Biomedical subjects

Shiro Amano

Publications and source records attributed to Shiro Amano.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Antigenicity of porcine cornea as xenograft.

PURPOSE: To investigate the antigenicity of porcine corneal stroma as xenograft to man. METHODS: The localization of alpha-gal epitope in the porcine eye was determined using biotinylated Griffonia simplicifolia 1 isolectin B4. Porcine corneal stromal was inserted into corneal stromal pockets of cynomolgus monkeys. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the immunological reaction in the monkey. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed no alpha-gal epitope in the porcine cornea except for several keratocytes in the anterior-most part. Haze and keratic precipitates developed in two corneas out of three corneas that were followed up until 6 months after the surgery. In these two corneas, infiltrating cells included CD4+, CD8+, or HAM56+ cells, suggesting that haze and keratic precipitates were induced by cellular rejection to porcine corneal stroma. CONCLUSIONS: Porcine corneal stroma induces no hyperacute rejection but mild cellular rejection when transplanted in the cornea of cynomolgus monkeys.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Role of resident corneal leukocytes and draining cervical lymph nodes in corneal allograft rejection.

We review recently published experimental evidence on corneal transplant immunology involving cornea and draining cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) in the mouse. In the cornea, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II- dendritic cells (DCs) are present in the corneal epithelium. These DCs can express MHC class II antigen in vivo and in vitro. In the corneal stroma, there are many leukocytes of monocyte or macrophage lineage. Normal cornea has been reported to contain a significant number of bone marrow-derived resident cells, which may be able to act as antigen-presenting cells. Allograft rejection does not occur if draining CLNs are removed before corneal transplantation, indicative of an essential role of CLNs in promoting corneal allorejection. Moreover, donor cornea-derived DCs were detected in host draining CLNs in a mouse corneal transplantation model. These findings provide direct evidence that MHC class II- bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting leukocytes exist in the part of cornea used for transplantation and that direct allorecognition of antigen is, at least in part, relevant to the occurrence of corneal allograft rejection in which draining CLNs play a central role.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Transplantation of cultured human corneal endothelial cells.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of corneal reconstruction utilizing cultured human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs). METHODS: We cultivated HCECs using culture dishes pre-coated with bovine corneal endothelial extracellular matrix. The effect of donor age on HCECs was investigated. We reconstructed corneas using cultured HCECs and human corneal stroma, then examined their functioning. The possibility of porcine corneal stroma as a carrier of cultured HCECs was investigated. RESULTS: The older the donor, the more frequently large senescent cells appeared in the passaged HCECs. The density of HCECs on the reconstructed cornea reached 2500 cells/mm2. The potential difference in the reconstructed and normal corneas was 0.30 mV and 0.40 mV, respectively; this indicates that the pump function of the reconstructed corneas is 75% of that of normal corneas. Porcine corneal stroma expressing little xenosugar antigen alpha-gal epitope induced no superacute rejection but mild cellular rejection when transplanted into corneas of animals possessing natural antibody to alpha-gal epitope. CONCLUSIONS: To reconstruct corneas that are the same as, or superior to, normal corneas, innovation is necessary in the methods used for culturing and seeding HCECs. Porcine corneal stroma is promising as a carrier of HCECs instead of human corneal stroma, the supply of which is limited. The validity of porcine corneal stroma, acellularized to prevent retrovirus infection, should be evaluated.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Ocular factors relevant to anti-glaucomatous eyedrop-related keratoepitheliopathy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular factors contributing to keratoepitheliopathy in glaucoma patients treated with or without anti-glaucomatous eyedrops, and the influences of each anti-glaucomatous eyedrop to keratoepitheliopathy. METHODS: The presence and severity of keratoepitheliopathy was investigated in 193 eyes of 110 glaucoma patients. The ocular factors examined were the status of the lipid layer of the tear fluid as assessed by a specular reflection video-recording system, tear volume assessed by Schirmer's test, and tear film stability assessed by tear break-up time. The influences of combined anti-glaucomatous eyedrops and each anti-glaucomatous eyedrops to keratoepitheliopathy were investigated. RESULTS: The overall occurrence of superficial punctate keratitis was 29.0%. Superficial punctate keratitis was more frequently observed in patients who used more than two anti-glaucomatous eyedrops (35.9%) than in those who used without (19.7%) and one (30.9%). Results of Schirmer's test and break-up time were worse in patients who used combined medication. The occurrence of superficial punctate keratitis in patients who used timolol (46.2%) was significantly more frequent than in those who used carteolol (4.2%). Severity of superficial punctate keratitis and break-up time in patients who used timolol were significantly worse than in those who used carteolol. There were no differences of keratoepitheliopathy and ocular factors between patients who used latanoprost and unoprostone. CONCLUSION: The usage of multiple anti-glaucomatous eyedrops induces keratoepitheliopathy by reducing the tear volume and the tear film stability. Carteolol may be used more safely for corneal epithelium.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Expression and function of receptors for advanced glycation end products in bovine corneal endothelial cells.

