The purpose of glaucoma filtering surgery is to maintain low intraocular pressure that do not damage to the optic nerve. The failure of filtering surgery commonly result from scarring process at filtering site. 5-Fluorouracil and methotrexate are anti metabolites capable of inhibiting fibroblast proliferation. We aim to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate subconjunctival injection into gelfoam, embeded suibconjunctivally over trabeculectomy site in the rabbit. In our experimental study, we observed that 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate inhibit the fibroblast proliferation in filtering site by light microscope. So, we report this result with a brief review of literatures.
Cicatrix ; Fibroblasts ; Filtering Surgery* ; Fluorouracil* ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Glaucoma* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Methotrexate* ; Optic Nerve ; Trabeculectomy

The purpose of glaucoma filtering surgery is to maintain low intraocular pressure that do not damage to the optic nerve. The failure of filtering surgery commonly result from scarring process at filtering site. 5-Fluorouracil and methotrexate are anti metabolites capable of inhibiting fibroblast proliferation. We aim to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate subconjunctival injection into gelfoam, embeded suibconjunctivally over trabeculectomy site in the rabbit. In our experimental study, we observed that 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate inhibit the fibroblast proliferation in filtering site by light microscope. So, we report this result with a brief review of literatures.
Cicatrix ; Fibroblasts ; Filtering Surgery* ; Fluorouracil* ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Glaucoma* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Methotrexate* ; Optic Nerve ; Trabeculectomy

Anophthalmos is a complete absence of the tissues of the eye. Embryologically, anophthalmos denotes those cases wherein there is complete failure in the outgrowth of the primary optic vesicle. When essential structures of the eye are present, the aonormality is microphthalmos, no matter how small the eye may be. Clinical anophthalmos represents the majority of cases in which the eye appears to be absent. Congenital anophthalmos is one of the rare ophthalmic anomalies, only 5 cases were reported in Korea and about 100 cases in the world. We report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Anophthalmos* ; Korea ; Microphthalmos

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, taken as a daily supplement by many people. Recently, high-dose vitamin C is considered as a therapeutic regimen in some clinical situations. Until now, few studies have been done with the effects of high-dose vitamin C on the immune response. METHODS: In this experiment, the effects of high-dose vitamin C on cell-mediated immune response in immunologically competent mice were evaluated. After intraperitoneal injection of 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/day of vitamin C for 10 days, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) was provoked against DNFB in the pinnae as a model for cell-mediated immune response. Severity of DTH reaction was evaluated as the thickness of pinnae, and the vitamin C levels were measured in the serum, liver, kidney, lung, pinnae, and splenocytes. RESULTS: After challenge, the thickness increased at its peak on the 2(nd) day in all groups. On the first day, the pinnae were thicker in the injected groups than in the control. On the contrary, the increment of the pinnae thickness was attenuated and the number of cells infiltrated in the site of DTH decreased proportionately to the amount of vitamin C administered from the second day on. With vitamin C exogenously given, the serum level peaked at 30 min after injection, and returned abruptly to its basal level without accumulation. However, it accumulated in the liver, kidney, and especially in the pinnae inflamed and splenopcytes, proportionately to the amount administered. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it is suggested that, in one hand, exogenously administered high-dose vitamin C accumulated in the splenocytes and presumably changed the function of them resulting in the augmented cell-mediated immune response, as was revealed in the first day of DTH reaction. On the other hand, it seems likely that the vitamin C also showed anti-inflammatory effects.
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Hand ; Hypersensitivity ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Mice* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization