PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of olopatadine and ketotifen to stabilize mast cells using human umbilical cord blood-derived mast cells (hCBMCs). METHODS: Using cultured hCBMCs, we divided the cells into the Ketotifen fumarate treatment group, the Olopatadine hydrochloride treatment group, the positive control group, and the negative control group. The histamine release inhibition rate was then observed. RESULTS: Ketotifen and olopatadine both showed the highest inhibition rate of histamine release at a concentration of 10(-3.5)M (Ketotifen, 48% and Olopatadine, 62%). The histamine release inhibition rate of olopatadine was 28% at a concentration of 10(-5.5)M, but ketotifen demonstrated a low histamine release inhibition rate at the same concentration. Ketotifen and olopatadine showed no histamine release inhibition at concentrations of 10(-2)~10(-2.5)M, and 10(-6)M. CONCLUSIONS: Ketotifen and olopatadine demonstrated histamine inhibition in the concentration range of 10(-3) to 10(-5)M. Olopatadine showed a slightly stronger response than ketotifen in the inhibition of histamine release.
Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Humans* ; Ketotifen* ; Mast Cells* ; Umbilical Cord* ; Olopatadine Hydrochloride

To report keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which occurred in a healthy patient after wearing contact lenses for 6 months. A 24-year-old male patient visited our hospital with ocular pain. This patient had a history of wearing soft contact lenses for 6 months, about 10 hours per day. At initial presentation, slit lamp examination showed corneal stromal infiltrations and small epithelial defect. Microbiological examinations were performed from corneal scrapings, contact lenses, and the contact lens case and solution. The culture results from contact lenses, contact lens case and solution were all positive for Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. Thus, we could confirm that the direct cause of keratitis was contamination of the contact lenses. The patient was treated with 0.3% gatifloxacin. After treatment, the corneal epithelial defect was completely healed, and a slight residual subepithelial corneal opacity was observed. We diagnosed keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in a healthy young male wearing soft contact lenses. We conclude that Elizabethkingia meningoseptica should be considered as a rare but potential pathogen for lens-related keratitis in a healthy host.
*Chryseobacterium ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic/*adverse effects/*microbiology ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Keratitis/*etiology/*microbiology ; Male ; Young Adult

