13 SIRCOVA-OFTARED Joined Congress Abstracts Valencia (Spain), June 30 – July 2, 2016 (online only) E-Mail karger@karger.com www.karger.com © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel Access to full text and tables of contents, including tentative ones for forthcoming issues: www.karger.com/ore_issues No. 2

Purpose: In normal tension glaucoma (NTG), factors other than elevated intraocular pressure are likely to have a role in the pathogenesis of optic neuropathy. Recent studies of glaucoma or retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) reveal that the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is linked to the pathogenesis of glaucoma and may regulate RGC survival or death. The IL-6 (-174) G allele has also been shown to increase the IL-6 protein. We hypothesized that the IL-6 (-174) polymorphism may be a predisposing genetic factor affecting the severity of glaucoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the IL-6 polymorphism and serum IL-6 levels as a potential risk factor related to the severity of NTG. Methods: A total of 256 subjects with NTG in the Chinese population were enrolled. The patients were genotyped for the IL-6 (-174) C/G polymorphism. Genomic DNA was amplified by a polymerase chain reaction, followed by the enzymatic restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Serum IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA. Patient age at diagnosis, cup/disc (C/D) ratio, rim area (RA), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and visual field (VF) were analyzed. The associations between genotypes of IL-6 (-174) C/G and the clinical parameters were calculated using a logistic regression. Results: The IL-6 (-174) GC genotype in NTG patients was significantly associated with a smaller C/D ratio (p = 0.04), larger RA (p = 0.04), and thicker RNFL (p = 0.05) compared with IL-6 (-174) GG patients. The allele frequency of IL-6 (-174) C was significantly higher in the NTG patients at an early-moderate stage than at an advanced stage according to the C/D ratio (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.31-0.99). Pattern standard deviation of VF was borderline lower in IL-6 (-174) GC patients (p = 0.06), and serum IL-6 levels were borderline higher in advanced stages than in early-moderate stages (7.66 ± 3.22 vs. 4.46 ± 3.83 pg/mL; p = 0.06). Conclusion: The IL-6 (-174) GC genotype is associated with a smaller C/D ratio, larger RA, and thicker RNFL compared with IL-6 (-174) GG in NTG patients. We found that the IL-6 (-174) G/C polymorphism and serum IL-6 levels may be associated with the severity of NTG.

Department of Ophthalmology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taichung, Taiwan, China, Depatment of Nursing, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan, China, Department of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, China, Department of Optometry, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Taiwan, China, Department of Nursing, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan, China, and Department of Nursing, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, China

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), an important proinflammatory cytokine, exerts a variety of physiologic and pathogenic effects that lead to tissue destruction. Recent laboratory evidence indicates that TNF-alpha have either protective or adverse effects on primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Inheritance of the TNF-alpha (-863) C allele has been associated with an elevated risk of Alzheimer disease. The neuronal injuries associated with Alzheimer disease have several similarities with the optic nerve changes often seen with POAG. In this study we investigated the possible association between the TNF-alpha (-863) polymorphism and the development of POAG.Methods: A total of 234 patients with POAG were recruited and compared with 230 healthy controls in a Chinese population. Sequence-specific primers with 3' end mismatches were used to identify the presence of specific allelic variants by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Patients and controls were genotyped for the A/C polymorphism at position -863 of the TNF-alpha gene promoter region.Results: The frequency of the TNF-alpha (-863)A allele (22% versus 30%, respectively; p=0.007) and the carriers of the TNF-alpha (-863) A allele (37% versus48%; p=0.017, OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44-0.92) were lower in POAG patients compared with those in controls. There is a reduced risk of POAG associated with homozygosity for the TNF-alpha (-863) A allele (AA genotype) compared with that in the control population (AA genotype; 7% versus 11%, respectively, p=0.037; OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.26-0.98). Conclusions: The TNF-alpha (-863) A allele polymorphism may be a protective factor in the development of POAG.

This work proposes a preprocessing scheme to effectively enhance the performance of sound source separation. In the beginning, time stretched pulses are employed to stimulate an environment with loudspeakers and microphones. The signals recorded from microphones are used to determine physical parameters, including environment and equipment factors, of the system response associated with a real-world environment. According to the determined parameters, the mixture signals are preprocessed by de-convolution to decrease the influence of non-linearity and noise accompanied with such a recording process. The experimental results reveal that our preprocessing scheme can apparently improve the performance at the popularly-used blind source separation algorithms. Therefore, the scheme proposed herein can be beneficial to various multimedia applications demanding sound source separation.

