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Veterinary Ophthalmology Mar 2020To identify the frequency of vitreous degeneration and its association with ocular comorbidities including cataracts, lens luxation, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the frequency of vitreous degeneration and its association with ocular comorbidities including cataracts, lens luxation, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
METHODS
This is a retrospective study of 4217 dogs from the Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) that underwent breed screening ophthalmic examinations between 2013 and 2016. The breeds analyzed included the Italian Greyhound, Shih Tzu, Affenpinscher, Bichon Frise, Brussels Griffon, Whippets, and Greyhound. Data collected from CAER included age, gender, number of examinations, and whether vitreous degeneration, along with cataracts, lens luxation, glaucoma and/or retinal detachment were present in either or both eyes.
RESULTS
The study found that breed and age are significant drivers for developing VD. Italian Greyhounds, Brussels Griffons, and Shih Tzus have a significantly higher likelihood of VD compared to the negative control breed, the Greyhound. Additionally, with every 1-year age increase, there is a 24% higher likelihood of developing VD. However, no association was identified between vitreous degeneration and cataracts, lens luxation, glaucoma, or retinal detachment.
CONCLUSIONS
While the study found that breed and age were significant drivers for developing VD, no association was found between VD and the other ocular comorbidities examined.
Topics: Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Eye Diseases; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Retrospective Studies; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 31464365
DOI: 10.1111/vop.12707 -
Ceska a Slovenska Oftalmologie :... 2022To examine the effectiveness and safety of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis in patients with symptomatic vitreous floaters.
AIMS
To examine the effectiveness and safety of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis in patients with symptomatic vitreous floaters.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This was a single-centre study of adult patients with symptomatic vitreous floaters who underwent laser vitreolysis. Patients treated between 1/2020 and 10/2021 were included. Intraocular pressure was measured by non-contact tonometry before and one month after treatment. Colour fundus photography, slit lamp examination in mydriasis, best corrected visual acuity, optical coherence tomography, and ultrasound examinations were performed before treatment. The patients completed a questionnaire to subjectively rank the degree of impairment associated with the floaters before and between 1 and 2 months after treatment.
RESULTS
89 eyes from 84 patients were included in the study, with a slight predominance of women (53%). A Weiss ring was present in 46%, and other types of vitreous opacity were found in 54%. Before treatment, 69% evaluated floaters as very troublesome (i.e., a value of 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale). After treatment, 42% indicated subjective improvement (9% viewed the treatment as a complete success and 33% as a significant success). In 33% of eyes there was a partial improvement, i.e., some floaters could still be seen, and in 17% there was no improvement; 8% of patients were dissatisfied with the treatment results. There was no statistically significant difference in improvement between the group with Weiss rings and the group with other types of floaters. The procedure itself and the subsequent observation period were without complications, i.e., no cases of intraocular pressure elevation, cataract formation or retinal complications. Intraocular pressure did not significantly change from the pre-procedure value (p = 0.29). Average best corrected visual acuity after treatment was 0.97, thus it did not differ significantly from the pre-treatment values (p = 0.82).
CONCLUSION
Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis subjectively improved floater-related symptoms in treated eyes. The lack of an objective measurement of treatment success is a limiting factor. Laser vitreolysis is more suitable for solitary than diffuse vitreous opacities.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Male; Vitrectomy; Laser Therapy; Eye Diseases; Vitreous Body; Vision Disorders; Lasers, Solid-State
PubMed: 36543595
DOI: 10.31348/2022/28 -
PloS One 2021The systemic organ involvement of SARS-CoV-2 needs to be thoroughly investigated including the possibility of an ocular reservoir in humans. To examine retinal tissues...
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
The systemic organ involvement of SARS-CoV-2 needs to be thoroughly investigated including the possibility of an ocular reservoir in humans. To examine retinal tissues and vitreous for histopathology and SARS-CoV-2 presence with regard to possible effects on the human retina and/ or vitreous. We performed histopathological analyses and quantitative (q)RT-PCR-testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA on retinal tissues and vitreous of COVID-19 postmortem donors.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
Included in this study were 10 eyes of 5 deceased COVID-19 patients. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed via pharyngeal swabs and broncho-alveolar fluids. The highest level of personal protective equipment (PPE) and measures was employed during fluid-tissue procurement and preparation. Histopathological examinations and qRT-PCR-testing were carried out for all retinal tissues and vitreous fluids.