To report keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which occurred in a healthy patient after wearing contact lenses for 6 months. A 24-year-old male patient visited our hospital with ocular pain. This patient had a history of wearing soft contact lenses for 6 months, about 10 hours per day. At initial presentation, slit lamp examination showed corneal stromal infiltrations and small epithelial defect. Microbiological examinations were performed from corneal scrapings, contact lenses, and the contact lens case and solution. The culture results from contact lenses, contact lens case and solution were all positive for Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. Thus, we could confirm that the direct cause of keratitis was contamination of the contact lenses. The patient was treated with 0.3% gatifloxacin. After treatment, the corneal epithelial defect was completely healed, and a slight residual subepithelial corneal opacity was observed. We diagnosed keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in a healthy young male wearing soft contact lenses. We conclude that Elizabethkingia meningoseptica should be considered as a rare but potential pathogen for lens-related keratitis in a healthy host.
*Chryseobacterium ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic/*adverse effects/*microbiology ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Keratitis/*etiology/*microbiology ; Male ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of glucose concentrations on formation of reactive oxygen products and cellular activity in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. METHODS: Human retinal pigment epithelial cells were cultured with high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) and normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml). The amounts of reactive oxygen products were assayed with dihydroethidium (DHE). Paraquat-induced cellular activity was determined by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. RESULTS: Reactive oxygen products of human retinal pigment epithelial cells were increased 120%, 250% and 390% in high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) media compared to those of normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml) media. Paraquat-induced cell toxicity was increased by high glucose concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: High glucose increased formation of reactive oxygen products in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. These results suggest that high glucose can make human retinal pigment epithelial cells more sensitive to oxidative cellular injury.
Epithelial Cells* ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Oxygen* ; Retinaldehyde*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of noncontact specular microscopy (NCSM) by comparing the measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT) to the measurement with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and ultrasound pachymetry (USP). METHODS: One examiner measured the CCT of 50 eyes of 50 healthy young subjects using NCSM, AS-OCT, and USP. The mean values and correlations were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean CCT value was 546.92 +/- 32.06 microm with NCSM, 535.24 +/- 30.54 microm with AS-OCT, and 546.38 +/- 30.70 microm with USP. The CCT measurements with NCSM and USP were significantly thicker than with AS-OCT (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences between the measurements obtained with NCSM and USP (p = 0.505). The 3 instruments were significantly correlated (r > 0.900 in all groups, p < 0.001 in all groups). CONCLUSIONS: CCT measurements of healthy eyes using NCSM are more correlated with USP than AS-OCT. The CCT measurement using NCSM is a better alternative for USP than AS-OCT.
Microscopy* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To evaluate choroidal blood flow changes in eyes with high myopia according to the pulsatile components of ocular blood flow analysis. METHODS: A total of 104 subjects (52 males and 52 females) were included in this study. One eye of each participant was randomly selected and assigned to one of four refractive groups, designated as, hyperopes (n = 20; refractive error, > or =+1.00 diopter [D]), emmetropes (n = 28; refractive error, +/-0.75 D), lower myopes (n = 33; refractive error, -1.00 to -4.75 D), and high myopes (n = 23; refractive error, < or =-5.00 D). Components of pulse amplitude (OBFa), pulse volume (OBFv), pulse rate (OBFr), and pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) were analyzed using a blood flow analyzer. Intraocular pressure and axial length were measured. RESULTS: Pulsatile components of OBFa, OBFv, and POBF showed positive correlations with refractive error and showed negative correlations with axial length (r = 0.729, r = 0.772, r = 0.781, respectively, all p < 0.001; r = -0.727, r = -0.762, r = -0.771, respectively, all p < 0.001). The correlations of refractive error and axial length with OBFr were irrelevant (r = -0.157, p = 0.113; r = 0.123, p = 0.213). High myopes showed significantly lower OBFa, OBFv, and POBF than the other groups (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Axial length changes in high myopes potentially influence choroidal blood flow, assuming the changes are caused by narrowing of the choroidal vessel diameter and increasing rigidity of the choroidal vessel wall. These finding explains the influence of axial length on OBFa, OBFv, and POBF, but not on OBFr. Thus, changes in axial length and the possible influence of these changes on the physical properties of choroidal vessels is the mechanism believed to be responsible for putting high myopes at risk for ocular vascular diseases.
Adult ; *Axial Length, Eye ; Choroid/*blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Myopia/diagnosis/*physiopathology ; Regional Blood Flow/*physiology ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To investigate the regional characteristics and the factors that influence final visual acuity in corneal laceration and use the results for prevention and treatment of corneal laceration. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients who visited the Chosun University Medical Center from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010 were retrospectively surveyed. The incidence of corneal laceration, sex, age, monthly and seasonal distribution, cause, site and length of corneal laceration, secondary operation, complications, and ocular trauma score were reviewed statistically. In additional, the factors influencing visual prognosis were investigated. RESULTS: The incidence was more common in males (94.1%) and in the 6th-decade of life (29.4%). The corneal laceration was more common in the summer (38.2%) and in September (26.5%) and the most common cause was stone (39.7%) and metal (35.3%), respectively. The corneal laceration tended to occur at the corneal center. The most common first operation was primary closure (81.9%), and the secondary operation was most often performed due to a traumatic cataract (32.1%). The factors that significantly influenced the final visual acuity were initial visual acuity, length and site of laceration, and secondary operation. CONCLUSIONS: The present survey investigated the regional characteristics and important factors influencing final visual acuity. Results show initial visual acuity, the length and site of laceration, and the secondary operation significantly influenced final visual acuity.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cataract ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lacerations ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanism of apoptosis occurring on a cultured human lens epithelial cell line after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. We intended to confirm the presence of cellular toxicity and apoptosis and to reveal the roles of p53, caspase 3 and NOXA in these processes. METHODS: Cells were irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp. Cellular toxicity was measured by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Hoechst staining and fluorescent anti-caspase 3 antibodies were used for apoptosis investigation. The quantities of p53, caspase 3, and NOXA were measured by Western blotting for to investigate the apoptosis pathway. RESULTS: Cellular toxicity on the human lens epithelium markedly increased with time after UV exposure. On Hoechst staining, we found that apoptosis also remarkably increased after exposure to ultraviolet light, compared with a control group. In the immunochemical study using anti-caspase 3 antibodies, active caspase 3 significantly increased after exposure to ultraviolet light. On Western blotting, p53 decreased, while caspase 3 and NOXA increased. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of cultured human lens epithelial cell lines to ultraviolet light induces apoptosis, which promotes the expression of NOXA and caspase 3 increases without increasing p53. This may suggest that UV induced apoptosis is caused by a p53-independent pathway in human lens epithelial cells.
Apoptosis/*physiology ; Caspase 3/metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival/radiation effects ; Epithelial Cells/radiation effects ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline/cytology/*physiology/*radiation effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism ; *Ultraviolet Rays

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of glucose concentrations on the formation of reactive oxygen products and cellular injury in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells. METHODS: Human lens epithelial (HLE) cells were cultured with high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) and normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml) contained Modified Egle's Medium (MEM). The amounts of reactive oxygen products were assayed by dihydroethidium (DHE). Paraquat-induced cytotoxicity was determined by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 -diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. RESULTS Reactive oxygen products of human lens epithelial cells increased 110%, 250% and 630% in the high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) media compared to the normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml) media. The paraquat-induced cells toxicity was increased by the high glucose. CONCLUSIONS: High glucose increased the formation of reactive oxygen products in human lens epithelial cells. These results suggest that high glucose can induce cataract formation in diabetic patients.
Cataract ; Epithelial Cells* ; Glucose* ; Humans* ; Oxygen*

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of glucose concentrations on the formation of reactive oxygen products and cellular injury in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells. METHODS: Human lens epithelial (HLE) cells were cultured with high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) and normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml) contained Modified Egle's Medium (MEM). The amounts of reactive oxygen products were assayed by dihydroethidium (DHE). Paraquat-induced cytotoxicity was determined by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 -diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. RESULTS Reactive oxygen products of human lens epithelial cells increased 110%, 250% and 630% in the high glucose (200 mg/100 ml, 300 mg/100 ml, 400 mg/100 ml) media compared to the normal glucose (100 mg/100 ml) media. The paraquat-induced cells toxicity was increased by the high glucose. CONCLUSIONS: High glucose increased the formation of reactive oxygen products in human lens epithelial cells. These results suggest that high glucose can induce cataract formation in diabetic patients.
Cataract ; Epithelial Cells* ; Glucose* ; Humans* ; Oxygen*