Treatment of Multiple Chalazions with Intralesional Kenalog-40 Injections in Juvenile Patient: A Case Report

Aim: To case report the efficacy of subcutaneous steroid injections in the treatment of multiple chalazions and to evaluate the safety of intralesional injection in primary and recurrent chalazions in juvenile patient.Case report: A 25-year-old man noticed lesions which appeared on upper lid during past three months. It was clinically presented with three focal, large and painful nodules in upper right eyelid. Inflammation process began on May the 1st of 2013. After one month in May 30th 2013 was directly administered synthetic steroid, Kenalog-40. Application of triamcinolone acetonide resulted in two satellite lesions, compared to the original, when the same incisions drained during the first surgery in July 5th 2013, with topical antibiotic-steroidal drugs and hot compresses. Second surgery was in July 26th 2013. Third surgery was performed in August 5st 2013 with second application of Kenalog-40. Combined treatment leads to recovery of clinical signs and inflammation of right upper eyelid with regressions of primary and recurrent chalazions.Conclusion: Two steroid subcutaneous injections produced complete resolution of multiple primary and recurrent chalazions. Clinical imperative was that recurrent or unusual refractory chalazions require referral to Hystopathological examination of curetting to exclude malignancy

Autologous Serum Eye Drops for Post-Chemical Injuries and Corneal Epithelial Defects

Aim: To evaluate success rate (efficacy, safety) in treatment of post-chemical injuries and corneal defects using autologous serum eye drops.Material and Methods: Authors reviewed 93 patients (116 eyes) hospitalized in Clinic of ophthalmology from 2010 to 2013, who had post-causoma corneal defects that were nonresponsive to conventional treatment and were treated with serum therapy. Authors correlated time of epithelialization of defects with rate of epithelial healing.Results: Authors investigated 93 patients (52 males, 41 females; aged 18 - 74) for treatment of corneal defects. Application of autologous serum therapy 56 (48.28%) of 116 eyes was healed in an average time of 4 weeks. Among 116 eyes, epithelial defects healed in 4 (3.45%) within 1 week, in additional 17 (14.65%) in 1-2 weeks, totalling 31 (26.72%) within 3 weeks. Five eyes (4.31%) completely healed at 5 week; three eyes (2.59%) had subsequent healing of epithelial defect at 6 week; 56 eyes completely healed within one month, and the remaining eight eyes healed within 1.5 month.Conclusion: Using serum therapy, it was managed to reduce time of healing from eleven weeks, which were necessary just couple years ago (before 2010) to four (maximum six) weeks to complete healing which are necessary today

A Toxic Hepatitis Caused the Kombucha Tea – Case Report

Background: Toxic hepatitis may clinically manifest as other diseases of the liver, where it must always be considered in differential diagnoses of unexplained liver damage, such as poisoning with kombucha tea.Case report: 47-year old female patient was hospitalized and has consumed daily ounces of kombucha tea. During hospitalization patient was diagnosed with toxic hepatitis and treated with intravenous solutions of hepatic protective and ursodeoxycholic-acid (effective therapy). Conclusion: Examinations showed that kombucha tea has potential to revert the CCl4-induced hepatic toxicity, but used in overdose can induce toxicity himself

PARASITIC EYE INFECTION BY ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES — CASE REPORT

The parasitic infection is an affection of the body as well as the eye with parasites, protozoa’s, worms and ectoparasites, with world incidence of 30%. These diseases are chronic, systemic diseases because of weak innate immunity and ability of parasites to evade immune answer of the host or increasing the resistance to the adaptive immunity of the host. Parasites can evade immunity of the host by: antigens variations, forming cysts, changing the hosts and by synthesis of some cytokines, which decrease immunity of the host. Ascaris lumbricoides is the largest intestinal nematode parasitizing man. The worm is known to cause subconjunctival mass, granulomatous iridocyclitis, choroiditis, recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, chronic dacryocystitis and invasion into the subretinal space. The goal of this case was to analyze the affection of the eye, caused by the Ascaris lumbricoides as very rare ocular pathology

Expression Analysis of SOX14 during Retinoic Acid Induced Neural Differentiation of Embryonal Carcinoma Cells and Assessment of the Effect of Its Ectopic Expression on SOXB Members in HeLa Cells

<div><p>SOX14 is a member of the SOXB2 subgroup of transcription factors implicated in neural development. Although the first <i>SOX14</i> gene in vertebrates was cloned and characterized more than a decade ago and its expression profile during development was revealed in various animal model systems, the role of this gene during neural development is largely unknown. In the present study we analyzed the expression of SOX14 in human NT2/D1 and mouse P19 pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cells. We demonstrated that it is expressed in both cell lines and upregulated during retinoic acid induced neural differentiation. We showed that SOX14 was expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal differentiated derivatives, as revealed by immunocytochemistry. Since it was previously proposed that increased SOXB2 proteins level interfere with the activity of SOXB1 counteracting partners, we compared expression patterns of SOXB members during retinoic acid induction of embryonal carcinoma cells. We revealed that upregulation of SOX14 expression is accompanied by alterations in the expression patterns of SOXB1 members. In order to analyze the potential cross-talk between them, we generated SOX14 expression construct. The ectopic expression of <i>SOX14</i> was demonstrated at the mRNA level in NT2/D1, P19 and HeLa cells, while an increased level of SOX14 protein was detected in HeLa cells only. By transient transfection experiments in HeLa cells we showed for the first time that ectopic expression of SOX14 repressed SOX1 expression, whereas no significant effect on SOX2, SOX3 and SOX21 was observed. Data presented here provide an insight into SOX14 expression during <i>in vitro</i> neural differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells and demonstrate the effect of its ectopic expression on protein levels of SOXB members in HeLa cells. Obtained results contribute to better understanding the role of one of the most conserved SOX proteins.</p></div

Immunocytochemical detection of MAP2, GFAP and SOX14 in undifferentiated P19 and differentiated P19-N cells.

