The role of inflammation and antiinflammation therapies in keratoconjunctivitis sicca

Koray Gumus1, Dwight H Cavanagh21Department of Ophthalmology, Erciyes University School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USAPurpose: To review and integrate recent advances in identifying the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of dry eye conditions and the biological rationale and practical clinical aspects of newer, antiinflammatory theories.Methods: A comprehensive literature survey. Results and conclusion: Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS) is a multifactorial and complex disorder in which ocular surface infl ammations play a central role. Identification of specific CD4-T-Cell pathways and the recent recognition of targeting of alpha-fodrin suggest a case for novel new therapeutic aspects such as anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies, systemic linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids, and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Replacement of tear volume with nonpreserved wetting agents and standard typical antiinflammatory corticosteroid and/or cyclosporine A continues to be central current conventional therapy for KCS.Keywords: dry eye, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, antiinflammatory therap

Riboflavin Derivatives for Sustainable Redox Flow Batteries

Demand for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainability is rapidly increasing, and this demand for more sustainable solutions is driven by the progressively increasing climate issues worldwide. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are found within renewable energy sources such as wind farms, hydroelectric, and solar power plants where they aid in storing power produced from these sources and distributing it out to the grid when required. Of these, the most commonly used is the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) which have been demonstrated to work on an industrial scale since the mid 1980s. However, these systems are now majorly outdated and use harmful and toxic active compounds employed as their electrolytes. These cells can be replaced by newer, more sustainable systems using organic compounds as their redox active electrolytes. With organic redox flow batteries (ORFBs) the scalability and tuneability can go a long way, as the organic active material can easily be adapted to required specifications and parameters a cell requires. This project targeted the synthesis of novel, redox active organic molecules from a biological source (riboflavin) tailored to work in acidic aqueous conditions, with the goal of them being used as a stable and robust electrolyte within a flow cell. The target molecules were synthesized and studied using electrochemical testing methods including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and flow cell testing to evaluate them as potential electrolytes in an RFB environment, with a sulphonated derivative of riboflavin identified as a promising lead candidate. The research reported here suffered from multiple issues regarding synthesis complication and equipment failure; 5 these were overcome by adopting alternative methods and principles, as well as a collaboration with an external research group working on similar flow cell studies

Crystal structure of cis-copper(II) complex with N-(di-n-propylcarbamothioyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide ligand

Copper(II) complex, cis-[Cu(L-κ2S,O)2] of N-(di-n-propylcarbamothioyl)cyclohexane carboxamide ligands (HL) has been synthesized and structurally characterized by various spectroscopic techniques and single crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography. The cis-[Cu(L-κ2S,O)2], C28H50CuN4O2S2: Monoclinic, space group P21/n (no. 14), a = 10.025(2) Å, b = 21.724(4) Å, c = 14.848(3) Å, β = 100.60(3)°, Z = 4, Dcalc = 1.259 g/cm3, 22069 reflections measured (5.88° ≤ 2Θ ≤ 50.2°), 5639 unique (Rint = 0.0630, Rsigma = 0.0678) which were used in all calculations. The final R1 was 0.0488 (≥2σ(I)) and wR2 was 0.1277 (all data). Single crystal analysis revealed that a square-planar coordination geometry is formed around the copper atom by two sulphur and two oxygen atoms of the related ligand, which are in a cis configuration

Aqueous Tear Deficiency Increases Conjunctival Interferon-c (IFN-c) Expression and Goblet Cell Loss

PURPOSE. To investigate the hypothesis that increased interferon-c (IFN-c) expression is associated with conjunctival goblet cell loss in subjects with tear dysfunction. METHODS. Goblet cell density (GCD) was measured in impression cytology from the temporal bulbar conjunctiva, and gene expression was measured in cytology samples from the nasal bulbar conjunctiva obtained from 68 subjects, including normal control, meibomian gland disease (MGD), non-Sjögren syndrome (non-SSATD)-, and Sjögren syndrome (SSATD)-associated aqueous tear deficiency. Gene expression was evaluated by real-time PCR. Tear meniscus height (TMH) was measured by optical coherence tomography. Fluorescein and lissamine green dye staining evaluated corneal and conjunctival disease, respectively. Between-group mean differences and correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS. Compared to control, IFN-c expression was significantly higher in both ATD groups, and its receptor was higher in SSATD. Expression of IL-13 and its receptor was similar in all groups. Goblet cell density was lower in the SSATD group; expression of MUC5AC mucin was lower and cornified envelope precursor small proline-rich region (SPRR)-2G higher in both ATD groups. Interferon-c transcript number was inversely correlated with GCD (r ¼ À0.37, P < 0.04) and TMH (r ¼ À0.37, P ¼ 0.02), and directly correlated with lissamine green staining (r ¼ 0.51, P < 0.001) and SPRR-2G expression (r ¼ 0.32, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. Interferon-c expression in the conjunctiva was higher in aqueous deficiency and correlated with goblet cell loss and severity of conjunctival disease. These results support findings of animal and culture studies showing that IFN-c reduces conjunctival goblet cell number and mucin production

Conjunctivochalasis and Tear Osmolarity Are Associated With Reduced Conjunctival Epithelial Thickness in Dry Eye

center dot PURPOSE: To investigate the hypothesis that ocular surface epithelial thickness is correlated with tear osmolarity, conjunctivochalasis (CCh), and dry eye clinical tests. center do

Corneal Pseudodendritic Lesions Masquerading as Herpetic Keratitis in a Patient With Tyrosinemia Type I

Objective: To describe the clinical findings of a patient with tyrosinemia type I with noncompliance to a protein-restricted diet, treated with 2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC)

Comparison of Different Measurement Tools and Dimensional Parameters of Pterygium to Investigate its Impact on Refractive Indices and Ocular Aberrations

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare different measurement tools and parameters, including a new computer-assisted image processing technique for the quantitative analysis of the percentage of pterygium on the corneal surface, horizontal/vertical lengths obtained using slitlamp beam and surgical compass

Correlation Between Androgen Levels and Dry Eye Parameters in Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objective: To investigate the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the dry eye status in men and to determine whether the hypoandrogenic status has any concomitant impact

The results of electrophysiological tests in unilateral extensive peripapillary myelinated nerve fibers: report of three cases

The purpose of this study is to describe clinical and electrophysiological findings of three patients with unilateral extensive peripapillary myelinated nerve fibers. Three patients with unilateral extensive peripapillary myelinated nerve fibers were examined. A complete ophthalmologic examination including uncorrected and best spectacle corrected visual acuities (UCVA, BSCVA) on Snellen charts, dilated fundoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), perimetry and electrophysiological tests was performed. ERG results of both eyes were normal in all cases. FFA showed hypofluorescence at the myelinated nerve fibers (MNF) area in the affected eyes. We found a visual field defect resembling arcuat scotom at perimetry of the affected eyes. In OCT, there was hyper-reflectivity in reply to MNF. In all cases, pattern ERG results of the affected eyes showed decreased amplitudes and increased latencies of P50 and N95 waves. P100 amplitudes of PVER and FVER were decreased, and latencies were increased in all affected eyes. Extensive peripapillary myelinated nerve fibers may cause changes in PERG and VER