PURPOSE:To evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of biosimilar SSGJ-601 compared with ranibizumab in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). DESIGN:A multicenter, randomized, double-masked, active-controlled phase 3 clinical study. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 351 patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO were enrolled. METHODS:Evaluable patients (N=351) were randomized to receive intravitreal SSGJ-601(1.25mg per eye, Q4W) or intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5mg per eye, Q4W) from day 1 through week 20 (6 injections in total), and treatment transitioned to a pro re nata (PRN) schedule based on investigator-assessed retreatment criteria from week 24 to week 48. All patients completed their end-of-study visit at week 52. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The primary efficacy endpoint was the Least Squares (LS) mean difference in change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), measured by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score, from baseline to week 24. Secondary efficacy endpoints, safety, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and change in VEGF concentration of SSGJ-601 were also analyzed. RESULTS:Demographic and baseline characteristics and exposure to treatment were similar between groups. In the study eye, SSGJ-601 was non-inferior to ranibizumab in improving the LS mean in BCVA letter count from baseline to week 24 (17.6 (0.66) vs. 18.2 (0.65) letters, -0.6 with 95%CI: (-2.4,1.3), P for non-inferior<0.0001), thus, the primary clinical efficacy end point was met. At each time point, the proportions of patients achieving BCVA gains of ≥5, ≥10, and ≥15 letters in the SSGJ-601 group were non-inferior to those in the ranibizumab group. Drug-related TEAEs (11.4% vs. 12.5%) and SAEs (6.9% vs. 9.1%) were comparable in the two treatment groups. A low incidence of binding antidrug antibodies was observed in SSGJ-611 group. CONCLUSIONS:This study supports the conclusion of no clinical meaningful differences in efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity between SSGJ-601 and ranibizumab in patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO. Additionally, treatment transitioned to a pro re nata (PRN) schedule based on investigator-assessed retreatment criteria resulted in sustained benefits in visual and anatomical outcomes.
Usher syndrome (USH) is a rare genetic disease characterized by sensorineural deafness and blindness called retinitis pigmentosa, and it is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern with a prevalence of four to 17 per 100,000 people worldwide. In this study, a consanguineous Chinese family with USH, including two affected individuals and five unaffected individuals, was recruited. All subjects received an ophthalmic examination and an auditory examination. The two USH patients exhibited severe early-onset hearing and vision loss. DNA samples from the two USH patients were analyzed using whole-exome sequencing. A novel homozygous frameshift mutation (NM_206933.4:c.6379_6380delinsC, p.G2127Pfs∗25) in USH2A, resulting in a truncated USH2A protein lacking 3051 amino acids, was identified in the proband. In addition, novel compound mutations in USH2A (one allele harboring NM_206933.4:c.9958G>T, p.G3320C; NM_206933.4:c.8284C>G, p.P2762A; and the other NM_206933.4:c.6379_6380delinsC; p.G2127Pfs∗25) were identified in the other affected individual. In silico analysis predicts that while the p.G3320C mutation has little impact on the local structure around the mutation site, the p.P2762A substitution may alter the protein's interaction with its binding partners. In addition, p.G2127Pfs∗25 causes a truncation of a major portion of the protein that severely disrupts the protein structure and results in the loss of its function. In conclusion, this study identified novel USH mutations in USH2A and expanded the spectrum of disease-associated variants in the USH2A gene, which will promote the molecular screening of genetic mutations in USH patients.
