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Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2019 Jan;50(1):42-49

Background And Objective: To compare between trimanual and unimanual vitrectomy in complicated proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Patients And Methods: A prospective, non-randomized, comparative study including patients with tractional retinal detachment (TRD), vitreous hemorrhage with TRD, and combined TRD with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. The patients were allocated into two groups: the unimanual group with three-port vitrectomy and the trimanual group with added fourth sclerotomy, through which the endoillumination probe was guided by the assistant. Read More

J Cataract Refract Surg 2019 Jan 9. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

From the Division of Research (Liu, Herrinton, Alexeeff, Karter, Amsden), Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, the Department of Ophthalmology (Carolan), Kaiser Permanente San Rafael, and the Departments of Ophthalmology and Quality (Shorstein), Kaiser Permanente, Walnut Creek, California, USA.

Purpose: To assess the relation between diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity, duration of diabetes, insulin dependence, and preoperative hemoglobin A (HbA) with visual outcome after phacoemulsification for cataract in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Setting: Kaiser Permanente Northern California, USA.

Design: Retrospective case series. Read More

JAMA Ophthalmol 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Importance: Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. Studies have suggested that statins may reduce the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: To investigate the association between statin therapy and the development of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia. Read More

Int Ophthalmol 2019 Jan 9. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Purpose: To study the association of serum ionic calcium and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with retinal photoreceptor ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: This is a tertiary care center-based observational cross-sectional study. Sixty-three consecutive cases, divided into 21 cases each with no diabetic retinopathy, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy were included. Read More

J Mol Med (Berl) 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Tykistökatu 6A, 20520, Turku, Finland.

ATP and adenosine are important signaling molecules involved in vascular remodeling, retinal function, and neurovascular coupling in the eye. Current knowledge on enzymatic pathways governing the duration and magnitude of ocular purinergic signaling is incompletely understood. By employing sensitive analytical assays, this study dissected ocular purine homeostasis as a complex and coordinated network. Read More

Diabetologia 2019 Jan 5. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, Dental Science Building 4033, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.

Aims/hypothesis: The pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy is linked to hyperglycaemia and its effect on retinal microvascular tissues. The resulting endothelial injury changes the endothelial cell phenotype to acquire mesenchymal properties (i.e. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2018 Dec 31;24:9497-9503. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND Long non-coding RNA of myocardial infarction associated transcript (lncRNA-MIAT) has a reported role in microvascular dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA-MIAT and its effects on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling in patients with diabetic retinopathy and in ARPE-19 adult retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study participants provided plasma samples and included patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n=52), patients with diabetes without diabetic retinopathy (n=63), and healthy controls (n=56). Read More

J Diabetes Complications 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Internal Medicine, Brothers of Mercy Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic; 2nd Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Purpose: The aim of this work was to study the association of serum ionized calcium with retinal photoreceptor apoptosis on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Sixty consecutive cases with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were categorized into three groups: no diabetic retinopathy; non-proliferative DR; proliferative DR. The eye with more severe form of the disease was considered. Read More

Int J Ophthalmol 2018 18;11(12):1889-1894. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Ophthalmology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China.

Aim: To investigate the candidate microRNA (miRNA), miR-221 as a novel biomarker for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: The subjects involved were divided into four groups: healthy control (HC), no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group. Serum miR-221 was validated by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Read More

Clin Ophthalmol 2019 19;13:27-31. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Vitreoretinal Department, Ibn Al-Haetham Teaching Eye Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq,

Purpose: To determine the timing of neovascular regression after intravitreous injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) 1.25 mg given as initial therapy for eyes with high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) without clinically significant macular edema (CSME).

