OBJECTIVE

This study compared the proportion of dry eye disease (DED) diagnosed using the Philippine criteria with that diagnosed using the Asia Dry Eye Society (ADES) criteria among participants, and characterized DED features using clinical tests and the OCULUS Keratograph® 5M (K5M; OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany).

METHODS

This multicenter, cross-sectional study included participants with and without DED. Participants completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and underwent fluorescein tear breakup time (FTBUT) measurement, fluorescein staining of the cornea, lissamine green staining of the conjunctiva, Schirmer 1 test without anesthesia, and basal tear secretion test (BST). The OCULUS K5M was used to measure noninvasive tear breakup time (NIKBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH), and to perform meibography.

RESULTS

The analysis included 344 eyes from 172 patients with DED and 44 eyes from 22 normal participants. Patients with DED were mostly female (66.3%). Compared to normal participants, patients with DED were older (42.7 ± 14.6 years) and had higher OSDI scores (28.6 ± 21.0). Among those diagnosed with DED using the Philippine criteria, 53.2% met the ADES criteria. Evaporative DED was the predominant type (53.2%). DED eyes had lower FTBUT (5.0 ± 3.3 seconds) and NIKBUT (12.3 ± 5.9 seconds) than controls (p CONCLUSION

There were disparities between the Philippine and ADES criteria for DED diagnosis and differences in tear measurements using clinical tests and the OCULUS Keratograph, indicating the need to harmonize diagnostic standards.

Human ; Dry Eye Disease ; Dry Eye Syndromes

Objective: This study determined the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) in a community located in a highaltitude tropical city in the Philippines. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Barangay Lualhati in Baguio City from March 2019 to September 2022. Convenience sampling was done in recruiting adult permanent residents of the community. The participants underwent standardized DED evaluation consisting of symptom questionnaire, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scoring, slit-lamp examination, fluorescein tear break-up time (TBUT) measurement, ocular surface fluorescein and lissamine green staining, and Schirmer test with and without topical anesthesia. DED was classified as aqueous tear deficiency type, evaporative type, or mixed type. Results: Data from 272 participants were analyzed which represented 23% of the adult population of the community. There were 111 participants who fulfilled the DED definition, and the prevalence rate of DED was 41%. The mean age of those with DED was 43.0 ± 17.6 years while the mean age of those without DED was 51.8 ± 16.6 years (p<0.001). More females (60%) had DED than males (40%). Majority (82%) reported use of digital devices as the main exacerbating factor. Mean OSDI score was significantly higher in those with DED than in those without DED (27.2 + 6.8 and 10.7 ± 6.4, respectively) (p<0.001). Corneal and conjunctival staining scores were also significantly higher in subjects with DED. Evaporative DED was the most common (88.3%). Mixed-type DED was seen in 11.7%. None had pure aqueous tear deficiency dry eye. Conclusion The prevalence rate of DED is greater in areas of higher altitude and DED can be exacerbated by prolonged screen time. This condition is no longer just a problem of the elderly and is now also seen in younger patients. All symptomatic patients should undergo tear break-up time evaluation since evaporative or short TBUT is the predominant type of DED.
Dry Eye Syndromes ; Eye ; Eye Disease

Humans ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome ; Chronic Disease ; Consensus ; East Asian People ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Eye Diseases/etiology*

Autoimmunity associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been well-described as the mechanism of development of thyroid dysfunction following Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) infection and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. However, the occurrence of thyroid eye disease (TED) after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is scarcely described. The postulated mechanisms include immune reactivation, molecular mimicry and the autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). We report a case of new-onset TED after receiving the SARSCoV- 2 vaccine.
Thyroid eye disease ; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ; Molecular Mimicry