Purpose:This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose efdamrofusp alfa (IBI302, targeting VEGF and complement C3b/4b) with personalized dosing intervals in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Design:A multicenter, randomized, double-masked, active-controlled, noninferiority phase II trial. Participants:A total of 132 anti-VEGF naïve or previously treated participants with nAMD were enrolled. Methods:Eligible participants were randomized (1:1:1) to receive IBI302 6.4 mg, IBI302 8.0 mg, or aflibercept 2.0 mg. Efdamrofusp alfa groups were dosed every 8 weeks (Q8W) or every 12 weeks (Q12W), based on disease activity assessment at week 20, after 4 monthly injections. The aflibercept 2.0-mg group was dosed Q8W, after 3 monthly injections. Main Outcome Measures:The primary endpoint was the mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to week 40. The prespecified noninferiority margin was 4 letters. Results:The least squares mean (standard error) changes in BCVA from baseline to week 40 were +10.5 (1.5) letters with IBI302 6.4 mg, +9.2 (1.5) letters with IBI302 8.0 mg, and +9.7 (1.5) letters with aflibercept 2.0 mg. The estimated differences were +0.8 (80% confidence interval: -1.9 to 3.6, noninferiority test: P = 0.0115) for IBI302 6.4 mg versus aflibercept 2.0 mg and -0.5 (-3.3 to 2.2, noninferiority test: P = 0.0123) for IBI302 8.0 mg versus aflibercept 2.0 mg. Over 80% of participants in IBI302 groups were dosed Q12W after week 20 and maintained their regimens until the end of study. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the study eye were reported in 36.4% of participants receiving IBI302 6.4 mg, 37.8% receiving IBI302 8.0 mg, and 23.3% receiving aflibercept 2.0 mg. The most common ocular TEAE was conjunctival hemorrhage (9.1% for 6.4 mg and 11.1% for 8.0 mg) in both IBI302 groups, whereas cataract (7.0%) was the most frequent ocular TEAE in the aflibercept 2.0-mg group. Conclusions:Efdamrofusp alfa 6.4 and 8.0 mg dosed up to Q12W demonstrated noninferior visual gain to aflibercept 2.0 mg Q8W. Moreover, IBI302 groups were well tolerated. These findings suggested that high-dose IBI302 with extended dosing intervals could provide sustained visual benefits for patients with nAMD. Financial Disclosures:Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
PURPOSE:To evaluate efficacy and safety of efdamrofusp alfa compared with aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). DESIGN:Randomized, double-masked, multicenter, active-controlled, noninferiority phase II study. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 231 treatment-naive and previously treated participants with active choroidal neovascularization secondary to nAMD were enrolled. METHODS:Eligible participants were randomized (1:1:1) to 2 mg efdamrofusp alfa, 4 mg efdamrofusp alfa, or 2 mg aflibercept groups. Participants in all groups received 3 initial monthly loading doses, followed by treatment every 8 weeks, with assessment every 4 weeks up to week 52. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The primary end point was the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change from baseline to week 36. The prespecified noninferiority margin was set as -5 letters (80% confidence interval [CI]). RESULTS:Each treatment group included 77 participants. The mean BCVA changes from baseline to week 36 for 2 mg efdamrofusp alfa, 4 mg efdamrofusp alfa and aflibercept groups were +10.6, +11.4, and +12.0 letters, respectively; least squares mean difference were -1.4 (80% CI: -3.5 to 0.7) between 2 mg efdamrofusp alfa and aflibercept, and -0.6 (80% CI: -2.7 to 1.6) between 4 mg efdamrofusp alfa and aflibercept. Mean central retinal thickness changes were consistent across groups. Adverse event rate was comparable among the groups. CONCLUSIONS:Efdamrofusp alfa demonstrated noninferiority to aflibercept in BCVA improvement, accompanied by a similar safety profile. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S):The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to report a case of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) keratitis misdiagnosed as fungal keratitis due to its clinical presentation being similar to that of fungal keratitis, ultimately diagnosed by NGS. Patients and Methods: A 59-year-old male presented with reduced vision in the right eye, combined with a history of trauma with vegetative matter. The corneal ulcer was accompanied with feathery infiltration, satellite lesion, and endothelial plaques. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) showed hyper-reflective linear, thin, and branching interlocking structures. Fungal keratitis was diagnosed. Voriconazole 100 mg orally daily, topical tobramycin and 1% voriconazole were initiated empirically right away. The condition was aggravated and penetrating keratoplasty was performed. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) demonstrated the presence of plaques with a clear boundary between plaques and endothelium, resembling the AS-OCT images observed in cases of viral keratitis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) further detected HSV-1 deoxyribonucleic acid, and no fungal component was found. Antifungal agents were discontinued and antiviral treatments were added. Results: We successfully treated a patient with HSV-1 keratitis who was misdiagnosed due to clinical features and IVCM findings similar to fungal keratitis. The patient's infection was controlled. At 2 years after surgery, the cornea recovered well. Conclusions: HSV-1 keratitis with atypical clinical presentation can be easily misdiagnosed. This case report emphasizes the importance of NGS in diagnosing the pathogens of keratitis.
This trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety between biosimilar QL1207 and the reference aflibercept for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). This randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial was conducted at 35 centers in China. Patients aged ≥ 50 years old with untreated subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to nAMD and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score of 73–34 were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravitreous injections of QL1207 or aflibercept 2 mg (0.05 ml) in the study eye every 4 weeks for the first 3 months, followed by 2 mg every 8 weeks until week 48, stratified by baseline BCVA ≥ or < 45 letters. The primary endpoint was BCVA change from baseline at week 12. The equivalence margin was ± 5 letters. The safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics (PK), and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration were also evaluated. A total of 366 patients were enrolled (QL1207 group, n = 185; aflibercept group, n = 181) from Aug 2019 to Jan 2022 with comparable baseline characteristics. The least-squares mean difference in BCVA changes was − 1.1 letters (95
The purpose of this study is to explore the associations among dry eye disease (DED), air pollution, and meteorological conditions in the cold region of a northeastern Chinese metropolis (i.e., Changchun). Data on ambient air pollutants and meteorological parameters as well as diagnosed DED outpatients during 2015–2021 were collected. The associations between DED and environmental factors were analysed at multiple time scales using various statistical methods (i.e., correlation, regression and machine learning). Among the 10,809 DED patients (21,617 eyes) studied, 64.60% were female and 35.40% were male. A higher frequency of DED was observed in March and April, followed by January, August and October. Individual and multiple factor models showed the positive importance of particles with aerodynamic diameters <10 μm (PM 10 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O 3 ) among normal air pollutants and air pressure (AP), air temperature (AT) and wind speed (WS) among normal meteorological parameters. Air pollutants (PM 10 , nitrogen dioxide: NO 2 ) and meteorological parameters (AT, AP) have combined impacts on DED occurrence. For the first time, we further explored the associations of detailed components of atmospheric particles and DED, suggesting potential emission sources, including spring dust from bare soil and roads and precursor pollutants of summer O 3 formation from vehicles and industry in Northeast China. Our results revealed the quantitative associations among air pollutants, meteorological conditions and DED outpatients in cold regions, highlighting the importance of coordinated policies in air pollution control and climate change mitigation.
Introduction:The efficacy and safety of 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops in Chinese patients with dry eye in the real-world setting remains unclear.Methods:3099 patients with dry eye symptoms were screened according to Asia Dry Eye Society latest recommendation. Among them, 3000 patients were enrolled for a phase IV study. We followed up with multiple clinical characteristics including corneal fluorescein staining, tear break up time, Schirmer's tests, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and others. The follow ups were performed at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment.Results:Based on the results of corneal fluorescein staining and tear break up time, all age and gender subgroups exhibited obvious alleviation of the symptoms among the patients with dry eye, and the data in elderly group showed the most significant alleviation. All the adverse drug reactions (ADRs, 6.17%) were recorded, among which 6% local ocular ADRs were included. Meanwhile, mild ADRs (91.8%) accounted for the most. Most of the ADRs (89.75%) got a quick and full recovery, with an average time at 15.6 days. 1.37% of patients dropped out of the study due to ADRs.Discussion:The use of 3% diquafosol sodium eye drop is effective and safe in the treatment of dry eye, with a low incidence of ADRs showing mild symptoms. This trial was registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ID: ChiCTR1900021999 (Registration Date: 19/03/2019).
Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a common ocular condition that needs prompt diagnosis and careful treatment interventions. If left untreated, it can lead to numerous sight-threatening complications, including ulceration of the cornea, blepharitis, alterations of the tear film, conjunctivitis, and in severe cases, may lead to scarring, thinning, and even perforation of the cornea. Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a non-laser high-intensity light source that has shown to play a valuable role in dry eye disease. Recent evidence from various research works has shown that IPL modifies the mechanism of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which helps to relieve the symptoms of DED. In this review, we demonstrated the mechanism of action of IPL, including its benefits on DED. The emerging evidence shows that the role of IPL in DED is novel and therapeutic. These results direct us to conclude that IPL is a potentially beneficial tool and essential future therapy for dry eye disease. Advances in the treatment of DED will lead to a better quality of life. However, tools to recognize potentially severe side effects of DED earlier in order to treat or prevent them must be developed.
