Purpose
To investigate the epidemiology of uveitis in Japan and assess its changes over time.
Study design
Retrospective multicenter study
Methods
Sixty-six hospitals in Japan with uveitis specialty ...clinics participated in this retrospective nationwide survey. A questionnaire was sent to each hospital to survey the total number of patients who made a first visit to the outpatient uveitis clinic of each hospital between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017. The diagnosis of uveitis was based on guidelines when available or on commonly used diagnostic criteria.
Results
In 2016, new patients with uveitis accounted for 3.2% of the total number of new patients with ophthalmic diseases. A total of 5378 patients were enrolled in the survey; 3408 cases could be classified with a specific uveitis entity, and 1970 cases were described as unclassified intraocular inflammation. Among the classified cases, the most frequent disease was sarcoidosis (10.6%), followed by Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease (8.1%), herpetic iritis (6.5%), acute anterior uveitis (5.5%), sclerouveitis (4.4%), Behçet’s disease (4.2%), malignant disease (2.6%), acute retinal necrosis (1.7%), Posner–Schlossman syndrome (1.7%), and diabetic iritis (1.4%). The rates of sarcoidosis, Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease, and Behçet’s disease were similar; however, the rate of herpes iritis increased (4.2–6.5%) when compared with the 2009 survey.
Conclusions
Some changes were observed between the previous nationwide surveys (2002 and 2009) and the present survey. It must be valuable to continue such nationwide epidemiologic surveys at regular intervals.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Purpose To investigate changes in choroidal thickness after aflibercept therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series. ...Methods This study included 102 eyes of 102 patients with treatment-naïve neovascular AMD. All 102 eyes underwent 3 consecutive monthly 2.0 mg intravitreal aflibercept injections at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months. Choroidal thickness during 3 months were evaluated using either swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) or enhanced-depth imaging OCT. Results Of the 102 eyes, 46 eyes (45.1%) were diagnosed as typical neovascular AMD and 56 eyes (54.9%) as polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. After intravitreal aflibercept injections, the mean subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased from 252.0 ± 99.7 μm at baseline to 217.9 ± 95.6 μm at 3 months ( P < .0001; percentage change from baseline, 86.5%). Mean choroidal thickness measured at 3 mm from the foveal center in the superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal directions also decreased significantly from 258.7 ± 85.9 μm to 236.4 ± 84.6 μm, 229.9 ± 93.0 μm to 208.6 ± 86.5 μm, 237.4 ± 86.5 μm to 214.6 ± 79.5 μm, and 183.7 ± 97.0 μm to 162.3 ± 90.6 μm, respectively ( P < .0001 for all directions). Both subtypes of neovascular AMD demonstrated a similar trend toward decreasing choroidal thickness during the follow-up period. Conclusions Choroidal thickness significantly decreased not only at the foveal center but also in the entire macula after 3 monthly intravitreal aflibercept injections for neovascular AMD.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Purpose
There is an urgent need to address how to best provide ophthalmic care for patients with retinal disease receiving intravitreal injections with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents ...during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. This article provides guidance for ophthalmologists on how to deliver the best possible care for patients while minimizing the risk of infection.
Methods
The Vision Academy’s Steering Committee of international retinal disease experts convened to discuss key considerations for managing patients with retinal disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. After reviewing the existing literature on the issue, members put forward recommendations that were systematically refined and voted on to develop this guidance.
Results
The considerations focus on the implementation of steps to minimize the exposure of patients and healthcare staff to COVID-19. These include the use of personal protective equipment, adherence to scrupulous hygiene and disinfection protocols, pre-screening to identify symptomatic patients, and reducing the number of people in waiting rooms. Other important measures include triaging of patients to identify those at the greatest risk of irreversible vision loss and prioritization of treatment visits over monitoring visits where possible. In order to limit patient exposure, ophthalmologists should refrain from using treatment regimens that require frequent monitoring.
Conclusion
Management of patients with retinal disease receiving intravitreal injections during the COVID-19 pandemic will require adjustment to regular clinical practice to minimize the risk of exposure of patients and healthcare staff, and to prioritize those with the greatest medical need. The safety of patients and healthcare staff should be of paramount importance in all decision-making.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Intra-articular injection of hyaluronan (HA) has been suggested to have a disease-modifying effect in osteoarthritis, but little is known about the possible mechanisms.
To investigate the effects of ...HA species of different molecular mass, including 800 kDa (HA800) and 2700 kDa (HA2700), on the expression of aggrecanases (ie, ADAMTS species), which play a key role in aggrecan degradation.
The effects of HA species on the expression of ADAMTS1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15 in interleukin 1alpha (IL1alpha)-stimulated osteoarthritic chondrocytes were studied by reverse transcription PCR and real-time PCR. Expression of ADAMTS4 protein and aggrecanase activity and signal transduction pathways of IL1, CD44 and intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) were examined by immunoblotting.
IL1alpha treatment of chondrocytes induced ADAMTS4, and HA800 and HA2700 significantly decreased IL1alpha-induced expression of ADAMTS4 mRNA and protein. IL1alpha-stimulated aggrecanase activity in osteoarthritic chondrocytes was reduced by treatment with HA2700 or transfection of small interfering RNA for ADAMTS4. A similar result was obtained when HA2700 was added to explant cultures of osteoarthritic cartilage. HA2700 neither directly inhibited nor bound to ADAMTS4. Downregulation of ADAMTS4 expression by HA2700 was attenuated by treatment of IL1alpha-treated chondrocytes with antibodies to CD44 and/or ICAM1. The increased phosphorylation of IL1 receptor-associated kinase-1 and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase1/2 induced by the IL1alpha treatment was downregulated by enhanced IRAK-M expression after HA2700 treatment.
