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Glaucoma is a chronic and progressive disease, which affects more than 60 million people worldwide. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the most common forms of glaucoma. For example, about 2.71 million people in the USA had primary open-angle glaucoma in 2011. Currently POAG is a major cause of irreversible vision loss. In patients with treated open-angle glaucoma the risk of blindness reached to be about 27 %. It is known that the death of optic nerve cells can be triggered by mechanical stress caused by increased intraocular pressure, which induces neuronal apoptosis and is observed in patients with POAG. Currently, there is a large number of scientific publications describing proteins and genes involved in the pathogenesis of POAG, including neuronal apoptosis and the cell response to mechanical stress. However, the molecular- genetic mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of POAG are still poorly understood. Reconstruction of associative networks describing the functional interactions between these genes/proteins, including biochemical reactions, regulatory interactions, transport, etc., requires the use of methods of automated knowledge extraction from texts of scientific publications. The aim of the work was the analysis of associative networks, describing the molecular-genetic interactions between proteins and genes involved in cell response to mechanical stress (CRMS), neuronal apoptosis and pathogenesis of POAG using ANDSystem, our previous development for automated text analysis. It was shown that genes associated with POAG are statistically significantly more often represented among the genes involved in the interactions between CRMS and neuronal apoptosis than it was expected by random reasons, which can be an explanation for the effect of POAG leading to the retinal ganglion cell death.

Background: In diabetic patients with glaucoma, individualized pharmacotherapy of glaucoma is needed. Aim: To assess the effects of topographic morphometric characteristics of macular region and presence of concomitant diseases on visual acuity in patients with diabetes mellitus and glaucoma or ocular hypertension in order to provide optimal drug treatment. Materials and methods: 178 patients with diabetes and glaucoma or ocular hypertension were examined. Results: Background somatic pathology was as follows: arterial hypertension in 92.7% of the patients, ischemic heart disease in 36.2%, dyscirculatory encephalopathy in 96.1%, bronchial asthma in 5.6%, cervical osteochondrosis in 20.2%. 86.7% of the patients had primary chronic open-angle glaucoma, 1.1% – narrow-angle glaucoma, 1.1% – low pressure glaucoma, and 2.2% – secondary glaucoma. Significant diabetic macular edema was found in 85% of cases. Thickness of parafoveola was significantly negatively correlated with corrected visual acuity. Serous retinal detachment was demonstrated in 27.7% of cases, detachment of epiretinal membrane – in 41.7%, cystic changes – in 50% of the patients. Conclusion: In patients with diabetes and glaucoma, hypotensive therapy with prostaglandins may be contraindicated due to background changes of macular region.

Background: In the past decade, significant increase of pediatric morbidity was detected. Frequency of varied functional disorders tends to increase during school years. One in three school leavers has myopia and impaired posture; one in four has cardiovascular disorder. Materials and methods: We examined adolescents at the age of 14, in 5 schools inTyumen city in the period October – November 2012. Patients were examined by multidisciplinary team (ophthalmologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, dentist, pediatrician), functional methods were also used. Results: Of 184 adolescents enrolled, 83 were boys. General examination demonstrated no changes. Functional methods showed sex-associated distribution of refraction disorders: mild and moderate myopia predominated among girls, frequency of spasm of accomodation was significantly higher in boys. Children were divided into two groups: the first group included adolescents without vision disorders (n = 115), the second group involved those who had verified spasm of accomodation or myopia (n = 66). Abnormal abdominal ultrasound data (minor dysembryogenesis anomalies – folded gallbladder) were found in 22.6% of patients in the group 1 and in 50% of patients in the group 2. Endocrine disorders were also more prevalent in the group 2 (40.9% vs. 32% in the group 1). They included underweight (24.3% vs. 20% in the groups 2 and 1, respectively), overweight (in 13.6% vs. 7.6%, respectively). Overweight and underweight predominated in adolescents with myopia. Conclusion: Myopia develops earlier in girls, boys are in the risk group of myopia development. There have to be the constant control for somatic health of adolescents regardless of refraction.

Aim: To study the effectiveness of several surgical methods in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEG); to assess frequency of early postoperative complications. Materials and methods: We analyzed hospital medical records of 554 patients with verified diagnosis of PEG; the patients underwent surgical treatment in the State-Financed Health Institution of the Tyumen Region “Regional Clinical Hospital No. 1”. Results: The majority of patients were > 70 years old (mean age was 67.5 ± 21.5 years old). Types of surgical treatment were as follows: sinus trabeculectomy (STE) with posterior scleral trepanation in 73.1% of the cases (n = 405), non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) – in 23.8% (n = 132); STE + posterior scleral trepanation and use of silicone drainage Repegel-1 (STE + drainage) – in 3.1% (n = 17). After primary STE, postoperative complications were found in 20% (n = 31) of the patients; after repeated STE – in 76.8% (n = 119); after STE + drainage – in 3.2% (n = 5). Early postoperative complications of STE were diagnosed in 28% (n = 155) of the patients including hyphema in 45% (n = 70) of cases, postoperative hypertension in 31% (n = 48), absence of filtering bleb in 20% (n = 31) and others in 4% (n = 6) of cases. After repeated STE, early postoperative hypertensionwas found only in patients with hyphema (in 99.2% (n = 118) of cases, p < 0,05). Сonclusion: Analysis of the results of several surgical methods of treatment for pseudoexfoliation glaucoma demonstrated inefficiency of NPDS; on the contrary, STE and STE + drainage are regarded as methods of choice. Concomitant cardiovascular diseases contribute to the progression of PEG and increase the risk of early postoperative complications.

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