Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of new generation artificial intelligence (AI)-based intraocular lens (IOL)power calculation formulas. Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 262 eyes from 262 patients with cataract who underwent uneventful phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation. Keratometry, corneal white-to-white, central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and axial length were measured by the IOL Master 700 before surgery. Predicted refractive errors were calculated by the third-generation formulas (SRK/T, Holladay 1, and Hoffer Q), Barrett UniversalⅡ (BUⅡ), and the newer-generation AI formulas (Kane, Pearl-DGS, Hill-RBF 3.0, Hoffer QST, and Jin-AI), and were compared with the actual postoperative refractive value. After adjusting the prediction error (PE) to zero, the standard deviation (SD), mean absolute error (MAE), median absolute error (MedAE), and the percentage of a PE within the range of ±0.25 diopter (D), ±0.50 D, ±1.00 D, and ±2.00 D were analyzed. Results: The SD, MAE, and MedAE of the AI-based formulas ranged from 0.37 D (Kane and Jin-AI) to 0.39 D (Hoffer QST), 0.28 D (Hill-RBF 3.0 and Jin-AI) to 0.31 D (Hoffer QST), and 0.21 D (Hill-RBF 3.0 and Jin-AI) to 0.24 D (Hoffer QST), respectively. These values were all lower than those of the third-generation formula (SD: 0.43 D to 0.45 D; MAE: 0.34 D; MedAE: 0.25 D to 0.28 D). Among all the formulas, the Jin-AI formula had the highest proportion of a PE within ±0.50 D (84.73%), followed by Kane (84.35%) and BUⅡ (83.97%) formulas. Conclusion: The new AI-based IOL formulas show higher accuracy compared with the traditional third-generation ones in predicting IOL power. thereby enabling more patients to achieve the expected refractive outcomes after surgery
The retina is a part of the central nervous system. Developmentally, both retina and brain are derived from the neural tube. Therefore, many neurodegenerative diseases that occur in the brain tend to involve both the retina. In the process of neurodegenerative diseases, related characteristic pathological changes, such as pathological protein aggregation, neurovascular unit impairment can often be detected in retinal tissue. In some neurodegenerative diseases, pathological changes in the eye occur even before clinical symptoms appear. In addition, the retina are easy to observe and local treatments are convenient. In recent years, the manifestations of the retina have attracted much attention in the study of pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and new treatments of systemic central neurodegenerative diseases. In this way, this article reviews the ocular pathological changes of common neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to provide new insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of brain and retinal neurodegenerative diseases.
Clinical drug trials are confronted with two major issues: first, data authenticity, for instance, if any data falsification is conducted during the whole trial; second, whether the standard of procedure is accordingly conducted throughout the whole trial or not. Currently, both domestic and overseas clinical drug trials are not supervised without delay (ex-post inspection). Blockchain technology can improve the efficiency of Food and Drug Administration and the transparency of trials while the rights and safety of human research subjects are guaranteed by the integrated technology such as chained structure, asymmetry key algorithm, hash algorithm, and smart contract. Furthermore, with the assistance of internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the actual supervision over the whole trial and automatic recruitment of human research subjects are expected to achieve.
Traditional fundus surgery requires ophthalmologists to be equipped with sophisticated operating techniques, but even with the most sophisticated operating techniques, fundus surgery still has great risks. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of surgery and improve the quality of surgery, it is very necessary to improve the traditional fundus surgery. In recent years, with China’s strong support for the artificial intelligence industry, robots used in various industries have been born. Robot auxiliary system (RAS) is widely used in the medical field, especially in ophthalmology. By summarizing the cases of fundus surgery with RAS in recent years and comparing the fundus surgery involving RAS with traditional fundus surgery, it can be found that the application of RAS in fundus surgery can significantly improve the efficiency of surgery and reduce the risk of surgery. The future development trend of RAS may focus on the close integration with deep learning algorithms, which can predict and optimize the field of view images during surgery so that high-precision fundus surgery can be more efficient and safer.