RESULTS
The histopathological examinations revealed no signs of morphologically identifiable retinal inflammation or vessel occlusions based on hematoxylin and eosin stains. By qRT-PCRs, we detected no significant level of viral RNA in human retina and vitreous.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, no significant level of SARS-CoV-2-RNA was detected in the human retinal and vitreous fluid samples of deceased COVID-19 patients. Histopathological examinations confirmed no morphological sign of damage to retinal vasculature or tissues. Further studies are needed to confirm or refute the results.
Topics: Autopsy; COVID-19; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing; Humans; RNA, Viral; Retina; SARS-CoV-2; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 33984050
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251682 -
Journal of AAPOS : the Official... Feb 2022To compare vitreous opacity density in infants born at term and in infants born prematurely using an investigational handheld swept-source optical coherence tomography...
PURPOSE
To compare vitreous opacity density in infants born at term and in infants born prematurely using an investigational handheld swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
METHODS
Infants born at term underwent imaging once between 12 and 48 hours after birth; infants born prematurely were imaged at each routine retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) examination. Three masked, trained graders analyzed images. Semiautomated methods were used to quantify vitreous opacity density, which was correlated with ROP severity based on indirect ophthalmoscopy, other SS-OCT findings, and medical comorbidities.
RESULTS
Between April 2018 and June 2019, 251 SS-OCT imaging sessions were performed on 78 infants (49% female; 36% preterm, with mean birth weight of 1018 ± 338 g and gestational age of 28.6 ± 3.2 weeks). All SS-OCT sessions produced images of adequate quality. Punctate vitreous opacities were present in 25 of 28 term infants (89%) and 41 of 50 premature infants (82%). Dice coefficient and F1 scores for intergrader agreement were 0.99 ± 0.03 and 0.77 ± 0.31, respectively. Vitreous opacity density was 0.118 ± 0.187 in prematurely born infants and 0.031 ± 0.118 in infants born at term (P = 0.009). In the former, vitreous opacity density was associated with ROP zone (P = 0.044) and stage (P = 0.031), intraventricular hemorrhage (P = 0.028), subchorionic hemorrhage (P = 0.026), and African American race (P = 0.023). In the latter, vitreous opacity density was associated with maternal diabetes (P = 0.049).
CONCLUSIONS
Our investigational handheld SS-OCT achieved high-quality vitreoretinal images. In our study cohort, punctate vitreous opacities were a frequent finding in infants born at term and those born prematurely, with increased density in those born prematurely, particularly those with severe ROP.
Topics: Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Male; Ophthalmoscopy; Retinopathy of Prematurity; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 34973449
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2021.09.007 -
Translational Vision Science &... Apr 2022A growing body of evidence suggests complement dysregulation is present in the vitreous of patients with diabetic eye disease. Further translational study could be...
PURPOSE
A growing body of evidence suggests complement dysregulation is present in the vitreous of patients with diabetic eye disease. Further translational study could be simplified if aqueous-as opposed to vitreous-were used to sample the intraocular complement environment. Here, we analyze aqueous samples and assess whether a correlation exists between aqueous and vitreous complement levels.
METHODS
We collected aqueous, vitreous, and plasma samples from patients with and without proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) undergoing vitrectomy. We assessed correlation between complement levels in aqueous and vitreous samples after using a normalizing ratio to correct for vascular leakage. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess the correlation between complement levels in the aqueous and vitreous.
RESULTS
Aqueous samples were obtained from 17 cases with PDR and 28 controls. In all patients, aqueous Ba, C3a, and albumin levels were strongly correlated with vitreous levels (Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.8 for Ba and C3a and 0.7 for albumin; all P values < 0.0001). In PDR eyes only, aqueous and vitreous C3a levels were significantly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.7; P = 0.002), whereas in control eyes, both Ba and C3a (Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.7; P < 0.0001) were significantly correlated.