Very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) are unique fatty acids in tissues of mammals such as retina and testis, and the key enzyme of its biosynthesis is very long chain fatty acid elongase 4 (Elovl4). Development of an animal model of tissue-specific knockout of Elovl4 gene is conducive to the in-depth study of the biological function of VLC-PUFAs. Therefore, we constructed Stra8-Cre mice and Elovl4 floxed mice based on Cre/loxP system, and obtained the (Elovl4[flox/+], Stra8-Cre) heterozygous knockout mice by hybridization. Subsequently, female mice were selected to cross with male mice with homozygous Elovl4[flox/flox] to gain homozygous mice (Elovl4[flox/flox], Stra8-Cre) through genotype identification and screening. RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence techniques were used to detect the knock-out efficiency of Elovl4 in testis. The expression of Elovl4 in testis of both heterozygous and homozygous knockout mice were significantly down-regulated at mRNA and protein levels, but were not affected in other tissues. In summary, we constructed a mouse model with specific knockout of Elovl4 gene in testis, which provides a reliable animal model for studying the effect of VLC-PUFAs on the reproductive function of male mice and the underpinning molecular mechanisms.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Eye Proteins/metabolism* ; Female ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Integrases ; Male ; Mammals/metabolism* ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Testis/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: Direction-changing positional nystagmus (PN) was considered to indicate the presence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo involving lateral semicircular canal in most cases. We investigated the incidence of PN on the supine head-roll test and compared the characteristics of nystagmus in patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) and Meniere disease (MD). METHODS: A retrospective review of patients, who were diagnosed with unilateral VN or unilateral definite MD between September 2005 and November 2011, was conducted. Sixty-five VN patients and 65 MD patients were enrolled. Eye movements were recorded for 30–60 seconds at the positions of sitting, head roll to the right, and head roll to the left, and maximum slow-phase eye velocity was calculated. PN was classified as direction-fixed (paretic or recovery) and direction-changing (geotropic or apogeotropic). RESULTS: Spontaneous nystagmus was observed in 57 patients (87%, the slow-phase eye velocity of 7°/sec±5°/sec) with acute VN, 39 (60%, 2°/sec±1°/sec) with follow-up VN, and 32 (49%, 2°/sec±2°/sec) with MD. Direction-fixed PN was the most common type. Direction-fixed paretic type was most common in acute VN (80%) and follow-up VN (42%), and direction-fixed recovery type was most common in MD (31%). Paretic type was significantly more common in acute VN (80%) than in follow-up VN (42%) and MD (26%), and the recovery type was significantly more common in MD (31%) than in acute VN (3%) and follow-up VN (14%). Direction-changing PN was more common in MD (22%), followed by follow-up VN (14%) and acute VN (9%). CONCLUSION: Though direction-fixed paretic PN was most common in VN and MD patients, direction-changing PN could be observed in a few patients (9%–20%) with peripheral vestibular disorders regardless of the duration from the onset of dizziness, suggesting the presence of otolith-related dizziness.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ; Dizziness ; Eye Movements ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meniere Disease ; Nystagmus, Physiologic ; Retrospective Studies ; Semicircular Canals ; Vestibular Neuronitis

Abnormal eye movements are commonly observed in movement disorders. Ocular motility examination should include bedside evaluation and laboratory recording of ocular misalignment, involuntary eye movements, including nystagmus and saccadic intrusions/oscillations, triggered nystagmus, saccades, smooth pursuit (SP), and the vestibulo-ocular reflex. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) mostly show hypometric saccades, especially for the self-paced saccades, and impaired SP. Early vertical saccadic palsy is characteristic of progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson's syndrome. Patients with cortico-basal syndrome typically show a delayed onset of saccades. Downbeat and gaze-evoked nystagmus and hypermetric saccades are characteristic ocular motor findings in ataxic disorders due to cerebellar dysfunction. In this review, we discuss various ocular motor findings in movement disorders, including PD and related disorders, ataxic syndromes, and hyperkinetic movement disorders. Systemic evaluation of the ocular motor functions may provide valuable information for early detection and monitoring of movement disorders, despite an overlap in the abnormal eye movements among different movement disorders.
Ataxia ; Cerebellar Diseases ; Eye Movements ; Humans ; Hyperkinesis ; Movement Disorders ; Paralysis ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Pursuit, Smooth ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Saccades

