Progress in the Use of Glucocorticoids and Biological Agents in Non-Infectious Uveitis

One of the main immune-mediated diseases that lead to avoidable blindness is non-infectious uveitis. Glucocorticoids are the first-line therapy choice for noninfectious uveitis;however, biologics are also showing promise in the management of this condition. The description of glucocorticoid and biologic usage in non-infectious uveitis is the main topic of this paper.

Immunosuppressive Treatment of Non-infectious Uveitis:History and Current Choices

Non-infectious uveitis is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide. Long-term immunosuppressive treatment is generally required to achieve durable control of inflammation in posterior and panuveitis. Although systemic corticosteroids have been the gold standard of immunosuppressive treatment for uveitis since first introduced in 1950 s,its side effects of long-term use often warrant an adjuvant treatment to reduce the dosage/duration of corticosteroids needed to maintain disease control. Conventional immunosuppressive drugs,classified into alkylating agent,antimetabolites and T cell inhibitors,have been widely used as corticosteroid-sparing agents,each with characteristic safety/tolerance profiles on different uveitis entities. Recently,biologic agents,which target specific molecules in immunopathogenesis of uveitis,have gained great interest as alternative treatments for refractory uveitis based on their favorable safety and effectiveness in a variety of uveitis entities. However,lack of large randomized controlled clinical trials,concerns about efficacy and safety of long-term usage,and economic burden are limiting the use of biologics in non-infectious uveitis. Local administration of immunosuppressive drugs(from corticosteroids to biologics) through intraocular drug delivery systems represent another direction for drug development and is now under intense investigation,but more evidences are needed to support their use as regular alternative treatments for uveitis. With the numerous choices belonging to different treatment modalities(conventional immunosuppressive agents,biologics and local drug delivery systems) on hand,the practice patterns have been reported to vary greatly from center to center. Factors influence uveitis specialists' choices of immunosuppressive agents may be complex and may include personal familiarity,treatment availability,safety/tolerability,effectiveness,patient compliance,cost concerns and suggestions from related specialists such as rheumatologists and pediatricians. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of each treatment modality on safety/tolerability and effectiveness,which are believed to be the two most important factors affecting treatment decision making.

Biologics in non-infectious uveitis past,present and future

Our increase in knowledge of the pathophysiology of non-infectious uveitis(NIU)and other immune-mediated diseases has been mirrored over the last two decades by the expansion of therapeutic options in the realm of immunosuppressive medications.Principal among these advances is the emergence of biologics,which offer the promise of targeted therapy and the hope of reduced toxicity when compared to corticosteroids and“standard”immunosuppression.Among the biologics,monoclonal antibodies blocking tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)have been shown to be a very effective therapeutic target for uveitis and many associated systemic inflammatory diseases.Multiple TNF blockers have shown benefit for uveitis,and in 2016,adalimumab became the first biologic and non-corticosteroid immunosuppressive to obtain Food and Drug Administration(FDA)approval in the treatment of NIU.Although effective,TNF blockers are not universally so,and safety concerns such as infection and demyelinating disease must be carefully considered and ruled out prior to their use,especially in patients with intermediate uveitis with which multiple sclerosis is a known association.Ongoing study has identified novel targets for regulation in the treatment of immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases.Interferons,interleukin and Janus kinase inhibitors in addition to antibodies targeting T cell and B cell activation highlight the expanding field of treatment modalities in NIU.Ongoing study will be required to better determine the safety and efficacy of biologics in the armamentarium of immunosuppressive treatments for NIU.