CONCLUSIONS
A strong correlation exists between aqueous and vitreous complement levels in diabetic eye disease.
TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE
The results establish that accurate sampling of the intraocular complement can be done by analyzing aqueous specimens, allowing for the rapid and safe measurement of experimental complement targets and treatment response.
Topics: Albumins; Aqueous Humor; Complement Activation; Complement System Proteins; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetic Retinopathy; Humans; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 35420644
DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.4.13 -
Diabetologia Jan 2021Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with retinal neovascularisation (NV) is a leading cause of vision loss. This study identified a set of metabolites that were...
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with retinal neovascularisation (NV) is a leading cause of vision loss. This study identified a set of metabolites that were altered in the vitreous humour of PDR patients compared with non-diabetic control participants. We corroborated changes in vitreous metabolites identified in prior studies and identified novel dysregulated metabolites that may lead to treatment strategies for PDR.
METHODS
We analysed metabolites in vitreous samples from 43 PDR patients and 21 non-diabetic epiretinal membrane control patients from Japan (age 27-80 years) via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We then investigated the association of a novel metabolite (creatine) with retinal NV in mouse oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Creatine or vehicle was administered from postnatal day (P)12 to P16 (during induced NV) via oral gavage. P17 retinas were quantified for NV and vaso-obliteration.
RESULTS
We identified 158 metabolites in vitreous samples that were altered in PDR patients vs control participants. We corroborated increases in pyruvate, lactate, proline and allantoin in PDR, which were identified in prior studies. We also found changes in metabolites not previously identified, including creatine. In human vitreous humour, creatine levels were decreased in PDR patients compared with epiretinal membrane control participants (false-discovery rate <0.001). We validated that lower creatine levels were associated with vascular proliferation in mouse retina in the OIR model (p = 0.027) using retinal metabolomics. Oral creatine supplementation reduced NV compared with vehicle (P12 to P16) in OIR (p = 0.0024).
CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION
These results suggest that metabolites from vitreous humour may reflect changes in metabolism that can be used to find pathways influencing retinopathy. Creatine supplementation could be useful to suppress NV in PDR. Graphical abstract.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amino Acids; Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Creatine; Diabetic Retinopathy; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Middle Aged; Retinal Neovascularization; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 33099660
DOI: 10.1007/s00125-020-05309-y -
Journal of Biomechanics Apr 2021The vitreous body is a viscoelastic gel-like network that fills the space between the lens and the retina in the eye. With aging, the vitreous undergoes a liquefaction...
The vitreous body is a viscoelastic gel-like network that fills the space between the lens and the retina in the eye. With aging, the vitreous undergoes a liquefaction process in which liquid pockets form in the gel network, thereby motivating the detachment of the vitreous from the retina in a process known as posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). The PVD process may lead to the formation of floaters and even result in partial or complete loss of vision. Experiments show that the liquefaction and the PVD processes alter the mechanical properties of the vitreous. In this work, we propose a microscopically motivated model that characterizes the changes in the mechanical properties of the vitreous due to aging. To this end, we distinguish between four vitreous states: a homogeneous vitreous, a liquefied vitreous, a vitreous that undergoes partial PVD, and a vitreous with full PVD. The model predicts the time-dependent and the steady-state response of the vitreous in each of the four states. The proposed framework is validated through a comparison with various experimental findings and captures the softening of the vitreous due to aging. We illustrate the importance of the age at which the PVD process begins and of the rate of the detachment process. In addition, we introduce a quantifiable parameter that describes the stage of PVD in the eye. Lastly, we employ our model to investigate the possibility of restoring the mechanical properties of a vitreous that has undergone PVD through the addition of reinforcing fibers to the gel. This work provides insight into the consequences of the age-related changes in the microstructure of the eye and serves as a motivation for new therapeutic measures.
Topics: Eye Diseases; Humans; Retina; Vitreous Body; Vitreous Detachment
PubMed: 33721627
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110310 -
Molecular Vision 2021Collagen is a key player contributing to vitreoelasticity and vitreoretinal adhesions. Molecular reorganization causes spontaneous weakening of these adhesions with age,...
