Causes and 3-year-incidence of blindness in Jing-An District, Shanghai, China 2001-2009

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Registered data can provide valuable information regarding blindness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the main causes and 3-year incidence of registered blindness in Jing-An district in Shanghai, China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from the blindness registry (age, gender and cause of visual disability) were collected and analyzed. The prevalence of blindness for 2003, 2007, 2009 and the 3-year incidence of blindness were calculated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The reported blindness increased significantly from 113.7 per 100,000 in 2003 to 145.8 per 100,000 in 2006 to 165.9 per 100,000 in 2009 (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, respectively). Age significantly affects prevalence; the odd ratios (OR) were 2.57 in the 30 y - 49 y range (P < 0.001), 7.27 in the 50 y - 69 y range (P < 0.001) and 21.2 in the ≥ 70 y (P < 0.001). The 3-year incidence increased from 32.3 per 100,000 in 2001-2003 to 34.2 per 100,000 in 2004-2006 to 40.8 per 100,000 in 2007-2009. The causes of new blindness registered in 2001-2009 were myopic macular degeneration (19.4%), followed by glaucoma (17.7%), age-related macular degeneration (11.8%), optical nerve atrophy (9.4%), retinitis pigmentosa (8.6%), diabetic retinopathy (7.8%) and corneal opacity (5.8%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The 3-year incidence and prevalence of registered blindness increased in the past 9 years. The leading causes of new blindness were myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. The pattern of causes has changed little in the past 9 years and is different from other locations in China. The pattern is similar to that of Taiwan, Hongkong, and Western countries.</p

Overexpression of Optic Atrophy Type 1 Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells and Upregulates Parkin Expression in Experimental Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that features progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Increasing evidences have revealed that impaired mitochondrial dynamics occurs early in neurodegenerative diseases. Optic Atrophy Type 1 (OPA1), a mitochondrial fusion protein, has recently been suggested to be a mitophagic factor. Our previous studies found that glaucomatous retinal damage may be ameliorated by an increase in mitochondrial OPA1. In this study, we explored the mechanism involved in OPA1 mediated neuroprotection and its relationship with parkin dependent mitophagy in experimental glaucoma models. Our data showed that overexpression of OPA1 by viral vectors protected against RGC loss, attenuated Bax expression, and improved mitochondrial health and mitochondrial surface area. Parkin expression and the number of mitophagosomes were upregulated in OPA1 overexpressed RGCs under glutamate excitotoxicity. While knockdown of OPA1 by siRNA decreased protein expression of parkin in RGCs under glutamate excitotoxicity. Two weeks after intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation, the LC3-II/I ratio and the LAMP1 expression were increased in OPA1 overexpressed optic nerve. These findings suggest that OPA1 overexpression may protect RGCs by ways of enhancing mitochondria fusion and parkin mediated mitophagy. Interventions to promote mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy may provide a useful strategy to battle against glaucomatous RGC loss

Measurement of and Factors Associated with the Anterior Chamber Volume in Healthy Chinese Adults

Purpose. To measure the anterior chamber volume (ACV) and determine factors associated with the ACV in healthy Chinese adults. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, we used swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) to measure ACV and other anterior segment parameters. Factors associated with ACV were also determined. Results. A total of 313 healthy Chinese adults were enrolled. The anterior segment parameters, including ACV, could be measured by SS-OCT with excellent repeatability and reproducibility. There was a significant difference between the horizontal and vertical anterior chamber widths (ACW) (P<0.05), with a mean difference of 390 μm. The ACV (mean 153.83±32.42 mm3) was correlated with most of the anterior segment parameters, especially anterior chamber depth (ACD), which accounted for about 85% of the variation of ACV. Most of the anterior segment parameters were significantly correlated with age, and the relative changes in ACV and ACD were greatest in subjects aged 41–50 years. Conclusion. ACV was correlated with most of the anterior segment parameters measured in this study, particularly ACD. The relatively large difference between horizontal and vertical ACW suggests that the ACV could and should be measured using multiple OCT scans

Heightened expression of MICA enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells or CD8+T cells to human corneal epithelium in vitro

BACKGROUND: Major-histocompatibility-complex class I-related chain A (MICA) antigens are the ligands of NKG2D, which is an activating or coactivating receptor expressed on human NK cells and CD8(+)T cells. We sought to determine whether MICA expression in human corneal epithelium (HCE) could affect the cytotoxicity mediated by NK cells or CD8(+)T cells. METHODS: Cell cultures of HCE were harvested from human donor eyes. Flow cytometric analysis and ELISA was performed to determine the levels of MICA expression on HCE. Then, HCE was transfected with a lentivirus vector expressing MICA and GFP. Flow cytometric analysis, RT-PCR, western blot and ELISA were performed to check the levels of MICA expression. For cytotoxicity testing, allogeneic NK cells and CD8(+)T cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers by magnetic cell sorting. The cytolytic activity of NK cells and CD8(+)T cells was assessed against MICA-transfected HCE (NK cells: E:T ratio = 3:1; CD8(+)T cells: E:T ratio = 10:1) using the nonradioactive cytotoxicity detection kit lactate deshydrogenase. RESULTS: Surface expression of MICA on corneal epithelium was identified at a low level. A cell line of stable human MICA-transfected corneal epithelium was successfully established. Heightened expression of MICA on HCE was found to promote the cytotoxicity mediated by NK cells or CD8(+)T cells, which could be blocked by an anti-MICA antibody. CONCLUSION: MICA molecules may contribute to cytotoxic responses mediated by activated immune effector cells in corneal epithelium immunity

