Ahmed valve, suture-less implantation: A new approach to an easier technique.
Purpose Tissue adhesives have been used in ophthalmology instead of sutures to minimize the operating time. This case series investigated the effectiveness and safety of use of cyanoacrylate in Ahmed valve implantation through pars plana for refractory glaucoma. Patients and methods Seventeen eyes of 17 patients with refractory glaucoma underwent Ahmed valve scleral suture-less implantation through pars plana with a cyanoacrylate suture of the plate. Refractory glaucoma was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥ 21 mm Hg with antiglaucoma eye drops, good adherence to treatment, and no previous glaucoma surgery. IOP control and development of complications were evaluated during the follow-u…
Altered antioxidant-oxidant status in the aqueous humor and peripheral blood of patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a common form of hereditary retinal degeneration constituting the largest Mendelian genetic cause of blindness in the developed world. It has been widely suggested that oxidative stress possibly contributes to its pathogenesis. We measured the levels of total antioxidant capacity, free nitrotyrosine, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation, extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) activity, protein, metabolites of the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway, heme oxygenase-I and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in aqueous humor or/and peripheral blood from fifty-six patients with retinitis pigmentosa and sixty subjects without systemic or ocular …
Characterization of gramicidin A in an inverted micellar environment. A combined high-performance liquid chromatographic and spectroscopic study
We have investigated the conformational adaptability of gramicidin A incorporated into reverse micelles of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane/water, a so far unexplored "host" membrane-mimetic model system for this peptide. A high-performance liquid chromatographic strategy previously developed for the study of gramicidin in phospholipid vesicles and normal micelles [Bañó et al. (1989) FEBS Lett. 250, 67; Bañó et al. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 886] has been successfully extended to this system. The method has permitted the separation of peptide conformational species, namely, double-stranded dimers and monomers, and an accurate quantitation of their proportion in the invert…
Q fever: a new ocular manifestation
P Udaondo1,3, S Garcia-Delpech1,2, D Salom1,2, M Garcia-Pous1, M Diaz-Llopis1,21Department of Ophthalmology, Nuevo Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 2Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; 3Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia, SpainAbstract: Q Fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Ocular manifestations are rare in this infection. We describe the case of a man complaining of an intense retro-orbital headache, fever, arthralgia, and bilateral loss of vision, who showed an anterior uveitis accompanied by exudative bilateral inferior retinal detachment and optic disk edema. At the beginning, a Vogt–Koyanag…
Nutraceutical Supplementation Ameliorates Visual Function, Retinal Degeneration, and Redox Status in rd10 Mice
Background: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by progressive degeneration of photoreceptor cells. Ocular redox status is altered in RP suggesting oxidative stress could contribute to their progression. In this study, we investigated the effect of a mixture of nutraceuticals with antioxidant properties (NUT) on retinal degeneration in rd10 mice, a model of RP. Methods: NUT was orally administered to rd10 mice from postnatal day (PD) 9 to PD18. At PD18 retinal function and morphology were examined by electroretinography (ERG) and histology including TUNEL assay, immunolabeling of microglia, Müller cells, and poly ADP ribose polymers. Retinal r…
Sequencing analysis of a 4·1 kb subtelomeric region from yeast chromosome IV identifiesHXT15, a new member of the hexose transporter family
The DNA sequence of a 4·1 kb region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome IV was determined. This region contains a single open reading frame which codes for a member of the hexose transporter family. This new gene has been named HXT15 according to yeast gene data bases. The sequence has been entered in the EMBL data library under Accession Number X92891.
Ionic self-complementarity induces amyloid-like fibril formation in an isolated domain of a plant copper metallochaperone protein
This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6807/4/7
HPLC in the characterisation of conformational species of linear gramicidins
Abstract High-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) has proved to be a highly simplified and rapid procedure to investigate the conformational behaviour of gramicidin A inserted in different model membrane systems (lipid dispersions, liposomes, micelles) based on the separation of double-stranded dimers and monomers present in the lipid assemblies. The HPSEC approach has been extended to the characterisation of acylated analogs of gramicidin (palmitoyl- and oleoyl-derivatives) and a series of peptide analogs where tryptophan residues were chemically modified or replaced by less polar residues (phenylalanine or naphtylalanine) lacking H-bonding ability. The Chromatographic result…
Environment- and sequence-dependent modulation of the double-stranded to single-stranded conformational transition of gramicidin A in membranes.
