Abnormal angiogenesis is associated with intraocular diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, and current therapies for these eye diseases are not satisfactory. The purpose of this study was to determine whether capilliposide B (CPS-B), a novel oleanane triterpenoid saponin derived from Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl, can inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis signaling events and cellular responses in primary human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs). Our study revealed that the capilliposide B IC for HRECs was 8.5 μM at 72 h and that 1 μM capilliposide B specifically inhibited VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR2 and its downstream signaling enzymes Akt and Erk. In addition, we discovered that this chemical effectively blocked VEGF-stimulated proliferation, migration and tube formation of the HRECs, suggesting that capilliposide B is a promising prophylactic for angiogenesis-associated diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To review the literature on the efficacy and safety of medical and surgical interventions for indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (TON), defined as injury to the nerve that occurs distal to the optic nerve head. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on October 22, 2019, and updated on April 8, 2020, in the PubMed database for English language original research that assessed the effect of various interventions for indirect TON. One hundred seventy-two articles were identified; 41 met the inclusion criteria outlined for assessment and were selected for full-text review and abstraction. On full-text review, a total of 32 studies met all of the study criteria and were included in the analysis. RESULTS: No study met criteria for level I evidence. Seven studies (1 level II study and 6 level III studies) explored corticosteroid therapy that did not have uniformly better outcomes than observation. Twenty studies (3 level II studies and 17 level III studies) assessed optic canal decompression and the use of corticosteroids. Although visual improvement was noted after decompression, studies that directly compared surgery with medical therapy did not report uniformly improved outcomes after decompression. Four studies (1 level II study and 3 level III studies) evaluated the use of erythropoietin. Although initial studies demonstrated benefit, a direct comparison of its use with observation and corticosteroids failed to confirm the usefulness of this medication. One study (level II) documented visual improvement with levodopa plus carbidopa. Complication rates were variable with all of these interventions. Pharmacologic interventions generally were associated with few complications, whereas optical canal decompression carried risks of serious side effects, including hemorrhages and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reports of visual improvement with corticosteroids, optic canal decompression, and medical therapy for indirect TON, the weight of published evidence does not demonstrate a consistent benefit for any of these interventions. In summary, no consensus exists from studies published to date on a preferred treatment for TON. Treatment strategies should be customized for each individual patient. More definitive treatment trials will be needed to identify optimal treatment strategies for indirect TON.

Mouse Müller cells, considered as dormant retinal progenitors, often respond to retinal injury by undergoing reactive gliosis rather than displaying neural regenerative responses. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is a key cytokines induced after injury and implicated in mediating inflammatory and neural regenerative responses in zebrafish. To investigate the involvement of TNFα in mouse retinal injury, adult C57BL/6J mice were subjected to light damage for 14 consecutive days. TNFα was elevated in the retina of mice exposed to light damage, which induced Müller cell proliferation in vitro. Affymetrix microarray showed that, in Müller cells, TNFα induces up-regulation of inflammatory and proliferation-related genes, including NFKB2, leukemia inhibitory factor, interleukin-6, janus kinase (Jak) 1, Jak2, signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 1, Stat2, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) 7, and MAP4K4 but down-regulation of neuroprogenitor genes, including Sox9, Ascl1, Wnt2 and Hes1. Blocking the Jak/Stat and MAPK pathways attenuated TNFα-induced Müller cell proliferation. These results suggest that TNFα may drive the proliferation and inflammatory response, rather than the neural regenerative potential, of mouse Müller cells.

PURPOSE: An independent Safety Review Committee (SRC), supported by Novartis Pharma AG, analyzed investigator-reported cases of intraocular inflammation (IOI), endophthalmitis, and retinal arterial occlusion in the phase 3 HAWK and HARRIER trials of brolucizumab versus aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). DESIGN: A post hoc analysis of a subset of data from two 2-year, double-masked, multicenter, active-controlled randomized phase 3 trials (NCT02307682, NCT02434328). PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N = 1817) with untreated, active choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration in the study eye were randomized and treated in HAWK/HARRIER. The SRC reviewed data from cases of investigator-reported IOI (60/1088 brolucizumab-treated eyes; 8/729 aflibercept-treated eyes). METHODS: The SRC received details and images (color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and OCT) for all investigator-determined cases of IOI, retinal arterial occlusion, and endophthalmitis. Cases were reviewed in detail by ≥2 readers, then adjudicated by the SRC as a group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Within this patient subset: incidence of IOI, signs and incidence of retinal vasculitis and/or retinal vascular occlusion, and visual acuity loss; time since first brolucizumab injection to IOI event onset; and frequency of visual acuity loss after brolucizumab injection by time of first IOI event onset. RESULTS: Fifty brolucizumab-treated eyes were considered to have definite/probable drug-related events within the spectrum of IOI, retinal vasculitis, and/or vascular occlusion. On the basis of these cases, incidence of definite/probable IOI was 4.6% (IOI + vasculitis, 3.3%; IOI + vasculitis + occlusion, 2.1%). There were 8 cases (incidence 0.74%) of at least moderate visual acuity loss (≥15 ETDRS letters) in eyes with IOI (7 in eyes with IOI + vasculitis + occlusion). Of the 8 cases, 5 experienced their first IOI-related event within 3 months of the first brolucizumab injection (increasing to 7/8 within 6 months). Incidence of IOI in aflibercept-treated eyes was 1.1%, with at least moderate visual acuity loss in 0.14%. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of IOI cases after brolucizumab injection identified signs of retinal vasculitis with or without retinal vascular occlusion and an associated risk of visual acuity loss. The findings will help physicians to evaluate the risks and benefits of brolucizumab treatment for nAMD.