Treatment of uveitis and scleritis patients in Malaysia

●AIM:To determine the common causes and visual outcome after treatment among uveitis and scleritis patients.●METHODS:This is a retrospective cohort observational study.All consecutive clinical records of patients with newly diagnosed uveitis and scleritis over a 4-year period,from Jan.1,2017 to Dec.31,2020,were analysed.Data was collected at the presentation and included a follow-up period of one year.●RESULTS:A total of 288 patients were recruited during the study period.Anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical diagnosis(50.0%)followed by panuveitis(25.0%),scleritis(13.5%),posterior uveitis(6.9%),and intermediate uveitis(4.5%).Viral Herpes was the most common cause of infectious cases,while Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada(VKH)disease and human leucocyte antigen(HLA)B27 spondyloarthropathy were the leading causes of identifiable non-infectious cases.Majority of patients presented with unilateral,non-granulomatous uveitis with an absence of hypopyon.Anatomical locations like posterior uveitis and panuveitis,and visual acuity worse than 3/60 at presentation were the factors associated with poor visual outcomes(P<0.05).About 60%of patients had an identifiable cause for the uveitis and scleritis,with nearly equal distribution of infectious(n=85,29.5%)and noninfectious causes(n=84,29.2%).About 14.5%of patients were clinically blind at 1y of follow-up.The most common complication in our uveitis patients was glaucoma(47.5%),followed by cystoid macula oedema(18.9%)and cataract(13.9%).●CONCLUSION:Uveitis and scleritis are important causes of ocular morbidity.They are potentially blinding diseases which can have a good outcome if diagnosed and treated early.

Frequency of Uveitis among Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh: A Retrospective Study

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most frequently encountered pediatric rheumatologic disorder with an unknown etiology. At present there is no published data regarding the frequency of uveitis in patients with JIA in Bangladesh. This study aimed to observe the frequency of JIA-associated uveitis (JIAU) and distribution of uveitis among different sub-categories of JIA at the Pediatric Rheumatology division, both outdoor and indoor patients, Department of Pediatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1784 JIA patients at the Pediatric Rheumatology division, BSMMU from July 2010 to March 2023. Results: Among the 1784 enrolled JIA patients, we observed that 0.73% of cases had uveitis. Here, 61.5% of JIAU cases were male. Most of the cases (92.3%) had bilateral uveitis and only 7.7% cases had unilateral uveitis. Among JIAU patients, the majority were Oligo JIA (53.8%), followed by ERA 30.8%, Poly JIA RF(−) 7.7% and Systemic JIA 7.7% cases respectively. This study also revealed that 15.4% of JIAU patients had ANA positivity and 23% had HLA B-27 positivity. Here we also found ocular complications associated with uveitis such as band keratopathy (23.1%), posterior synechiae (15.4%) and cataract (15.4%). Conclusions: In this study, we observed only 0.73% of patients of JIA had developed uveitis which is lower than the frequency observed in other European studies. This study also showed various ocular complications amongst JIA-associated uveitis patients which signifies the importance of adherence to periodic ophthalmological follow-up to prevent these ocular complications.

Uveitis glaucoma hyphema syndrome as a result of glaucoma implant: A case report

BACKGROUND Glaucoma is caused by increased intraocular pressure(IOP)that damages the optic nerve,leading to blindness.The Ahmed glaucoma valve(AGV)is a glau-coma drainage implant device that is used in glaucoma patients with uncontrolled IOP.A possible complication after any ocular surgery however is hyphema,which can itself progress to uveitis glaucoma hyphema(UGH)syndrome on rare occasions.UGH syndrome has not yet been reported as a complication of AGV implantation.CASE SUMMARY Here,we have reported a case of a 55-year-old female who developed both hyphema and pigmentation as a result of AGV implantation.We confirmed UGH syndrome secondary to AGV implantation after the patient underwent another surgery to shorten and reposition the AGV tube.After the second surgery,the patient’s IOP was reduced,and she had a clear cornea and no signs of hyphema.CONCLUSION This first report of UGH syndrome as a complication of AGV implantation reminds clinicians that frequent follow-up is paramount.

