1: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):72-4. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

A case of osteopetrosis with acute optic neuropathy.

Tsuchida H, Takagi M, Miki A, Usui T, Hasegawa S, Abe H.

Divisions of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medical and
Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata, 950-8510,
Japan, tutch@nifty.com.

PMID: 18369707 [PubMed - in process]

2: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):70-2. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Bilateral neovascular glaucoma due to multicentric Castleman disease.

Omata T, Hamanaka T, Ikushima S, Oritsu M.

Department of Ophthalmology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, 4-1-22 Hiroo,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0012, Japan, omata_takayasu@med.jrc.or.jp.

PMID: 18369706 [PubMed - in process]

3: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):68-70. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Macular edema associated with latanoprost use in a patient with idiopathic
juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis.

Baba T, Nagayama M, Ohtsuki H, Hirooka K, Shiraga F.

Department of Ophthalmology, Kagawa University Faculty of Medicine, 1750-1
Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan, tbaba@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 18369705 [PubMed - in process]

4: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):67-8. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of the lacrimal gland: A case report.

Sakuma T, Ohashi H, Yamamoto K, Kawano K.

Department of Clinical Pathology, Osaka Rosai Hospital, Osaka, Japan,
thsakuma@hyo-med.ac.jp.

PMID: 18369704 [PubMed - in process]

5: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):63-6. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Passive removal of silicone oil with a 25-gauge sutureless system.

Kapran Z, Acar N, Unver YB, Altan T, Ocak B.

Beyoglu Eye Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

PURPOSE: To report the outcome of a new sutureless technique for passive removal
of silicone oil with a 25-gauge system. METHODS: Between January 2005 and
February 2006, 32 patients (32 eyes) underwent passive silicone oil removal with
a 25-gauge system in a prospective, interventional case series in our hospital.
Main data recorded were visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), silicone oil
removal time, complications, and number of sutured sites. RESULTS: Mean
follow-up was 11.46 +/- 3.98 months. Mean silicone oil removal time was 8.93 +/-
0.85 (range, 7.0-11.5) min. A suture was placed in only one eye because of
leakage. Visual acuity improved in 27 eyes (86.4%), and stabilized in five eyes
(15.6%). IOP decreased significantly at all visits during follow-up. On day one,
four eyes (12.5%) were hypotonous. Choroidal folds were observed in two eyes
(6.25%). No other complications were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Passive removal of
silicone oil with a 25-gauge sutureless technique was effective for 1000
centistokes of oil. Transient hypotony in the early postoperative period did not
adversely affect the visual outcomes.

PMID: 18369703 [PubMed - in process]

6: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):57-62. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Incidence and clinical patterns of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Korean
patients.

Byeon SH, Lee SC, Oh HS, Kim SS, Koh HJ, Kwon OW.

Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University
College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 120-752, South
Korea.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence, demographic features, and clinical
characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Korean patients.
METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 392 eyes of 321 symptomatic
patients suspected of having exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
after their first visit to a tertiary hospital between February 2002 and May
2006. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, including
fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). RESULTS: Of the 321
patients (392 eyes), 79 (98 eyes, 24.6%) were diagnosed with PCV. The mean PCV
patient age was 64.6 +/- 7.6 years. PCV was more common in men (78.5%), and was
usually unilateral (75.9%). In terms of PCV clinical manifestation, 52% of
patients showed an exudative pattern, 34.7%, a hemorrhagic pattern, and 13.3%,
an extensive hemorrhagic pattern. The mean visual acuity at presentation was
0.231 +/- 0.256. Classification was based on ICGA findings; 52% of patients
showed relatively large aneurismal dilations, 25.5% showed atypical vessel
deformations, and 22.5% showed dense clusters of numerous small hyperfluorescent
dots. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PCV in Korean exudative AMD patients was
relatively high compared with that in other ethnic groups. As in other Asian
patient populations, PCV occurred more commonly in men and was predominantly
unilateral.

