Deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant: description of surgery technique

The authors present the modified associated technique of deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant. The indications, advantages and disadvantages are presented.     

Neurodegenerative Genes Polymorphisms of the -491A/T APOE,the -877T/C APP and the Risk of Primary Open-angle Glaucoma in the Polish Population

Background: Glaucoma is characterized by optic neuropathy of the retinal ganglion cell. It may be possible that β-amyloid (Aβ) and apolipoprotein E (APOE), the main proteins of the pathogenesis of AD, play a role in glaucoma development. The aim of this study was to evaluate a relationship between the APP and APOE gene polymorphisms and the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) occurrence.

Materials and methods: The study consisted of 183 patients with POAG and 209 healthy subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Analysis of the gene polymorphisms was performed using PCR-RFLP.

Results: We found a statistically significant increase of the -491?T allele frequency (p?=?0.02; OR?=?1.48; 95% CI?=?1.06–2.08) of APOE in POAG compared to healthy controls. There were no differences in the genotype and allele distributions and odds ratios of the APP polymorphism between patients and controls group. We also found an association between APOE polymorphic variant and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). There was a statistically significant difference in the APOE gene A/T genotype frequency in the early POAG stage and middle-advanced POAG stage in comparison to the advanced POAG stage (p?=?0.04; OR?=?3.38; 95% CI?=?1.04–10.97).

Conclusions: The -491?T allele of APOE polymorphism may be associated with a risk of POAG occurrence in the Polish population.     

Association between vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and age-related macular degeneration in a Polish population

The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is thought to be determined by an array of environmental and genetic factors. The association of increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with AMD, especially the wet form of AMD, was reported in several studies. The VEGF gene is highly polymorphic and some of its polymorphisms may affect its expression. In our work, we searched for an association between the −460C> (rs833061) and −634G>C (rs2010963) polymorphisms of the VEGF gene and the occurrence of AMD and its dry and wet forms. We have chosen these polymorphisms because they were shown to be significant in other studies and we previously showed their association with diabetic retinopathy. A total of 401 individuals were enrolled in this study: 136 controls, and 88 patients with dry and 177 with wet AMD. The polymorphisms were determined with DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes by allele-specific and restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction. The significance of the polymorphisms was assessed by multiple logistic regression, producing odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We observed a weak association (OR 2.90) between AMD occurrence and the C/T genotype of the −460C>T polymorphism. An association (OR 3.77) between the C/T genotype of the −460C>T polymorphism and the occurrence of dry AMD was observed. The T/T genotype considerably lowered the risk of dry AMD (OR 0.19). Dry AMD was associated with the C/C genotype of the −634G>C polymorphism (OR 3.68). Another weak association (OR 2.63) was found between the C/T genotype of the −460C>T polymorphism and the occurrence of wet AMD. The occurrence of AMD was correlated with the presence of the combined C/T–G/G genotype of both polymorphisms (OR 2.41), whereas the T/T–G/G and T/T–G/C genotypes exerted a protective effect against the disease (OR 0.22 and 0.48, respectively). The presence of the C/T–G/G and C/T–C/C combined genotypes increased the risk of dry AMD (OR 2.08 and 3.77, respectively), whereas the presence of the T/T–G/G and T/T–G/C genotypes decreased the risk (OR 0.15 and 0.28, respectively). In the wet form of AMD, the combined genotype C/T–G/G slightly favored the disease (OR 2.61) and the T/T–G/G genotype had a protective effect (OR 0.25). Analysis of haplotypes of both polymorphisms yielded similar results for AMD in general as well as for the dry and wet forms of the disease: the CG haplotype favored both forms of AMD, whereas the TG haplotype protected against both forms of AMD. The results obtained indicate that the −460C>T and −634G>C polymorphisms of the VEGF gene may be associated with the dry and wet forms of AMD in a Polish population.     

Penetrating keratoplasty in keratoconus in years 1990 and 1999

The purpose of this study was to compare grafts performed because of keratoconus in our clinic in years 1990-1999. These years were chosen for analysis because in this time some methods of grafting were changed, particularly: material for transplantation, graft's size, method of trephination and graft suturing, also management after operation. The study included 51 patients (17 females, 34 males) with keratoconus, aged 16 to 46 (mean age 31.3), which have had penetrating keratoplasty done in years 1990-1999. The amount of surgery, sex of patients, preoperative preparation, kind of graft material, technique of operation, methods of graft suturing, postoperative procedure, the time of patients hospitalization, time of suture removing, postoperative visual acuity and complication were compared.     

Lamellar keratoplasty in treatment of recurrent pterygium]

Presented are 4 cases of recurrent pterygium treated by lamellar keratoplasty. The surgical technique and the results of the treatment are described.     

Methods of preserving material for corneal grafting]

The methods of preservation of the material for corneal grafting are developing already for many years. The method of conservation of the corneae is closely connected with the way of the collection of the material: the whole globe or only the cornea with a 2-3 mm strip of the sclera. The whole globe is put into a moisture chamber, instead the cornea with a strip of sclera is preserved in various preservation fluids.     

Changes of the retinal pigmented layer in familial polyposis of the colon]

Ophthalmoscopic examinations were performed in 96 patients with polyps or another disturbances of the colon, among them 3 cases suffered a histopathologically confirmed familial polyposis of the colon. All 3 cases of the familial polyposis exhibited in the ophthalmological examination pathological changes of the retinal pigment epithelium of both eyes.     

Penetrating keratoplasty in post-burn corneal leukoma in personal material]

The authors present the surgical technique and the results of treatment of 12 patients with corneal leukoma caused by scalding. In all the cases they performed a perforating keratoplasty. Two years after operation among 7 grafts 5 were transparent. Perforating grafts in leukoma caused by a chemical burn have poor prognosis in contrary to thermic burns.