Acute Uveitis in Neovascular Glaucoma Patient after a Single Dose of Travoprost

A 38-year-old man with no history of uveitis developed neovascular glaucoma (NVG) due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). He had a history of ocular surgery with placement of glaucoma drainage implants (GDI), ultrasonic phacoemulsification, and intraocular lens implantation in both eyes. The patient had undergone a recent pars plana vitrectomy with complete panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) to clear vitreous hemorrhage in his right eye. To prevent progressive optic nerve damage, travoprost was tentatively administered because of inadequate intraocular pressure (IOP) control following surgery, laser treatment, and topical administration of many other IOP-lowering drugs. The patient experienced severe vision loss associated with acute anterior and intermediate uveitis. We consider it a rare complication due to the NVG patient’s vulnerability following ocular surgery. Given that acute uveitis developed rapidly and required time to resolve, systemic corticosteroid treatment could be considered to accelerate the resolution of inflammation.

Results of intravitreal dexamethasone implant 0.7 mg (Ozurdex^(█)) in non-infectious posterior uveitis

· AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dexamethasone implant in patients with non-infectious posterior uveitis with cystoid macular edema(CME).·METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients reports with CME secondary to non-infectious uveitis treated with dexamethasone implant. Data included type of posterior uveitis, any systemic immunosuppressive therapy, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRS) best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT) on optical coherence tomography(OCT) and signs of intraocular inflammation at baseline and then at 2wk postoperatively and monthly thereafter. Follow-up is up to 10 mo. Any per-operative and post-operative complications were recorded.·RESULTS: Six eyes of 4 patients with CME due to non-infectious posterior uveitis treated with dexamethasone implant. Diagnosis included idiopathic panuveitis, birdshot chorioretinopathy and idiopathic intermediate uveitis. At baseline mean ETDRS BCVA was63 letters and mean CMT 556 μm at 2wk postoperatively mean ETDRS BCVA improved to 70 letters and mean CMT decreased to 329 μm. All eyes showed clinical evidence of decreased inflammation. The duration of effect of the implant was 5 to 6mo and retreatment was required in 2 eyes. Two patients required antiglaucoma therapy for increased intraocular pressures.·CONCLUSION: In patients with non-infectious posterior uveitis dexamethasone implant can be a short-term effective treatment option for controlling intraocular inflammation.

First contact investigations and compliance to treatment in patients with uveitis

AIM:To ascertain the pattern of investigations at first contact in uveitic patients and evaluate compliance to treatment.METHODS:An observational study comprised of 201 uveitic patients presenting for the first time to our centre from January 2019 to June 2020.Detailed information regarding systemic investigations undertaken by specialists at the time of first contact and the cost of these investigations were reviewed on the first visit to our centre.Compliance with the treatment was determined and reasons behind non-compliance were evaluated on the first follow-up in patients who had no improvement in clinical signs and symptoms.RESULTS:The mean age of the study group was 35.35±14.1y and gender composition was 59.7%males and 40.3%females.Anterior uveitis was observed in 45.3%of patients,intermediate uveitis in 31.8%of patients,posterior uveitis in 14.9%of patients and panuveitis in 8.0%of patients.Association with a systemic disease was evident in 17.9%of patients.When compared with standard guidelines and uveitis patterns,systemic investigations were identified to be relevant only in 38.3%of patients.Non-compliance to treatment was documented in 22.4%of patients.Common reasons for non-compliance were inadequate counselling by the treating physician about treatment in 26.7%of patients and a busy schedule at work/school in 22.2%of patients.CONCLUSION:Significant number of investigations performed at first contact is found to be contrary to standard guidelines and are not contributory to the care.About a quarter of patients in this study are found to be non-compliant with the treatment.Compliance is more challenging to achieve in school-going children and working adults.The availability of comprehensive,periodically updated,evidence-based guidelines on the role of investigations and the use of trained counsellors may help to channelize proper evaluation and improve compliance to treatment,respectively,in patients with uveitis.