The retinoschisin protein is encoded on the short arm of the X-chromosome by RS1, is expressed abundantly in photoreceptor inner segments and in bipolar cells, and is secreted as an octamer that maintains the structural integrity of the retina. Mutations in RS1 lead to X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a disease characterized by the formation of cystic spaces between boys' retinal layers that frequently present in ophthalmoscopy as a "spoke-wheel" pattern on their maculae and by progressively worsening visual acuity (VA). There is no proven therapy for XLRS, but there is mixed evidence that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) produce multiple beneficial effects, including improved VA and decreased volume of cystic spaces. Consequently, linear mixed-effects (LME) models were used to evaluate the effects of CAI therapy on VA and central retinal thickness (CRT, a proxy for cystic cavity volume) in a review of 19 patients' records. The mechanism of action of action of CAIs is unclear but, given that misplaced retinoschisin might accumulate in the photoreceptors, it is possible-perhaps even likely-that CAIs act to benefit the function of photoreceptors and the neighboring retinal pigment epithelium by acidification of the extracellular milieu; patients on CAIs have among the most robust photoreceptor responses. Therefore, a small subset of five subjects were recruited for imaging on a custom multimodal adaptive optics retinal imager for inspection of their parafoveal cone photoreceptors. Those cones that were visible, which numbered far fewer than in controls, were enlarged, consistent with the retinoschisin accumulation hypothesis. Results of the LME modeling found that there is an initial benefit to both VA and CRT in CAI therapy, but these wane, in both cases, after roughly two years. That said, even a short beneficial effect of CAIs on the volume of the cystic spaces may give CAI therapy an important role as pretreatment before (or immediately following) administration of gene therapy.

Importance: Individuals with autosomal dominant mutations for Alzheimer disease are valuable in determining biomarkers present prior to the onset of cognitive decline, improving the ability to diagnose Alzheimer disease as early as possible. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has surfaced as a potential noninvasive technique capable of analyzing central nervous system tissues for biomarkers of Alzheimer disease. Objective: To evaluate whether OCT can detect early retinal alterations in carriers of the presenilin 1 (PSEN1 [OMIM 104311]) E280A mutation who are cognitively unimpaired. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional imaging study conducted from July 13, 2015, to September 16, 2020, included 10 carriers of the PSEN1 E280A mutation who were cognitively unimpaired and 10 healthy noncarrier family members, all leveraged from a homogenous Colombian kindred. Statistical analysis was conducted from September 9, 2017, to September 16, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mixed-effects multiple linear regression was performed to compare the thickness values of the whole retina and individual retinal layers on OCT scans between mutation carriers and noncarriers. Simple linear-effects and mixed-effects multiple linear regression models were used to assess whether age was an effect modifier for PSEN1 mutation of amyloid β levels and retinal thickness, respectively. Fundus photographs were used to compare the number of arterial and venous branch points, arterial and venous tortuosity, and fractal dimension. Results: This study included 10 carriers of the PSEN1 E280A mutation who were cognitively unimpaired (7 women [70%]; mean [SD] age, 36.3 [8.1] years) and 10 healthy noncarrier family members (7 women [70%]; mean [SD] age, 36.4 [8.2] years). Compared with noncarrier controls, PSEN1 mutation carriers who were cognitively unimpaired had a generalized decrease in thickness of the whole retina as well as individual layers detected on OCT scans, with the inner nuclear layer (outer superior quadrant, β = -3.06; P = .007; outer inferior quadrant, β = -2.60; P = .02), outer plexiform layer (outer superior quadrant, β = -3.44; P = .03), and outer nuclear layer (central quadrant, β = -8.61; P = .03; inner nasal quadrant, β = -8.39; P = .04; inner temporal quadrant, β = -9.39; P = .02) showing the greatest amount of statistically significant thinning. Age was a significant effect modifier for the association between PSEN1 mutation and amyloid β levels in cortical regions (β = 0.03; P = .001) but not for the association between PSEN1 mutation and retinal thickness. No statistical difference was detected in any of the vascular parameters studied. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that OCT can detect functional and morphologic changes in the retina of carriers of familial Alzheimer disease who are cognitively unimpaired several years before clinical onset, suggesting that OCT findings and retinal vascular parameters may be biomarkers prior to the onset of cognitive decline.

