Follow-Up Study of Over Three Years of Patients with Uveitis after Cataract Phacoemulsification: Outcomes and Complications

Purpose: To evaluate the rate and onset of intraoperative and postoperative complications post-phacoemulsification. Methods: One hundred sixty-two eyes of 145 patients with uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification between 2006 and 2009 were identified through surgical record review. Fifty-nine eyes of 46 patients met the inclusion criteria. Hazard ratio (HR) and Kaplan-Meier survival probability were calculated for each class of uveitis. Results: Macular edema (ME) resulted to be associated to chronic postoperative inflammation (r?=?0.6; p?=?0.00) and mostly related to patients who presented more than one postoperative relapse/year (r?=?0.2; p?=?0.02). Fuchs uveitis resulted to be a risk factor for posterior capsule opacification (PCO) (HR 3.36 IC95%1.0-10.5; p?=?0.03). Hypotony and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) were detected in the anterior uveitis group (0.02 EY). Conclusion: The HR to develop ME was significantly related to chronic anterior uveitis. PCO and elevated IOP are most frequent in Fuchs uveitis. The postoperative visual acuity result was good among all the uveitis groups.     

The role of epsilon phenotype in brain glucose consumption in Alzheimer’s disease

The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the epsilon phenotype in brain glucose consumption in a population with Alzheimer’s disease. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) was used to investigate differences in brain glucose consumption (as detectable by means of 18F FDG-PET/CT) in the population examined. A total of 129 patients (72 females and 57 males) with a diagnosis of probable AD according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria underwent the PET/CT examination. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 70 (± 7) years; the mean Mini-Mental State Examination was 19(± 5.6). 59 expressed epsilon 4 phenotype (E4) and 70 expressed the epsilon 3 phenotype (E3). Cerebral spinal fluid amyloid, tau, and t-tau have been measured resulting equal to 367.4 (± 149.1), 584.7 (± 312.1), and 79.2(± 45.9) pg/ml, respectively. Patients with confirmed amyloid and Tau changes were classified as AD. Patients with amyloid changes but negative Tau, considered as high risk of AD, were classified as IAD. Age, sex, MMSE, scholarship, and CSF parameters were used as a covariate in the SPM analyses. We did not find significant differences in age, gender, and MMSE and CSF parameters among groups. In the analysis of the AD group as compared to AD-E3, AD-E4 subjects show a significant reduction of brain glucose consumption in inferior frontal gyrus bilaterally (BA 45, BA 47). In the analysis of the IAD group as compared to IAD-E3, IAD-E4 subjects show a significant reduction of brain glucose consumption in right in medial, middle, and superior frontal gyrus (BA10, BA11), and in left medial and middle frontal gyrus (BA10, BA11). The differences between IAD-E3 and AD-E3 and between IAD-E4 and AD-E4 (and vice versa analysis) resulted not significant. APO-e4 is related to a major involvement of the frontal cortex confirming its role of risk factor in AD, while APO-3 seems not related to a specific pattern, supporting the hypothesis of neutral/protective role in AD.     

Early neonatal inflammation affects adult pain reactivity and anxiety related traits in mice: genetic background counts

Protracted or recurrent pain and inflammation in the early neonatal period may cause long-lasting changes in central neural function. However, more research is necessary to better characterize the long-term behavioral sequelae of such exposure in the neonatal period. Objectives: (1) to study whether timing of postnatal exposure to persistent inflammation alters responsiveness to thermal pain in the adult animal; (2) to assess whether animals experiencing early postnatal chronic inflammation display altered anxiety related behavior; (3) to study the importance of genetic background. Newborn mice (outbred strain, CD1 and F1 hybrid strain, B6C3F1) received an injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) or saline on either postnatal day 1 or 14 (PND1; PND14) into the left hind paw. Pain to radiant heat and anxiety were examined in 12-week-old adult animals. Adult baseline PWL was significantly decreased in CD1 mice exposed to CFA on PND 1 and 14 as compared to their saline treated counterparts. B6C3F1 mice exposed to CFA on PND14 showed markedly reduced baseline PWL compared to the PND14 saline group. Persistent inflammation experienced by B6C3F1 mice on PND1 failed to affect baseline adult thermal responsiveness. Adult mice, CD1 and B6C3F1, displayed low anxiety traits only if they had been exposed to persistent inflammation on PND1 and not on PND14. Our research suggests a role for genetic background in modulating long-term behavioral consequences of neonatal persistent inflammation: the data support the hypothesis that pain experienced very early in life differentially affects adult behavioral and emotional responsiveness in outbred (CD1) and hybrid mice (B6C3F1).     