Syphilitic uveitis in HIV-positive patients: report of a case series, treatment outcomes, and comprehensive review of the literature

AIM:To report the clinical characteristics,treatment and outcomes of active syphilitic uveitis in human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)positive patients and compare them with the previously published data.METHODS:Retrospective analysis of the case series from an infectious disease center in southern China was conducted.Comprehensive review of previously published cases of HIV positive syphilitic uveitis was conducted using the PubMed and Web of Science databases and the references listed in the identified articles.RESULTS:Twelve HIV positive patients with active syphilitic uveitis were collected.All were male,with age of 36.3y(range 27 to 53y).Five(41.7%)had a history of syphilis,and three of them had received anti-syphilis treatment.Ocular manifestations included corneal epithelial defect(13%),complicated cataract(17.4%),vitreous opacity(82.6%),optic disc edema(26.1%),macular edema(30.4%),neuro-retinitis(43.5%),and retinal hemorrhage(26.1%).After standardized syphilitic treatment,intraocular inflammation was reduced and vision improved in all cases.The literature review summarizes 105 previously reported cases of HIV positive syphilitic uveitis.High serum rapid plasma regain(RPR)titers may be associated with severe uveitis and poor vision.Treatment with penicillin,ceftriaxone sodium,or penicillin plus benzylpenicillin instead of using benzylpenicillin alone can significantly improve bestcorrected visual acuity(BCVA)in HIV positive ocular syphilis patients.CONCLUSION:For HIV positive syphilitic uveitis patients,prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment and follow-up are paramount.In our series,the clinical manifestations are diverse.Syphilis patients treated by penicillin G or long-acting penicillin before may still develop syphilitic uveitis.Patients who relapse after long-term penicillin treatment can still benefit from penicillin G.

Ten Years of Epidemiological and Diagnostic Aspects of Non-Traumatic Anterior Uveitis at Campus Teaching Hospital of Lome-Togo

Background: Uveitis is a serious disease which dangerous complications can jeopardize the visual prognosis. Anterior uveitis (AU) is the inflammation of the anterior uvea which is composed of the iris and the ciliary body. The objective of the study was to identify the epidemiological and etiological determinants of non-traumatic anterior uveitis at the Campus Teaching Hospital of Lomé. Materials and methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of the records of patients diagnosed with anterior uveitis (AU) without a notion of trauma in the ophthalmology department of CHU Campus of Lomé from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 (10 years). Results: 141 cases of uveitis, representing a prevalence of 0.18%. Female predominance, with a sex ratio of 0.76. Mean age was 34.74 ± 13.20 years. Decreased visual acuity was the primary complaint (34.40%), followed by ocular pain (28%). Non-traumatic anterior uveitis was unilateral in 87.2% of cases. Retro-corneal precipitates were present in all patients. 61.60% of patients had Tyndall in the anterior chamber. The etiology of non-traumatic AU was undetermined in 76.80% of cases. Toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis and syphilis were the main etiologies found. Conclusion: Non-traumatic anterior uveitis is relatively rare but serious, often affecting young subjects. It is a pathology that engages eye health professionals, not only because of the difficulties involved in diagnosing the etiology, but also because of its progression which sometimes leads to blindness.

Ten Years of Epidemiological and Diagnostic Aspects of Non-Traumatic Anterior Uveitis at Campus Teaching Hospital of Lome-Togo

Background: Uveitis is a serious disease which dangerous complications can jeopardize the visual prognosis. Anterior uveitis (AU) is the inflammation of the anterior uvea which is composed of the iris and the ciliary body. The objective of the study was to identify the epidemiological and etiological determinants of non-traumatic anterior uveitis at the Campus Teaching Hospital of Lomé. Materials and methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of the records of patients diagnosed with anterior uveitis (AU) without a notion of trauma in the ophthalmology department of CHU Campus of Lomé from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 (10 years). Results: 141 cases of uveitis, representing a prevalence of 0.18%. Female predominance, with a sex ratio of 0.76. Mean age was 34.74 ± 13.20 years. Decreased visual acuity was the primary complaint (34.40%), followed by ocular pain (28%). Non-traumatic anterior uveitis was unilateral in 87.2% of cases. Retro-corneal precipitates were present in all patients. 61.60% of patients had Tyndall in the anterior chamber. The etiology of non-traumatic AU was undetermined in 76.80% of cases. Toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis and syphilis were the main etiologies found. Conclusion: Non-traumatic anterior uveitis is relatively rare but serious, often affecting young subjects. It is a pathology that engages eye health professionals, not only because of the difficulties involved in diagnosing the etiology, but also because of its progression which sometimes leads to blindness.

