Trabecular Meshwork Gene Expression after Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty

BACKGROUND: Trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal are the tissues appointed to modulate the aqueous humour outflow from the anterior chamber. The impairment of their functions drives to an intraocular pressure increase. The selective laser trabeculoplasty is a laser therapy of the trabecular meshwork able to decrease intraocular pressure. The exact response mechanism to this treatment has not been clearly delineated yet. The herein presented study is aimed at studying the gene expression changes induced in trabecular meshwork cells by selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in order to better understand the mechanisms subtending its efficacy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Primary human trabecular meshwork cells cultured in fibroblast medium underwent selective laser trabeculoplasty treatment. RNA was extracted from a pool of cells 30 minutes after treatment while the remaining cells were further cultured and RNA was extracted respectively 2 and 6 hours after treatment. Control cells stored in incubator in absence of SLT treatment were used as reference samples. Gene expression was evaluated by hybridization on miRNA-microarray and laser scanner analysis. Scanning electron microscopic examination was performed on 2 Trabecular meshwork samples after SLT at 4(th) and 6(th) hour from treatment. On the whole, selective laser trabeculoplasty modulates in trabecular meshwork the expression of genes involved in cell motility, intercellular connections, extracellular matrix production, protein repair, DNA repair, membrane repair, reactive oxygen species production, glutamate toxicity, antioxidant activities, and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: SLT did not induce any phenotypic alteration in TM samples. TM is a complex tissue possessing a great variety of function pivotal for the active regulation of aqueous humour outflow from the anterior chamber. SLT is able to modulate these functions at the postgenomic molecular level without inducing damage either at molecular or phenotypic levels

A Scoping Review of Quality of Life Questionnaires in Glaucoma Patients

PRECIS: Multiple questionnaires exist to measure glaucoma's impact on quality of life (QoL). Selecting the right questionnaire for the research question is essential, as is patients' acceptability of the questionnaire to enable collection of relevant patient-reported outcomes. PURPOSE: QoL relating to a disease and its treatment is an important dimension to capture. This scoping review sought to identify the questionnaires most appropriate for capturing the impact of glaucoma on QoL. METHODS: A literature search of QoL questionnaires used in glaucoma, including patient-reported outcomes measures, was conducted and the identified questionnaires were analyzed using a developed quality criteria assessment. RESULTS: Forty-one QoL questionnaires were found which were analyzed with the detailed quality criteria assessment leading to a summary score. This identified the top 10 scoring QoL questionnaires rated by a synthesis of the quality criteria grid, considering aspects such as reliability and reproducibility, and the authors' expert clinical opinion. The results were ratified in consultation with an international panel of ophthalmologists (N=49) from the Educational Club of Ocular Surface and Glaucoma representing 23 countries. CONCLUSIONS: Wide variability among questionnaires used to determine vision related QoL in glaucoma and in the responses elicited was identified. In conclusion, no single existing QoL questionnaire design is suitable for all purposes in glaucoma research, rather we have identified the top 10 from which the questionnaire most appropriate to the study objective may be selected. Development of a new questionnaire that could better distinguish between treatments in terms of vision and treatment-related QoL would be useful that includes the patient perspective of treatment effects as well as meeting requirements of regulatory and health authorities. Future work could involve development of a formal weighting system with which to comprehensively assess the quality of QoL questionnaires used in glaucoma

Selective laser trabeculoplasty: past, present, and future

Over the past two decades, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has increasingly become an established laser treatment used to lower intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients. In this review we trace the origins of SLT from previous argon laser trabeculoplasty and review the current role it has in clinical practice. We outline future directions of SLT research and introduce emerging technologies that are further developing this intervention in the treatment paradigm of glaucoma.Eye advance online publication, 5 January 2018; doi:10.1038/eye.2017.273

Conjunctival epithelium expression of HLA-DR in glaucoma patients and its influence on the outcome of filtration surgery

AIMS—To analyse the expression of HLA-DR on conjunctival epithelial cells in patients with glaucoma taking topical antiglaucoma therapy.
METHODS—10 patients taking no topical medication and 30 patients with uncontrolled glaucoma taking medical therapy participated in the study. The specimens were obtained by impression cytology preoperatively, 3 months, and 6 months after filtration surgery. The expression of HLA-DR on T lymphocytes and epithelial cells was analysed by flow cytometry.
RESULTS—A significant increase in HLA-DR on epithelial cells was found preoperatively in patients with glaucoma. A significant increased expression of HLA-DR on epithelial cells was detected 3 months and 6 months after surgery.
CONCLUSIONS—The increased expression of HLA-DR on conjunctival epithelial cells still present 6 months after surgery indicates the increased ability of epithelial cells to induce immune inflammation with subsequent fibrosis.