PURPOSE: The corneal endothelium is a target of the aging process. This study was undertaken to reveal the relationship between corneal endothelial cell (CEC) death and the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), by investigating the possible mechanism of accumulation of AGE in CECs and its effects on CEC death. METHODS: First, the in vivo expression of the receptor was investigated for AGE (RAGE) and galectin-3, both receptors for AGE, at both the mRNA and protein levels. Second, AGEs were added to the culture media of the cultured CECs, and the uptake of AGEs, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and the induction of apoptosis were investigated. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR demonstrated that both RAGE and galectin-3 were expressed in bovine CECs. After administration of AGE-modified bovine serum albumin to the culture medium, uptake of AGE was observed in the cytoplasm of the cultured bovine CECs. In addition, with increasing concentration of AGEs, the generation of reactive oxygen and the number of apoptotic cells also increased. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the accumulation of AGEs in CECs induced apoptosis, in part, by increasing cellular oxidative stress. The accumulation of AGEs in the CECs of elderly patients may be involved in the loss of CECs during the aging process.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The effects of proinflammatory cytokines on cytokine-chemokine gene expression profiles in the human corneal endothelium.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on differential gene expression profiles in the human corneal endothelium (HCE), by using a cDNA expression array. METHODS: A human cDNA expression array technology was used to study the simultaneous expression of HCE incubated with interleukin (IL)-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor-(TNF)-alpha. Gene-specific semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to examine the gene and protein expression patterns revealed by the cDNA expression array, in the presence and absence of proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, the expression of these genes was studied in ex vivo HCE of donor cornea by RT-PCR. RESULTS: IL-1alpha and TNF-alpha upregulated the expression of 46 of 268 genes for cytokines, chemokines, and their receptors in stimulated HCE. The most upregulated genes in the cDNA expression array, those of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 (CCL2), IL-8 (CXCL8), IL-6, and growth-related beta (GRObeta, CXCL2), were studied. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and ELISA analyses revealed the proinflammatory cytokine-mediated changes in the respective gene transcription and protein expression levels. The mRNAs were detected in ex vivo HCE of donor cornea stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: HCE can abundantly express cytokines and chemokines through the stimulation of proinflammatory cytokines. The detected genes, those of CCL2, CXCL8, IL-6, and CXCL2, in HCE could facilitate understanding of the inflammatory responses, including the production of keratic precipitates and the correlation between CE and an inflamed cornea or aqueous humor.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2003

VEGF164 is proinflammatory in the diabetic retina.