Background and Purpose: Cardiovascular complications are mainly responsible for the high morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. Electroacupuncture at the specific points modulate cardiovascular reflexes probably through the humoral or neural pathway in animals. However; the effect of acupoint electric stimulation (AES) on hemodynamics modulation in diabetic mellitus patients is still unclear. In this study, we assessed the vascular and neurohormone reactions to AES in patients with type 2 DM (T2DM). Methods: Forty-two T2DM patients (13 men and 29 women) were recruited from a metabolic clinic. They were randomly assigned into two groups: AES group (n=21) and control group (n=21). The motor-level 2-Hz transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with a pulse duration of 200 microseconds was applied on left Neiguan (P6), Quze (PC3), Xuehai (SP10), and Yinlingquan (SP9) acupuncture points in the AES group. Patients in the control group received sham treatment. Vascular and neurohormone responses were measured in all patients before and after intervention immediately. The vascular reaction was assessed by plethysmography. The serum concentrations of neurohormone were analyzed with commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results: Patients in the AES group had significantly (p＜0.05) lower venous tone, and higher plasma adrenaline and endorphin levels than that in the control group. There were no significant differences in plasma nitrate/nitrite concentration and blood pressure between groups. Conclusions: AES stimulation on certain acupuncture points may decrease venous tone but not blood pressure in T2 DM patients. However, whether the reduction in venous tone of calf after AES was partially caused by flow-induced vasodilation via the humoral pathway need further study.

BACKGROUND Pulsed dye laser (PDL) in conjunction with cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is effective in improving efficacy and safety for treatment of port wine stains (PWSs) in whites. However, for dark-skinned patients such as Chinese, only retrospective studies have been performed. OBJECTIVES To compare prospectively clinical efficacy in terms of blanching and acute and long-term adverse effects of PDL alone and PDL-CSC for treatment of PWSs in Chinese patients. METHODS Thirty-five Chinese patients (13 males and 22 females) were recruited, and 131 treatments were performed. Half of the test area on the PWS was treated with PDL alone, and the contralateral half was treated with PDL-CSC. The degree of PWS blanching was objectively assessed by spectrophotometer. Skin textural changes were detected by cutometer. All measurements were taken at baseline and before each subsequent laser treatment. Patients were interviewed immediately after treatment and again the following week using a visual analog scale questionnaire to assess the degree of pain and swelling. Occurrence of blisters was noted during each follow-up visit. Patients were evaluated for evidence of long-term adverse effects such as dyspigmentation and scarring after three treatments. RESULTS Statistically significant higher fluences were used on the PDL-CSC–treated group. The percentage change in the spectrophotometer a* value was significantly greater using PDL-CSC, indicating that there was more PWS blanching after treatment. There was no significant difference in the incidence of skin textural changes after three treatments with PDL alone or PDL-CSC. The immediate pain scores were significantly higher for PDL alone than with PDL-CSC. Blisters were significantly more common on the area treated using PDL alone than PDL-CSC. The overall incidence of long-term adverse effects was not significantly different between the PDL alone and PDL-CSC treatments. PDL-CSC was also the preferred treatment modality for most patients. CONCLUSIONS PDL-CSC was more effective than PDL alone for blanching of PWS in Chinese patients. Moreover, PDL-CSC was better tolerated and resulted in a lower incidence of acute adverse effects such as blistering.

Arachidonic acid is an important polyunsaturated fatty acid involved in cell signaling. It is derived primarily from dietary linoleic acid, and the rate-limiting step in its biosynthesis is the initial desaturation of linoleic acid via Delta-6 desaturase. Evidence suggests that downstream metabolic products of arachidonic acid, e.g. prostaglandins, are involved in colorectal cancer, but involvement of the biosynthetic pathway of arachidonic acid has not been previously investigated. In the present study, we report the effects of a novel selective Delta-6 desaturase inhibitor, SC-26196, on tumorigenesis in two in vivo models of intestinal cancer. SC-26196 treatment resulted in 36-37% fewer tumors in Apc(Min/+) mice and 35% decrease in primary tumor size in nude mice bearing HT-29 human colon cancer cell xenografts (P<0.05). As expected, SC-26196 treatment resulted in significantly higher linoleic acid levels in tissue phospholipids and lower levels of arachidonic acid. The effects on both tissue fatty acid composition and tumorigenesis in Apc(Min/+) mice were abrogated by concomitant treatment with dietary arachidonic acid, indicating that the observed effects were due to interference with the biosynthetic pathway of arachidonic acid.

Epidemiologic and animal studies indicate that sustained use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a chemopreventive effect against the incidence of colorectal neoplasia and subsequent mortality. We previously demonstrated that sulindac significantly reduces intestinal tumor load in ApcMin/+mice and the tumor regression was not necessarily correlated with prostaglandin biosynthesis. In the present study, we further investigate the relationship of NSAID treatment and tumorigenesis in the ApcMin/+mouse model. We demonstrate that indomethacin (9 ppm) is a very potent chemopreventive agent, reducing tumor load by 85% and significantly inhibiting basal and ex vivo prostaglandin formation (P< 0.006 and P< 0.0001, respectively). Aspirin (400 ppm) has a similar impact on reducing prostaglandin levels, but in contrast to indomethacin, is uneffective in reducing the tumor load. The data indicate a discordance between the impact of different NSAIDs on tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+mice.

