July 2012

Callahan AB, Yoon MK. Infantile hemangiomas: A review. Saudi J Ophthalmol 2012;26(3):283-91.Abstract
Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are the most common eyelid and orbital tumors of childhood. Although they are considered benign lesions that have a generally self-limited course, in the periocular region, they have the potential to cause amblyopia, strabismus, and severe disfigurement. The decision for treatment can be a source of anxiety for patients, parents, and physicians alike. There are numerous treatment modalities, including emerging therapies that may make treatment safer and more effective than ever before. This review discusses our current understanding of this disease, its management, and future therapies.
Ding J, Sullivan DA. Aging and dry eye disease. Exp Gerontol 2012;47(7):483-90.Abstract
Dry eye disease is a prevalent eye disorder that in particular affects the elderly population. One of the major causes of dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), shows increased prevalence with aging. MGD is caused by hyperkeratinization of the ductal epithelium of meibomian gland and reduced quantity and/or quality of meibum, the holocrine product that stabilizes and prevents the evaporation of the tear film. Of note, retinoids which are used in current anti-aging cosmetics may promote the development of MGD and dry eye disease. In this review, we will discuss the possible mechanisms of age-related MGD.
Kasaoka M, Ma J, Lashkari K. c-Met modulates RPE migratory response to laser-induced retinal injury. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e40771.Abstract
Retinal laser injuries are often associated with aberrant migration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which can cause expansion of the scar beyond the confines of the original laser burn. In this study, we devised a novel method of laser-induced injury to the RPE layer in mouse models and began to dissect the mechanisms associated with pathogenesis and progression of laser-induced RPE injury. We have hypothesized that the proto-oncogene receptor, c-Met, is intimately involved with migration of RPE cells, and may be an early responder to injury. Using transgenic mouse models, we show that constitutive activation of c-Met induces more robust RPE migration into the outer retina of laser-injured eyes, while abrogation of the receptor using a cre-lox method reduces these responses. We also demonstrate that retinal laser injury increases expression of both HGF and c-Met, and activation of c-Met after injury is correlated with RPE cell migration. RPE migration may be responsible for clinically significant anatomic changes observed after laser injury. Abrogation of c-Met activity may be a therapeutic target to minimize retinal damage from aberrant RPE cell migration.
Daniels AB, Sandberg MA, Chen J, Weigel-DiFranco C, Fielding Hejtmancic J, Berson EL. Genotype-phenotype correlations in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol 2012;130(7):901-7.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether mutations in different Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) genes result in different ocular phenotypes. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients from 31 families were enrolled who met the clinical criteria for BBS and for whom a BBS mutation had been identified. Seventeen patients harbored mutations in BBS1, 10 in BBS10, and 10 in other genes (BBS2, BBS3, BBS5, BBS7, and BBS12). All the patients underwent ocular examination; 36 patients had computerized full-field electroretinograms (ERGs). RESULTS: Visual acuity was significantly better in BBS1 patients than in patients with other BBS mutations (P=.01), and a larger proportion of BBS1 patients had good (≥20/50) visual acuity (P=.01). The ERG amplitudes were significantly higher in BBS1 patients than in patients with other BBS mutations in response to 0.5-Hz and 30-Hz flashes (P<.001 for both). All the BBS1 patients harbored at least 1 missense mutation compared with only 45% of patients with mutations in other BBS genes (P<.001); the rest harbored only null alleles. However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that visual acuity or ERG amplitude did not depend on the type of mutation present (missense or null) when controlling for BBS gene. Prevalences of bone spicule pigmentation and cataract were comparable in BBS subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BBS1 mutations had a milder phenotype than did patients with mutations in other BBS genes. Clinically, this manifested as significantly better visual acuity and larger ERG amplitudes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These phenotypic differences can help guide genetic testing and genetic counseling for patients with this syndrome.
Hisatomi T, Nakao S, Murakami Y, Noda K, Nakazawa T, Notomi S, Connolly E, She H, Almulki L, Ito Y, Vavvas DG, Ishibashi T, Miller JW. The regulatory roles of apoptosis-inducing factor in the formation and regression processes of ocular neovascularization. Am J Pathol 2012;181(1):53-61.Abstract
The role of apoptosis in the formation and regression of neovascularization is largely hypothesized, although the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Inflammatory cells and endothelial cells both participate and interact during neovascularization. During the early stage, these cells may migrate into an angiogenic site and form a pro-angiogenic microenvironment. Some angiogenic vessels appear to regress, whereas some vessels mature and remain. The control mechanisms of these processes, however, remain unknown. Previously, we reported that the prevention of mitochondrial apoptosis contributed to cellular survival via the prevention of the release of proapoptotic factors, such as apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cytochrome c. In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of cellular apoptosis in angiogenesis using two models of ocular neovascularization: laser injury choroidal neovascularization and VEGF-induced corneal neovascularization in AIF-deficient mice. Averting apoptosis in AIF-deficient mice decreased apoptosis of leukocytes and endothelial cells compared to wild-type mice and resulted in the persistence of these cells at angiogenic sites in vitro and in vivo. Consequently, AIF deficiency expanded neovascularization and diminished vessel regression in these two models. We also observed that peritoneal macrophages from AIF-deficient mice showed anti-apoptotic survival compared to wild-type mice under conditions of starvation. Our data suggest that AIF-related apoptosis plays an important role in neovascularization and that mitochondria-regulated apoptosis could offer a new target for the treatment of pathological angiogenesis.
