Diagnostic Value of Positive Findings of Toxoplasma gondii-Specific Immunoglobulin M Serum Antibody in Uveitis Patients to Confirm Ocular Toxoplasmosis

Purpose: To assess the value of positive immunoglobulin (Ig) M serum antibody (Ab) findings in uveitis patients.

Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients who had a positive serological test for Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgM Ab. Their clinical data, including history, demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, clinical findings, treatment outcomes, and recurrences, were reviewed retrospectively.

Results: Of 2919 uveitis patients who underwent a serological test for suspected ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), 18 presented with positive Ig M results. All 18 patients (100.0% specificity) were clinically diagnosed with OT. None had any retinochoroidal scar at the initial visit, indicating the OT was a recent and primary infection. However, 15 patients (83.3%) had no history suspected to account for the Toxoplasma transmission.

Conclusions: The T. gondii IgM serum Ab is a specific biomarker for diagnosis of primary OT. Epidemiological studies are warranted to investigate the non-classic transmission routes of T. gondii in OT.     

Melatonin inhibits neuronal dysfunction‐associated with neuroinflammation by atopic psychological stress in NC/Nga atopic‐like mouse models

Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is chronic pruritic skin disease. AD can increase psychological stress as well, increasing glucocorticoid release and exacerbating the associated symptoms. Chronic glucocorticoid elevation disturbs neuroendocrine signaling and can induce neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, and cognitive impairment; however, it is unclear whether AD‐related psychological stress elevates glucocorticoids enough to cause neuronal damage. Therefore, we assessed the effects of AD‐induced stress in a mouse AD model. AD‐related psychological stress increased astroglial and microglial activation, neuroinflammatory cytokine expression, and markers of neuronal loss. Notably, melatonin administration inhibited the development of skin lesions, scratching behavior, and serum IgE levels in the model mice, and additionally caused a significant reduction in corticotropin‐releasing hormone responsiveness, and a significant reduction in neuronal damage. Finally, we produced similar results in a corticosterone‐induced AD‐like skin model. This is the first study to demonstrate that AD‐related psychological stress increases neuroendocrine dysfunction, exacerbates neuroinflammation, and potentially accelerates other neurodegenerative disease states.     

Spatiotemporal microstructural white matter changes in diffusion tensor imaging after transient focal ischemic stroke in rats

Structural reorganization in white matter (WM) after stroke is a potential contributor to substitute or to newly establish the functional field on the injured brain in nature. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an imaging modality that can be used to evaluate damage and recovery within the brain. This method of imaging allows for in vivo assessment of the restricted movements of water molecules in WM and provides a detailed look at structural connectivity in the brain. For longitudinal DTI studies after a stroke, the conventional region of interest method and voxel‐based analysis are highly dependent on the user‐hypothesis and parameter settings for implementation. In contrast, tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS) allows for reliable voxel‐wise analysis via the projection of diffusion‐derived parameters onto an alignment‐invariant WM skeleton. In this study, spatiotemporal WM changes were examined with DTI‐derived parameters (fractional anisotropy, FA; mean diffusivity, MD; axial diffusivity, DA; radial diffusivity, RD) using TBSS 2 h to 6 weeks after experimental focal ischemic stroke in rats (N = 6). FA values remained unchanged 2–4 h after the stroke, followed by a continuous decrease in the ipsilesional hemisphere from 24 h to 2 weeks post‐stroke and gradual recovery from the ipsilesional corpus callosum to the external capsule until 6 weeks post‐stroke. In particular, the fibers in these areas were extended toward the striatum of the ischemic boundary region at 6 weeks on tractography. The alterations of the other parameters in the ipsilesional hemisphere showed patterns of a decrease at the early stage, a subsequent pseudo‐normalization of MD and DA, a rapid reduction of RD, and a progressive increase in MD, DA and RD with a decreased extent in the injured area at later stages. The findings of this study may reflect the ongoing processes on tissue damage and spontaneous recovery after stroke.     

The Efficacy of Lymph Node Embolization Using N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate Compared to Ethanol Sclerotherapy in the Management of Symptomatic Lymphorrhea after Pelvic Surgery

Purpose

To compare the efficacy of lymph node (LN) embolization using N-butyl cyanoacrylate versus ethanol sclerotherapy in the management of symptomatic postoperative pelvic lymphorrhea.

The Effect of Corneal Higher Order Aberrations on Postoperative Residual Astigmatism after Toric IOL Implantation

Background: To demonstrate the effect of preoperative higher order aberrations (HOAs) on postoperative residual astigmatism in toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Methods: A retrospective, controlled, comparative study that involved patients who underwent toric IOL implantation. Patients were divided into two groups according to the difference between the estimated residual astigmatism and actual postoperative astigmatism [difference ≤0.5 diopters (D), Group A; difference >0.5 D, Group B]. Corneal astigmatisms with axis, and various aberration values were compared between the two groups.

Results: Total RMS and HOA RMS values in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A (p < .001, = 0.003). The vertical coma value, and its absolute value, in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A (p < .001, = 0.002). The total RMS and absolute value of the vertical coma showed a positive linear correlation with the degree of residual postoperative astigmatism (R-square = 0.139, 0.131; p = .027, 0.036).

Conclusions: If the residual astigmatism after insertion of the toric IOL was greater than expected, corneal aberrations, shown by total RMS and HOA RMS values before surgery, especially of the vertical coma, tended to be high.