PMID: 18369702 [PubMed - in process]

7: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):52-6. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Intravitreal bevacizumab for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to
age-related macular degeneration in an Indian population.

Azad RV, Khan MA, Chanana B, Azad S.

Vitreo-Retina Services, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All
India Institute of Medical Sciences, 91, Pocket-B, Sukhdev Vihar, New Delhi,
110025, India.

PURPOSE: To investigate the 6-month safety profile and clinical outcomes of
intravitreal bevacizumab for treating subfoveal choroidal neovascularization
(CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We performed a
prospective nonrandomized interventional study of 40 consecutive patients (40
eyes) with subfoveal CNV due to AMD. Patients underwent standard ophthalmic
examination, optical coherence tomography, and fundus fluorescein angiography.
All patients were administered one or more intravitreal injections of
bevacizumab (1.25 mg) as primary therapy. Outcomes were also analyzed in
subgroups based on lesion type (classic or occult) and lesion size (3000 mum). RESULTS: At the 6 months\' follow-up, mean best-corrected visual
acuity (BCVA) improved from 20/160 to 20/100 (P = 0.014), and the mean contrast
sensitivity improved from 0.38 to 0.62 (P = 0.001). The mean greatest linear
diameter and mean central macular thickness significantly decreased from 3.79 mm
to 2.4 mm (P = 0.0001) and from 438.5 mum to 363 mum (P = 0.0001), respectively.
Visual acuity gain of 15 letters or more was seen in 20% of patients, and the
gain was more in the small-lesion subgroup (31.5%) than in the large-lesion
subgroup (9.5%). No significant adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSION:
Intravitreal bevacizumab is a safe and effective modality for treatment of CNV
secondary to AMD. A significant improvement in BCVA with intravitreal
bevacizumab was observed for all lesion types.

PMID: 18369701 [PubMed - in process]

8: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Feb;52(1):48-51. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Novel XLRS1 gene mutations cause X-linked juvenile retinoschisis in Chinese
families.

Ma X, Li X, Wang L.

Eye Center of Peking University, People\'s Hospital, Peking University, #11
Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, People\'s Republic of China.

PURPOSE: To investigate various XLRS1 (RS1) gene mutations in Chinese families
with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS or RS). METHODS: Genomic DNA was
isolated from leukocytes of 29 male patients with X-linked juvenile
retinoschisis, 38 female carriers, and 100 normal controls. All 6 exons of the
RS1 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and the RS1 gene mutations
were determined by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Eleven different RS1 mutations in
12 families were identified in the 29 male patients. The mutations comprised
eight missense, two frameshift, and one splice donor site mutation. Four of
these mutations, one frameshift mutation (26 del T) in exon 1, one frameshift
mutation (488 del G) in exon 5, Asp145His and Arg156Gly in exon 5, have not been
previously described. One novel non-disease-related polymorphism, 576C to T
(Pro192Pro) in exon 6, was also found. Six recurrent mutations, Ser73Pro and
Arg102Gln mutations in exon 4 and Arg200Cys, Arg209His, Arg213Gln, and Cys223Arg
mutations in exon 6, were also identified in this study. CONCLUSION: RS1 gene
mutations caused X-linked juvenile retinoschisis in these Chinese families.

PMID: 18369700 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

9: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):44-7. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

How normal eyes perform in reading low-contrast texts.

Fujita K, Oda K, Watanabe J, Yuzawa M.

Department of Ophthalmology, Surugadai Nihon University Hospital, 1-8-13
Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-8309, Japan, kfujita@med.nihon-u.ac.jp.