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to characterize the differential potency of two major VEGF isoforms, VEGF(120) and VEGF(164), for inducing leukocyte stasis (leukostasis) within the retinal vasculature and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown and to determine whether endogenous VEGF(164) mediates retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown in early and established diabetes. METHODS: Retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown were simultaneously quantified by combining concanavalin A lectin (ConA) perfusion labeling with a fluorophotometric dextran leakage assay. CD45 immunohistochemistry was performed to confirm that ConA-stained cells within the vasculature were leukocytes. Retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown were compared in nondiabetic rats receiving intravitreous injections of VEGF(120) or VEGF(164). Retinal intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and VEGF protein levels were studied by Western blot and ELISA, respectively. An anti-VEGF(164(165)) aptamer (EYE001) was administered by intravitreous injection to 2-week and 3-month diabetic rats, and the effect on retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown was quantified. RESULTS: Compared with VEGF(120), VEGF(164) more potently increased retinal ICAM-1 levels (2.2-fold), leukostasis (1.9-fold), and BRB breakdown (2.1-fold, P < 0.01 for all), despite negligible differences in vitreoretinal VEGF levels at the time of evaluation (P > 0.05). Retinal leukostasis and leakage increased with the duration of diabetes (P < 0.01) and correlated closely (P < 0.01, r = 0.889). The isoform-specific blockade of endogenous VEGF(164) with EYE001 resulted in a significant suppression of retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown in both early (72.4% and 82.6%, respectively) and established (48.5% and 55.0%, respectively) diabetes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: On an equimolar basis, VEGF(164) is at least twice as potent as VEGF(120) at inducing ICAM-1-mediated retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown in vivo. The inhibition of diabetic retinal leukostasis and BRB breakdown with EYE001 in early and established diabetes indicates that VEGF(164) is an important isoform in the pathogenesis of early diabetic retinopathy.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Time course of changes in corneal forward shift after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.

BACKGROUND: Excimer laser refractive surgery has been reported to induce forward shift of the cornea, but its long-term sequelae remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: To prospectively investigate the time course of changes in corneal elevation after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS: We performed PRK on 65 eyes of 34 patients with refractive errors of -1.25 to -10.0 diopters. The anterior/posterior corneal elevation and corneal thickness were measured with a scanning-slit corneal topography system before and 1 week and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Twenty eyes of 10 healthy control subjects underwent similar measurements at 3-month intervals. RESULTS: The posterior corneal surface displayed a mean +/- SD forward shift of 36.6 +/- 25.3 microm 1 week after PRK, which gradually increased to 55.1 +/- 46.1 microm at 1 year. All postoperative values were significantly larger than those of healthy controls (2.4 +/- 8.9 microm; P<.001, Mann-Whitney test). The largest forward shift occurred within the first postoperative week. The progression thereafter was most pronounced from 1 to 6 months, and nearly stabilized at 6 months. The variance of postoperative data was statistically significant (P<.001, repeated-measures analysis of variance). Multiple postoperative comparisons demonstrated significant differences between measurements at 1 week and 6 months (P =.002, Tukey Honestly Significant Difference), at 1 week and 1 year (P<.001), at 1 and 6 months (P<.001), and at 1 month and 1 year (P<.001). Progression of forward shift was more prominent in eyes with less preoperative corneal thickness and greater myopia that required larger laser ablation. We observed no progressive thinning and expansion of the cornea during the 1-year follow-up, which refuted the occurrence of true ectasia. A statistically significant correlation was found between the amount of myopic regression and the forward shift of the cornea (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = -0.37; P =.005). CONCLUSIONS: Photorefreactive keratectomy induced forward shift of the cornea, which is not true corneal ectasia. The largest forward shift occurred within the first postoperative week. Changes were progressive up to 6 months postoperatively, but became almost stable thereafter. Eyes with thinner cornea and higher myopia, requiring greater photoablation, are more predisposed to progression. Forward shift of both corneal surfaces added to the tendency toward myopic regression after PRK.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Inhibition of murine corneal allograft rejection by treatment with antibodies to CD80 and CD86.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules in corneal allograft rejection. Anti-CD80 and anti-CD86 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were administered after orthotopic corneal allograft transplantation. Graft rejection was observed by biomicroscopy. Population and localization of CD80(+)and CD86(+)cells in the cornea, cervical lymph nodes, and spleen were examined by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The combined use of anti-CD80 and anti-CD86 mAbs was effective in prolonging corneal allograft survival. In the untreated mice bearing rejected graft, many CD86(+)and CD80(+)cells were found around the host-graft junctional area in the cornea, and CD86(high)cells were found in the cervical lymph node and spleen. In contrast, few CD86(+)or CD80(+)cells were observed in the cornea, cervical lymph node, and spleen from the mice treated with anti-CD80/CD86 mAbs. These results demonstrated a significant role of CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules in corneal allograft rejection.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Corneal endotheliitis and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