Patients And Methods: In this prospective uncontrolled interventional study, eyes with high-risk PDR without CSME were treated initially with intravitreous injections of bevacizumab 1. Read More

Exp Eye Res 2018 Dec 21;180:122-128. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Retinal diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and neovascular AMD are characterized by the formation of new blood vessels. Current imaging techniques such as fluorescein and ICG angiography help to identify areas of vascular leakage but are limited in their applicability due to their nonspecific nature. However, as new treatment paradigms emerge in an effort to have patient specific treatments, the development of new imaging techniques that are capable of identifying patient specific biomarkers will become crucial for the success of these approaches. Read More

Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2018 12 23. Epub 2018 Dec 23.

Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important regulator of angiogenesis and has been investigated as a candidate gene in a number of conditions, including diabetes and its microvascular complications (e.g., retinopathy and nephropathy). Read More

Retina 2018 Dec 18. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Ophthalmology, New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Purpose: To combine advances in high-speed, wide-field optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) with image processing methods for semiautomatic quantitative analysis of capillary nonperfusion in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Sixty-eight diabetic patients (73 eyes), either without retinopathy or with different degrees of retinopathy, were prospectively recruited for volumetric swept-source OCTA imaging using 12 mm × 12 mm fields centered at the fovea. A custom, semiautomatic software algorithm was used to quantify areas of capillary nonperfusion. Read More

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Eye Hospital, Eye Institute & School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, China.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of microRNA-451a (miR-451a) in diabetic retinopathy through activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2).

Methods: The epiretinal membrane samples from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) were immunolabeled with an antibody for ki-67 to identify the proliferative cells. The expression of miR-451a was measured by qRT-PCR in the retina of Akita mice and in RPE cells under diabetic conditions. Read More

Acta Ophthalmol 2018 Dec 18. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France.

Purpose: To compare central retinal thickness (CRT) after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) with a multispot semi-automated PAttern-SCAnning Laser (PASCAL) in one session (SS-PRP) versus four monthly sessions (MS-PRP) in diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: Multicentre, prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial evaluating the noninferiority of SS-PRP versus MS-PRP for CRT measured with macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), with a 9-month follow-up in patients presenting severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) or mild proliferative DR without macular oedema (ME) at baseline.

Results: Ninety-seven eyes of 97 participants with a mean age of 57. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus that causes diabetic macular edema and visual loss. DR is categorized, based on the presence of vascular lesions and neovascularization, into non-proliferative and proliferative DR. Vascular changes in DR correlate with the cellular damage and pathological changes in the capillaries of blood-retinal barrier. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2018 Dec 13;19(12). Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common diabetic microvascular complication and major cause of blindness in working-age adults. According to the level of microvascular degeneration and ischemic damage, DR is classified into non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and end-stage, proliferative DR (PDR). Despite advances in the disease etiology and pathogenesis, molecular understanding of end-stage PDR, characterized by ischemia- and inflammation-associated neovascularization and fibrosis, remains incomplete due to the limited availability of ideal clinical samples and experimental research models. Read More

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018 Dec;59(15):5893-5903

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

Purpose: To investigate the nonperfused areas (NPAs) in each subfield segmented by large arterioles on wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) images in diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 101 consecutive eyes of 67 patients with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), for whom 12 × 12-mm SS-OCTA images centered on the optic disc were acquired. Both eyes were included in 34 patients. Read More

Korean J Ophthalmol 2018 Dec;32(6):521-522

Department of Ophthalmology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Cesk Slov Oftalmol 2018 ;73(5-6):198-203

Purpose: To evaluate anatomical, functional and clinical efficacy of the pattern scanning laser (PASCAL®) photocoagulation in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: The cohort included 91 eyes in 50 patients (average age 63 years, 24 men and 26 women) treated at the Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty Hospital Ostrava, from 2008 to 2013. All eyes showed the signs of diabetic retinopathy (20. Read More

J Ophthalmol 2018 6;2018:3470731. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Purpose: To evaluate logical surgical approaches to closing macular holes in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy with retinal detachment.

Methods: Retrospective, interventional case series.