Self-monitoring of intraocular pressure using Icare HOME tonometry in clinical practice

Barbara Cvenkel,1,2 Makedonka Atanasovska Velkovska11Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaPurpose: To determine the value of self-monitoring of diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) by Icare Home rebound tonometer in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.Methods: Patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, controlled IOP at office visits, and at least 3 years of follow-up in the glaucoma clinic were included. Progression of glaucoma was based on medical records and defined by documented structural and/or visual field change. Patients were trained to correctly perform self-tonometry and instructed to measure diurnal IOP in a home setting for 3 days. IOP characteristics (mean, peak IOP, fluctuation of IOP as range, and SD of IOP) were documented and compared between the progressive and stable eyes.Results: Ninety-four patients (50 females) with a mean (SD) age of 57.1 (14.7) years were included. Among the 94 eyes from 94 subjects, 72 (76.6%) eyes had primary open-angle glaucoma, ten (10.6%) had pigmentary glaucoma, four (4.3%) had exfoliative glaucoma, and eight (8.5%) eyes had ocular hypertension. Thirty-six eyes showed progression and 58 eyes were stable. Patients with progression were older than those with stable disease (mean (SD) 65.8 (8.4) years vs 51.7 (15.3) years, P<0.001). The progression group had higher average IOP (mean (SD) 15.8 (4.0) mmHg vs 13.3 (3.7) mmHg, P=0.002), peak IOP (mean (SD) 21.8 (5.8) mmHg vs 18.6 (4.8) mmHg, P=0.01), and greater IOP fluctuation range (mean (SD) 11.6 (4.8) vs 9.1 (3.5) mmHg, P=0.011) compared to non-progression group.Conclusion: Self-monitoring of IOP using Icare Home tonometry provides more complete data on variability of IOP to assist in the management of glaucoma.Keywords: glaucoma, intraocular pressure, progression, self-tonometr

Symptoms and signs of ocular surface disease related to topical medication in patients with glaucoma

Barbara Cvenkel,1 Špela Štunf,1 Irena Srebotnik Kirbiš,2 Margareta Strojan Fležar2 1Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease (OSD) and the cytomorphological changes of ocular surface in glaucoma patients using preserved antiglaucoma drops.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 109 participants (79 patients with topical medication and 30 untreated controls) completed the Ocular Surface Diseases Index (OSDI) questionnaire and underwent an ophthalmic examination, including Schirmer test, tear film breakup time (TBUT), and fluorescein staining. Conjunctival specimens were collected by impression cytology and analyzed by light microscopy using Nelson’s grading scheme (grades 0–3). This classification is based on the nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratios of epithelial cells and the numbers of goblet cells, with grade 2 considered abnormal.Results: The medication group had significantly shorter TBUT (median [interquartile range]: 6.0 seconds [5.0–8.0 seconds] vs 9.5 seconds [6.0–12.3 seconds]; P<0.03), greater fluorescein staining (1.0 [0.75–1.25] vs 0 [0–0.25]; P<0.001), and higher impression cytology grade than the control group (median [range]: 1.0 [1:2 to 1:6] vs 0.6 [1:2 to 1:4]; P<0.001). The increasing number of drops instilled per day was associated with an increase in fluorescein staining (Spearman’s rho r=0.475; P<0.001) and shorter TBUT (r=-0.278; P=0.014). The OSDI did not discriminate between the two groups.Conclusion: Clinical tests and impression cytology showed ocular surface damage in patients using preserved antiglaucoma medications. However, there was no statistically and clinically significant difference in symptoms measured by OSDI score between the medication and control groups. Keywords: ocular surface disease, dry eye diagnostic tests, ocular surface disease index questionnaire, impression cytology, topical glaucoma medicatio

The Efficacy and Safety of Timolol Maleate versus Brinzolamide Each Given Twice Daily Added to Travoprost in Patients with Ocular Hypertension or Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

PURPOSE. To compare the efficacy and safety of timolol maleate 0.5% versus brinzolamide 1% when added to travoprost 0.004% in patients with ocular hypertension or primary open-angle glaucoma