PURPOSE
Collagen is a key player contributing to vitreoelasticity and vitreoretinal adhesions. Molecular reorganization causes spontaneous weakening of these adhesions with age, resulting in the separation of the posterior hyaloid membrane (PHM) from the retina in what is called complete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Incomplete separation of the posterior hyaloid or tight adherence or both can lead to retinal detachment, vitreomacular traction syndrome, or epiretinal membrane formation, which requires surgical intervention. Pharmacological vitrectomy has the potential of avoiding surgical vitrectomy; it is also useful as an adjunct during retinal surgery to induce PVD. Previously studied enzymatic reagents, such as collagenase derived from are nonspecific and potentially toxic. We studied a novel collagenase from (VMC) which remains active (VMA), even after deletion of 51 C-terminal amino acids. To limit the activity of VMA to the vitreous cavity, a fusion construct (inhibitor of hyaluronic acid-VMA [iHA-VMA]) was made in which a 12-mer peptide (iHA, which binds to HA) was fused to the N-terminus of VMA. The construct was evaluated in the context of PVD.
METHODS
VMA and iHA-VMA were expressed in purified, and characterized with gelatin zymography, collagen degradation assay, fluorescamine-based assay, and cell-based assays. Two sets of experiments were performed in New Zealand albino rabbits. Group A (n = 10) received iHA-VMA, while group B (n = 5) received the equivalent dose of VMA. In both groups, saline was injected as a control in the contralateral eyes. Animals were monitored with indirect ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and B-scan ultrasonography. Retinal toxicity was assessed with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of retinal tissue.
RESULTS
The activity of iHA-VMA and VMA was comparable and 65-fold lower than that of collagenase Type IV. In the iHA-VMA group, all the rabbits (n = 10) developed PVD, with complete PVD seen in six animals. No statistically significant histomorphological changes were seen. In the VMA group, four of the five rabbits developed complete PVD; however, retinal morphological changes were seen in two animals.
CONCLUSIONS
iHA-VMA displays targeted action confined to the vitreous and shows potential for safe pharmacologic vitreolysis.
Topics: Animals; Cell Survival; Collagenases; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Flow Cytometry; Goats; Hyaluronic Acid; Intravitreal Injections; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Ophthalmoscopy; Rabbits; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Retina; Vibrio mimicus; Vitrectomy; Vitreous Body; Vitreous Detachment
PubMed: 33907368
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Analytical Toxicology Feb 2021Vitreous humor is a potential alternative matrix for postmortem toxicology drug screens when peripheral blood is unavailable. It is easily and reliably collected and may...
Vitreous humor is a potential alternative matrix for postmortem toxicology drug screens when peripheral blood is unavailable. It is easily and reliably collected and may not suffer from the same postmortem redistribution as seen in blood. Here, we compared the concentrations of 7 acidic drugs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, salicylic acid, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin) in peripheral blood and vitreous fluid collected in 89 autopsy cases. Analysis was done by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. Overall, we found that vitreous drug concentrations were significantly lower than peripheral blood with median vitreous to peripheral blood (V/PB) ratios ranging from 0.0 to 0.6 (mean, 0.1-0.6). The correlations between the concentrations of over-the-counter analgesics in peripheral blood versus vitreous fluid were poor, with acetaminophen exhibiting the best linearity (R2 = 0.72). The antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital) exhibited good correlations between peripheral blood and vitreous humor, with all exhibiting an R2 ≥ 0.95. Overall, we have demonstrated the potential of vitreous fluid as an alternative matrix for the detection of select acidic drugs.
Topics: Autopsy; Benzodiazepines; Body Fluids; Forensic Toxicology; Humans; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Postmortem Changes; Substance Abuse Detection; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 31696920
DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkz076 -
International Ophthalmology Clinics 2020
Review
Topics: Coloring Agents; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Indicators and Reagents; Lighting; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Vitrectomy; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 31855891
DOI: 10.1097/IIO.0000000000000296