Results: 10 eyes in 10 patients were included in this study. Read More

Diabetes Care 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Objective: The importance of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation in retinopathy for long-standing diabetes is not well understood. We determined retinopathy stage and evaluated associations with other vascular complications before and after physiological RAAS activation in adults with long-standing (≥50 years duration) type 1 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Participants underwent retinal examination by digital funduscopic photography and optical coherence tomography and were classified as having nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), or no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) with or without diabetic macular edema (DME). Read More

Eur J Ophthalmol 2018 Dec 12:1120672118812270. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

In-Patient Department 2, Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.

Purpose:: To compare the outcome of the sequence in the two treatments (intravitreal ranibizumab and panretinal photocoagulation) in high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods:: This retrospective study included 35 patients with newly diagnosed high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy in 43 eyes; 18 (22 eyes) received intravitreal ranibizumab before panretinal photocoagulation (intravitreal ranibizumab+ group), while the other 17 (21 eyes) received panretinal photocoagulation before intravitreal ranibizumab (panretinal photocoagulation+ group). Each subject received three intravitreal ranibizumabs that were interleaved with three panretinal photocoagulations. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Neovascularization in cancer or retinopathy is driven by pathological changes that foster abnormal sprouting of endothelial cells. Mouse genetic studies indicate that the stress-induced small GTPase RhoB is dispensable for normal physiology but required for pathogenic angiogenesis. In diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or age-related wet macular degeneration (AMD), progressive pathologic anatomic changes and ischemia foster neovascularization are characterized by abnormal sprouting of endothelial cells. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Complications Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Niels Steensens Vej 2, Gentofte, Denmark.

Aims: To evaluate myocardial flow reserve (MFR) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in persons with Type 1 diabetes with or without albuminuria and in non-diabetic controls. MFR reflects the function of large epicardial arteries and myocardial microcirculation. CAC represents structural aspects of atherosclerosis. Read More

PLoS One 2018 11;13(12):e0207435. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Purpose: To evaluate structural changes in the choroid among patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), with varying grades of diabetic retinopathy (DR), using enhance depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT) scans.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 82 eyes with DR and DME and 86 healthy control eyes. Eyes with DME were classified according to the severity of DR as per the international DR severity scale. Read More

Clin Ophthalmol 2018 14;12:2323-2329. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Ophthalmology, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Shimoshizu, Sakura, Japan,

Purpose: To investigate the potential risk factors for neovascular glaucoma (NVG) after vitrectomy in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Subjects And Methods: In this retrospective, observational, comparative study, patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy who underwent vitrectomy at Toho University Sakura Medical Center between December 2011 and November 2016 and who were followed for ≥12 months after surgery were included. Subject parameters examined included age, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, administration of insulin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2018 Dec 8;24:8891-8898. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.

BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy has a varied prevalence, severity, and rate of progression. The aim of this study was to determine whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the gene encoding a 135-kD centrosomal protein CEP135 rs4865047 and the gene encoding the type 2 NPY protein NPY2R rs1902491 were associated with the development of rapidly progressive proliferative diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients with rapidly progressive proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n=48) were included in the study group. Read More

Retina 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Glaucoma Services, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Purpose: To compare intraocular pressure, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, and ultrasound biomicroscopy parameters over 3 months after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy after 1 of 2 sittings by conventional laser (half PRP) and a single sitting of Pattern Scan Laser (PASCAL) PRP.

Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, interventional study. All tests were performed at baseline, and at 1, 6, and 24 hours, and 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after PRP. Read More

Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;54(12):918-922

Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University Eye Institute, Tianjin 300384, China.