These data suggest that HA2700 suppresses aggrecan degradation by downregulating IL1alpha-induced ADAMTS4 expression through the CD44 and ICAM1 signalling pathways in osteoarthritic chondrocytes.
Purpose
The term “pachychoroid” refers to a newly described phenotype in which functional and structural choroidal changes are thought to play a key pathogenic role in a spectrum of related retinal ...disorders. A more detailed understanding of how the choroid is involved within this spectrum and a better knowledge of the most relevant clinical signs of the pachychoroid phenotype are important to differentiate these disorders from other retinal conditions. Our objectives are to provide a literature review of pachychoroid and the commonalities that may be present across pathologies included in the spectrum, and to provide details on the examination, monitoring, and management of these disorders.
Methods
We searched the PubMed web platform to identify relevant studies using the following keywords: pachychoroid, pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy, pachychoroid neovasculopathy, aneurysmal type 1 neovascularization, focal choroidal excavation, peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome, vasculopathy pachysclera, pachychoroid geographic atrophy, and pachydrusen. We selected 157 publications and identified the most important features related to pachychoroid.
Results
The presence of hypertrophic or congested vessels in the choroid, not thickened choroid per se, under an area of reduced or absent choriocapillaris in the posterior pole seems to be the most salient feature of pachychoroid. However, other qualitative/quantitative features are needed to differentiate the uncomplicated pachychoroid from the pathological pachychoroid clinical spectrum, which may be associated with exudation, neovascularization, and/or retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor atrophy.
Conclusions
The most salient feature of pachychoroid appears to be the presence of large vessels under an area of reduced or absent choriocapillaris. Knowledge of the features and pathogenesis of the different disorders in the pachychoroid spectrum may assist in the management of patients.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) allows evaluation of choroidal thickness. Our objective was to analyze subfoveal choroidal thickness by EDI-OCT before and after ...the initiation of high-dose corticosteroid treatment in 8 patients (16 eyes) with new-onset acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.
Retrospective review of clinical records.
The outer border of the choroid was not evident by EDI-OCT in any patients at presentation. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was measurable by 1 week after the initiation of treatment (mean, 578 μm) and decreased thereafter (mean at 1 month, 397 μm; 3 months, 392 μm; 6 months, 384 μm; 12 months, 332 μm). Rebound of choroidal thickening was observed in three patients (five eyes) during corticosteroid tapering in the absence of other evidence of increased inflammation. Peripapillary atrophy was present at 12 months in 6 of 6 eyes that had a choroidal thickness >550 μm at 1 week after initiating treatment, in contrast to none of the 8 eyes with a choroidal thickness ≤550 μm (P = 0.0003).
Enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography revealed decreasing choroidal thickness with high-dose corticosteroid treatment in our patients. Choroidal thickness as measured by EDI-OCT may serve as a marker for degree of choroidal inflammation in acute VKH disease.
To investigate 1-year outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).
Retrospective, multicenter, consecutive case series.
A total of 90 eyes of 87 patients with ...treatment-naïve PCV followed at 3 tertiary centers.
Clinical records were reviewed and imaging studies were analyzed of eyes with PCV that underwent 3 consecutive monthly aflibercept injections followed by injections every 2 months. Additional (rescue) injections were performed for worsening.
Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and angiographic findings at 1 year.
The mean BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units) of the 90 eyes improved from 0.31 at baseline to 0.17 at 12 months (P < 0.001). The mean central retinal thickness decreased from 315 μm at baseline to 204 μm at 12 months (P < 0.001). At 12 months, 64 eyes (71.1%) achieved a dry macula, defined as absence of intraretinal or subretinal fluid on OCT. Of 83 eyes that underwent indocyanine green angiography at both baseline and 12 months, 46 (55.4%) showed complete and 27 (32.5%) showed partial resolution of polypoidal lesions. Eleven of 82 eyes (13.4%) showed decreased size of branching choroidal vascular networks.
Intravitreal aflibercept administered over 1 year improved both visual acuity and macular morphology in a large number of treatment-naïve eyes with PCV.
In general, surface of additively manufactured (AMed) metal products has large roughness due to arrangement of bead shapes, and surface irregularities such as spatter and cavity. Furthermore, surface ...elemental composition of AMed products may be changed from that of metal powder. In this study, efficient surface smoothing and repairing of AMed metal products by large-area electron beam irradiation were experimentally investigated. Experimental results show that spatter and cavity can be completely removed and surface roughness significantly reduces. Elemental composition of AMed surface can be also changed to that of original metal powder due to the removal of oxidized surface.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
The effect of the strain gradient on the stretch flange deformation limit of steel sheets was investigated by hole expansion tests under various forming conditions and by FEM forming ...simulations. The hole expansion ratio was changed by changing the initial hole diameter and punch shapes. This study clarified the fact that deformation limit strain increases, as it does not depend on the initial hole diameter or punch shape, and thus the strain gradient increases. The deformation limit thickness strain of the stretch flange portion could be changed by changing the strain gradient. These results suggest that the formability of the stretch flange deformation area should be determined from not only the maximum principal strain but also the strain gradient. Then, the accuracy of stretch flange formability prediction by considering the strain gradient for actual car body parts in mass production was investigated. The maximum principal strain and the strain gradient of the parts were calculated by FEM or measured in the press part. These results suggest that the formability of the stretch flange deformation area for actual car body parts could not be predicted by not only the maximum principal strain or the thickness reduction, but also the conventional FLD. This investigation verified the accuracy of stretch flange formability prediction by considering the strain gradient for actual car body parts.
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