PURPOSE: To report a case with corneal endotheliitis and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, in which herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA was demonstrated in the trabeculum and the aqueous humor by polymerase chain reaction. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 60-year-old man presented with corneal stromal edema in the right eye and sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The trabeculum excised during trabeculectomy and the aqueous humor were examined for the presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Polymerase chain reaction demonstrated herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA in the aqueous humor and the trabeculum. CONCLUSION: Herpes simplex virus type 1 may cause corneal endotheliitis and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss simultaneously.

Aqueous Humor↗

PubMed2002

Intracameral air injection for acute hydrops in keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intracameral air injection in treating acute hydrops in keratoconus. DESIGN: Retrospective, nonrandomized, comparative trial. METHODS PATIENTS: Thirty eyes (30 patients) with acute hydrops secondary to keratoconus. INTERVENTION: Nine eyes (nine patients) with acute hydrops in keratoconus were treated with intracameral injection of 0.1 ml filtered air. Additional 0.1 ml filtered air was injected if corneal edema persisted when air disappeared from the anterior chamber. Twenty-one eyes (21 patients) with acute hydrops that received no therapy or conventional therapy not likely to shorten the duration of hydrops served as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The period of persistence of corneal edema, the interval between the onset of acute hydrops, and the time when the eye could begin to wear a hard-contact lens, and best spectacle-corrected and hard-contact lens-corrected visual acuity after corneal edema subsided were used as criteria to evaluate any differences between the two groups. RESULTS: The average period of persistence of corneal edema was 20.1 +/- 9.0 days (+/- SD) in the intracameral air injection group and 64.7 +/- 34.6 days in the control (P =.0008). The average interval between the onset of acute hydrops and the time when the eye could begin to wear a hard-contact lens, was 33.4 +/- 5.6 days in the air injection group and 128.9 +/- 85.8 days in the control group (P =.0058). The best-corrected visual acuity after corneal edema subsided was similar between the two groups. Intracameral air injection induced no complications. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the intracameral air injection is a safe and useful therapy to shorten the period of corneal edema in acute hydrops secondary to keratoconus.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2002