To report the clinical outcomes and safety profile of 27G(+) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) in eyes with posterior segment disease. Prospective, interventional case series. Eyes undergoing 27G(+) TSV for a vitreoretinal surgery indication were included from Dec 2015 to Mar 2016. Read More

Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol 2018 ;7(4):156-162

Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

This study was performed to determine the association amongst serum leptin level and anthropometric measures with the severity of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in subjects with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). This case-controlled study was conducted within a one-year period, during year 2016, at outpatient retina ophthalmology clinics of Shiraz, southern Iran. Eighty-three patients with type 2 DM, referring for ophthalmoscopy evaluation, were included. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2018 Dec;28(12):923-927

Department of Eye, RMC and Allied Hospitals Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Objective: To compare panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) plus intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) against PRP alone in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in terms of mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), neovessels on disc (NVD) and neovessels elsewhere (NVE).

Study Design: Experimental study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, from December 2014 to July 2015. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.

Retinal neovascularization occurs in various ocular disorders including proliferative diabetic retinopathy and secondary neovascular glaucoma, resulting in blindness. This paper aims to investigate the effect of microRNA-141-3p (miR-141-3p) on retinal neovascularization and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in glaucoma mice through the Docking protein 5 (DOK5)-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Chip retrieval and difference analysis were used for the potential mechanism of miR-141-3p on glaucoma. Read More

Ann Clin Biochem 2018 Dec 4:4563218820359. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao).

Objective: Adropin, a newly identified regulatory protein encoded by Enho gene, is correlated with insulin sensitivity and diabetes. The aim of this study is to determine whether serum and vitreous adropin concentrations are correlated with the presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: A population of 165 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [52 without DR, 69 with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 44 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)] was enrolled in this study. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2018 Dec 3;19(12). Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, St. Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, 11282 Stockholm, Sweden.

Ocular angiogenic diseases, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, are associated with severe loss of vision. These pathologies originate from different vascular beds, retinal and choroidal microvasculatures, respectively. The activation of endothelial cells (EC) plays pivotal roles in angiogenesis, often triggered by oxygen deficiency. Read More

Diabetes 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA

To identify genetic variants associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR), we performed a large, multiethnic genome-wide association study (GWAS). Discovery included eight European cohorts (n = 3,246) and seven African American cohorts (n = 2,611). We meta-analyzed across cohorts using inverse-variance weighting, with and without liability threshold modeling of glycemic control and duration of diabetes. Read More

Glia 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, California.

Ischemia-induced angiogenesis contributes to various neuronal and retinal diseases, and often results in neurodegeneration and visual impairment. Current treatments involve the use of anti-VEGF agents but are not successful in all cases. In this study we determined that miR-30a-5p is another important mediator of retinal angiogenesis. Read More

Telemed J E Health 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

1 Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and other ocular findings in previously diagnosed diabetes using telehealth retinal screening with nonmydriatic fundus photography (nFP) in primary care physicians' offices.

Methods: A retrospective study based on electronic chart review was performed. All diabetic patients who participated in the Wills Eye Hospital (WEH) telehealth retinal screening program from July 1, 2012 to February 20, 2017 were included. Read More

Diabet Med 2018 Nov 25. Epub 2018 Nov 25.

Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes and remains one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in working-age people. Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy and is typically asymptomatic. Currently, the severity of diabetic retinopathy is assessed using semi-quantitative grading systems based on the presence or absence of retinal lesions. Read More

IUBMB Life 2018 Nov 23. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Department of Clinical pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.

Noncoding RNAs are emerging biomarkers for many diseases including diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aimed to measure the expression levels of serum miR-20b, miR-17-3p, HOTAIR, and MALAT1 in DR patients. A total of 80 patients diagnosed as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 81 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2018 Nov 23. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Laboratory of Human Molecular Genetics, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Canoas, RS, Brazil.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and its chronic complications, and their circulating levels have emerged as potential biomarkers for the development and progression of diabetes. However, few studies have examined the expression of miRNAs in diabetic retinopathy (DR) in humans. This case-control study aimed to investigate whether the plasma levels of miR-29b and miR-200b are associated with DR in 186 South Brazilians with type 2 diabetes (91 without DR, 46 with non-proliferative DR and 49 with proliferative DR). Read More

PLoS Med 2018 Nov 20;15(11):e1002700. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease and have become leading causes of morbidity and mortality among Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, many of whom live in long-term settlements and receive grain-based food aid. The objective of this study was to estimate changes in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality attributable to a transition from traditional food aid to either (i) a debit card restricted to food purchases, (ii) cash, or (iii) an alternative food parcel with less grain and more fruits and vegetables, each valued at $30/person/month.