Research in humans and animal models largely indicates a protective effect of fatty acids present in fish oil against colorectal cancer. Despite recent contradictory evidence, the mechanism is largely thought to be related to inhibition of the inflammatory mediators known as eicosanoids. Fish oil is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3). We investigated the effects of purified dietary omega-3 fatty acids on intestinal tumor load, intestinal fatty acid composition, and eicosanoid formation in ApcMin/+ mice. These mice carry a mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (Ape) gene, which causes them to develop tumors throughout the intestinal tract. This is particularly relevant because many human colorectal cancers also contain a mutation in the analogous human APC gene. We hypothesized that feeding omega-3 fatty acids would reduce tumor load in this mouse model with concomitant decreases in eicosanoid formation. Animals (n=10/group) were randomized into the control group or an experimental group and provided with diets differing only in supplementation with select fatty acid ethyl esters (1.5% w/w). Dietary EPA significantly reduced tumor number and size relative to controls with a concurrent increase in tissue EPA content and suppression of the eicosanoids PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1α. Despite an apparent link to eicosanoid inhibition in this study, we cannot discount potential involvement of eicosanoid-independent pathways in the observed anti-tumorigenic effects of EPA and other omega-3 fatty acids.

Arachidonic acid (AA) is an extremely important fatty acid involved in cell regulation. When provided in the diet, it is cogently incorporated in membrane phospholipids and enhances eicosanoid biosynthesis in vivo and in vitro ; however, controversy exists as to the levels of AA in food and in the diet. This study determined the amount of AA in cooked and raw portions of beef (rib eye), chicken (breast and thigh), eggs, pork (loin), turkey (breast), and tuna; it compared these results to values published in Agriculture Handbook No. 8 (HB-8). The cooked portions were prepared as described in HB-8. With the exception of chicken thigh and tuna, the levels of AA (w/w) in the selected foods analyzed were significantly higher, in general, than those values published in HB-8. The greatest differences were observed in beef (raw and cooked), turkey breast (raw and cooked), and pork (cooked) where AA levels were twice that of the values in HB-8. In contrast, the AA and n-3 fatty acid contents in tuna were almost half the HB-8 values. The present data indicate that HB-8 tends to underreport the amounts of AA in a number of foods commonly consumed in the American diet, and new initiatives should be considered to validate and update the current database for fatty acid composition of foods.

Several lines of evidence strongly link prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) to cancer of the intestine, Several studies have reported a 40-50% reduction in mortality from colorectal cancer in individuals who routinely consume nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, possibly by inhibiting cyclooxygenase activity, However, the role of eicosanoids in this process is still unclear, The heterozygote Min/+ mouse model, like patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, carries a nonsense mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene that results in the spontaneous development of intestinal adenomas (100% incidence), This study investigated the association between eicosanoid biosynthesis, intestinal tumor load, and the chemotherapeutic effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac during early and preexisting phases of tumor growth and development as well as residual effects after drug withdrawal, Administration of sulindac (320 ppm) to Min/+ mice reduced the tumor number by 95% but did not alter the levels of PGE(2) and LTB4 in intestinal tissues, Increasing PGE(2) and LTB4 levels by 44% with dietary arachidonic acid supplementation had no effect on tumor number or size, When sulindac was added to the arachidonic acid-supplemented diet, tumor number was reduced by 82%, whereas eicosanoid levels remained elevated, In Min/+ mice with established tumors, treatment with sulindac for 4 days reduced tumor number by 75%, and continual administration of sulindac was necessary to maintain a reduced tumor load, In summary, alterations in eicosanoid formation were not correlated with tumor number or size in the Min/+ mouse model; thus, the antitumor effect of sulindac seems to be PG independent.

Molasses wastewater was treated anaerobically using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and a hybrid UASB reactor. Profiles for the sludge, chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acids were determined. The results indicated that the optimum sludge loading rate was much lower for this type of wastewater. The installation of ropes in the mid-section of the hybrid reactor did not interfere with the flow pattern. The sludge blanket was a perfectly mixed region with respect to the liquid phase. Volatile fatty acids were degraded in the sludge blanket region of the hybrid UASB reactor, while they remained high in the conventional UASB reactor. In this way, the stability of the hybrid reactor was greater, and it was more tolerant to higher organic loading rates than was the conventional UASB reactor.

Molasses wastewater was treated anaerobically using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and a hybrid UASB reactor, The hybrid reactor was a conventional UASB reactor equipped with a matrix of 19 parallel ropes in its mid-section. The ropes were added to increase the surface area for bacterial attachment. The maximum methane production of 1.12 L methane L-1.d-1 was obtained at the organic loading rate of 8.3 g COD L-1.d-1 for the hybrid reactor, while a maximum production of 0.91 L methane L-1.d-1 was achieved for the conventional UASB at the organic loading rate of 5.8 g COD L-1.d-1. The additional biomass attached to the ropes enhanced the biogas production and also rendered the hybrid reactor more tolerant to higher organic loading rates. The hybrid reactor is an innovative design which has characteristics and advantages of both suspended-growth and attached-growth systems.