Progression of keratoconus assessed by fourier analysis of videokeratography data.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively document changes in corneal refractive parameters in relation to the progression of keratoconus over years. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-five eyes of 64 patients with keratoconus who had undergone videokeratography examinations at least twice with an interval of 1 year or longer between each examination. METHODS: By means of Fourier series harmonic analysis, topography data were decomposed into spherical component, regular astigmatism, decentration component, and higher order irregularity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change rate of each parameter per year was calculated by use of the least squares method. RESULTS: All four refractive parameters were significantly larger in the keratoconic eyes than in the age-matched normal controls (P < 0.001, Student's t test). The yearly rate of change was significantly positive for spherical component (P = 0.008) and higher order irregular astigmatism (P = 0.015) but not for the regular astigmatism and decentration component. In eyes that showed apparent progression on color-coded maps, spherical component showed a significantly positive change rate per year (P = 0.002), but other parameters did not. In eyes without apparent progression, the yearly change rate of higher order irregular astigmatism was significantly larger than zero (P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Keratoconus progression over years was quantitatively described. It was indicated that spherical equivalent is a manifest indicator for the apparent progression of keratoconus, and irregular astigmatism increases along with the natural course of the disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Higher order wavefront aberrations of cornea and magnitude of refractive correction in laser in situ keratomileusis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between magnitude of refractive correction and changes in higher order wavefront aberrations of the cornea after laser in situ keratomileusis. DESIGN: Prospective, consecutive, nonrandomized comparative trial (self-controlled). PARTICIPANTS: One hundred eyes of 53 patients with myopia (-2.0 to -13.0 diopters) were included. INTERVENTION: Laser in situ keratomileusis was performed. Videokeratography measurements were conducted before and 1 month after surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The videokeratography data were used to calculate the higher order wavefront aberrations of the cornea for both small (3 mm) and large (6 mm) pupils. RESULTS: For a 3-mm pupil, the surgery significantly increased coma-like (2.4 +/- 1.3-fold, P < 0.001, paired t test) and spherical-like (1.8 +/- 0.9-fold, P < 0.001) aberrations. For a 6-mm pupil, both coma-like (4.4 +/- 3.3-fold, P < 0.001) and spherical-like (9.4 +/- 5.2-fold, P < 0.001) aberrations were significantly increased by surgery. The amount of achieved correction showed significant correlations with the changes in coma-like (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.446, P < 0.001) and spherical-like (r = 0.348, P < 0.001) aberrations for a 3-mm pupil, and coma-like (r = 0.566, P < 0.001) and spherical-like (r = 0.693, P < 0.001) aberrations for a 6-mm pupil. The eyes that lost 2 or more lines of baseline spectacle-corrected visual acuity showed significantly larger induced increases in coma-like (P = 0.003, Mann-Whitney U test) and spherical-like (P = 0.009) aberrations for a 3-mm pupil than those that either improved or remained within 1 line of spectacle-corrected visual acuity CONCLUSIONS: Laser in situ keratomileusis, performed using the current algorithms, increases higher order wavefront aberrations of the cornea, dependent on the amount of refractive correction.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Standardized color-coded scales for anterior and posterior elevation maps of scanning slit corneal topography.

PURPOSE: To find the most appropriate color-coded scales for the anterior and posterior elevation maps of scanning slit topography in the screening of abnormal corneas such as keratoconus. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty eyes of 40 normal subjects and 175 eyes of 95 patients with keratoconus. INTERVENTION: Anterior and posterior corneal elevations were assessed using Orbscan 2. Best-fit sphere maps were drawn with several color-coded scales: 2-, 5-, 10-, and 20-microm height per each color interval. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The maps were judged to be abnormal when more than three colors (discriminant number) were found within the central 3-mm area. For each color-coded scale, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and sensitivity + specificity were calculated. After determining the most appropriate color-coded scales for the anterior and posterior elevation maps, validity of the discriminant number was assessed. By varying the discriminant number from two to eight, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were created using the sensitivity and specificity for each threshold number. RESULTS: The highest sensitivity + specificity values and highly balanced predictive values were obtained with the 10- and 20-microm scales for the anterior and posterior elevation maps, respectively. The ROC curve analyses showed that the best discriminant color number is three, indicating that maps with four or more colors within the central 3-mm area are judged abnormal in screening. CONCLUSIONS: The 10- and 20-microm interval color scales are most appropriate for the anterior and posterior elevation maps of the scanning slit topography, respectively.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Spontaneous posterior dislocation of intraocular lenses fixated in the capsular bag.

We report 4 cases of complete posterior dislocation of an intraocular lens (IOL) in the capsular bag occurring a mean of 5.5 years after uneventful cataract surgery. In all 4 cases, posterior chamber IOLs were fixated within the capsulorhexis. The patients experienced sudden loss of vision without an episode of trauma or ocular disease. Using a 3-port pars plana vitrectomy, the IOLs were explanted through a limbal incision and a new IOL was sutured to the ciliary sulcus. Histological examination indicated that zonular fibers were severed at the site of insertion in the capsule.