<p>Panel I: Immunocytochemical detection of MAP2 and GFAP-positive cells in P19-N. Panel II: Immunocytochemical detection of MAP2 and SOX14-positive cells in P19 and P19-N. The P19-N population consists of a large number of MAP2 terminally differentiated neurons (C and D), and a few GFAP-positive astroglial cells (B and D). Specific SOX14 immunoreactivity/punctated nuclear signal was detected in a majority of cells in differentiated P19-N cultures (I, K and M), and at basal level in P19 cells (F). DIC transmitted light images show morphology of SOX14+ cells in P19-N population (G and H). Yellow arrowhead in G-I marks flat cells with large nuclei which show strong SOX14 immunoreactivity. SOX14 is expressed in MAP2-positive neurons (K, arrows in L and M) and in non-neuronal cells (K, arrowheads in L and M). Boxed regions in J and K are enlarged in the same figures. Cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (A, D, E, H, J and L). Scale bars: A–K 50 μm, L and M 20 μm.</p

SOX14 expression analysis during RA induced neural differentiation of NT2/D1 and P19 cells.

<p><b>A</b>: Western blot analysis of SOX14 expression in undifferentiated NT2/D1 cells treated with RA for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. <b>B</b>: Comparison of SOX14 protein level between undifferentiated NT2/D1, cells differentiated for 4 weeks (NT2 4W) and a population of neurons (NT2-N). <b>C</b>: qRT-PCR of SOX14 mRNA isolated from NT2/D1, NT2 4W and NT2-N cells. The relative quantities of SOX14 mRNA were calculated as a percentage of the quantity in undifferentiated NT2/D1 cells, which was set as 1. Data are presented as the means ± SD of two independent NT2/D1 differentiation experiments. <b>D</b>: Western blot analysis of SOX14 expression in undifferentiated P19 and cells during RA-induced differentiation, including embryoid bodies (P19 EB) and a differentiated neuronal population (P19-N). Progression of neural differentiation was examined by expression analysis of β-III Tubulin and GFAP, as markers of differentiated neurons and astroglial cells, while GAPDH was used as the loading control.</p

Expression of SOXB members during RA induced neural differentiation of EC cells.

<p><b>A, C</b>: Western blot analysis of SOX14, SNAP25 and OCT4 expression in undifferentiated NT2/D1 and cells at final phase of RA induction (NT2 4W) and undifferentiated P19 and P19 cells at final phase of RA induction (P19 EB), respectively. <b>B</b>: Western blot analysis of SOX1, SOX2, SOX3 and SOX21 expression in NT2/D1 and cells treated with RA for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. <b>D</b>: Western blot analysis of SOX1, SOX2, SOX3 and SOX21 expression in P19 and cells at final phase of RA induction (P19 EB). Protein extract from HeLa cells transiently transfected with SOX21 expression construct was used as a positive control for SOX21 expression. GAPDH was used as a loading control. Quantitative data of relative SOX14, SOX1, SOX2 and SOX3 protein levels during RA induction of NT2/D1 cells (<b>E</b>) and P19 (<b>F</b>) are summarized by the histogram. The quantities were calculated as a percentage of the quantity in control, untreated NT2/D1/P19 cells which were set as 100%. Data are presented as the means±SD of at least two independent differentiation experiments.</p

Ectopic expression of human SOX14 in NT2/D1, P19 and HeLa cells.

<p><b>A, C, E</b>: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR on mRNA obtained from NT2/D1, P19 and HeLa cells, respectively, transiently transfected with pcDNA3.1/SOX14 expression construct. <b>B, D and F</b>: Western blot analyses on whole cell lysates obtained from NT2/D1, P19 and HeLa cells, respectively, transiently transfected with pcDNA3.1/SOX14 expression construct. SOX14 mRNA and protein levels were analyzed 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after transfection. Transfection with pcDNA3.1 vector (designated as C) was used as a control for transfection. Negative PCR control is designated as N. GAPDH, α-Tubulin or <i>actin</i> were used as loading controls for Western blot and RT-PCR analyses.</p

Continuous wave laser for tailoring the photoluminescence of silicon nanoparticles produced by laser ablation in liquid

Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are attracting attention for applications in various fields, from energy storage to bio-imaging. One of their main advantages is good photoluminescence (PL) properties combined with the relatively high bio-compatibility. Here, we fabricated SiNPs by the laser ablation of silicon single crystal in de-ionized water, employing simultaneously the picosecond pulse laser (150 ps, 1064 nm, 7 mJ/pulse) and a continuous wave (CW) laser (532 nm, 270 mW). TEM analysis (bright field TEM, HRTEM, HAADF, EDS) clearly shows that the introduction of the CW laser significantly increases the crystallinity of the produced nanoparticles, which may be crucial for many optical and electronic applications. The obtained SiNPs exhibit good blue photoluminescence properties, and the introduction of the CW laser into the fabrication process leads to the considerable increases in the photoluminescence. Additionally, we conducted a detailed analysis on the aging-time dependence and the excitation wavelength-dependent PL. The results indicate that the blue photoluminescence may be ascribed to quantum confinement effect, interface related states, and defect in the O-containing layer (shell) of the nanoparticles. We demonstrate that the relative share of these mechanisms in overall PL is significantly affected by the introduction of the CW laser to the pulse laser ablation and it may improve the applicability of the Si nanoparticles produced to a wide variety of fields. Published by AIP Publishing