Woodward AM, Senchyna M, Williams R, Argüeso P. Characterization of the interaction between hydroxypropyl guar galactomannan and galectin-3. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012;424(1):12-7.Abstract
Multivalent galactose ligands have been proposed for selective targeting of carbohydrate-binding proteins on epithelial cell surfaces, both in normal and pathological conditions. One cellular partner is galectin-3, a β-galactoside-binding protein present on many epithelial linings, such as those of the ocular surface. In this study, we investigated the ability of hydroxypropyl guar galactomannan (HPGG) to bind recombinant galectin-3 and to target the apical surface of differentiated human corneal keratinocytes. Pull-down and slot-blot assays demonstrated that fluorescence-labeled HPGG bound recombinant galectin-3 through a galactose-dependent mechanism. In contrast, no binding of HPGG could be detected towards recombinant galectin-8 or -9. In a cell culture system, HPGG bound weakly to biotinylated cell surface corneal isolates containing endogenous galectin-3, and incubation of HPGG with corneal keratinocytes in culture resulted in discrete, galactose-independent, binding to the cell surface. Moreover, HPGG failed to elute the biological counter-receptor MUC16 from galectin-3 affinity columns. We conclude that HPGG binds galectin-3 through the conventional carbohydrate-recognition domain in vitro, but not in a biological system, suggesting that endogenous carbohydrate ligands on epithelial cell surface glycocalyces impair HPGG biorecognition.
Wallis TSA, Bex PJ. Image correlates of crowding in natural scenes. J Vis 2012;12(7)Abstract
Visual crowding is the inability to identify visible features when they are surrounded by other structure in the peripheral field. Since natural environments are replete with structure and most of our visual field is peripheral, crowding represents the primary limit on vision in the real world. However, little is known about the characteristics of crowding under natural conditions. Here we examine where crowding occurs in natural images. Observers were required to identify which of four locations contained a patch of "dead leaves'' (synthetic, naturalistic contour structure) embedded into natural images. Threshold size for the dead leaves patch scaled with eccentricity in a manner consistent with crowding. Reverse correlation at multiple scales was used to determine local image statistics that correlated with task performance. Stepwise model selection revealed that local RMS contrast and edge density at the site of the dead leaves patch were of primary importance in predicting the occurrence of crowding once patch size and eccentricity had been considered. The absolute magnitudes of the regression weights for RMS contrast at different spatial scales varied in a manner consistent with receptive field sizes measured in striate cortex of primate brains. Our results are consistent with crowding models that are based on spatial averaging of features in the early stages of the visual system, and allow the prediction of where crowding is likely to occur in natural images.
Roh M, Zhang Y, Murakami Y, Thanos A, Lee SC, Vavvas DG, Benowitz LI, Miller JW. Etanercept, a widely used inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), prevents retinal ganglion cell loss in a rat model of glaucoma. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e40065.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Visual loss in glaucoma is associated with pathological changes in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons and a slow decline in the RGC population. Age and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are the main risk factors for glaucomatous loss of vision. Several studies have implicated the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as a link between elevated IOP and RGC death, but the cellular source of TNF-α and its causative role in RGC death remain uncertain. Here, using a rat model of glaucoma, we investigated the source of elevated TNF-α and examined whether Etanercept, a TNF-α blocker that is in common clinical use for other indications, is protective against RGC death. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Episcleral vein cauterization (EVC) caused intraocular pressure (IOP) to be elevated for at least 28 days. IOP elevation resulted in a dramatic increase in TNF-α levels within a few days, axonal degeneration, and a 38% loss of RGCs by 4 weeks. Immunostaining coupled with confocal microscopy showed that OHT induced robust induction of TNF-α in Iba-1-positive microglia around the optic nerve head (ONH). Despite persistent elevation of IOP, Etanercept reduced microglial activation, TNF-α levels, axon degeneration in the optic nerve, and the loss of RGCs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Ocular hypertension (OHT) triggers an inflammatory response characterized by the appearance of activated microglia around the ONH that express TNF-α. Blocking TNF-α activity with a clinically approved agent inhibits this microglial response and prevents axonal degeneration and loss of RGCs. These findings suggest a new treatment strategy for glaucoma using TNF-α antagonists or suppressors of inflammation.
