Screening for patients with mild Alzheimer disease using frequency doubling technology perimetry

We compared the visual field performances of patients with mild Alzheimer disease (AD) with normal subjects and detected visual field impairment attributable to the magnocellular pathway using frequency doubling technology - Matrix (FDT-Matrix). We recruited 43 patients with mild AD (mean age: 68.0±7.2 years) and 33 controls who are visually and cognitively normal (mean age: 64.1±6.4 years). All participants had at least two reliable FDT-Matrix 30-2 tests. Reliability indices, global indices (mean deviation and pattern standard deviation), and glaucoma hemifield test results were measured with FDT-Matrix. The mean test duration was significantly longer in patient group compared with controls (p=0.002). Among the reliability indices, false negatives were higher in patient group than controls (p=0.003). There were statistically significant differences in mean deviation and pattern standard deviation values (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively) and glaucoma hemifield test results (p<0.001) between the patient and the control group. Our results imply that the pathogenesis of cognitive deterioration may not only be confined to the cortical area but also to the magnocellular pathway. We underline that FDT testing can be useful for the identification of early impairment and the follow-up of patients with AD. © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc

A novel surgical technique for prevention of Ahmed glaucoma valve tube exposure: long scleral flap augmented with Tenon advancement and duplication

Abstract Background To describe a new technique and present its long-term outcome for prevention of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) tube exposure in patients with refractory glaucoma. Methods Twenty-seven eyes of 24 patients (mean age, 50 years; age range, 16–78 years; 8 females, 16 males) with refractory glaucoma who had the AGV implant were retrospectively reviewed. For AGV implantation, a long scleral flap combined with Tenon advancement and duplication was used. In this technique, a long scleral flap is created to completely cover the extraocular part of valve’s tube, and the flap surface is covered with duplicated Tenon’s tissue. The average follow-up after AGV implantation was 21.7 months (range, 12–36 months). Results The mean intraocular pressure before the operation, which was 44.1 mmHg (range, 26–62 mmHg), decreased to 14.2 mmHg (range, 8–20 mmHg) at the last follow-up visit, showing 67% reduction with AGV implantation. The mean number of antiglaucomatous medications was 4.1 before the AGV implantation and decreased to 0.9 after the operation, showing 88% reduction. In 14 eyes (51.9%), there was no change in the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and in 11 eyes (40.7%), the BCVA increased by 2 lines on the Snellen chart postoperatively. No patient developed postoperative hypotony, flat anterior chamber, diplopia, strabismus, erosion or exposure of the tube, or tube/plate migration. Conclusions The long scleral flap augmented with Tenon advancement and duplication is an effective and safe surgical technique for the implantation of AGV and preventing tube exposure in cases of refractory glaucoma

Effectiveness of topical ciclosporin A treatment after excision of primary pterygium and limbal conjunctival autograft

Aim: To study the efficacy and safety of topical ciclosporin A (CsA) as an adjunctive therapy after surgical treatment of primary pterygium including excision and limbal conjunctival autograft (LCA) with respect to postoperative pain and complications

POTENTIATION OF ETOPOSIDE-INDUCED DNA-DAMAGE BY VERAPAMIL IN L-STRAIN CELLS IN-VITRO

Verapamil has previously been shown to have enhanced the cytotoxicity of VP-16-213 against malign cell lines in vitro. In this study the cytotoxic effects of verapamil on the cytotoxicity of etoposide against transformed mouse fibroblasts (L-strain cell) were examined. When verapamil was used alone, after 8 hrs, DNA synthesis was increased with respect to the control cells (p<0.01) and the initial increase of DNA synthesis was higher with the lowest concentration of verapamil (2 mu g/ml) (p<0.01). In cells that were treated with verapamil and etoposide, after 16 hrs, etoposide cytotoxicity was enhanced and the DNA synthesis decreased (p<0.01). This enhancement augmented with the increasing doses of verapamil (p<0.01). Although the initial stimulatory effect of verapamil on the DNA synthesis may have some role in the enhancement of etoposide cytotoxicity, the involvement of some other mechanisms is postulated

Clinical significance of serum circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma

The principal aim of our study was to investigate the usefulness of serum protein and circulating mRNA of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fifty-four HCC patients and age- and sex-matched 20 healthy controls were enrolled into this study. Pretreatment serum IGF-1 and IGF-1 mRNA were determined by the solid-phase sandwich ELISA and quantitative RT-PCR method, respectively. The median age at diagnosis was 60 years, range 36-77 years; where majority of group were male (n = 48, 88.8 %). All patients had cirrhotic history. Forty-six percent (n = 25) of patients had Child-Pugh score A, 30 % (n = 16) had score B or C. All of the patients were treated with local therapies and none of them received sorafenib. The baseline serum IGF-1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in HCC patients than in the control group (p = 0.04), whereas no significant difference was observed for IGF-1 protein levels between the two group (p = 0.18). Patients with history of HBV infection, who were not treated, and who received multiple palliative treatment for HCC had higher serum IGF-1 mRNA levels (p = 0.03, 0.03, and 0.05, respectively). Poor performance status (p < 0.001), viral etiology of cirrhosis (p = 0.03), larger tumor size (p = 0.01), lower serum hemoglobin levels (p = 0.03), and not be treated for HCC (p = 0.001) related to worse survival. However, neither serum IGF-1 nor serum IGF-1 mRNA had significantly adverse effect on survival (p = 0.53 and 0.42, respectively)

Systemic oxidant/antioxidant balance in human abdominal aortic aneurysm

PMID = 2622827

An open-label trial to assess the safety of regorafenib in Turkish patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that progressed on standard therapy (REGARD)

ESMO 17th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer -- JUL 01-04, 2015 -- Barcelona, SPAINWOS: 000357047400123ESM