This study is the first to explore the potential associations among allergic conjunctivitis (AC), air pollution, and meteorological conditions in Northeast China. Data of meteorology, ambient atmospheric pollutants, and the incidence of allergic conjunctivitis (IAC) in prefecture-level cities between the years 2014 and 2018 are analyzed. The results show an increasing trend in the AC of average growth rate per annum 7.6%, with the highest incidence in the provincial capitals. The IAC is positively correlated with atmospheric pollutants (i.e., PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 ) and meteorological factors (i.e., air temperature and wind speed), but negatively correlated with relative humidity. These results suggest that the IAC is directly proportional to pollution level and climatic conditions, and also the precedence of air pollution. We have further obtained the threshold values of atmospheric pollutants concentration and meteorological factors, a turning point above which more AC may be induced. Compared with the air quality standard advised by China and the World Health Organization (WHO), both thresholds of PM 10 (70 μg m −3 ) and PM 2.5 (45 μg m −3 ) are higher than current standards and pose a less environmental risk for the IAC. SO 2 threshold (23 μg m −3 ) is comparable to the WHO standard and significantly lower than that of China’s, indicating greater environmental risks in China. Both thresholds of NO 2 (27 μg m −3 ) and O 3 (88 μg m −3 ) are below current standards, indicating that they are major environmental risk factors for the IAC. Our findings highlight the importance of atmospheric environmental protection and reference for health-based amendment.
Abstract: To report 2 successfully managed cases of graft rejection with acellular porcine corneal stroma (APCS) transplantation in patients with fungal corneal ulcer. Two patients were diagnosed with fungal corneal ulcer and received APCS transplantation. Graft rejection developed due to the lost follow-up during the period of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. Amniotic membranes transplantation and cauterization of neovascularization was performed, respectively. The graft failure resolved successfully after the procedure. To the best of our knowledge, amniotic membranes transplantation and cauterization of new vessels are the firstly reported in treating APCS graft failure. Amniotic membranes transplantation or cauterization of neovascularization appear to be a safe and costeffective method for treating graft failure.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a complex group of hereditary retinal dystrophies. Although >60 genes have been identified to be associated with non‑syndromic RP, the exact genetic variant remains elusive in numerous cases of RP. In the present study, a Chinese pedigree affected by RP with autosomal recessive inheritance, including a total of seven members with one affected patient and six unaffected individuals, was recruited. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed on the proband and the proband's unaffected daughter. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Whole‑exome sequencing (WES) was performed for the affected individual. The candidate pathogenic variant was verified by direct Sanger sequencing. The affected individual presented with classical clinical symptoms of RP. A novel homozygous variant, c.265delC (p.L89Ffs*3) in the cyclic nucleotide‑gated channel subunit α 1 gene was identified in the affected patient. This homozygous variant was absent in other unaffected family members and 600 ethnicity‑matched healthy controls. The variant was co‑segregated with the disease phenotype in an autosomal recessive manner.
Objective This study investigated an alternative approach for obtaining donor corneas for keratoplasty that can be used in nations with high corneal demand and high costs for treatment of non-healing ulcers or lesions. Methods Eighteen patients (18 eyes) who underwent tectonic keratoplasty using small incision refractive lenticule extraction (SMILE)-extracted lenticule were included. Data were recorded regarding age, corneal status, corneal lesion location and size, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, lenticule layer, and additional medical history. Results Corneal thinning and corneal perforation in 13 and 5 patients, respectively, were treated with tectonic keratoplasty using SMILE-extracted lenticule. After tectonic keratoplasty, globe integrity was maintained in 16 of the 18 patients. The mean decimal visual acuity improved from 0.2555±0.3326 preoperatively to 0.3303±0.3487 at the final follow-up. Visual acuity improvement was greater in patients with corneal perforation than in patients with corneal thinning. In addition, visual acuity was most improved in patients with infratemporal lesions. Conclusion Tectonic keratoplasty using SMILE-extracted lenticule is a comparatively safe, effective, and reliable alternative approach for the treatment of corneal lesions.
如何将所学知识与临床实践结合起来让学生最大限度的理解 、消化 、吸收并应用是医学院校教师教学工作的难点.在眼科学的教学中引进多媒体形式的PBL教学法可使学生们在问题中学习 、实践,在实践中提出新问题,再学习 、再实践,这是一个循环上升的学习模式,有着广阔的推广价值.