Sapieha P, Chen J, Stahl A, Seaward MR, Favazza TL, Juan AM, Hatton CJ, Joyal J-S, Krah NM, Dennison RJ, Tang J, Kern TS, Akula JD, Smith LEH. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids preserve retinal function in type 2 diabetic mice. Nutr Diabetes 2012;2:e36.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is associated with hyperglycemia-driven microvascular pathology and neuronal compromise in the retina. However, DR is also linked to dyslipidemia. As omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are protective in proliferative retinopathy, we investigated the capacity of ω-3PUFAs to preserve retinal function in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DESIGN: Male leptin-receptor-deficient (db/db) mice were maintained for 22 weeks (4 weeks-26 weeks of life) on calorically and compositionally matched diets, except for 2% enrichment in either ω-3 or ω-6PUFAs. Visual function was assessed at 9, 14 and 26 weeks by electroretinography. Retinal capillary and neuronal integrity, as well as glucose challenge responses, were assessed on each diet. RESULTS: The ω-3PUFA diet significantly preserved retinal function in the mouse model of T2DM to levels similar to those observed in nondiabetic control mice on normal chow. Conversely, retinal function gradually deteriorated in db/db mice on a ω-6PUFA-rich diet. There was also an enhanced ability of ω-3PUFA-fed mice to respond to glucose challenge. The protection of visual function appeared to be independent of cytoprotective or anti-inflammatory effects of ω-3PUFAs. CONCLUSION: This study identifies beneficial effects of dietary ω-3PUFAs on visual function in T2DM. The data are consistent with dyslipidemia negatively impacting retinal function. As ω-3PUFA lipid dietary interventions are readily available, safe and inexpensive, increasing ω-3PUFA intake in diabetic patients may slow the progression of vision loss in T2DM.
Rankin JK, Jakobiec FA, Zakka FR, Foster SC. An improved approach to diagnosing and treating conjunctival mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Surv Ophthalmol 2012;57(4):337-46.Abstract
The current case of conjunctival mucoepidermoid carcinoma offers features that expand the biologic spectrum afforded by this tumor. More focused strategies should be developed for its earlier histopathologic diagnosis and improved management (historical recurrence rate of 85%). A 63-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and idiopathic sclerosing cholangitis developed scleral thinning, anterior chamber cells and flare, and uveal prolapse. Biopsies of the epibulbar lesion were initially misinterpreted as a squamous cell carcinoma but on review harbored CK7-positive cells and contained rare goblet cells brought out with Alcian blue and mucicarmine staining. Intraocular extension exhibited micro-and macrocysts with minimal goblet cells. Focal CK7 immunopositivity in any epibulbar squamous dysplasia or in invasive carcinoma should lead to suspicion of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Behaviorally aggressive or rapidly recurrent epithelial squamous tumors with "inflammatory" features or unusual clinical characteristics should be initially stained at multiple levels for the detection of parsimonious mucus secretion. Surgical options include wide excision and partial sclerectomy with cryotherapy for superficial invasion and/or interferon therapy. Results with radiotherapy and cryotherapy for deep scleral invasion have been unpredictable or unacceptable compared with surgery.
Sadaka A, Durand ML, Gilmore MS. Bacterial endophthalmitis in the age of outpatient intravitreal therapies and cataract surgeries: host-microbe interactions in intraocular infection. Prog Retin Eye Res 2012;31(4):316-31.Abstract
Bacterial endophthalmitis is a sight threatening infection of the interior structures of the eye. Incidence in the US has increased in recent years, which appears to be related to procedures being performed on an aging population. The advent of outpatient intravitreal therapy for management of age-related macular degeneration raises yet additional risks. Compounding the problem is the continuing progression of antibiotic resistance. Visual prognosis for endophthalmitis depends on the virulence of the causative organism, the severity of intraocular inflammation, and the timeliness of effective therapy. We review the current understanding of the pathogenesis of bacterial endophthalmitis, highlighting opportunities for the development of improved therapeutics and preventive strategies.
Rajaiya J, Yousuf MA, Singh G, Stanish H, Chodosh J. Heat shock protein 27 mediated signaling in viral infection. Biochemistry 2012;51(28):5695-702.Abstract
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a critical role in many intracellular processes, including apoptosis and delivery of other proteins to intracellular compartments. Small HSPs have been shown previously to participate in many cellular functions, including IL-8 induction. Human adenovirus infection activates intracellular signaling, involving particularly the c-Src and mitogen-activated protein kinases [Natarajan, K., et al. (2003) J. Immunol. 170, 6234-6243]. HSP27 and MK2 are also phosphorylated, and c-Src, and its downstream targets, p38, ERK1/2, and c-Jun-terminal kinase (JNK), differentially mediate IL-8 and MCP-1 expression. Specifically, activation and translocation of transcription factor NFκB-p65 occurs in a p38-dependent fashion [Rajaiya, J., et al. (2009) Mol. Vision 15, 2879-2889]. Herein, we report a novel role for HSP27 in an association of p38 with NFκB-p65. Immunoprecipitation assays of virus-infected but not mock-infected cells revealed a signaling complex including p38 and NFκB-p65. Transfection with HSP27 short interfering RNA (siRNA) but not scrambled RNA disrupted this association and reduced the level of IL-8 expression. Transfection with HSP27 siRNA also reduced the level of nuclear localization of NFκB-p65 and p38. By use of tagged p38 mutants, we found that amino acids 279-347 of p38 are necessary for the association of p38 with NFκB-p65. These studies strongly suggest that HSP27, p38, and NFκB-p65 form a signalosome in virus-infected cells and influence downstream expression of pro-inflammatory mediators.