Screening of the LTBP2 gene in 214 Chinese sporadic CYP1B1-negative patients with primary congenital glaucoma

Purpose To identify deleterious mutations in the latent transforming growth factor-β–binding protein 2 (LTBP2) gene in sporadic patients with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) from a Han Chinese population, which had been excluded for mutations in the CYP1B1 gene. Methods: In this retrospective case–control study, 36 coding exons and adjacent exon–intron boundaries of LTBP2 were amplified with PCR and screened for mutations with Sanger sequencing in DNA samples of 214 sporadic patients with PCG. Sequence variants identified in the patients with PCG were subsequently screened in 100 unaffected control subjects and the unaffected parents of the patients with PCG who had sequence changes in LTBP2. Results: Eight heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in coding regions of LTBP2 were identified in the patients with PCG. Four of these SNPs were missense changes that resulted in the replacement of amino acids (rs2304707, rs116914994, rs45468895, and rs763035721), two of which (rs2304707 and rs116914994) were also present in the control subjects. No significant differences in the frequencies of the missense SNPs were found between the patients with PCG and the controls. The two missense SNPs, rs45468895 and rs763035721, which were each found in one patient also existed in their unaffected parents, suggesting that these two SNPs were not segregated in these families and are unlikely to be a disease-causative variant. In addition, four synonymous SNPs were detected in the patients with PCG (rs61738025, rs862031, rs199805158, and rs12586758). Conclusions: The results showed that no deleterious mutations were found in coding regions of LTBP2 in patients with PCG, suggesting that it is not a causal gene for PCG in the Han Chinese population

Evaluation of Anterior Chamber Volume in Cataract Patients with Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose. To evaluate the anterior chamber volume in cataract patients with Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) and its influencing factors. Methods. Anterior chamber volume of 92 cataract patients was evaluated with SS-OCT in this cross-sectional study. Univariate analyses and multiple linear regression were used to investigate gender, age, operated eye, posterior vitreous detachment, lens opacity grading, and axial length (AXL) related variables capable of influencing the ACV. Results. The average ACV was 139.80 ± 38.21 mm3 (range 59.41 to 254.09 mm3). The average ACV was significantly larger in male patients than in female patients (P=0.001). ACV was negatively correlated with age and LOCS III cortical (C) grading of the lens (Pearson’s correlation analysis, r=-0.443, P<0.001, and Spearman’s correlation analysis, ρ=-0.450, P<0.001). ACV was also increased with AXL (Pearson’s correlation analysis, r=0.552, P<0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that, with all of the covariates entered into the model, gender (P=0.002), age (P=0.015), LOCS III C grade (P=0.043), and AXL (P=0.001) were still associated with ACV (F=10.252  P<0.001  R2=0.498). Conclusion. With SS-OCT, we found that, in healthy cataract patients, ACV varied significantly among different subjects. Influencing factors that contribute to reduced ACV were female gender, increased age, LOCS III C grade, and shorter AXL

Interocular Shift of Visual Attention Enhances Stereopsis and Visual Acuities of Anisometropic Amblyopes beyond the Critical Period of Visual Development: A Novel Approach

Aims. Increasing evidence shows that imbalanced suppressive drive prior to binocular combination may be the key factor in amblyopia. We described a novel binocular approach, interocular shift of visual attention (ISVA), for treatment of amblyopia in adult patients. Methods. Visual stimuli were presented anaglyphically on a computer screen. A square target resembling Landolt C had 2 openings, one in red and one in cyan color. Through blue-red goggles, each eye could only see one of the two openings. The patient was required to report the location of the opening presented to the amblyopic eye. It started at an opening size of 800 sec of arc, went up and down in 160 sec of arc step, and stopped when reaching the 5th reversals. Ten patients with anisometropic amblyopia older than age 14 (average age: 26.7) were recruited and received ISVA treatment for 6 weeks, with 2 training sessions per day. Results. Both Titmus stereopsis (z = −2.809, P = 0.005) and Random-dot stereopsis (z = −2.317, P = 0.018) were significantly improved. Average improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.74 line (t = 5.842, P < 0.001). Conclusions. The ISVA treatment may be effective in treating amblyopia and restoring stereoscopic function