Current Eye Research 

About: Current Eye Research is an academic journal published by Informa. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Retinal & Retina. It has an ISSN identifier of 0271-3683. Over the lifetime, 6415 publications have been published receiving 150339 citations.

Revised formulas for summarizing retinal vessel diameters

Abstract: Background/Purpose. Recent findings suggest that an objective assessment of retinal vessel caliber from fundus photographs provide information about the association of microvascular characteristics with macrovascular disease. Current methods used to quantify retinal vessel caliber, introduced by Parr(1,2) and Hubbard,(3) are not independent of scale and are affected by the number of vessels. To improve upon these methods we introduce revised formulas for quantifying vessel caliber. Methods. Revised formulas were estimated using retinal vessel measurements from 44 young adults free of hypertension and diabetes. Comparisons between the two methods were done using digitized photographs from 4926 participants at the baseline examination of the Beaver Dam Eye Study (BDES), an ongoing population-based cohort study initiated in 1987. Individual arterioles and venules were measured using semi-automated computer software from which summary measures were calculated. Results. Correlation coefficients between the Parr-Hubbard and revised formulas were high (Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.94 to 0.98). Both arteriolar and venular caliber significantly increased with an increasing number of vessels measured using the Parr-Hubbard formulas (p 0.50). Conclusions. We describe revised formulas for summarizing retinal vessel diameters measured from fundus photographs to be used in future studies and analyses. The revised formulas correlate highly with the previously used Parr-Hubbard formulas, but offer the advantages of being more robust against variability in the number of vessels observed, being independent of image scale, and being easier to implement.

A Review of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Therapeutic Potential as Anti-Infective Drugs

Abstract: Purpose: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an essential part of innate immunity that evolved in most living organisms over 2.6 billion years to combat microbial challenge. These small cationic peptides are multifunctional as effectors of innate immunity on skin and mucosal surfaces and have demonstrated direct antimicrobial activity against various bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. This review summarizes their progress to date as commercial antimicrobial drugs for topical and systemic indications. Methods: Literature review. Results: Despite numerous clinical trials, no modified AMP has obtained Food & Drug Administration approval yet for any topical or systemic medical indications. Conclusions: While AMPs are recognized as essential components of natural host innate immunity against microbial challenge, their usefulness as a new class of antimicrobial drugs still remains to be proven.

Increased resistance of crosslinked cornea against enzymatic digestion.

Abstract: Purpose. Collagen-crosslinking using combined riboflavin/UVA treatment has been developed by us as a new treatment for keratoconus by stiffening the collagenous matrix. Recently, we have started to use the same method for the treatment of corneal ulcers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the crosslinking treatment on the resistance of the cornea against enzymatic degradation. Methods. 60 enucleated porcine eyes were treated with the photosensitizer riboflavin and UVA-irradiation (370 nm; irradiance of 1, 2 or 3 mW/cm2) for 30 minutes and compared with 20 untreated control eyes. After crosslinking treatment, the corneal buttons were trephined and exposed to pepsin, trypsin and collagenase solutions. The extent of the corneal digestion was monitored daily. Selected cases were examined by light microscopy. Results. The corneal buttons crosslinked with riboflavin/UVA at 3 mW/cm2 were dissolved only by day 13 following pepsin digestion and by day 14 following collagenase treatment v...

Growth factor mRNA and protein in preserved human amniotic membrane.

Abstract: Purpose. To investigate the expression of growth factor mRNA and the level of growth factor protein in preserved human amniotic membrane (AM). Methods. RT-PCR was used to examine the expression of ...

Altered cytokine balance in the tear fluid and conjunctiva of patients with Sjögren's syndrome keratoconjunctivitis sicca

Abstract: PURPOSE. To compare epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentration in tear fluid and levels of inflammatory cytokines in the conjunctival epithelium of patients with Sjogren's syndrome keratoconjunctivitis sicca with those of normal controls. METHODS. Schirmer 1 tear testing, corneal fluorescein staining and conjunctival impression cytology for quantitation of goblet cell density were performed in ten patients with Sjogren's syndrome-associated keratoconjunctivitis sicca and ten asymptomatic normal controls. ELISA was used to detect the concentration of EGF in tear fluid and interleukin 6 in lysates of conjunctival cytology specimens obtained from all subjects. The levels of RNA transcripts encoding inflammatory cytokines [interleukin 1a_(IL-1a), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor a_(TNF-a), and transforming growth factor s1 (TGF-s1)] as well as a housekeeping gene (G3PDH) were evaluated in conjunctival cytology specimens taken from all subjects by semiquantitative competitive ...