Surgical outcomes of complicated cataract with pediatric trematode granulomatous uveitis

AIM:To describe the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of complicated cataract with pediatric trematodal granulomatous uveitis(TGU).METHODS:Patients of cataract with TGU in the membranous(inactive) stage underwent cataract surgery with intraocular lens(IOL) implantation.Preoperative history and ophthalmic examination were conducted for all cases,whereas Schimphlug imaging and corneal topography were done for some patients.Postoperative follow up was done on the 1st,2nd,and 5th postoperative days after surgery.Then,it was done at least at one,three,and six months postoperatively.Intraoperative and postoperative complications and the methods of their management were reported.RESULTS:Twelve eyes of 12 male children were included in this study ranging from 8 to 16y.The mean best corrected Snellen visual acuity(BCVA) was significantly improved from 0.09±0.06 preoperatively to 0.37±0.11 at the final visit 6mo postoperatively(P<0.001).Schimphlug imaging and corneal topography showed flattening of the anterior surface of the inferior cornea.Intraoperative difficulties and complications included the poor dilatability of the drown down pupil,strong posterior synechia between the anterior lens capsule and the iris at the site of the inferior retrocorneal vascularized membrane and hyphema.All cases underwent primary hydrophobic IOL implantation.CONCLUSION:Surgery for this type of cataract is relatively safe and effective.It is associated with some specific difficulties and complications that should be considered during surgery and follow up.

Diagnosis of tuberculous uveitis by the macrogenome of intraocular fluid:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Tuberculous uveitis caused by tuberculosis infection factors is common,but tuberculous uveitis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis found in the intraocular fluid is rare.This report describes the use of intraocular fluid in the diagnosis of tuberculous uveitis in a patient and reviews the relevant literature.CASE SUMMARY A 24-year-old woman who was 31-wk pregnant visited Hebei Chest Hospital due to intermittent chest pain,fever,and decreased vision for 3 mo.The hydrothorax test suggested“tuberculous pleurisy”,and yellow effusion was extracted from the chest tube twice resulting in a total volume of approximately 800 mL.The patient chose to continue the pregnancy without treatment,and was hospitalized again due to high fever.Following 2 mo of anti-tuberculosis treatment,a healthy boy was delivered by cesarean section.Tuberculous uveitis was diagnosed using tuberculosis Xpert,and intraocular infection was detected by second-generation gene sequencing.Following systemic treatment,the patient gradually improved,and the corrected visual acuity of the left eye gradually increased from 0.08 to 1.0.CONCLUSION The etiology of uveitis is complex,and it is necessary to assess the patient’s general condition and apply molecular biology methods to determine the pathogenesis and guide precise treatment,to improve clinicians’awareness and standardize treatment of the disease.

Altering the intestinal microbiota for therapeutic benefit in uveitis

An intestinal dysbiosis is connected to a number of inflammatory diseases through various mechanisms relating to its effect on immune cell function and differentiation.This is a review of the literature summarizing our current understanding of intestinal microbial contributions to non-infectious uveitis and strategies to target the intestinal microbiome to treat uveitis.Several groups have demonstrated an intestinal dysbiosis associated with certain types of non-infectious uveitis.Additionally,approaches to treat uveitis by modifying the intestinal microbiota,such as oral antibiotics or administration of oral short chain fatty acids(SCFAs),which are intestinal bacterial metabolites produced by fermentation of dietary fiber,can successfully treat uveitis in mouse models.This reduction in severity of ocular inflammation occurs via the following mechanisms:enhancement of regulatory T cells,decreasing intestinal permeability,and/or affecting T cell trafficking between the intestines and the spleen.Other strategies that are directed at the intestinal microbiota that might be effective to treat uveitis include dietary changes,probiotics,or fecal microbial transplantation.The commensal gut bacteria are influential in systemic and intestinal mucosal immunity and thus contribute to the development of extraintestinal inflammation like uveitis.Targeting the intestinal microbiome thus has the potential to be a successful strategy to treat non-infectious uveitis.