Objective: To evaluate the safety and effect of topical IL-6 inhibitor tocilizumab eye drops in regulating corneal alkali burn repair. Methods: Six mice without corneal burns were locally treated with tocilizumab eye drops (2.5 mg/mL) and six mice with corneal pseudo burn were treated with saline, respectively, as experimental and blank groups to evaluate the safety of tocilizumab eye drops. 30 alkali burned mice were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group in a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group received tocilizumab eye drops, while the control group received physiological saline solution 6 times per day for 14 days. Observe the anterior adhesion of the iris, detachment of the Descemet membrane, and corneal edema through anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and examine corneal scarring and epithelial wound healing under a stereomicroscope. Evaluate IL-6 localization, myofibroblasts, immune cell infiltration, and corneal epithelial metaplasia on corneal sections. Evaluate corneal neovascularization and neovascularization area by whole-mount cornea staining. Detect the expression level of IL-6 in mouse cornea by qRT-PCR. Results: No significant damage to the corneal structure was observed in the treatment of unburned corneas with tocilizumab. After corneal alkali burns, the corneal structure was damaged, corneal scarring was formed, and delayed healing of corneal epithelial wounds was observed.After treatment with tocilizumab, the incidence of anterior synechia of the iris significantly decreased from 86.67% to 20% (P <0.01), the incidence of Descemet membrane detachment decreased from 93.33% to 53.33% (P <0.05), the corneal thickness was significantly less than that of the control group (100.03±15.73) μ m vs. (207.02±56.30)μ m (P <0.001), the corneal opacity score decreased from 3.76±0.44 in the control group to 1.94±0.83 in the treatment group (P <0.001), and the epithelial healing rate in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group on day 5 (P <0.05), day 10 (P <0.001), and day 14 (P <0.001).After corneal alkali burns, IL-6 was distributed throughout the corneal layer, and a large number of myofibroblasts and immune cells were observed. After treatment with tocilizumab, the expression of IL-6 was inhibited (decreased by 77.5%, P <0.05), the number of myofibroblasts decreased from (91.44±65.60) per field to (12.89±10.51) per field (P <0.01), and the number of immune cells decreased from (60.30±28.71) cells per field to (6.80±3.82) cells per field (P <0.001). In addition, tocilizumab also reduced the number of goblet cells per field in corneal sections (from 11.3±5.29 to 2.0±1.90) (P <0.01), and reduced the formation of corneal neovascularization and neovascular lymphatic vessels (by 76.86% and 71.16%, respectively, both P <0.001). Conclusion: Topical use of tocilizumab to inhibit IL-6 showed no significant corneal toxicity and can regulate the repair of cornea after alkali burns.
Background: To develop and assess usability of a smartphone-based visual acuity (VA) test with an automatic distance calibration (ADC) function, the iOS version of WHOeyes. Methods: The WHOeyes was an upgraded version with a distinct feature of ADC of an existing validated VA testing APP called V@home. Three groups of Chinese participants with different ages (≤20, 20-40, >40 years) were recruited for distance and near VA testing using both an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart and the WHOeyes. The ADC function would determine the testing distance. Infrared rangefinder was used to determine the testing distance for the ETDRS, and actual testing distance for the WHOeyes. A questionnaire-based interview was administered to assess satisfaction. Results: The actual testing distance determined by the WHOeyes ADC showed an overall good agreement with the desired testing distance in all three age groups (p > 0.50). Regarding the distance and near VA testing, the accuracy of WHOeyes was equivalent to ETDRS. The mean difference between the WHOeyes and ETDRS ranged from -0.084 to 0.012 logMAR, and the quadratic weighted kappa (QWK) values were greater than 0.75 across all groups. The test-retest reliability of WHOeyes was high for both near and distance VA, with a mean difference ranging from -0.040 to 0.004 logMAR and QWK all greater than 0.85. The questionnaire revealed an excellent user experience and acceptance of WHOeyes. Conclusion: WHOeyes could provide accurate measurement of the testing distance as well as the distance and near VA when compared to the gold standard ETDRS chart.
Objective: To identify neurofibromatosis in retinopathy through high-throughput sequencing analysis and provide important indicators for early diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Variants in NF1 and NF2 were selected from in-house high-throughput sequencing, including targeted exome sequencing, exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing, of individuals with different eye conditions. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were assessed according to ACMG/AMP criteria. All the available clinical data, including clinical manifestation, family history and other examination results, were summarized and further analyzed to determine whether neurofibromatosis. Results: Based on the results of in-house high-throughput sequencing, a total of ten pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in NF1 and NF2 were identified in 11 unrelated cases with various eye conditions, including three NF2 variants in four cases and seven NF1 variants in seven cases. The unrelated cases with NF1 and NF2 variants had initial clinical manifestation similar to familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR), macular or retinal dystrophy, strabismus, retinitis pigmentosa, Coats disease, or morning glory syndrome. In one of these cases, who was diagnosed as FEVR at the initial visit, three pathogenic variants of three different genes were identified, namely NF2: c.122G>A/p.(W41*), RS1: c.520C>T/p.(R174W) and NYX: c.1027C>T/p.(R343C). Follow-up examination on this case revealed a complex retinopathy, which were consistent with clinical presentations due to pathogenic variants in NF2, RS1, and NYX, as well as bilateral vestibular schwannomas, spinal ependymoma and multiple schwannomas by MRI. In addition to this patient, a follow-up examination on four of the seven cases present Café-au-lait macules or freckling, which could be easily neglected if neurofibromatosis is not realized on the initial visit, while one had neurofibromatosis in cerebellum. Conclusions: Complex retinopathy may present as the initial sign of neurofibromatosis, and high-throughput sequencing analysis for neurofibromatosis related genes contribute to early diagnosis of neurofibromatosis and facilitating early identification of vital systemic complication.
