Search results for "Glaucoma"
showing 10 items of 317 documents
Complex Antibody Profile Changes in an Experimental Autoimmune Glaucoma Animal Model
2009
PURPOSE. Increased serum antibodies against heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) have been identified in patients with glaucoma. Immunization with HSP27 caused retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in animals. The authors analyzed whether HSP27 immunization not only causes RGC loss but also affects systemic antibody patterns. METHODS. Rats were immunized with HSP27 and were surveyed for 4, 5, and 6 weeks (groups 1-3). Control animals were humanely killed after 6 weeks (group 4). Intraocular pressure was measured before and 2 and 4 weeks after immunization. Fundus images were taken at the same time. Retinal flatmounts were prepared, and Brn-3a labeled RGCs were counted. Serum was collected during the st…
Repeated intraocular pressure measurement in awake Lewis rats does not bias retinal ganglion cell survival.
2010
The TonoPen applanation tonometry is an established method for intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement. The IOP is one of the main variables affecting retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in experimental animal models in ophthalmology and the main risk factor for human glaucoma. In this study, we examined if IOP measurements with the TonoPen itself lead to retinal ganglion cell loss or any other possible retina damages, such as intraocular bleedings or ablation, in Lewis rats.Three groups of rats (n = 5 each) were formed. IOP monitoring, using a TonoPen XL, was performed on groups 1 and 3. Animals in groups 1 and 2 received funduscopies before and after one and two weeks of the study, in order t…
A two-year follow-up of oral antioxidant supplementation in primary open-angle glaucoma: an open-label, randomized, controlled trial
2014
Purpose To evaluate the effect of oral antioxidant supplementation (OAS) on primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) over a 2-year follow-up period. Patients and methods In this open-label, randomized controlled trial, 117 eyes of 117 patients with mild or moderate POAG and intraocular pressure under control with topical antiglaucoma medications were recruited and randomly divided into three groups according to supplementation: (1) OAS with (ICAPS R® – Alcon Laboratories, n = 26); (2) OAS without ω-3 fatty acids (OFTAN MACULA® – Laboratorios Esteve, n = 28); and (3) a control group without OAS (n = 63). They all underwent visual field (VF) tests (Humphrey 24-2) and scans using a Fourier-domain op…
Enhanced characterization of serum autoantibody reactivity following HSP 60 immunization in a rat model of experimental autoimmune glaucoma.
2010
Antibodies against heat shock proteins have been identified in sera of human glaucoma patients in several studies and immunization with heat shock protein 60 (HSP 60) causes retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in an animal model of experimental autoimmune glaucoma. The aim of this study was to observe the time course of increased anti-retina antibody appearance in the serum and characterize the identification of prominent autoantibodies that accompany HSP 60 immunization in a rat model of experimental autoimmune glaucoma.Eight weeks after immunization with HSP 60 retinal flatmounts were prepared and RGCs were counted in eight predefined areas and compared to controls. Serum collected before, a…
Occurrence of Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss via Autophagy and Apoptotic Pathways in an Autoimmune Glaucoma Model
2020
In glaucoma, an apoptotic death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) has been shown. However, little is known about other cell death mechanisms, like autophagy or necrosis. Therefore, we investigated these mechanisms in addition to antibody deposits in an experimental autoimmune glaucoma model.Rats were immunized with a retinal ganglion cell-layer homogenate (RGA), while controls received sodium chloride. Untreated rats served as natїve group. After seven weeks, retinal cross-sections were stained with antibodies against RGCs (Brn-3a), apoptosis (cleaved caspase 2, cleaved caspase 3 as well as caspase 3, 8, and 9), autophagy (LC3BII and LAMP1), and necrosis (RIPK3) followed by cell counts. Auto…
Retinal ganglion cell loss is accompanied by antibody depositions and increased levels of microglia after immunization with retinal antigens.
2012
BackgroundAntibodies against retinal and optic nerve antigens are detectable in glaucoma patients. Recent studies using a model of experimental autoimmune glaucoma demonstrated that immunization with certain ocular antigens causes an immun-mediated retinal ganglion cell loss in rats.Methodology/principal findingsRats immunized with a retinal ganglion cell layer homogenate (RGA) had a reduced retinal ganglion cell density on retinal flatmounts (p = 0.007) and a lower number of Brn3(+) retinal ganglion cells (p = 0.0001) after six weeks. The autoreactive antibody development against retina and optic nerve was examined throughout the study. The levels of autoreactive antibodies continuously in…
Intereye Spatial Relationship of Abnormal Neuroretinal Rim Locations in Glaucoma Patients from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study
2006
Purpose To determine the spatial relationship in neuroretinal rim parameter values between eyes in ocular hypertensives, glaucoma suspects, and glaucoma patients. Design Observational-cross-sectional study. Methods A total of 334 eyes of 167 patients were included. All patients underwent confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging in both eyes. Intereye concordance ratio of abnormal rim sectors as classified by the Moorfield regression analysis (MRA) was calculated as the ratio of matching abnormal rim areas to the total number of abnormal rim areas. The amount of agreement was calculated for each sector separately. Results Of the right (left) eyes, 39 (39) eyes were classified “borderli…
Autoreactive Antibodies and Loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells in Rats Induced by Immunization with Ocular Antigens
2011
PURPOSE In an experimental autoimmune animal model, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss was induced through immunization with glaucoma-related antigens. The target of this study was to investigate the pathomechanism behind this decline and the serum antibody reactivity against ocular and neuronal tissues after immunization with glaucoma- and non-glaucoma-associated antigens. METHODS Rats immunized with optic nerve antigen homogenate (ONA) or keratin (KER) were compared to control rats (CO). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured, and the fundi were examined regularly. Four weeks afterward, cells were counted in retinal flat mounts. Retina, optic nerve, and brain sections from healthy animals …
Analysis of Autoantibody Repertoires in Sera of Patients with Glaucoma
2003
PURPOSE Glaucoma is the second cause of blindness worldwide. It is usually considered a neurodegenerative disease. There is evidence that an autoimmune mechanism is involved in the development of glaucoma in some patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the IgG autoantibody repertoires in sera of glaucoma patients and healthy subjects. METHODS A total of 82 patients were divided into four groups: healthy volunteers without any ocular disorders (CO, n = 30), patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG, n = 19), ocular hypertension (OHT, n = 16), and normal tension glaucoma (NTG, n = 17). All groups were matched for age and gender. The sera of these patients were tested against West…
Relationship between Psychophysical Measures of Retinal Ganglion Cell Density and In Vivo Measures of Cone Density in Glaucoma.
2017
Purpose Considerable between-individual variation in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) density exists in healthy individuals, making identification of change from normal to glaucoma difficult. In ascertaining local cone-to-RGC density ratios in healthy individuals, we wished to investigate the usefulness of objective cone density estimates as a surrogate of baseline RGC density in glaucoma patients, and thus a more efficient way of identifying early changes. Design Exploratory cohort study. Participants Twenty glaucoma patients (60% women) with a median age of 54 years and mean deviation (MD) in the visual field of –5 dB and 20 healthy controls (70% women) with a median age of 57 years and a mean…