Clinical features of ankylosing spondylitis associated with acute anterior uveitis in Chinese patients

AIM: To characterize the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Chinese patients. METHODS: Two hundred and three patients with uveitis associated with AS followed-up in the Third Military Medical University Daping Hospital between 2005 and 2010 were retrospectively evaluated in this study. Complete ophthalmological examinations were evaluated at baseline and during the follow-up period. The gender, age, follow-up time, mean frequency of uveitis onset, and accompanying eye examination findings, history, demographical parameters were reviewed. All the patients presented complete clinical and radiologic (sacroiliac, lumbar, dorsal and cervical spine, knee, ankle, shoulder, hip, elbow) evaluation. HLA-B27 typing was also searched. RESULTS: There were 203 patients diagnosed with AS associated welt's. All showed sacroiliac X-ray changes indicative of AS. There were 184 male and 19 female patients. The average age of patients was 35 +/- 12 (range 18-50). Mean follow-up period was 2.4 years (1-5 years). Acute anterior wets was the most common type of uveitis in both genders. 121 eyes presented unilateral involvement (55.2%), and 92 eyes presented bilateral involvement (45.3%) with onset alternately. 22 eyes occurred hypopyon, 16 eyes were found anterior vitreous cells, 7 eyes were noted reactive macular edema or exudation, 29 eyes presented posterior synechiae of iris, and 14 eyes presented cataract, 9 eyes presented secondary glaucoma, 2 eyes presented bend corneal degeneration and 1 eyes presented atrophy of eyeball. At the final visit, uveitis was well controlled in most patients. CONCLUSION: AS associated with uveitis in Chinese patients mainly manifests as acute anterior uveitis. A combination of corticosteroids with other mydriasis agents is effective for most AS associated with uveitis patients. In general, the prognosis is good in these cases.

Novel biomarkers for patients with idiopathic acute anterior uveitis:neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio

AIM： To assess the levels of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio（N/L） and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio（P/L） in patients with idiopathic acute anterior uveitis（AAU） and to compare with healthy controls.METHODS： Thirty-six male patients with idiopathic AAU and 36 male healthy subjects were enrolled in this retrospective study.Complete ophthalmological examination and complete blood count measurements results of all subjects were evaluated.RESULTS： There was a significant difference in N/L and P/L between idiopathic AAU and control groups（P=0.006,P=0.022）.Also,correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between C-reactive protein（CRP） and N/L（P= 0.002;r=0.461）.CONCLUSION： Our study for the first time provides evidence of N/L and P/L may be useful biomarkers in patients with idiopathic AAU.N/L is correlated with CRP,so it can be a useful biomarker to predict the prognosis in idiopathic AAU.

Phacoemulsification versus small incision cataract surgery in patients with uveitis