Glaucoma, a group of optic nerve degenerative diseases, is characterized by papillary atrophy, visual field defects, and decreased vision. It is also the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, significantly reducing patients’ the quality of life of patients and posing considerable health economic burdens. However, the pathogenesis of glaucoma remains unclear, and promoting aqueous humor outflow to reduce intraocular pressure is the only treatment option available to slow disease progression. The main pathway for aqueous humor outflow is through the trabecular meshwork into Schlemm's canal and finally into the episcleral veins, highlighting the crucial role of the trabecular meshwork in regulating aqueous humor outflow and maintaining intraocular pressure balance. In recent years, there have been notable breakthroughs in in vivo and in vitro aqueous humor outflow measurement techniques and trabecular meshwork imaging technologies.Many studies suggest that the trabecular meshwork exhibits pressure-dependent rhythmic pulsation, playing a crucial role in the pulse-like outflow of aqueous humor. Unfortunately, in glaucoma, this pulsation weakens or even disappears as the disease progresses. This article focuses on the trabecular meshwork's pump theory and summarizes the latest research progress in aqueous humor outflow in glaucoma, exploring potential effective therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring trabecular meshwork function. This provides new insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
Objective: To develop a cellular-level, high-resolution, integrated dual-modal full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) system capable of simultaneously imaging the structure and function of limbus tissue. Methods: Utilizing the Linnik interference imaging principle, a high-resolution dual-modal FFOCT system was designed and constructed using a high numerical aperture (NA=0.8) microscope objective and a high-speed flat CMOS camera. A functional imaging reconstruction algorithm based on four-phase modulation structure image extraction and dynamic frequency spectrum analysis of temporal interference signals was developed. The effectiveness of dual-mode FFOCT imaging at various depth layers of human corneal limbal tissue was validated. Results: The constructed dual-modal FFOCT imaging system achieved lateral resolution of 0.5 μ m, axial resolution of 1.7 μ m, imaging field of view of 320 μ m × 320 μ m, and camera acquisition speed of 100 Hz. The system enabled cellular-level resolution three-dimensional structural and intrinsic functional imaging of corneal limbal tissue without exogenous labeling. Static structural FFOCT images clearly displayed limbal epithelium, palisades of Vogt, crypts, stroma, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels, while dynamic functional FFOCT images highlighted metabolically active cells (limbal epithelial cells, immune cells, etc.). Conclusion: The dual-modal FFOCT high-resolution imaging system provides visualization of corneal limbal microstructural and live cell intrinsic functional information without labeling, offering a novel imaging analysis technique for research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of limbal diseases.
Objective: To investigate the potential bidirectional causal association between osteoarthritis and glaucoma through the application of bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: Instrumental variables were selected in this study based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) strongly associated with osteoarthritis and glaucoma, as utilizing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was served as the primary analytical approach, while the weighted median mode, simple plurality and MR-Egger regression methods were employed as complementary methods. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using F-statistic, Cochran Q-test, MR Egger's intercept test, leave-one-out, and multiplicity of residuals and outliers method (MR-PRESSO). The ratio of odds ratios (OR) was adopted as the primary effect estimate, and the strength of association was evaluated by 95% confidence interval (CI) to explore the bidirectional causal relationship between osteoarthritis and glaucoma. Results: The IVW analysis revealed that osteoarthritis elevates the risk of glaucoma with an odds ratio of (OR) of 1.10(95% CI: 1.00-1.20). While the adjunctive methods concurred with this causal direction, their findings did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, the inverse Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis utilizing the inverse variance weighting method demonstrated that glaucoma does not enhance the risk of developing osteoarthritis (OR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.97-1.08). This conclusion was upheld by all four auxiliary methods. The F-statistic values for the selected SNP exceeded 10, indicating the absence of weak instrumental variables. Furthermore, the Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and MR- PRESSO analyses revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among the SNP. However, the inverse MR analysis displayed heterogeneity in the Cochran Q test, yet no horizontal pleiotropy was detected. The leave-one-out method analysis identified no significant influence of any individual SNP on the overall results. Conclusions: Forward MR analyses indicated that osteoarthritis may serve as a risk factor for glaucoma, indicating a positive correlation between the two conditions. Conversely, reverse MR analysis failed to establish a causal link between glaucoma and osteoarthritis.