BACKGROUND: Dry eye syndrome is a common health problem in the adult population. Many risk factors including age, sex, prior eye surgery, various chronic diseases, and lifestyle factors can affect its development. We have evaluated the risk of dry eye syndrome based on the frequency of coffee consumption among Korean adult population. METHODS: A total of 9,752 adults with age 19 years and older were randomly selected between 2010 and 2012. They have all participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V of Korea. Dry eye syndrome was being diagnosed by the physicians at some points in the participant’s lifetime. The average daily coffee intake was divided into the following: less than 1 cup, 1 to 2 cups, and 3 cups or more. Various physio-environmental factors and medical conditions were used as correction variables to assess the risk of dry eye syndrome in relation to the frequency of coffee consumption. RESULTS: The prevalence of dry eye syndrome decreased to 9.2%, 8.8%, and 6.3% as coffee consumption increased from less than 1 cup to 1–2 cups and more than 3 cups, respectively. However, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of coffee consumption and the risk of dry eye syndrome after adjusting various risk factors. CONCLUSION: There is no relationship between the frequency of coffee consumption and risk of dry eye syndrome.
Adult* ; Caffeine ; Chronic Disease ; Coffee* ; Dry Eye Syndromes* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has been reported to have various ophthalmologic manifestations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of ophthalmologic manifestations associated with IBD in Korea. METHODS: Sixty-one patients were examined between May 2013 and October 2014. We performed complete ophthalmologic examinations. RESULTS: Findings included 36 patients with CD and 25 with UC. The mean age of the patients was 34±16 years and disease duration was 45.3±23.9 months. Ophthalmologic manifestations were positive in 44 cases. Primary complication was diagnosed in 5 cases, as follows; iritis in 2 cases, episcleritis in one case, iritis with optic neuritis in 1 case, and serous retinal detachment in 1 case, without secondary complications. The most common coincidental complication was dry eye syndrome (DES), in 35 patients (57.4%). The prevalence of DES in the control group was 21.3%. The proportion of DES in patients with IBD was significantly higher than in the control group (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmologic manifestations were high (72.1%) in IBD patients. Clinically significant primary ocular inflammation occurred in 8.2% of patients. The most common complication was DES. There was a higher rate of DES in patients with IBD compared to the control group. Evaluation of the eye should be a routine component in patients with IBD.
Colitis, Ulcerative ; Crohn Disease ; Dry Eye Syndromes ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Iritis ; Korea ; Ophthalmology ; Optic Neuritis ; Prevalence ; Retinal Detachment ; Scleritis

BACKGROUNDGlaucoma is a major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. There is evidence showing that a subset of the disease is genetically determined. In this study, we screened for mutations in chromosome 1q-linked open-angle glaucoma (GLC1A) in a Chinese family with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

METHODSA total of 23 members from five generations of a family were enrolled and underwent thorough ophthalmologic examinations. In addition, 200 unrelated healthy Chinese controls were also recruited as normal control. GLC1A gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and DNA sequencing was performed to screen for mutations.

RESULTSSix members were diagnosed as POAG, with severe clinical manifestations, and history of high intraocular pressures. The mean age of disease onset was 26.3 years. However, the others were asymptomatic. In six affected and three asymptomatic members, gene sequencing revealed a mutation c.C1456T in exon 3 of myocilin gene (MYOC). Furthermore, we also identified a novel mutation c.G322A in beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase 3 (B4GALT3) gene in all six affected and three asymptomatic members, which was not reported previously in POAG patients. The two newly identified variants were absent in other family members as well as controls.

CONCLUSIONThe mutations c.1456C < T (p.L486F) in MYOC and c.322G < A (p.V108I) in B4GALT3 are likely responsible for the pathogenesis of POAG in this family.

Adult ; Computational Biology ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; genetics ; Eye Proteins ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Testing ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; genetics ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; genetics ; N-Acetyllactosamine Synthase ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Young Adult