Methods And Findings: An individual-level microsimulation was created to estimate relationships between food aid delivery method, food consumption, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality using demographic data from the United Nations (UN; 2017) on 5,340,443 registered Palestinian refugees in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank, food consumption data (2011-2017) from households receiving traditional food parcel delivery of food aid (n = 1,507 households) and electronic debit card delivery of food aid (n = 1,047 households), and health data from a random 10% sample of refugees receiving medical care through the UN (2012-2015; n = 516,386). Read More

Indian J Ophthalmol 2018 Dec;66(12):1751-1762

Department of Ophthalmology, Kittner Eye Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Twenty-five percent of diabetes-related vision loss stems from complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Panretinal photocoagulation has been the preferred treatment of high-risk PDR for decades and more recently intravitreal injections of drugs that inhibit the actions of vascular endothelial growth factor have become popular. But despite these treatments PDR may progress uncontrollably to advanced pathologies such as traction retinal detachments (TRDs), combined traction/rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (TRD/RRDs), vitreous hemorrhages, rubeosis iridis, and traction maculopathies, which produce mild-to-severe loss of vision. Read More

J Fr Ophtalmol 2018 Dec 12;41(10):e485-e487. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of ophthalmology, centre hospitalier intercommunal de Créteil, 40, avenue de Verdun, 94000 Créteil, France; Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, University Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy. Electronic address:

Cesk Slov Oftalmol 2018 ;74(2):53-58

Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most frequent cause of decreased vision in patiens with diabetes type 2. DME is caused by increased permeability of macular capillaries. The aim of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the results of micropulse laser treatment, 577 nm wavelength, in pacients with DME with follow-up three months and one year. Read More

Acta Biochim Pol 2018 Nov;65(4):497-508

Department of Ophthalmology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.

Long non-coding RNAs are 200 nucleotide long RNA molecules which lack or have limited protein-coding potential. They can regulate protein formation through several different mechanisms. Similarly, circular RNAs are reported to play a critical role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Nov 13;8(1):16728. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.

Placental growth factor (PlGF or PGF), a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) sub-family, plays a crucial role in pathological angiogenesis and inflammation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that PlGF mediates regarding the complications of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) remain elusive. Using an LC-MS/MS-based label-free quantification proteomic approach we characterized the alterations in protein expression caused by PlGF ablation in the retinas obtained from C57BL6, Akita, PlGF and Akita. Read More

BMC Ophthalmol 2018 Nov 12;18(1):297. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.

Background: Genetic studies have reported contradictory results on the association between the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) rs5498 polymorphism and diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk in type 2 diabetic patients. We aimed to perform a systematic literature search and conduct random-effects meta-analysis to provide a quantitative evaluation.

Methods: We searched Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Wanfang databases from inception up to January 2018. Read More

Int J Retina Vitreous 2018 2;4:41. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

4Department of Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, USA.

Background: To evaluate the association of central subfield thickness (CST) and cube average thickness (CAT) with ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Cross sectional study including consecutive patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus [without DR (No DR, n = 97); non-proliferative DR (NPDR, n = 91); proliferative DR (PDR, n = 83)] and healthy controls (n = 82) was undertaken. CST and CAT values were measured using SD-OCT. Read More

PLoS One 2018 8;13(11):e0207288. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.

To use a Doppler optical coherence tomography (DOCT) flowmeter to investigate segmental retinal blood flow (RBF) and sum of the segmental RBFs (SRBF) changes after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) was used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus with severe diabetic retinopathy (DR). Data from five patients with proliferative DR (PDR) (mean age 51.9 ± 10. Read More