AIMTo compare the safety and efficacy of phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery (SICS) in patients with uveitic cataract.METHODSIn a prospective, randomized multi-centric study, consecutive patients with uveitic cataract were randomized to receive phacoemulsification or manual SICS by either of two surgeons well versed with both the techniques. A minimum inflammation free period of 3mo (defined as less than 5 cells per high power field in anterior chamber) was a pre-requisite for eligibility for surgery. Superior scleral tunnel incisions were used for both techniques. Improvement in visual acuity post-operatively was the primary outcome measure and the rate of post-operative complications and surgical time were secondary outcome measures, respectively. Means of groups were compared using t-tests. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used when there were more than two groups. Chi-square tests were used for proportions. Kaplan Meyer survival analysis was done and means for survival time was estimated at 95% confidence interval (CI). A P value of &#x0003c;0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-six of 139 patients (90.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up. Seven patients were lost in follow up and another six excluded due to either follow-up less than six months (n=1) or inability implant an intraocular lens (IOL) because of insufficient capsular support following posterior capsule rupture (n=5). There was significant improvement in vision after both the procedures (paired t-test; P&#x0003c;0.001). On first postoperative day, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/63 or better in 31 (47%) patients in Phaco group and 26 (43.3%) patients in SICS group (P=0.384). The mean surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was 0.86&#x000b1;0.34 dioptres (D) in the phacoemulsification group and 1.16&#x000b1;0.28 D in SICS group. The difference between the groups was significant (t-test, P=0.002). At 6mo, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 20/60 or better in 60 (90.9%) patients in Phaco group and 53 (88.3%) in the manual SICS group (P=0.478). The mean surgical time was significantly shorter in the manual SICS group (10.8&#x000b1;2.9 versus 13.2&#x000b1;2.6min) (P&#x0003c;0.001). Oral prednisolone, 1 mg/kg body weight was given 7d prior to surgery, continued post-operatively and tapered according to the inflammatory response over 4-6wk in patients with previously documented macular edema, recurrent uveitis, chronic anterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis. Rate of complications like macular edema (Chi-square, P=0.459), persistent uveitis (Chi-square, P=0.289) and posterior capsule opacification (Chi-square, P=0.474) were comparable between both the groups.CONCLUSIONManual SICS and phacoemulsification do not differ significantly in complication rates and final CDVA outcomes. However, manual SICS is significantly faster. It may be the preferred technique in settings where surgical volume is high and access to phacoemulsification is limited, such as in eye camps. It may also be the appropriate technique for uveitic cataract under such circumstances.

Therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells administered at later phase of recurrent experimental autoimmune uveitis

AIM：To test the therapeutic effects of delayed treatment of mesenchymal stem cells（MSCs） in recurrent experimental autoimmune uveitis（r EAU）.METHODS： The efficacy of different regimens of MSC administration in r EAU were tested by evaluation of clinical and pathological intraocular inflammation,as well as retinal structural and functional integrity using optical coherence tomography（OCT） and electroretinogram（ERG）.The retinal sections were also immunostained with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein（GFAP）and rhodopsin（RHO）. RESULTS： Delayed treatment of MSCs effectively alleviated the severity of intraocular inflammation with relative intact of outer retinal structure and function.Moreover,double therapies with longer interval led to an even better clinical evaluation,as well as a trend of decrease in relapse and amelioration of retinal function.MSC therapies also effectively reduced GFAP expression and increased RHO expression in the retina.CONCLUSION： MSC administration can effectively treat developed diseases of rEAU,and multiple therapies can provide additional therapeutic benefits.

Corneal esthesiometry and sub-basal nerves morphological changes in herpes simplex virus keratitis/uveitis patients

AIM: To describe and compare corneal sensation and morphological changes of sub-basal corneal nerves by in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy(LSCM) in herpes simplex virus(HSV) keratitis/uveitis and contralateral, clinically unaffected eyes. METHODS: A prospective clinical study included 30 HSV eyes and 30 contralateral eyes of 30 patients, diagnosed with unilateral HSV keratitis/uveitis. Both eyes underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometry and LSCM of the central cornea, using the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph III Rostock Cornea Module. After 6 mo, the same examination of the HSV affected and contralateral, clinically unaffected eyes was performed.RESULTS: HSV eyes, as compared to contralateral eyes, demonstrated a significant decrease in mean corneal sensation(3.1±1.6 vs 5.3±0.8 cm), total nerve fibres number(5.7±4.4 vs 15.1±5.4), nerve branches(3.4±3.0 vs 8.4±4.7), main nerve trunks(2.3±1.6 vs 5.8±2.2), and nerve fibres density(7.5±5.6 vs 18.1±5.3 mm/mm2, P<0.05). There was no significant difference between keratitis and uveitis eyes in mean corneal sensation and nerve fibres parameters. After 6 mo, corneal sensation and sub-basal nerve fibres parameters were increased significantly, but did not reach the parameters of contralateral, clinically unaffected eyes.CONCLUSION: Corneal aesthesiometry and LSCM in HSV affected eyes reveals a significant decrease of corneal sensation and sub-basal nerve fibres which recovers at6 mo but does not reach the normal level.