Protection against corneal hyperosmolarity with soft-contact-lens wear

Hyperosmotic tear stimulates human corneal nerve endings, activates ocular immune response, and elicits dry-eye symptoms. A soft contact lens (SCL) covers the cornea preventing it from experiencing direct tear evaporation and the resulting blink-periodic salinity increases. For the cornea to experience hyperosmolarity due to tear evaporation, salt must transport across the SCL to the post-lens tear film (PoLTF) bathing the cornea. Consequently, limited salt transport across a SCL potentially protects the ocular surface from hyperosmotic tear. In addition, despite lens-wear discomfort sharing common sensations to dry eye, no correlation is available between measured tear hyperosmolarity and SCL-wear discomfort. Lack of documentation is likely because clinical measurements of tear osmolarity during lens wear do not interrogate the tear osmolarity of the PoLTF that actually overlays the cornea. Rather, tear osmolarity is clinically measured in the tear meniscus. For the first time, we mathematically quantify tear osmolarity in the PoLTF and show that it differs significantly from the clinically measured tear-meniscus osmolarity. We show further that aqueous-deficient dry eye and evaporative dry eye both exacerbate the hyperosmolarity of the PoLTF. Nevertheless, depending on lens salt-transport properties (i.e., diffusivity, partition coefficient, and thickness), a SCL can indeed protect against corneal hyperosmolarity by reducing PoLTF salinity to below that of the ocular surface during no-lens wear. Importantly, PoLTF osmolarity for dry-eye patients can be reduced to that of normal eyes with no-lens wear provided that the lens exhibits a low lens-salt diffusivity. Infrequent blinking increases PoLTF osmolarity consistent with lens-wear discomfort. Judicious design of SCL material salt-transport properties can ameliorate corneal hyperosmolarity. Our results confirm the importance of PoLTF osmolarity during SCL wear and indicate a possible relation between PoLTF osmolarity and contact-lens discomfort.     

Overview of CF lung pathophysiology

Defects of the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein affect the homeostasis of chloride, bicarbonate, sodium, and water in the airway surface liquid, influencing the mucus composition and viscosity, which induces a severe condition of infection and inflammation along the whole life of CF patients. The introduction of CFTR modulators, novel drugs directly intervening to rescue the function of CFTR protein, opens a new era of experimental research. The review summarizes the most recent advancements to understand the characteristics of the infective and inflammatory pathology of CF lungs.     

The effect of ethanol or long-time reaction on the diatom test in water samples using sodium hypochlorite

BackgroundThe diatom test method using sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) was equivalent to the conventional method in water samples. However, the method using NaClO was inferior to the conventional method in lung samples, in which ethanol was used and the reaction with NaClO was longer compared with the method in water samples. Using water samples, we aimed to clarify whether these differences affect the diatom test result.Materials and methodsThirteen water samples from natural water sources were each divided into four parts corresponding to four (2 × 2) digestion methods: 3 “digestion” vs. 1 “digestion” and with ethanol vs. without ethanol. After the base-2 logarithmic transformation, the diatom counts were analyzed using three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA); factor 1 was “digestion times,” factor 2 was “ethanol,” and factor 3 was “sample number,” and the interaction between factors 1 and 2 was also analyzed.ResultsThe geometric means of the diatoms from the 3 “digestion” with ethanol method, the 3 “digestion” without ethanol method, the 1 “digestion” with ethanol method, and the 1 “digestion” without ethanol method were 373.5, 551.8, 436.6, and 522.0, respectively. ANOVA showed a significant difference in factor 2 (P = 1.7 × 10^-4). There was no significant difference in factor 1 (P = 0.46), and no significant interaction between factors 1 and 2 (P = 0.13).ConclusionEthanol may decrease the diatom count in the diatom test using NaClO. In contrast, the diatom frustules do not dissolve through three-times digestion using NaClO.     

Topical glaucoma medications – Clinical implications for the ocular surface

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. The use of topical eye drops to reduce intraocular pressure remains the mainstay treatment. These eye drops frequently contain preservatives designed to ensure sterility of the compound. A growing number of clinical and experimental studies report the detrimental effects of not only these preservatives but also the active pharmaceutical compounds on the ocular surface, with resultant tear film instability and dry eye disease. Herein, we critically appraise the published literature exploring the effects of preservatives and pharmaceutical compounds on the ocular surface.     

关节镜清理术联合透明质酸钠治疗膝骨性关节炎的效果

目的探讨关节镜清理术联合透明质酸钠治疗膝骨性关节炎患者的效果。方法100例膝骨性关节炎患者随机分为两组各50例,对照组采用关节镜清理术治疗,实验组采用关节镜清理术联合透明质酸钠治疗,比较两组的关节液炎性因子水平、膝关节功能以及疼痛情况。结果治疗后,实验组的TNF-α、IL-6、IL-8水平均显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗1个月、3个月、6个月后,实验组的Lysholm评分均显著高于对照组,VAS评分均显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论关节镜清理术联合透明质酸钠治疗膝骨性关节炎可降低患者关节液炎性因子水平,改善膝关节功能,减轻疼痛。     

术前眼位注视训练对老年白内障超声乳化摘除术患者术中眼位及术后视力恢复的影响

目的探讨术前眼位注视训练对老年白内障超声乳化摘除术患者术中眼位及术后视力恢复的影响。方法选取2018年9月-2019年9月我院收治的105例老年白内障超声乳化摘除术患者为研究对象,按随机数字表法将其分为对照组52例和试验组53例。对照组给予常规围术期管理。观察组在对照组的基础上予以术前眼位注视训练。观察两组术中眼位情况,术后视力恢复情况及术后并发症发生率。结果试验组术中调整眼位次数>3次和眼球旋转偏移率均低于对照组(P<0.05);试验组术后视力恢复至0.5以上比例为60.38%,高于对照组的40.38%(P<0.05);试验组术后并发症发生率为15.09%,低于对照组的32.69%(P<0.05)。结论老年白内障超声乳化摘除术患者术前进行眼位注视训练,通过降低术中调整眼位次数和眼球旋转偏移率,降低术后并发症发生率,促进患者术后视力恢复。