Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained by a rebound and non-contact tonometer in eyes with a therapeutic contact lens (CL) after vitrectomy. Methods: In 60 eyes of 60 patients who underwent vitrectomy for vitreoretinal disease, IOP was measured using a rebound tonometer (iCare ic200®; IOPRT) and non-contact computerized air puff tonometer (CT-80, IOPNCT), before and after wearing a CL (Purevision2®, +0.0 diopter). The mean IOP of three consecutive measurements were analyzed, and a comparative analysis with IOP measured by a Goldman applanation tonometer (IOPGAT) was performed. Results: The mean IOPRT without and with the CL was 12.55 ± 5.43 and 13.12 ± 5.13 mmHg, respectively, showing a statistically significant difference (p = 0.02) and strong positive correlation (r = 0.90, p < 0.001). The mean IOPNCT with and without the CL was 12.18 ± 3.24 and 12.17 ± 3.14 mmHg, showing no statistically significant difference (p = 0.17). The consistency with IOPGAT (12.57 ± 5.22 mmHg) was highest in IOPRT without the CL, followed by IOPRT with the CL, IOPNCT without the CL, and IOPNCT with the CL (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.955, 0.945, 0.856, and 0.850, respectively). In addition, the rebound tonometer successfully measured IOP, regardless of whether the CL was worn; however, the non-contact tonometer failed to measure IOP in seven eyes without the CL and nine with the CL. No difference was observed according to intraocular tamponade type. Conclusions A rebound tonometer can be used as an alternative IOL measuring method in eyes for which it is difficult to use a Goldman applanation tonometer due to the postoperative presence of a therapeutic CL.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) genes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: In this case-control study, 131 patients who were diagnosed with DR, 105 diabetic patients who did not have DR, and 45 nondiabetic controls were examined from January 2013 to November 2015. To analyze deletion of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes, polymerase chain reactions of DNA in a buffy coat from peripheral blood were performed via electrophoresis. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, or spherical equivalent between the 236 type 2 diabetic patients and the 45 normal controls (p > 0.05). In both univariate and multivariate analyses, the duration of type 2 DR was longer (p = 0.004, p = 0.013), and HbA1c was higher (p = 0.004, p = 0.007) in the DR group than in the non-DR group. Presence of a GSTM1 deletion is associated with a lower frequency of DR (p = 0.017, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Deletion of the GSTT1 gene is not associated with an increased risk of DR, whereas GSTM1 deletion is associated with a lower risk of DR in patients with type 2 DM in the Korean population. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and different types of GST genes are needed to confirm this study.
Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sample Size

Although atopic dermatitis (AD) is known to be a representative skin disorder, it also affects the systemic immune response. In a recent study, myoblasts were shown to be involved in the immune regulation, but the roles of muscle cells in AD are poorly understood. We aimed to identify the relationship between mitochondria and atopy by genome-wide analysis of skeletal muscles in mice. We induced AD-like symptoms using house dust mite (HDM) extract in NC/Nga mice. The transcriptional profiles of the untreated group and HDM-induced AD-like group were analyzed and compared using microarray, differentially expressed gene and functional pathway analyses, and protein interaction network construction. Our microarray analysis demonstrated that immune response-, calcium handling-, and mitochondrial metabolism-related genes were differentially expressed. In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology pathway analyses, immune response pathways involved in cytokine interaction, nuclear factor-kappa B, and T-cell receptor signaling, calcium handling pathways, and mitochondria metabolism pathways involved in the citrate cycle were significantly upregulated. In protein interaction network analysis, chemokine family-, muscle contraction process-, and immune response-related genes were identified as hub genes with many interactions. In addition, mitochondrial pathways involved in calcium signaling, cardiac muscle contraction, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidation-reduction process, and calcium-mediated signaling were significantly stimulated in KEGG and Gene Ontology analyses. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the genome-wide transcriptional changes of HDM-induced AD-like symptoms and the indicated genes that could be used as AD clinical biomarkers.
Animals ; Biomarkers ; Calcium ; Calcium Signaling ; Citric Acid ; Citric Acid Cycle ; Cytokines ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Gene Ontology ; Genome ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Mitochondria ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myoblasts ; Myocardium ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Pyroglyphidae ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; Skin