Esthesioneuroblastoma: endonasal endoscopic treatment.

Objectives: To illustrate endoscopic techniques used in the treatment of esthesioneuroblastoma and to advocate this method of management followed by radiation therapy in selected cases. Methods: A retrospective case series of 10 patients with esthesioneuroblastomas treated between 1999 and 2004 at a tertiary referral center using endonasal techniques. Results: Mean age of patients at presentation was 56.2 years (median 57 years). Seven patients were female and 3 patients were male. Kadish staging at presentation was: A - 3 patients, B - 5 patients, C - 2 patients. Dulguerov stage at presentation was: T1 - 4 patients, T2 - 4 patients, T3 - 2 patients. The period of follow-up ranged from 11 months to 74 months (mean 38.1 months, median 39 months). To date no recurrence has developed in any patient. Conclusions: Our experience suggests that endoscopic surgery can be an effective method of management. Strict attention to selection criteria, careful surgical techniques, and regular follow-up are key elements for success.     

Effects of hyperbaric, normobaric and hypobaric oxygen supplementation on retinal vessels in newborn rats: a preliminary study

An experimental study was conducted on eight litters of newborn rats to evaluate the effects of supplemental oxygen administration on the retinal vasculature. The animals and their mothers were kept inside a pressure chamber and treated for the first 5 days of life. On the sixth day, they were removed and kept for five more days under room air and normobaric conditions. Three litters received continuous flow oxygen at 80% at a compression pressure of +81 kPa, one litter oxygen at 80% at a pressure of -39.5 kPa atms and three other litters received oxygen at 80% under normobaric conditions. The eighth litter was treated with room air oxygen at a compression pressure of +81 kPa. A severe retinopathy with marked retinal neovascularization was seen only in the newborn animals of the litters that received oxygen supplementation under normobaric or hypobaric conditions. Retinal vessels showed no pathological changes in the litters treated with hyperbaric normoxia or hyperoxia. It is possible to hypothesize that the prolonged period of oxygen supplementation failed to produce harmful effects on the retinal vasculature because the moderate hyperbarism caused mild retinal and choroidal vasoconstriction thus preventing excessive oxygen transport to the inner retina from the choroid during hyperoxia without inducing structural damage to the retinal tissue.     

Significance of cyclin D1 expression in meningiomas: a preliminary study.

Forty-four evaluable patients with intracranial meningiomas were assessed for the expression of the cell-cycle regulator cyclin D1 and of proteins involved in proliferation and apoptosis such as PCNA, MIB-1, p53 and bcl-2. Analyses were carried out by western blot and immunohistochemistry after immediate processing of fresh tumor specimens. By western blot, expression of cyclin D1 significantly correlated with p53 (p=0.02) and with proliferative activity, as assessed by PCNA expression (p=0.0009). By immunohistochemistry, a significant relationship between cyclin D1 and the proliferation marker MIB-1 was confirmed (p=0.05), whereas significance with bcl-2 expression was not found (p=0.01). Moreover, although the association with tumor grade appeared of borderline statistical significance (p=0.07), all the grade II/III meningiomas showed increased expression of cyclin D1 and high proliferative activity. In conclusion, data from this preliminary study seem to suggest a potential value of the combined expression of cyclin D1 and proliferation indicators in defining subgroups of meningiomas with a more aggressive biological behavior.