Effect of individualized therapy for AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis in intravitreal ganciclovir injections

The effect of intravitreal ganciclovir injection combined with intravenous infusion on acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) was investigated. A total of 32 eyes in 23 AIDS patients diagnosed as CMVR from 2017 to 2018 were included in the retrospective study. All patients underwent induction therapy by using intravenous drip of the anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) agent ganciclovir (5 mg/kg q12h) combined with intravitreal ganciclovir injection (3 mg/time, 2 times/wk). The visual acuity, fundus photographs, lesion location, and number of intravitreal injections were observed preoperatively and postoperatively. Totally 14 eyes were cured during induction therapy. The number of injections [4.13 (2 to 6)] in CMVR patients with peripherally fundus lesions were significantly lower than those with central lesions [4.89 (2 to 6)]. The individualized therapy of intravitreal ganciclovir injections for AIDS patients with CMVR can effectively reduce the numbers of intravitreal injections.     

Dominant ARL3-related retinitis pigmentosa

Purpose: To clinically and genetically characterise a second family with dominant ARL3-related retinitis pigmentosa due to a specific ARL3 missense variant, p.(Tyr90Cys).

Methods: Clinical examination included optical coherence tomography, electroretinography, and ultra-wide field retinal imaging with autofluorescence. Retrospective data were collected from the registry of inherited retinal diseases at Oslo university hospital. DNA was analysed by whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing. The ARL3 missense variant was visualized in a 3D-protein structure.

Results: The phenotype was non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa with cataract associated with early onset of decreased central vision and central retinal thinning. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of a de novo ARL3 missense variant p.(Tyr90Cys) in the index patient and his affected son. We did not find any other cases with rare ARL3 variants in a cohort of 431 patients with retinitis pigmentosa-like disease. By visualizing Tyr90 in the 3D protein structure, it seems to play an important role in packing of the α/β structure of ADP-ribosylation factor-like 3 (ARL3). When changing Tyr90 to cysteine, we observe a loss of interactions in the core of the α/β structure that is likely to affect folding and stability of ARL3.

Conclusion: Our study confirms that the ARL3 missense variant p.(Tyr90Cys) causes retinitis pigmentosa. In 2016, Strom et al. reported the exact same variant in a mother and two children with RP, labelled ?RP83 in the OMIM database. Now the questionmark can be removed, and ARL3 should be added to the list of genes that may cause non-syndromic dominant retinitis pigmentosa.     

Retinitis Pigmentosa Sine Pigmento Mimicking a Chiasm Disease

A 75-year-old woman presented to her ophthalmologist complaining of visual loss for several years. The ophthalmic examination was remarkable for a bitemporal visual field defect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain was normal without evidence of chiasm compression. Neuro-ophthalmic examination was consistent with a retinal rather than a chiasmal disease. Retinal multimodal imaging helped in the correct diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa, later confirmed by genetic testing.     

Hybrid monovision therapy in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa

A 41-year-old female was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) after bilateral implantation of multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). Due to persistent dissatisfaction with her visual performance, she came to our hospital for medical help. We exchanged the multifocal IOL in the dominant eye with a monofocal IOL (hybrid monovision therapy), and the visual inconvenience was alleviated to a large extent. To our knowledge, this is the first case report on the effect of hybrid monovision therapy applied to a patient with RP.     

CRISPR genome surgery in a novel humanized model for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa

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眼病候选基因芯片在一汉族视网膜色素变性家系分子遗传学中的应用

背景 视网膜色素变性(RP)是一种累及视网膜光感受器细胞及色素上皮细胞的遗传性致盲眼病.RP的发病机制及临床特征较复杂,具有遗传异质性和临床异质性.随着基因组学的迅猛发展,越来越多的研究手段应用于RP致病基因筛查.目的 通过眼科基因芯片测序方法探讨一常染色体遗传RP家系临床表型及其基因突变情况.方法 于2013年6月在重庆市荣昌县收集一汉族RP家系,对该家系所有患者进行眼科检查确诊后,抽取12名家系成员外周静脉血各1 ml,应用华大基因眼科芯片目标区域捕获技术进行基因突变检测.该基因芯片覆盖了眼病相关的基因编码区(包括59个RP候选基因),选择家系内2例RP患者(Ⅱ5、Ⅱ7)的DNA样本进行目标区域捕获测序.通过生物信息学技术对测序结果进行分析,对共有的变异位点进行Sanger测序验证.结果 该家系为常染色体遗传的RP家系.通过基因芯片分析发现该家系Ⅱ5和Ⅱ7患者存在2个共有基因突变:USH2A (c.3065T＞C,p.Phe1022Ser)突变和PDE6A(c.1699G＞A,p.Ala1319Gly)突变,家系其他成员检测结果表明2个基因突变未与疾病共分离.该眼科基因芯片高通量测序技术虽然未定位该家系致病基因,但快速排除了RP常见候选基因,为进一步分析奠定了研究基础.结论 采用基于目标区域捕获测序的眼科基因芯片技术可以快速、准确地筛查RP常见候选基因,是眼科疾病遗传研究的一项适用且高效的新方法.     

Advantage of Whole Exome Sequencing over Allele-Specific and Targeted Segment Sequencing in Detection of Novel TULP1 Mutation in Leber Congenital Amaurosis

Background: Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a severe form of retinal dystrophy with marked underlying genetic heterogeneity. Until recently, allele-specific assays and Sanger sequencing of targeted segments were the only available approaches for attempted genetic diagnosis in this condition. A broader next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategy, such as whole exome sequencing, provides an improved molecular genetic diagnostic capacity for patients with these conditions.

Materials and Methods: In a child with LCA, an allele-specific assay analyzing 135 known LCA-causing variations, followed by targeted segment sequencing of 61 regions in 14 causative genes was performed. Subsequently, exome sequencing was undertaken in the proband, unaffected consanguineous parents and two unaffected siblings. Bioinformatic analysis used two independent pipelines, BWA-GATK and SOAP, followed by Annovar and SnpEff to annotate the variants.

Results: No disease-causing variants were found using the allele-specific or targeted segment Sanger sequencing assays. Analysis of variants in the exome sequence data revealed a novel homozygous nonsense mutation (c.1081C?>?T, p.Arg361*) in TULP1, a gene with roles in photoreceptor function where mutations were previously shown to cause LCA and retinitis pigmentosa. The identified homozygous variant was the top candidate using both bioinformatic pipelines.

Conclusions: This study highlights the value of the broad sequencing strategy of exome sequencing for disease gene identification in LCA, over other existing methods. NGS is particularly beneficial in LCA where there are a large number of causative disease genes, few distinguishing clinical features for precise candidate disease gene selection, and few mutation hotspots in any of the known disease genes.     

Patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for the study and treatment of retinal degenerative diseases

Vision is the sense that we use to navigate the world around us. Thus it is not surprising that blindness is one of people's most feared maladies. Heritable diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, are the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, collectively affecting as many as one-third of all people over the age of 75, to some degree. For decades, scientists have dreamed of preventing vision loss or of restoring the vision of patients affected with retinal degeneration through drug therapy, gene augmentation or a cell-based transplantation approach. In this review we will discuss the use of the induced pluripotent stem cell technology to model and develop various treatment modalities for the treatment of inherited retinal degenerative disease. We will focus on the use of iPSCs for interrogation of disease pathophysiology, analysis of drug and gene therapeutics and as a source of autologous cells for cell transplantation and replacement.