diagnosed with DRS between 2007 and 2021.

METHODS: We recorded the type of strabismus surgery performed and the timing and frequency of reoperations. The hazard ratios (HRs) for reoperation were estimated according to the surgical methods using Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 9435 patients diagnosed with DRS, 1023 (10.8%) underwent ≥ 1 strabismus operation. The median age at surgery was 5.0 years, and patients …

Long-Term Surgical Outcomes Of Glaucoma Drainage Implants In Eyes With Preoperative Intraocular Pressure Less Than 19 Mmhg, Shahin Hallaj, Jae-Chiang Wong, Lauren E. Hock, Natasha Nayak Kolomeyer, Aakriti G. Shukla, Michael J. Pro, Marlene R. Moster, Jonathan S. Myers, Reza Razeghinejad, Daniel Lee

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: This retrospective review reports on patients who underwent glaucoma drainage implant (GDI) surgery and had baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) of ≤18 mmHg with at least one year of follow-up.

METHODS: Clinical data of 67 eyes of 67 patients were collected from patients' charts, and the outcomes of GDI were evaluated until 7 years. GDI failure was defined as IOP reduction of less than 20% from the baseline at two consecutive visits three months after surgery, decline to no light perception, or if additional glaucoma surgery was performed.

RESULTS: The average age was 65.9 ± 13.2 years. Most cases were …

Performance Of Automated Machine Learning In Predicting Outcomes Of Pneumatic Retinopexy, Arina Nisanova, Arefeh Yavary, Jordan Deaner, Ferhina Ali, Priyanka Gogte, Richard Kaplan, Kevin Chen, Eric Nudleman, Dilraj Grewal, Meenakashi Gupta, Jeremy Wolfe, Michael Klufas, Glenn Yiu, Iman Soltani, Parisa Emami-Naeini

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: Automated machine learning (AutoML) has emerged as a novel tool for medical professionals lacking coding experience, enabling them to develop predictive models for treatment outcomes. This study evaluated the performance of AutoML tools in developing models predicting the success of pneumatic retinopexy (PR) in treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). These models were then compared with custom models created by machine learning (ML) experts.

DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter study.

PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred and thirty nine consecutive patients with primary RRD that underwent PR by a vitreoretinal fellow at 6 training hospitals between 2002 and 2022.

METHODS: We used 2 AutoML …

Endophthalmitis In An Elderly Patient - A Case Of Delayed Transfer And Successful Management, Vamsikalayan Borra, Roy Kondapavuluru, Sreejith Pillali, Sabhi Gull, Andres Suarez Parraga

Research Symposium

Introduction: Endophthalmitis is a severe and potentially sight-threatening condition that demands immediate attention and intervention. It is characterized by inflammation and infection within the eye, typically caused by bacterial or fungal organisms entering the eye, often following surgery or trauma. Usually present with sudden, severe eye pain, redness, decreased vision, and photophobia. As endophthalmitis can rapidly progress and cause irreversible damage to the eye, it is considered a true ocular emergency.

Case presentation: An 80-year-old woman, known to have Insulin-dependent Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and a history of breast cancer, arrived at the Emergency Department (ED) with persistent and worsening …

Development Of A Novel Covalently Bonded Conjugate Of Caprylic Acid Tripeptide (Isoleucine–Leucine–Aspartic Acid) For Wound-Compatible And Injectable Hydrogel To Accelerate Healing, Sachin B. Baravkar, Yan Lu, Abdul Razak Masoud, Qi Zhao, Jibao He, Song Hong

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Third-degree burn injuries pose a significant health threat. Safer, easier-to-use, and more effective techniques are urgently needed for their treatment. We hypothesized that covalently bonded conjugates of fatty acids and tripeptides can form wound-compatible hydrogels that can accelerate healing. We first designed conjugated structures as fatty acid–aminoacid1–amonoacid2–aspartate amphiphiles (Cn acid–AA1–AA2–D), which were potentially capable of self-assembling into hydrogels according to the structure and properties of each moiety. We then generated 14 novel conjugates based on this design by using two Fmoc/tBu solid-phase peptide synthesis techniques; we verified their structures and purities through liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear …

A Case Of Persistent Ophthalmic Artery Occlusion After Migraine In The Setting Of Cerebral Vascular Anomalies, Khaled Moumneh, Austin Bach

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

The Benefits Of Medical Tetrahydrocannabinol On Glaucoma, Hunter Kane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: This paper explores the potential therapeutic benefits of medical Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on glaucoma management, particularly in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, ocular blood flow, and symptom management. Glaucoma, characterized by increased IOP and progressive optic nerve damage, is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Current treatments focus on IOP control but may have inadequate efficacy or intolerable side effects, necessitating alternative approaches such as medical THC.

Methods: The study hypothesis posited that medical THC could significantly reduce IOP, enhance ocular blood flow, and improve symptom management in glaucoma patients. To test this hypothesis, a literature review supplemented by …

Exploring Angiotensin Ii And Oxidative Stress In Radiation-Induced Cataract Formation: Potential For Therapeutic Intervention, Vidya P. Kumar, Yali Kong, Riana Dolland, Sandra R. Brown, Kan Wang, Damian Dolland, David Mu, Milton L. Brown

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Radiation-induced cataracts (RICs) represent a significant public health challenge, particularly impacting individuals exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) through medical treatments, occupational settings, and environmental factors. Effective therapeutic strategies require a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying RIC formation (RICF). This study investigates the roles of angiotensin II (Ang II) and oxidative stress in RIC development, with a focus on their combined effects on lens transparency and cellular function. Key mechanisms include the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage to lens proteins and lipids, as well as the impact of Ang II on inflammatory responses and cellular apoptosis. …

The Potential Beneficial Role Of Anti-Platelet/Anti-Coagulant Medications On Diabetic Retinopathy: A Scoping Review Protocol, Sarah Draud, Qingjun Wang, Lauren E. Robinson

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM, both types 1 and 2), affecting millions of individuals worldwide. DM is known to induce changes in platelet function and hemostasis, thereby elevating the risk of thrombotic incidents. The hyperglycemic environment in DM can trigger platelet hyperactivity, potentially exacerbating the onset and progression of DR. Despite the intricate pathophysiology of DR, which involves oxidative stress, inflammation, retinal neovascularization, and the disruption of the blood-retina barrier, the specific mechanisms underlying platelet hyperactivity in the microvasculature of DM patients remain inadequately explored. Antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications have proven beneficial in …