12 research outputs found
Somatostatin receptor 2A expression in choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration
PURPOSE: The growth of ocular neovascularization is regulated by a balance
between stimulating and inhibiting growth factors. Somatostatin affects
angiogenesis by inhibiting the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor
axis and also has a direct antiproliferative effect on human retinal
endothelial cells. The purpose of our study is to investigate the
expression of somatostatin receptor (sst) subtypes and particularly sst
subtype 2A (sst2A) in normal human macula, and to study sst2A in different
stages of age-related maculopathy (ARM), because of the potential
anti-angiogenic effect of somatostatin analogues. METHODS: Sixteen eyes
(10 enucleated eyes, 4 donor eyes, and 2 surgically removed choroidal
neovascular [CNV] membranes) of 15 patients with eyes at different stages
of ARM were used for immunohistochemistry. Formaldehyde-fixed
paraffin-embedded slides were incubated with a polyclonal anti-human sst2A
antibody. mRNA expression of five ssts and somatostatin was determined in
the posterior pole of three normal human eyes by reverse
transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical
expression of sstA in newly formed endothelial cells and fibroblast-like
cells was strong in fibrovascular CNV membranes. mRNA of sst subtypes 1,
2A, and 3, as well as somatostatin, was present in the normal posterior
pole; sst subtypes 4 and 5 were not detectable. CONCLUSIONS: Most
early-formed CNV in ARM express sst2A. The presence of mRNA of sst subtype
2A was observed in normal human macula, and subtypes 1 and 3 and
somatostatin are also present. sst2A receptors bind potential
anti-angiogenic somatostatin analogues such as octreotide. Therefore,
somatostatin analogues may be an effective therapy in early stages of CNV
in ARM
Somatostatin receptor 2A expression in choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration
PURPOSE: The growth of ocular neovascularization is regulated by a balance
between stimulating and inhibiting growth factors. Somatostatin affects
angiogenesis by inhibiting the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor
axis and also has a direct antiproliferative effect on human retinal
endothelial cells. The purpose of our study is to investigate the
expression of somatostatin receptor (sst) subtypes and particularly sst
subtype 2A (sst2A) in normal human macula, and to study sst2A in different
stages of age-related maculopathy (ARM), because of the potential
anti-angiogenic effect of somatostatin analogues. METHODS: Sixteen eyes
(10 enucleated eyes, 4 donor eyes, and 2 surgically removed choroidal
neovascular [CNV] membranes) of 15 patients with eyes at different stages
of ARM were used for immunohistochemistry. Formaldehyde-fixed
paraffin-embedded slides were incubated with a polyclonal anti-human sst2A
antibody. mRNA expression of five ssts and somatostatin was determined in
the posterior pole of three normal human eyes by reverse
transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical
expression of sstA in newly formed endothelial cells and fibroblast-like
cells was strong in fibrovascular CNV membranes. mRNA of sst subtypes 1,
2A, and 3, as well as somatostatin, was present in the normal posterior
pole; sst subtypes 4 and 5 were not detectable. CONCLUSIONS: Most
early-formed CNV in ARM express sst2A. The presence of mRNA of sst subtype
2A was observed in normal human macula, and subtypes 1 and 3 and
somatostatin are also present. sst2A receptors bind potential
anti-angiogenic somatostatin analogues such as octreotide. Therefore,
somatostatin analogues may be an effective therapy in early stages of CNV
in ARM
Late-onset retinoblastoma in a well-functioning fellow eye
To describe the documented growth, clinical course, and histopathology of retinoblastomas in an untreated and otherwise normal right eye of a 27-year-old white male with a g.153211T>A (p.Tyr606X) mutation in the retinoblastoma 1 gene, whose left eye was enucleated at age 2 years for 2 retinoblastomas. Retrospective interventional case report. Over the years, the right eye was irradiated twice and underwent trans-pars plana vitrectomy, transscleral cryocoagulation, argon laser photocoagulation of tumors and their feeder vessels, extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation, and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser treatment of after-cataract in the form of Elschnig's pearls. Finally, the patient received combination chemotherapy with etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cisplatin, and vincristine. The eye finally had to be removed 12 years later due to tumor recurrences and seeding, pseudohypopyon, and elevated intraocular pressure. Histopathology showed microcellular retinoblastoma cells in the anterior chamber angle and trabecular meshwork without subconjunctival extension and in the nasal ciliary body, pars plana, internal limiting membrane, and optic nerve head anterior to the cribriform plate. The patient is without local or systemic recurrences at age 50, 11 years after the last eye was enucleated. This report shows that retinoblastoma patients may have tumor growth in their fellow eye 25 years after the first eye and also that Elschnig's after-cataract pearls still can arise after irradiation of a lens with 45 G
Reduced melanoma-related mortality in uveal melanoma by preenucleation radiotherapy
Radiotherapy of an eye before enucleation, so called preenucleation radiotherapy (PER), of patients with uveal melanoma was initiated to reduce enucleation-induced systemic metastasis. Earlier studies with a short follow-up period have not demonstrated a significant effect on survival. To study the effect of PER on melanoma-related mortality after more than 9 years of follow-up. In a prospective study, 167 patients with uveal melanoma were treated between 1978 and 1992 by irradiation with 800 rad (8 Gy) given in 2 fractions 2 days before enucleation. A group of 108 patients with uveal melanoma treated between 1971 and 1992 by enucleation only in the same hospital served as a historical control group. Patients were followed up until December 2002 or death. Melanoma-related death occurred in 32.3% of the PER-treated group and in 40.7% of the enucleation only group. Mean follow-up was 9.25 years. After 48 months of follow-up, a significant difference in survival became evident in favor of the PER group. The estimated 15-year survival rates for patients with melanoma in the PER group and enucleation only group were 63.7% and 51.0%, respectively. For patients dying of all causes, these percentages were 47.5% and 25.2%, respectively. In both groups, women had a better prognostic outcome than men. This study suggests that PER improves long-term survival in patients with uveal melanom
Immunohistochemical analysis of the internal limiting membrane peeled with infracyanine green
PURPOSE: To investigate whether the peeled internal limiting membrane (ILM) contains cellular retinal cell fragments, and to learn more about their possible origin. DESIGN: Experimental study. METHODS: ILM peeled from ten eyes during vitrectomy by infracyanine green (ICG) was studied immunohistochemically using the markers: GFAP, S-100, and vimentin. Five ILM specimens were from eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME), two from eyes with a macular hole, and three from eyes with persisting macular edema after retinal detachment surgery. RESULTS: In eight of the ten ILM specimens, we found GFAP-positive staining, indicating the presence of remnants of footplates from Müller cells or glial cells. Two ILM specimens were positive for S-100, indicating the presence of neural cells or ganglion cells. CONCLUSIONS: ILM peeled from the retina during vitrectomy using ICG may contain remnants of Müller cell footplates, neural cells, and ganglion cells