Capsulorhexis↗

PubMed2002

Efficacy and safety of the soft-shell technique in cases with a hard lens nucleus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the soft-shell technique in reducing corneal endothelial cell damage during cataract surgery in patients with a hard lens nucleus. SETTING: Miyata Eye Hospital, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan. METHODS: Sixty eyes of 57 cataract patients with a hard lens nucleus (Emery-Little classification grade 3 or higher) had phacoemulsification using the soft-shell technique with Healon((R)) (sodium hyaluronate 1%) and Viscoat (sodium hyaluronate 3.0%-chondroitin sulfate 4.0%) (soft-shell group) or with Healon alone (control group). The visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), flare intensity in the anterior chamber, central corneal thickness, and corneal endothelial cell density were evaluated postoperatively. RESULTS: There were no significant IOP elevations in either group. The mean central corneal thickness in the control group was 539 microm +/- 26.0 (SD) preoperatively and 578 +/- 52.0 microm 1 day after surgery; the increase was significant (P =.0154). There was no significant change in the central corneal thickness in the soft-shell group. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, IOP, flare intensity in the anterior chamber, and central corneal thickness throughout the follow-up. The rate of endothelial cell loss 3 months after surgery was 6.4% +/- 9.6% in the soft-shell group and 16.3% +/- 9.8% in the control group (P =.0003). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the soft-shell technique is safe and effective in protecting corneal endothelial cells during cataract surgery in patients with a hard lens nucleus.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Corneal endothelial cell protection during phacoemulsification: low- versus high-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of low- and high-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate in protecting corneal endothelial cells during phacoemulsification. SETTING: Miyata Eye Hospital, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan. METHODS: One hundred forty-nine eyes of 136 cataract patients were randomly assigned to have cataract surgery using sodium hyaluronate 1% with a low molecular weight (0.6 to 1.2 million d, Opegan) or sodium hyaluronate 1% with a high molecular weight (4 million d, Healon) during phacoemulsification. Each group was divided into 2 subgroups depending on the amount of ultrasound (% min) used during phacoemulsification, which was defined as the mean phacoemulsification energy (%) multiplied by phacoemulsification time (minutes). Corneal endothelial cell density was examined preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. The rate of cell loss was compared between the subgroups in the Opegan group and the Healon group. RESULTS: In the subgroups with ultrasound of 50% min or less, the mean rate of endothelial cell loss 3 months after surgery was 3.2% +/- 4.1% (SD) in the Opegan group and 5.9% +/- 5.3% in the Healon group (P =.0214). In the subgroups with ultrasound over 50% min, the mean rate of endothelial cell loss 3 months after surgery was 7.5% +/- 10.6% in the Opegan group and 14.8 +/- 9.0% in the Healon group (P =.0029). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Opegan is more effective than Healon in protecting corneal endothelial cells during phacoemulsification regardless of the amount of ultrasound energy used.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Intraocular dexamethasone delivery system for corneal transplantation in an animal model.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of a new intraocular biodegradable polymer dexamethasone drug delivery system (DEX DDS) in a high-risk corneal transplantation model. METHODS: Lewis rats that received orthotopic corneal transplants (Balb/c mice donors) were divided into three groups (six rats in each); group 1 received no treatment and served as controls, group 2 was treated with 0.1% betamethasone eyedrops three times daily for 6 weeks, and group 3 received DEX DDS in the anterior chamber at the time of transplantation. RESULTS: All grafts in the untreated control group were rejected within 8 days. In the betamethasone eyedrop group, five eyes (83%) were rejected during the 8-week study period. None of the grafts in the DEX DDS group was rejected. The administration of DEX DDS significantly prolonged the survival rate of the corneal grafts (p < 0.001, log-rank test). CONCLUSION: DEX DDS is effective in suppressing graft rejection in high-risk corneal transplantation.

Absorbable Implants↗