The Efficacy and Reliability of Capsulovitrectomy for Posterior Capsule Opacification

Objectives: To investigate the efficiency and reliability of capsulovitrectomy (CV) for posterior capsule opacification (PCO) following cataract operation. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 32 eyes of 30 patients with PCO between January 2009 and June 2013 and could not get effective Nd:YAG laser treatment. Pars plana or limbal CV operations were performed at least 6 months after the cataract operation. Results: In these 30 patients, female/male ratio was 17/13 and average age was 44.7 years (4.00-71.00 years). Diagnoses before the cataract operation were as follows: pediatric cataract in 8 eyes (25%), complicated cataract in 15 eyes (46.87%) [diabetic vitrectomy in 12 eyes (37.5%), uveitis in 3 eyes (9.37%)], and senile cataract in 9 eyes (28.13%). The mean corrected visual acuity (CVA) before the CV operation was 1.34±0.71 (0.56-2.50), whereas it was 0.37±0.19 (0.00-0.70) (Log MAR) 6 months after CV. There was a significant difference (p=0.01 paired t-test) between preoperative and postoperative 6-month CVA. At postoperative 6th month, CVA was seen to increase in all eyes. Conclusion: CV operation is an efficient and reliable method in PCO following cataract operation for those who cannot get effective Nd:YAG laser treatment. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2015; 45: 1-4

Effect of Single Administration of Coffee on Pupil Size and Ocular Wavefront Aberration Measurements in Healthy Subjects

No study has so far evaluated the impact of coffee drinking on ocular wavefront aberration (OWA) measurements. This study presents novel findings regarding the OWA of the eye following coffee intake. We aimed to evaluate the acute changes in pupil size and OWA of the eye after single administration of coffee. A total of 30 otherwise healthy participants were included in this prospective study. All subjects drank a cup of coffee containing 57 mg caffeine. Measurements of pupil size, total coma (TC), total trefoil (TF), total spherical aberration (TSA), and total higher order aberration (HOA) were performed before and at 5 minutes, at 30 minutes, and at 4 hours after coffee drinking using a wavefront aberrometer device (Irx3, Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). The mean age of the study population was 20.30 ± 2.74 years. Pupil size did not show a significant change during the measurements (p>0.05). A significant increase was observed in TF and HOA measurements following coffee intake (p=0.029 and p=0.009, resp.). Single administration of coffee results in significant increase in TF and total HOAs in healthy subjects without any effect on pupil diameter. Ultrastructural changes in the cornea following coffee intake might be of relevance to the alterations in ocular aberrations in healthy subjects

Characteristics of Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity in Infants with Birth Weight above 1500 Grams at a Referral Center in Turkey.

To demonstrate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants with birth weight (BW) above 1500 g in Turkey.A retrospective review of 5920 ROP records was performed in Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Diseases Training and Research Hospital. The records were obtained from ROP treatment center of the same institute between 2011 and 2016. The data comprised the demographic and clinical characteristics including, gestational age, BW, systemic risk factors, zone and stage of ROP, ROP type, treatment modality, treatment outcomes and inborn/outborn status of the babies.A total of 36 infants (71 eyes) with severe ROP and BW> 1500 g were retrieved. There were 30 infants (83.3%) with type 1 ROP and 6 infants (16.7%) with aggressive posterior ROP (APROP). 3 infants (8.3%) were born at our hospital whereas 33 (91.7%) were referred from outer private neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) centers. Zone I APROP was detected during the initial screening. 21 infants (58.3%) underwent laser treatment while 15 (41.7%) received intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections. No unfavorable structural outcome was observed following either treatment modality.Severe ROP may occur in heavier preterm infants. Laser treatment and IVB injections were useful in selected cases. Presence of APROP at first examination suggests an earlier screening in heavier babies. Standardization of private NICU centers as well as establishing a national ROP protocol is necessary in Turkey

Novel Zinc Finger Protein Gene 469 (ZNF469) Variants in Advanced Keratoconus

<p><i>Purpose</i>: Common polymorphic variants upstream of <i>Zinc finger protein gene 469 (ZNF469)</i> have been associated with central corneal thickness. Rare <i>ZNF469</i> variants have been shown in keratoconus patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the frequency of <i>ZNF 469</i> gene variants in rapidly progressive advance keratoconus patients who underwent corneal transplant surgery by the age of 30, compared to their frequency in the normal Turkish population.</p> <p><i>Methods</i>: A search in a patient database was performed to identify patients with a rapidly progressive keratoconus requiring corneal transplant surgery by the age of 30 in at least one eye. Twenty-six advance keratoconus patients (study group) and 109 health subjects (control group) were included in the study. Blood samples were donated, and genomic DNA was extracted. The entire coding sequence of the <i>ZNF469</i> gene including the 84 bp of the putative intron was amplified using PCR primers and analyzed using next generation sequencing (NGS).</p> <p><i>Results</i>: Fifteen single nucleotide polymorphisms previously reported and registered to the dbSNP database were detected in the study group. The allele frequencies of these polymorphisms were higher in the keratoconus group compared to the control group and to the ExAC genome database. Three new missense heterozygote variants and one new synonym variant were detected in keratoconus group. According to prediction software, the P873T and Q2188H variants were shown to be non-tolerated, whereas G3424S could be tolerated. The synonymous variant R1060R is not predicted to lead to abnormal splicing by Human Splicing Finder <i>in silico</i> analysis.</p> <p><i>Conclusion</i>: New detected <i>ZNF 469</i> P873T and Q2188H heterozygote coding variants in isolated advance keratoconus patients may be associated with the disease pathogenesis.</p

Novel Zinc Finger Protein Gene 469 (ZNF469) Variants in Advanced Keratoconus

<p><i>Purpose</i>: Common polymorphic variants upstream of <i>Zinc finger protein gene 469 (ZNF469)</i> have been associated with central corneal thickness. Rare <i>ZNF469</i> variants have been shown in keratoconus patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the frequency of <i>ZNF 469</i> gene variants in rapidly progressive advance keratoconus patients who underwent corneal transplant surgery by the age of 30, compared to their frequency in the normal Turkish population.</p> <p><i>Methods</i>: A search in a patient database was performed to identify patients with a rapidly progressive keratoconus requiring corneal transplant surgery by the age of 30 in at least one eye. Twenty-six advance keratoconus patients (study group) and 109 health subjects (control group) were included in the study. Blood samples were donated, and genomic DNA was extracted. The entire coding sequence of the <i>ZNF469</i> gene including the 84 bp of the putative intron was amplified using PCR primers and analyzed using next generation sequencing (NGS).</p> <p><i>Results</i>: Fifteen single nucleotide polymorphisms previously reported and registered to the dbSNP database were detected in the study group. The allele frequencies of these polymorphisms were higher in the keratoconus group compared to the control group and to the ExAC genome database. Three new missense heterozygote variants and one new synonym variant were detected in keratoconus group. According to prediction software, the P873T and Q2188H variants were shown to be non-tolerated, whereas G3424S could be tolerated. The synonymous variant R1060R is not predicted to lead to abnormal splicing by Human Splicing Finder <i>in silico</i> analysis.</p> <p><i>Conclusion</i>: New detected <i>ZNF 469</i> P873T and Q2188H heterozygote coding variants in isolated advance keratoconus patients may be associated with the disease pathogenesis.</p