PURPOSE: To assess the performance of normal eyes in reading low-contrast texts.
METHODS: We selected 14 subjects aged 20 to 31 years (mean, 23 +/- 3 years) with
corrected visual acuity of 1.0 or better. The subjects were asked to read texts
when the contrast between the characters and background was adjusted to 100%,
40%, 20%, and 10%. Using a computer-generated reading chart, reading acuity
(RA), critical character size (CCS), and maximum reading speed (MRS) were
assessed. The reading performance was compared at various contrast levels.
RESULTS: When the contrast between the characters and background was 100%, 40%,
20%, and 10%, the mean RA (logMAR) was -0.08 +/- 0.07, 0.03 +/- 0.09, 0.13 +/-
0.09, and 0.26 +/- 0.11, respectively; the mean CCS (logMAR) was respectively
0.10 +/- 0.09, 0.18 +/- 0.09, 0.29 +/- 0.14, and 0.41 +/- 0.10. The mean MRS
(characters/min) was 379.2 +/- 41.9, 369.7 +/- 43.3, 369.2 +/- 60.2, and 343.7
+/- 67.0, respectively. In all subjects, a decrease in contrast was associated
with an increase in RA and CCS, but the MRS was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: In
normal eyes, even when reading low-contrast texts, increasing the character size
makes it possible to maintain the same MRS as when reading high-contrast texts.

PMID: 18369699 [PubMed - in process]

10: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):36-43. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Displacement of the rectus muscle pulleys simulating superior oblique palsy.

Kono R, Okanobu H, Ohtsuki H, Demer JL.

Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,
Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558,
Japan, opth@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp.

PURPOSE: To investigate the structural basis of three cases of apparent superior
oblique (SO) palsy caused by extraocular muscle (EOM) pulley heterotopy.
METHODS: Three subjects were diagnosed as having decompensated idiopathic left
SO palsy on the basis of misalignment in diagnostic gaze positions, response to
the head tilt test, and results of the Hess screen test. Magnetic resonance
imaging of the orbits in coronal planes was used to determine SO muscle size and
contractility and to define the rectus EOM pulley locations. Orbit 1.8 computer
simulation was performed for each subject by using measured rectus pulley
locations. Simulated binocular alignment was compared with the measurements.
RESULTS: The maximal SO cross sections of both eyes of each subject were
similar, and exhibited similar contractile thickening from supraduction to
infraduction. The superior rectus muscle pulleys in three eyes exhibited
significant temporal displacement, while the lateral rectus muscle pulleys in
five eyes and the medial rectus muscle pulleys in two eyes were displaced
significantly inferiorly compared with published norms. Simulations based on
observed pulley position abnormalities alone predicted measured Hess screen data
better than did simulations incorporating SO weakness, either alone or combined
with other structural abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Heterotopy of the rectus EOM
pulleys may be associated with cyclovertical strabismus that simulates SO palsy.

PMID: 18369698 [PubMed - in process]

11: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):32-5. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Cause and prognosis of neurologically isolated third, fourth, or sixth cranial
nerve dysfunction in cases of oculomotor palsy.

Akagi T, Miyamoto K, Kashii S, Yoshimura N.

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine,
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

PURPOSE: To determine the cause and prognosis of neurologically isolated third,
fourth, or sixth cranial nerve dysfunction in cases of oculomotor palsy, and to
determine the best imaging methods to make a correct diagnosis. METHODS: The
medical records of 221 consecutive patients with oculomotor palsy caused by
neurologically isolated cranial nerve dysfunction were reviewed. There were 63
cases of third, 41 of fourth, and 117 of sixth cranial nerve dysfunction. The
patients were examined at the Neuro-ophthalmology Clinic of Kyoto University
Hospital between 1993 and 2001. RESULTS: Vascular disorders accounted for 34.9%
of the third nerve dysfunction, and 90% of these recovered completely in 6
months. Ninety percent of the patients with an isolated third nerve dysfunction
that was caused by an aneurysm also had anisocoria, and 68% of the patients with
a third nerve dysfunction caused by a vascular disorder had anisocoria. In all
of the vascular cases with anisocoria, the difference in the pupillary diameter
was <1.0 mm. The presence of ptosis did not play an important role in making a
diagnosis of third nerve dysfunction. Ninety percent of the patients with fourth
nerve dysfunction and 60% of the patients with sixth nerve dysfunction recovered
within 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: The age of the patient, signs of an improvement,
and associated alterations are important diagnostic markers to determine the
best type of imaging methods for evaluating neurologically isolated third,
fourth, and sixth cranial nerve dysfunction.

