Diagnosis and Management Strategies in Sclerochoroidal Calcification: A Systematic Review

Ahmet Kaan Gündüz,1,2,* Diğdem Tetik1,* 1Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 2Private Eye Clinic, Farilya Business Center 8/38, Ankara, 06510, Turkey*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ahmet Kaan Gündüz, Farilya Business Center 8/38, Ufuk Universitesi Cad, Çukurambar, Ankara, 06510, Turkey, Email [email protected]: Sclerochoroidal calcification (SCC) is a rare disease which is characterized by calcium deposition in the sclera. The choroid is secondarily involved. Typical localization is in the midperipheral region, outside the vascular arcades. SCC is mostly located in the superotemporal quadrant. Often times, the patients are referred with the diagnosis of an amelanotic tumor. SCC may be dystrophic or metastatic. Metastatic SCC lesions are associated with conditions altering calcium and phosphate metabolism including primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D intoxication, renal failure, hyperphosphatemia, and destructive bony lesions. SCC lesions have a characteristic appearance and appear as distinct, ill-defined, yellow-white, elevated scleral/choroidal masses funduscopically. The purpose of this literature review is to review the current knowledge on SCC, highlight the imaging features, and discuss the differential diagnosis as well as management options.Keywords: sclerochoroidal calcification, hyperparathyroidism, renal failure, ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomograph

Effects of Cysteamine on Sheep Embryo Cleavage Rates

Oxidative stress during in vitro culture leads to defects in development of gametes and embryos. Several antioxidants such as cysteamine, L-ascorbic acid, beta mercaptoethanol, cysteine, glutathione, proteins, vitamins have been used to supplement culture media to counter the oxidative stress. This study was conducted to detect the effect of adding cysteamine to the maturation medium to subsequent cleavage rates of sheep embryos. Totally 604 ovaries were obtained by ten replica and 2060 oocytes were collected. The cumulus oocyte complexes were recovered by the slicing method. A total of 1818 selected oocytes were divided into two groups and used for maturation (88.25%). The first group was created as supplemented with cysteamine (Group A) and second group (Group B, control) without cysteamine in TCM-199. The two groups were incubated for 24 h at 38.8 °C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in humidified air for in vitro maturation (IVM). After IVM, oocytes were fertilized with 50 x 107 / mL fresh ram semen in BSOF medium for 18 h. After fertilization, maturation groups were divided into two subgroups with different culture media: Group AI-SOF (Synthetic Oviduct Fluid medium), Group AII-CR1aa (Charles Rosencrans medium), Group BI-SOF and Group BII-CR1aa were achieved. Cleavage rates were evaluated at day 2. post insemination. The rates of cleavage were detected as 59.54% (184/309), 55.44% (173/312), 65.34% (215/329), 59.34% (200/337) respectively, with showing no statistically significant difference between the groups at the level of P>0.05. In conclusion, supplementing cysteamine to maturation media in TCM-199 did not affect the cleavage rates of sheep embryos in SOF and CR1aa culture media

Effects of cysteamine on sheep embryo cleavage rates

In vitro kültür esnasında oksidatif stres gametlerin ve embriyoların gelişiminde hasarlara yol açar. Sisteamin, L-askorbik asit, beta merkaptoetanol, sistein, glutatyon gibi birçok antioksidanlar, proteinler, vitaminler oksidatif stresi önlemek için kültür medyumlarına eklenmiştir. Bu çalışma olgunlaşma medyumuna sisteamin ilavesinin koyun embriyonik bölünme oranları üzerine etkisinin saptanması için tasarlandı. Toplam 604 ovaryum 10 kerede toplandı ve 2060 koyun oositi elde edildi, doğrama metodu ile 1818 adet oosit kumulus kompleksleri seçilerek olgunlaşma amacıyla iki gruba ayrıldı (%88,25). İlk grup (Grup A) TCM-199 medyumuna sisteamin eklenen oositler, diğer grup (Grup B, kontrol) TCM-199 medyumuna sisteamin eklenmeyen oositler olarak oluşturuldu. İki grupta 24 saat boyunca 38,8 °C’de %5 CO2 altında, nemli havada in vitro maturasyon (IVM) için inkübe edildi. Oositler, IVM sonrası 50 x 107 / mL taze koç sperması ile BSOF medyumunda 18 saat süreyle döllendi. Döllenme sonrası, olgunlaşma grupları değişik kültür medyumları ile iki alt gruba ayrıldı ve Grup AI-SOF (Sentetik Ovidukt Sıvısı Medyumu), Grup AII-CR1aa (Charles Rosencrans Medyumu), Grup BI-SOF ve Grup BII-CR1aa elde edildi. Bölünme oranları döllenme sonrası 2. günde değerlendirildi. Bölünme oranları gruplar arasında istatistik açıdan önemli fark olmadan (P>0,05) sırasıyla, %59,54 (184/309), %55,44 (173/312), %65,34 (215/329), %59,34 (200/337) olarak saptandı. Sonuç olarak, TCM-199 olgunlaşma medyumuna sisteamin eklenmesinin SOF ve CR1aa kültür medyumlarındaki koyun embriyo bölünme oranları üzerine bir etkisinin olmadığı saptandı

Low Levels ofLRRK2Gene Expression are Associated withLRRK2SNPs and Contribute to Parkinson's Disease Progression

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that has relatively slow progression with motor symptoms.Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)gene mutations and polymorphisms are suggested to be associated with PD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of theLRRK2gene, namely, rs11176013, rs10878371, rs11835105, and PD. Genotypes of 132 PD cases and 133 healthy individuals were determined by qRT-PCR. Haplotype analysis was performed. Additionally,LRRK2mRNA expression levels were determined in 83 PD cases and 55 healthy subjects. The relationship betweenLRRK2mRNA levels, the target SNPs, and clinical data was also investigated. Our results indicated that the "GG" genotype and "G" allele of rs11176013 and the "CC" genotype and "C" allele of rs10878371 were more frequent in cases. The "GCG" haplotype was significantly more frequent in cases.LRRK2mRNA expression levels in patients were significantly lower than those in healthy individuals. The patients with the "CC" genotype for rs10878371 and the "GG" genotype for rs11176013 had decreasedLRRK2mRNA levels. We found that the rs11176013 "GG" genotype and the rs10878371 "CC" genotype were less frequently seen in cases with akinetic rigid or combined akinetic rigid and tremor-dominant initial symptoms. Consequently, our results demonstrate that the rs11176013 and rs10878371 polymorphisms are associated with PD in a Turkish cohort, and moreover, these results suggest that these polymorphisms may affect the expression of theLRRK2gene and disease progression and thus play a role in the pathogenesis of PD