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Biomedical subjects

D Easty

Publications and source records attributed to D Easty.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Corneal biopsy with tissue micro-homogenisation for isolation of organisms in bacterial keratitis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a novel two-stage technique to increase yield of bacteria isolated from infected corneal ulcers. METHODS: A new blade was designed to remove friable material from infected corneal ulcers. The new blade was used in combination with standard tissue micro-homogenisation equipment in a two-stage technique intended to distribute biopsy samples evenly between relevant agar plates. Patients with presumed-bacterial corneal ulcers underwent sequential corneal sampling using the new two-stage technique and a scalpel blade, used without micro-homogenisation (the order of sampling was varied between two groups). Bacterial isolation rates were compared using the chi-squared test. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with presumed-bacterial corneal ulcers were studied. The overall positive bacterial isolation rate was 88%, with identical bacterial isolation rates for the new two-stage technique and the scalpel blade (71%). The new technique isolated bacteria from three ulcers that had initially been 'sterile' when sampled with a scalpel blade. Polymicrobial infections were identified in two ulcers with the new blade where only a single organism had been identified using the scalpel blade (not significantly different). CONCLUSIONS: The new two-stage technique shows promise for improving bacterial isolation rates from presumed-bacterial corneal ulcers.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1992

Cataract extraction: patient characteristics and preferences.

This paper reports the results of a comparative study of inpatient and day case patients undergoing a cataract extraction with intraocular lens implant. An assessment was made of their home circumstances, and included questions about their health and hobbies before and after surgery. The results show that patients were generally optimistic about their capabilities after the operation, and that most were pleased to have been randomly allocated to their particular group. There were no statistically significant differences between day cases and inpatients, suggesting a possibility of choice for patients within available resources.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Tumor cell progression and differentiation in metastasis.

The development and evolution of tumors is regulated by both genetic and epigenetic events. It is thought that these processes tend to drive neoplastic development in opposing directions so that tumor progression, predominantly as a consequence of mutational events, leads to increasing tumor aggression. Conversely the induction of differentiation, largely through epigenetic mechanisms, tends to cause tumors to evolve to a more benign phenotype. However, these generalizations are a simplistic view of a complex dynamic event where both processes can be overlaid within a single neoplasm. Using malignant melanoma as a model system the alterations in gene expression and their effects upon metastatic dissemination, that accompany some of these changes, both natural and induced, are described.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

An improved model of recurrent herpetic eye disease in mice.

Mice were passively immunized with serum containing antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) before inoculation on the cornea with HSV-1 strain McKrae. After such immunization most mice survived and most had normal eyes. When primary infection had subsided, mice with normal eyes were selected and treated with cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone and UV irradiation of the inoculated eye or UV irradiation alone, to reactivate latent virus. After either treatment mice developed signs of recurrent infection (virus in eyewashings and recurrent corneal and/or lid disease). The incidence of such signs was 17/33 (52%) in mice receiving immunosuppressive drugs and UV irradiation and 19/32 (59%) in mice given UV irradiation alone. In mice treated with either stimulus dendritic or geographic ulceration of the cornea was seen. These closely resembled the herpetic lesions seen in humans. There was good correlation between the pattern and distribution of recurrent corneal disease and the distribution of cells containing virus antigens in corneal epithelial sheets. Again, as in humans, the induction of recurrent infection was found to correlate poorly with a rise in the level of serum neutralizing antibody. In mice treated with UV irradiation alone corneal ulcers healed and the eyes returned to normal. By contrast, in mice given immunosuppressive drugs and UV irradiation, the ulceration became more severe and the eyes became opaque and vascularized. The use of passive immunization has greatly improved our previously reported model of recurrent herpetic eye disease since it has increased the incidence of mice suitable for the induction of recurrent infection and has increased the incidence of such infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Neural spread of herpes simplex virus to the eye of the mouse: microbiological aspects and effect on the blink reflex.

This paper reports the microbiological aspects of zosteriform spread of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to the eye in the NIH strain of inbred mouse. Microbiological data support the concept of true zosteriform spread of herpes simplex virus from the inoculation site on the snout to the trigeminal ganglion, and thence to the eye. Following zosteriform spread of HSV to the eye, there is a frequent bacterial superinfection and this is associated with a typical clinical picture. Treatment of the mice with intensive systemic and topical antibiotics is able to alter the frequency with which this type of keratitis is seen.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Epithelial cyst in the anterior chamber after penetrating keratoplasty: a rare complication.

We report the case of a 25-year-old man who had a penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus. A year and a half after surgery a cyst was noted in the anterior chamber, which was observed to enlarge over six months. Because of anxiety about endothelial touch, it was removed surgically. Histologically the cyst was composed of stratified, non-keratinized squamous epithelium attached to loose fibrovascular tissue including islands of melanin-containing epithelial cells. This was interpreted as an epithelial implantation cyst of the anterior chamber of corneal origin attached to iris tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Clinical findings after zosteriform spread of herpes simplex virus to the eye of the mouse.