PMID: 18369697 [PubMed - in process]

12: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):24-31. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Clinical application of real-time polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of
herpetic diseases of the anterior segment of the eye.

Kakimaru-Hasegawa A, Kuo CH, Komatsu N, Komatsu K, Miyazaki D, Inoue Y.

Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori
University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan,
kakimaruaki@yahoo.co.jp.

PURPOSE: To assess the value of quantification of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA
for the differential diagnosis of herpetic diseases of the anterior segment of
the eye. METHODS: One hundred forty-four samples from 90 patients with ocular
inflammatory diseases were examined for HSV DNA by real-time polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) with primers set for the consensus sequence of HSV-1/2 DNA
polymerase. The samples included corneal epithelial scrapings, tear fluid
(200mul of eye wash), and aqueous humor. RESULTS: In cases of typical herpetic
epithelial keratitis, a large number of copies of HSV DNA were detected (mean,
1.0 x 10(7) copies in epithelial scrapings and 3.5 x 10(5) copies in tear
fluid). In atypical epithelial keratitis cases, a smaller number of HSV DNA
copies were detected. In stromal keratitis cases, the number of copies of HSV
DNA in the tear fluid (mean: 4.7 x 10(2) copies) was significantly smaller than
in cases of epithelial keratitis. In the aqueous humor, the number of copies was
small in endotheliitis cases (mean, 2.9 x 10(2) copies/mul), but the range was
great, from (1.2-4.8) x 10(5)/mul in herpetic iridocyclitis. Seventeen percent
of cases in which HSV was not suspected to be involved showed a small number of
copies of HSV DNA, indicating the unexpected involvement of HSV in these cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR is an informative method of diagnosing herpetic eye
diseases and evaluating the possible involvement of HSV in other inflammatory
ocular diseases.

PMID: 18369696 [PubMed - in process]

13: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):16-23. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Antiangiogenic properties of fasudil, a potent Rho-Kinase inhibitor.

Hata Y, Miura M, Nakao S, Kawahara S, Kita T, Ishibashi T.

Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu
University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan,
hatachan@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.

PURPOSE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in
pathological angiogenesis. In this study, we addressed the therapeutic potential
of fasudil, a potent Rho-kinase inhibitor, for VEGF-elicited angiogenesis and
also for the intracellular signalings induced by VEGF. METHODS: In vitro, the
inhibitory effects of fasudil on the VEGF-dependent VEGF receptor 2 (VEFGR2 or
KDR), extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) 1/2, Akt and myosin light chain
(MLC) phosphorylation, as well as on the migration and proliferation of bovine
retinal microvascular endothelial cells (BRECs) were analyzed with Western
blotting, [(3)H]-thymidine uptake, and modified Boyden chamber assay.
VEGF-elicited in vivo angiogenesis was analyzed with a mouse corneal micropocket
assay coembedded with or without fasudil. RESULTS: VEGF caused enhanced MLC
phosphorylation of BRECs, which was almost completely attenuated by 10muM
fasudil. VEGF-dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt were also partially
but significantly attenuated by treatment with fasudil without affecting VEGFR2
(KDR) phosphorylation. Moreover, both VEGF-induced [(3)H]-thymidine uptake and
the migration of BRECs were significantly inhibited in the presence of fasudil.
Finally, VEGF-elicited angiogenesis in the corneal micropocket assay was
potently attenuated by coembedding with fasudil (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These
findings indicate that fasudil might have a therapeutic potential for ocular
angiogenic diseases. The antiangiogenic effect of fasudil appears to be mediated
through the blockade not only of Rho-kinase signaling but also of ERK and Akt
signaling.

PMID: 18369695 [PubMed - in process]

14: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):8-15. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Connective tissue growth factor modulates extracellular matrix production in
human subconjunctival fibroblasts and their proliferation and migration in
vitro.