Diabetes mellitus is a global issue with increasing incidence rate worldwide. In an uncontrolled case, it can advance to various organ-related complications leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) appears to be a fairly novel lncRNA that is relevant to diabetes and its role in diabetic-related diseases initiation and progression have long been a subject of attention to many scholars. The expression of MALAT1 is elevated in different diabetic-related diseases. In this review, we demonstrate the various functions of MALAT1 in the different diabetes-related complications including ischemic reperfusion injury, retinopathy, cataract, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, gastroparesis, kidney disease, and gestational diabetes. The emerging evidence showed that the role of MALAT1 in diabetic-related complications is both pro-inflammatory and apoptosis in different cell types. These results concluded that MALAT1 is a potential diagnostic and future targeted therapy for diabetes-associated complications.
Usher syndrome is the most common condition of combined blindness and deafness and is classified into three types (USH1‑USH3). USH2 is the most commonly diagnosed of all Usher syndrome cases. There are three identified proteins (usherin, GPR98 and whirlin) that form the USH2 complex. Defects in any of these proteins may cause failure in the formation of the USH2 complex, which is the primary cause of USH2. Whirlin is a scaffold protein and is essential for the assembly of the USH2 protein complex. It has been reported that espin is an interacting partner protein for whirlin. However, which fragment of whirlin interacts with espin remains unclear. In the present study, whirlin N‑ and C‑terminal fragments in the pEGFP‑C2 vectors were constructed. The recombinant plasmids were transfected into COS‑7 cells to observe the co‑localization by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The interactions between whirlin and espin were investigated by co‑immunoprecipitation using the 293 cell line. It was demonstated that only the whirlin N‑terminal fragment was able to interact with espin and the PR (proline‑rich) region in whirlin may be important for the interaction. However, the present study did not investigate the interaction between whirlin and espin without the PR domain which warrants future research. Our findings elucidated a primary mechanism of interaction between whirlin and espin, which are crucial for further study on the USH2 complex and USH2 pathogenesis.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a principal health problem with increasing incidence worldwide. It can be associated with various systemic diseases. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), a member of non-coding RNA has been newly linked with various human diseases. Recent evidence from animal experiments has shown that the incidence and development of type 2 diabetes are contributed by the atypical expression of lncRNA in which the biomarker with capable clinical potential was lncRNA NONRATT021972. In this review, we demonstrated the numerous functions of NONRATT021972 in different diabetes-related diseases including diabetic neuropathy, diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy, myocardial ischemia, and hepatic glucokinase dysfunction. The emerging evidence shows that the role of NONRATT021972 in diabetic-related disease is novel and therapeutic. These results direct us to conclude that NONRATT021972 is a potential diagnostic and future targeted therapy for diabetes-associated diseases.
Introduction: Keratitis induced by type I hypersensitivity to metronidazole is rarely reported. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) is a promising method for the investigation of corneal morphology under pathological conditions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the IVCM features of keratitis associated with anaphylaxis to metronidazole and review the literature regarding IVCM application to study drug-related changes in the cornea. Case Presentation: A 50-year-old woman with acute bilateral keratitis induced by anaphylaxis to intravenous metronidazole presented to the Department of Ophthalmology, the first affiliated hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China in Jan 2018. She initially experienced photophobia, moderate conjunctival injection, and watery discharge after infusion of intravenous metronidazole. These symptoms gradually resolved one month after she was administered anti-allergic drugs. Corneal morphology related to anaphylaxis to metronidazole was investigated by IVCM before and after treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of IVCM images of keratitis associated with anaphylaxis to metronidazole. Conclusions: In vivo confocal microscopy can allow objective evaluation of treatment response through cellular changes in the cornea and could provide good-quantity images of ocular surface tissues for follow-up.
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults. Despite of important progress in the local therapy, high radioresistance in primary tumor and chemoresistance in metastatic disease are the major obstacles for UM therapy. Therefore, strategies to overcome resistance to radiation or chemotherapy in UM are urgently needed. In this study, we found that phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs, which is the key factor of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway, was remarkably overexpressed in ionizing radiation (IR)- and Selumetinib resistant UM cells. Increased amount of NHEJ events were also observed in resistant UM cells. Inhibition of DNA-PKcs by NU7441 significantly impaired DNA repair and re-sensitized resistant UM cells to radiation and Selumetinib both in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrate increased DNA double strand break repair as a mechanism of resistance to ionizing radiation and Selumetinib, and identify DNA-PKcs as a promising target for radio-and chemotherapy in UM patients.