When herpes simplex virus (HSV) is inoculated onto the snout of the inbred strain NIH mouse, clinical disease of the eye ensues only after a delay, due to spread of virus to the eye occurring via neural pathways. This report is concerned with the detailed description of eye disease. Physical signs observed include mydriasis, iritis and keratitis. The incidence of combinations of physical signs has been analysed by the computer and presented as pie-charts to show the complexity and evolution of the eye disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The histology of the eye after zosteriform spread of herpes simplex virus in the mouse.

A murine model of zosteriform spread of herpes simplex virus to the eye is reported. Viral antigens were demonstrated by a peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique in the trigeminal ganglion, iris, ciliary body, and cornea. The histology suggested a spontaneous bacterial superinfection during the later stages of the herpetic disease of the cornea. The relevance to human disease is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Class II MHC antigen (HLA-DR) expression in the developing sweat gland.

Class II MHC antigen (HLA-DR) is a normal constituent of the ductular lining cells of the sweat gland. In development, HLA-DR is first expressed on the developing bud of the growing gland as it extends down from the epidermis. The cells immediately behind the bud lose this staining. The antigen subsequently appears on the ductular lining cells and extends from the acrosyringium down the full length of the duct. The coils are negative. The appearance of the antigen in these two different situations suggests that it has a role both in embryogenesis and in the normal functioning of the mature gland.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

The acute phase response in acute anterior uveitis.

The acute phase response is part of the body's systemic response to inflammation. It consists of the synthesis and release of proteins participating in the inflammatory process. The acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) was studied by serial measurement of its concentration in 57 patients with acute anterior uveitis. Patients were divided into two big groups on the basis of their SAA concentrations. Thirty-eight patients showed a transient elevation of SAA and were designated responders. In 19 patients SAA levels remained normal throughout the study and these patients were designated non-responders. Responders and non-responders were of similar age and sex distributions. The severity of the uveitis was equal in the two groups, and did not correlate with the SAA concentrations at presentation. Responders tended to have had fewer previous attacks of uveitis than non-responders. HLA typing showed that HLA B27 was more frequent in patients with recurrent disease than in those suffering their first attack. The majority of HLA B27 positive patients were responders. SAA concentration does not predict the severity of an attack of uveitis, but absence of an acute phase response may be associated with a greater tendency to recurrence.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1977

Aphakic macular oedema following prosthetic lens implantation.

Fluorescein angiography of the iris was performed on patients with plastic lens implants with cystoid oedema of the macula, and the nature of the vascular changes was compared with controls provided by patients who did not have macular disease. Densitometry was used to quantitate leakage of fluorescein dye into the anterior chamber in residual angiograms 5 minutes after injection. Cystoid oedema was associated with marked increase in vascular permeability of the iris in the patients with implants, and in aphakics without implants, but to a lesser degree. Although it cannot be concluded that implants themselves cause either the increase in permeability or the onset of macular oedema, the presence of such implants must be considered an additional hazard in an eye which is already at risk. Iris angiography can be used as a diagnostic aid in patients in whom macular oedema is suspected. A persistent increase in permeability associated with a reduction in visual acuity should act as a warning of further visual loss and of eventual cystoid macular degeneration.

Aqueous Humor↗
PubMed1977

Manifestations of immunodeficiency diseases in ophthalmology.

The clinical features in various types of immunodeficiency are presented in patients selected from a total of fifteen seen at the Bristol Eye Hospital. Immunodeficiency, either primary or secondary, can produce severe infective disease of the eye which is often bizarre in nature and slow to respond to therapy. It is important for the ophthalmologist to be aware of the various immunodeficiency syndromes in order that a realistic policy towards prognosis and treatment can be adopted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Herpes simplex keratitis and keratoconus in the atopic patient. A clinical and immunological study.

Selected case histories indicate that there is good evidence that atopic disease is associated with severe primary and recurrent ocular herpes. The salient features of the syndrome are that the disease is often bilateral, that recurrences are more frequent, and that the corneal epithelium is often slow to regenerate after disease. Therapeutic difficulties may be encountered because atopic eye disease requires anti-inflammatory therapy which is contraindicated in epithelial herpes. Keratoplasty in herpetic disease in the presence of vascularization or atopic eye disease should be avoided, as an augmented homograft reaction is also an occasional complication. Screening of patients for serum immunoglobulins and cellular immunity using in vitro lymphocyte transformation and macrophage migration inhibition tests, failed to reveal any group evidence of immune deficit, but there was evidence of this in some individuals. The most serious management problems occurred in the presence of raised IgE levels. In a group of patients with keratoconus, IgE was raised in 17 per cent, and there was a depression of IgA in 8 per cent. A knowledge of the serum innumoglobulin levels can be of help in the management of the keratoconus patient in the postoperative period after keratoplasty.

Adolescent↗