The role of the membrane lipid composition and the individual Trp residues in the conformational rearrangement of gramicidin A along the folding pathway to its channel conformation has been examined in phospholipid bilayers by means of previously described size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC-based strategy (Bano et al. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 886). It has been demonstrated that the chemical composition of the membrane influences the transition rate of the peptide rearrangement from double-stranded dimers to beta-helical monomers. The chemical modification of Trp residues, or its substitution by the more hydrophobic residues phenylalanine or naphthylalanine, stabilized…
Size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography in the study of the autoassociating antibiotic gramicidin A in micellar milieu.
Gramicidin A (gA) is a polypeptide antibiotic which forms dimeric channels specific for monovalent cations in biological membranes. It is a polymorphic molecule that adopts several different conformations, double-stranded (ds) helical dimers (pore conformation) and single-stranded beta-helical dimers (channel conformation). This study investigated the conformational adaptability of gramicidin A when incorporated into micelles as membrane-mimetic model system. Taking advantage of our reported, versatile, size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) strategy that allows the separation of double-stranded dimers and monomers, we have quantitatively characterized the conformat…
Lentes de contacto y cálculo de lente intraocular: sorpresa refractiva usando el método biométrico de no contacto IOLMaster
Aqueous Humor Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Retinitis Pigmentosa
PURPOSE To determine the level of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in aqueous humors of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). METHODS A prospective, comparative control study. Aqueous humor was collected from 16 eyes of 16 patients with RP. The level of VEGF-A was determined with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The control group comprised 16 aqueous samples from 16 patients about to undergo cataract surgery and without any other ocular or systemic diseases. RESULTS The concentration of VEGF-A in aqueous humor was markedly lower in patients with RP than in control subjects (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). The level of VEGF-A was 94.9 +/- 99.8 …
Treatment of refractory uveitis with adalimumab: a prospective multicenter study of 131 patients.
To evaluate adalimumab therapy in refractory uveitis.Prospective case series.A total of 131 patients with refractory uveitis and intolerance or failure to respond to prednisone and at least 1 other systemic immunosuppressive drug participated.Patients received a 40 mg adalimumab subcutaneous injection every other week for 6 months. The associated immunosuppressants were tapered after administering 3 adalimumab injections (week 6).Degree of anterior and posterior chamber inflammation (Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature Working Group criteria), immunosuppression load (as defined by Nussenblatt et al), visual acuity (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution [logMAR]), and macular thic…
Rapid Regression of Exudative Maculopathy in Idiopathic Retinitis, Vasculitis, Aneurysms and Neuroretinitis Syndrome after Intravitreal Ranibizumab
The idiopathic retinitis, vasculitis, aneurysms and neuroretinitis syndrome is a rare retinal vascular disorder characterized by multiple leaking aneurysmal dilations, retinal vasculitis, neuroretinitis and peripheral vascular ischemia. Visual loss mainly occurs due to the development of retinal neovascularization and/or exudative maculopathy. Although the treatment of choice has not yet been established, retinal photocoagulation seems to be the best option to control the disease and to prevent its progression. Herein, we report a case of idiopathic retinitis, vasculitis, aneurysms and neuroretinitis syndrome with both retinal neovascularization and macular exudation successfully managed wi…
Efficacy and safety of the pars plana clip in the Ahmed valve device inserted via the pars plana in patients with refractory glaucoma
Manuel Diaz-Llopis1,2,3, David Salom1,3, Salvador Garc&iacute;a-Delpech1,2,3, Patricia Udaondo1,3, Jose Maria Millan3,5, J Fernando Arevalo61Department of Ophthalmology, La Fe University Hospital of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 2Department of Ophthalmology of the Valencia University, Valencia, Spain; 3Biomedical Network Research Centre on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Valencia, Spain; 4Catholic University San Vicente Martir, Valencia, Spain; 5Department of Genetics, La Fe University Hospital of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 6Clinica Oftalmologica Centro Caracas, Retina and VItreous Service, Caracas, DC, VenezuelaPurpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the pars plana clip (PPC) in the Ahme…
Q fever: a new ocular manifestation
P Udaondo1,3, S Garcia-Delpech1,2, D Salom1,2, M Garcia-Pous1, M Diaz-Llopis1,21Department of Ophthalmology, Nuevo Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 2Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Val&egrave;ncia, Valencia, Spain; 3Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia, SpainAbstract: Q Fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Ocular manifestations are rare in this infection. We describe the case of a man complaining of an intense retro-orbital headache, fever, arthralgia, and bilateral loss of vision, who showed an anterior uveitis accompanied by exudative bilateral inferior retinal detachment and optic disk edema. At the beginning, a Vogt&ndash;Koyanag…
Intravitreal pegaptanib for refractory macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion
Patricia Udaondo1,2, Salvador Garcia-Delpech1,3, David Salom1,3, Maria Garcia-Pous1,3, Manuel Diaz-Llopis1,31Nuevo Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 2University Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia, Spain; 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, SpainPurpose: To assess the efficacy of intravitreal Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen&reg;) injection in the management of refractory macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.Methods: This is a prospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series. Five eyes of five patients with macular edema refractory to either bevacizumab or triamcinolone were treated with intravitreal injection of Pegaptanib s…
Acute endothelial failure after cosmetic iris implants (NewIris&reg;)
Maria Garcia-Pous1, Patricia Udaondo2, Salvador Garcia-Delpech2, David Salom1, Manuel D&iacute;az-Llopis21Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 2Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, SpainAbstract: We report a case of an acute endothelial failure after the implantation of a new cosmetic, colored, artificial iris diaphragm implant called NewIris&reg;. A 21-year-old woman came to us complaining of progressive loss of vision and pain after NewIris lenses had been implanted. Decreased visual acuity, corneal edema, and increased intraocular pressure in both eyes appeared only 3 weeks after the surgery. The lenses were removed as soon as…
Acute endothelial failure after cosmetic iris implants (NewIris®)
We report a case of an acute endothelial failure after the implantation of a new cosmetic, colored, artificial iris diaphragm implant called NewIris(®). A 21-year-old woman came to us complaining of progressive loss of vision and pain after NewIris lenses had been implanted. Decreased visual acuity, corneal edema, and increased intraocular pressure in both eyes appeared only 3 weeks after the surgery. The lenses were removed as soon as possible but had already severely affected the endothelial cell count. NewIris implants are an alternative to cosmetic contact lenses, but they are not as safe as other phakic anterior chamber intraocular lenses, nor are they a good option for the patient.
Levels of thrombopoietin in aqueous humor of patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis
Jos&eacute;-Juan Mondejar,1,4 David Salom,1,3 Salvador Garcia-Delpech,1,2 Manuel Diaz-Llopis11Ophthalmology Department, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, 2Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Universitario La Fe, 3Ophthalmology Department, Hospital de Manises, Valencia, 4Ophthalmology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante,&nbsp;SpainPurpose: To measure thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in the serum and aqueous humors of patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis.Methods: A prospective, comparative, controlled study. Serum and aqueous humors were obtained from the eyes of 16 patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis. TPO levels were measu…
Background Arabidopsis thaliana copper metallochaperone CCH is a functional homologue of yeast antioxidant ATX1, involved in cytosolic copper transport. In higher plants, CCH has to be transported to specialised cells through plasmodesmata, being the only metallochaperone reported to date that leaves the cell where it is synthesised. CCH has two different domains, the N-terminal domain conserved among other copper-metallochaperones and a C-terminal domain absent in all the identified non-plant metallochaperones. The aim of the present study was the biochemical and biophysical characterisation of the C-terminal domain of the copper metallochaperone CCH.
Intravitreal Plasmin Without Associated Vitrectomy as a Treatment for Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema
To determine the effectiveness of a low-dose intravitreal injection of autologous plasmin enzyme (APE), without the performance of a vitrectomy, as a treatment for refractory diffuse diabetic macular edema (DDME).Prospective, comparative, interventional case series.Sixteen patients with bilateral DDME who had not responded to prior laser photocoagulation. All patients received an injection in 1 eye, while the other eye served as a control.Intravitreal 0.2 mL APE injection under topical anesthesia. The APE was obtained using a simplified method.Central macular thickness (CMT) at 1 and 6 months, determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).All patie…
HPLC demonstration that an all Trp--Phe replacement in gramicidin A results in a conformational rearrangement from beta-helical monomer to double-stranded dimer in model membranes.
We have taken advantage of our previously reported high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) strategy to investigate the conformational behavior of the optically reversed gramicidin M (gM-), an analog of gramicidin A with all tryptophans replaced by phenylalanines, in different model membranes. It is quantitatively demonstrated for the first time that once inserted in the lipid environment, gM- (unlike the native peptide) undergoes a conformational transition from beta-helical monomers to thermodynamically stable double-stranded dimers. This transition is faster the higher the incubation temperature and can be neatly observed in both small unilamellar phospholipid vesicles and lysophos…
Prophylaxis of Macular Edema with Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy after Cataract Surgery: A Pilot Study
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech, South San Francisco, Calif, USA) combined with cataract surgery for the prevention of clinically significant macular edema (CSME) in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This prospective interventional case series included fifty-four eyes of 54 patients with a previous diagnosis of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) without macular edema preoperatively. Subjects were assigned in a 1 : 1 ratio to receive an intraoperative intravitreal ranibizumab injection (n=27) or not (control group,n=27) associated with standardised phacoemulsification surgery. The main outcome measu…