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) acts as a mediator of aberrant retinal angiogenesis and has been implicated in the progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Patients with PDR, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) have been found to have elevated levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the eye. In fibrovascular membranes (FVMs) taken from patients with PDR RUNX1 expression was increased in the vasculature, while in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), TNF-α stimulation causes increased RUNX1 expression, which can be modulated by RUNX1 inhibitors. Using TNF-α pathway inhibitors, we determined that in HRMECs, TNF-α-induced RUNX1 expression occurs via JNK activation, while NF-κB and p38/MAPK inhibition did not affect RUNX1 expression. JNK inhibitors were also effective at stopping high D-glucose-stimulated RUNX1 expression. We further linked JNK to RUNX1 through Activator Protein 1 (AP-1) and investigated the JNK-AP-1-RUNX1 regulatory feedback loop, which can be modulated by VEGF. Additionally, stimulation with TNF-α and D-glucose had an additive effect on RUNX1 expression, which was downregulated by VEGF modulation. These data suggest that the downregulation of RUNX1 in conjunction with anti-VEGF agents may be important in future treatments for the management of diseases of pathologic ocular angiogenesis.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and management recommendations in patients with traumatic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) resulting from self-injurious behavior (SIB). DESIGN: International, multicenter, retrospective, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with SIB from 23 centers with RRD in at least 1 eye. METHODS: Clinical histories, preoperative assessment, surgical details, postoperative management, behavioral intervention, and follow-up examination findings were reviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The rate of single-surgery anatomic success (SSAS) was the primary outcome. Other outcomes included new RRD in formerly attached eyes, final retinal reattachment, and final visual acuity. RESULTS: One hundred seven eyes with RRDs were included from 78 patients. Fifty-four percent of patients had bilateral RRD or phthisis bulbi in the fellow eye at final follow-up. The most common systemic diagnoses were autism spectrum disorder (35.9%) and trisomy 21 (21.8%) and the most common behavior was face hitting (74.4%). The average follow-up time was 3.3 ± 2.8 years, and surgical outcomes for operable eyes were restricted to patients with at least 3 months of follow-up (81 eyes). Primary initial surgeries were vitrectomy alone (33.3%), primary scleral buckle (SB; 26.9%), and vitrectomy with SB (39.7%), and 5 prophylactic SBs were placed. Twenty-three eyes (21.5%) with RRDs were inoperable. The SSAS was 23.1% without tamponade (37.2% if including silicone oil), and final reattachment was attained in 80% (36.3% without silicone oil tamponade). Funnel-configured RRD (P = 0.006) and the presence of grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy (P = 0.002) correlated with re-detachment. The use of an SB predicted the final attachment rate during the initial surgery (P = 0.005) or at any surgery (P = 0.008. These associations held if restricting to 64 patients with ≥12 months followup. Anatomic reattachment correlated with better visual acuity (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RRD resulting from SIB poses therapeutic challenges because of limited patient cooperation, bilateral involvement, chronicity, and ongoing trauma in vulnerable and neglected patients. The surgical success rates were some of the lowest in the modern retinal detachment literature. The use of an SB may result in better outcomes, and visual function can be restored in some patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To report on the prevalence and risk factors for near vision impairment (NVI) among the elderly in residential care in Telangana State in India. METHODS: Individuals aged ≥60 years were recruited from 41 'home for the aged' centres in Hyderabad, India. All participants had complete eye examinations including presenting and best-corrected visual acuity assessment for distance and near. NVI was defined as binocular presenting near vision worse than N8 (6/15) among those who had a normal presenting distance visual acuity of 6/18 in the better eye. RESULTS: Of the 826 participants, the mean age was 74.4 years (standard deviation-8.4 years), 525 (63.6%) were women, 715 (86.6%) had at least school education. The prevalence of NVI was 51.2% (95% CI: 47.7-54.7) based on presenting vision. On applying multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds of NVI were higher in 80 years and older age (OR: 2.17; 95% CI: 3.44-13.6). Those with school education (OR: 0.58: 95% CI: 0.36-0.94) and higher education (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.21-0.69) had lower odds for NVI. Similarly, those with self-reported diabetes (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.49-0.97), those using spectacles (OR: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.05-0.16), and those who had undergone cataract surgery (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.36-0.74) had lower odds for NVI. CONCLUSIONS: NVI was common among the elderly in residential care in homes for the aged in Hyderabad, India. As most of this NVI is correctable, a routine screening programme and dispensing of spectacles can be undertaken to address this vision loss.

Vitreous has been reported to prevent tumor angiogenesis, but our previous findings indicate that vitreous activate the signaling pathway of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, which plays a critical role in angiogenesis. The goal of this research is to determine which role of vitreous plays in angiogenesis-related cellular responses in vitro. We found that in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs) vitreous activates a number of receptor tyrosine kinases including Anexelekto (Axl), which plays an important role in angiogenesis. Subsequently, we discovered that depletion of Axl using CRISPR/Cas9 and an Axl-specific inhibitor R428 suppress vitreous-induced Akt activation and cell proliferation, migration, and tuber formation of HRECs. Therefore, this line of research not only demonstrate that vitreous promotes angiogenesis in vitro, but also reveal that Axl is one of receptor tyrosine kinases to mediate vitreous-induced angiogenesis in vitro, thereby providing a molecular basis for removal of vitreous as cleanly as possible when vitrectomy is performed in treating patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.