Yamanaka O, Saika S, Ikeda K, Miyazaki K, Kitano A, Ohnishi Y.

Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera,
Wakayama, 641-0012, Japan, yamanaka@wakayama-med.ac.jp.

PURPOSE: We examined the role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in
transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1)-related behavior in cultured human
subconjunctival fibroblasts (SCFs), protein production, mRNA expression of CTGF
and type I collagen alpha1 chain (colIA1), and cell proliferation and migration.
TGFbeta1 is the major factor involved in bleb scarring following filtration
surgery. METHODS: An antisense deoxynucleotide (antisense) (5 muM) for CTGF mRNA
was used to block endogenous CTGF expression. Effects of antisense on
extracellular matrix (ECM) production and immunolocalization, mRNA expression,
and cell proliferation and migration were examined in human SCF cultures with or
without TGFbeta1 (5 ng/ml). Cell migration was examined in an in vitro wound
model of monolayer fibroblast cultures. RESULTS: CTGF antisense reduced mRNA
expression of CTGF and colIA1 and production of the ECM components type I
collagen, and fibronectin much more markedly in cells treated with TGFbeta1
compared with control fibroblasts, and it inhibited the proliferation of
cultured SCFs to 71.9% of that of controls after 13 days of culture. CTGF
antisense also delayed defect closure in monolayer cell sheets. In the culture,
the defect was closed by TGFbeta1 by 36 h, whereas 7.0% of the defect remained
at 48 h in the antisense-treated culture. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate
that CTGF is involved in ECM production in SCFs activated by exogenous TGFbeta1
in vitro. Inhibition of CTGF expression may be effective in preventing
undesirable scar formation during healing following filtration surgery.

PMID: 18369694 [PubMed - in process]

15: Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;52(1):1-7. Epub 2008 Mar 28. 

Perturbed intraepithelial differentiation of corneal epithelium in c-Fos-null
mice.

Okada Y, Senba E, Shirai K, Ueyama T, Reinach P, Saika S.

Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera,
Wakayama, 641-0012, Japan, yokada@wakayama-med.ac.jp.

PURPOSE: AP-1 is a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in regulating
cellular homeostasis and which may modulate the differentiation of corneal
epithelial cells. We examined the role of c-Fos in the differentiation of
corneal epithelial cells by using c-Fos-deficient (c-fos (-/-)) mice. METHODS:
Ten adult c-fos (-/-) mice and ten control (c-fos (+/-) or c-fos (+/+)) mice
were used. The expression patterns of the mRNA and protein of keratin 12 (K12)
were determined to examine the differentiation of cornea-type epithelium. To
evaluate the intraepithelial differentiation from basal cells to superficial
cells, the ultrastructure of the corneal epithelium was studied. We focused on
the formation of desmosomes in the superficial, suprabasal, and basal cell
layers, and also on the hemidesmosomes. The number of desmosomes in each
epithelial layer was statistically analyzed by using an unpaired t test. The
expressions of keratin 14 (K14), desmoglein, E-cadherin, occludin, connexin 43,
filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin were examined to analyze epithelial
differentiation. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein of K12 were expressed in the
corneal epithelium of c-fos (-/-) and control mice. Ultrastructural observations
showed that the number of desmosomes between the basal cells of the corneal
epithelia was similar in c-fos (-/-) and control mice. However, there were fewer
desmosomes between suprabasal cells and between superficial cells in c-fos (-/-)
mice than in control mice. The number of hemidesmosomes in the corneal
epithelial cells in c-Fos-null mice was similar to that in control mice. The
expressions of the other epithelial cell differentiation markers were not
affected by the absence of c-Fos. Ultrastructural observations showed a
disarrangement of the corneal epithelium in the c-Fos-null mice. CONCLUSIONS:
The absence of c-Fos disturbs the formation of desmosomes in the superficial
layers of the corneal epithelium, suggesting a perturbation of intraepithelial
differentiation from the basal epithelial cells to the suprabasal and
superficial epithelial cells.

PMID: 18369693 [PubMed - in process]