The relationship between the amount of posterior displacement of the retinal surface at the temporal disc margin and the reference height(HRef)in analyzing optic disc using Heidelberg Retina Tomograph(HRT;Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany)was evaluated. The displacement was measured as mean height of contour(MHC)in the temporal 40degrees C segment(20degrees C superior and 20degrees C inferior to the horizontal midline)of optic disc. HRef is a value representing the location of the standard reference plane. The accordances of HRef and stereometric parameters between right and left disc were also evaluated. MHC in the temporal 40 degrees C and nasal 40 degrees C segment, HRef, and stereometric parameters of optic disc were measured with the HRT in 244 eyes of 122 subjects. HRef was 0.376+/-0.099 mm in the right disc and 0.385+/-0.090 mm in the left disc. There was good correlation between HRef and MHC in the temporal 40degrees C segment(r=0.97, p<0.01), but poor in the nasal 40 degrees C segment(r=0.29, p<0.01). The accordances of HRef and stereometric parameters increased as the difference of MHC in the temporal 40degrees C segment between right and left disc decreased. HRef was affected by the amount of posterior displacement of the retinal surface at the temporal disc margin, which occurs in instances such as a tilted disc. We should find the method to adjust stereometric parameters to the amount of disc tilt.
Retina* ; Retinaldehyde*

PURPOSE: The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha(HIF-1alpha) in the choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) was investigated. METHODS: CNV was induced in the eyes of Brown Norway rats by 545 nm argon laser photocoagulation into the eye, and fluorescein angiography (FAG) was performed to identify the early hyperfluorescence and the late leakage after 2 weeks of the photocoagulation. Three days after FAG, the eyeball was harvested and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and HIF-1alpha was identified by immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 37 photocoagulation sites of the eyes showed CNV formation on FAG. Immunohistochemical staining of the laser photocoagulation-induced CNV tissues revealed the expression of VEGF and HIF-1alpha in the sites. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the possibility of the involvement of HIF-1alpha in the VEGF expression and the pathogenesis of CNV in the laser photocoagulation-induced CNV rat model.
Animals ; Argon ; Choroid* ; Choroidal Neovascularization* ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Light Coagulation ; Membranes ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical* ; Norway ; Rats ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a disease characterized by proliferation of fibro-inflammatory tissue, which mainly encloses the abdominal aorta, iliac arteries and (enlarges to the retroperitoneum to surrounds) ureters. Two leading pathogenesis are an exacerbated local inflammatory reaction to aortic atherosclerosis and a manifestation of systemic autoimmune disease. Because of insidious disease course, most cases are diagnosed late when bilateral urinary obstruction caused oliguria and symptoms related to uremia. In this case, the patient complained left flank pain which might have been caused by left ureter stone, but through abdominal CT scan, the patient was diagnosed as left unilateral retroperitoneal fibrosis. Abdominal CT scan showed encircling mass around abdominal aorta and left ureter with hydronephrosis. The patient had no underlying disease and didn't take any medication; she was diagnosed as idiopathic unilateral retroperitoneal fibrosis and started prednisolone, 40 mg daily. Three months have passed since the therapy was started; most fibrous tissue was disappeared, hydronephrosis was resolved and flank pain was relieved.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Atherosclerosis ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Iliac Artery ; Oliguria ; Prednisolone ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis ; Uremia ; Ureter

PURPOSE: The protective effect of the Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) on the retinal pigment epithelia (RPE) against ultraviolet, oxidative, and hypoxic damage was investigated. METHODS: Cultured RPE was exposed to ultraviolet B, oxidative damage and hypoxic culture condition after treating with EGb, Vitamin E and red ginseng. Viable RPE after the application of stress was determined by trypan blue assay or MTT assay, and the apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Protective effect against the stress by each agent was compared. RESULTS: The group treated with EGb or Vitamin E 1 hour prior to UVB exposure showed a better survival rate than the control group did, and there was no difference in the best survival rate between EGb and Vitamin E. EGb treatment 1 hour before oxidative damage positively affected the survival rate of the RPE. EGb, Vitamin E and red ginseng showed the strongest protective effect against hypoxic damage at the concentration of 0.5 mg/ml, 0.1 mM and 1 mg/ml respectively, with the protective effect of EGb being superior to that of the rest. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that EGb prevents cell death by a variety of damage on RPE, and support the possibility for EGb as a therapeutic agent in the diseases in which RPE damage plays an important role in the pathogenesis.
Anoxia ; Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Flow Cytometry ; Ginkgo biloba* ; Panax ; Retinaldehyde ; Survival Rate ; Trypan Blue ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins