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Background: To analyze the concentration of aqueous humor (AH) cytokines in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) and to investigate their potential correlation with disease severity. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional case-control institutional study. A total of 16 eyes of 16 iERM patients and 14 eyes of 14 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. AH samples were analyzed for various biomarkers using a glass-chip protein array. Cytokines associated with inflammation, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and glial signal transduction were quantified. Results: Significant differences in cytokine concentration were observed between the iERM group and controls, with 19 cytokines elevated in the iERM group (among them IL-6, IL-8, PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, TGFB-1, TGFB-2, TGFB-3, VEGF A, VEGF C, VEGF D, p < 0,05, 95% confidence interval). Correlation analysis revealed associations between cytokine levels and iERM severity. Notably, stages 2, 3, and 4 of iERM demonstrated increased levels of various biomarkers. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the complex molecular interactions underlying iERM pathogenesis, describing a correlation between neuroinflammation and iERM severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess outer retinal layer (ORL), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), choroid (Ch) and choriocapillaris (CC) modifications in adolescents with long-lasting (>10 years) type 1 diabetes (T1D) without (noDR) or with diabetic retinopathy (DR). ORL and RPE thickness were measured at optical coherence tomography (OCT) macular scans. Vascular parameters of Ch and CC were quantified after elaboration of macular OCT-angiography (OCTA) images. Insulin dose and auxological and metabolic parameters were correlated with OCT and OCTA findings in patients. ORL thickness was higher in DR eyes than in noDR and healthy controls (HC), and RPE thickness was higher in noDR and DR eyes than in HC, with statistical significance for some sectors in noDR versus HC. No OCTA parameters of CC and Ch differed among groups, and no significant correlation was observed with auxological and metabolic parameters. In conclusion, ORL and RPE were both increased in adolescents with long-lasting T1D. Such changes were not associated with insulin dose and glycemia control, nor to any choroid or choriocapillaris flow change clinically detectable at OCTA, and they could be potential imaging biomarkers of disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The in vivo optical coherence tomography analysis of the biomarkers of retinal microglia and macroglia in Von Hippel–Lindau disease represents an innovative field of research. The different behavior of these glial cells in Von Hippel–Lindau patients provides new data regarding the pathophysiology of retinal hemangioblastoma, the most common ocular manifestation of this hereditary disorder. Moreover, these biomarkers show a different behavior in Von Hippel–Lindau patients in relation to the presence or absence of retinal hemangioblastoma. Therefore, we can hypothesize that retinal hemangioblastoma is mainly due to the activation of macroglia by previously activated microglial cells. Background: Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease is a neoplastic syndrome caused by a mutation of the VHL tumor suppressor gene. Retinal hemangioblastoma (RH) is a vascularized tumor and represents the most common ocular manifestation of this disease. At the retinal level, VHL protein is able to regulate tumor growth, angiogenic factors, and neuroinflammation, probably stimulating retinal glial cells. The aim of the present study was to analyze in vivo the optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers of retinal macroglia and microglia in a cohort of VHL patients. Methods: The mean thicknesses of macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) were measured with OCT as biomarkers of retinal macroglia. OCT images were also analyzed to detect and quantify hyperreflective retinal foci (HRF), a biomarker of retinal activated microglia. Results: 61 eyes of 61 VHL patients (22 eyes (36.07%) with peripheral RH and 39 eyes (63.93%) without RH) and 28 eyes of 28 controls were evaluated. pRNFL was thinner in VHL patients (p < 0.05) and in VHL without RH (p < 0.01) compared to controls, and thicker in VHL patients with RH than in those without RH (p < 0.05). The thickness of mRNFL (p < 0.0001) and GCL (p < 0.05) was reduced in VHL patients and in VHL without RH compared to controls, whereas mRNFL (p < 0.0001) and GCL (p < 0.05) were increased in VHL patients with RH compared to those without RH. HRF were significantly higher in number in VHL patients and in VHL without RH, than in controls, and significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the eyes of VHL patients with RH, than in those without RH. Conclusions: The OCT analysis, which detects and allows to quantify the biomarkers of retinal microglia (HRF) and macroglia (pRNFL, mRNFL and GCL), showed a different behavior of these two retinal glial cells populations in VHL patients, related to the presence or absence of peripheral RH. These data allow to hypothesize a novel pathophysiologic pathway of retinal hemangioblastoma in VHL disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To evaluate the presence of hyper reflective spots (HRS) in diabetic patients without clinically detectable retinopathy (no DR) or with non proliferative mild to moderate retinopathy (DR) without macular edema, and compare the results to controls. Methods. 36 subjects were enrolled: 12 with no DR, 12 with DR, and 12 normal subjects who served as controls. All studied subjects underwent full ophthalmologic examination and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). SD-OCT images were analyzed to measure and localize HRS. Each image was analyzed by two independent, masked examiners. Results. The number of HRS was significantly higher in both diabetics without and with retinopathy versus controls (P < 0.05) and in diabetics with retinopathy versus diabetics without retinopathy (P < 0.05). The HRS were mainly located in the inner retina layers (inner limiting membrane, ganglion cell layer, and inner nuclear layer). The intra observer and interobserver agreement was almost perfect (k > 0.9). Conclusions. SD-OCT hyperreflective spots are present in diabetic eyes even when clinical retinopathy is undetectable. Their number increases with progressing retinopathy. Initially, HRS are mainly located in the inner retina, where the resident microglia is present. With progressing retinopathy, HRS reach the outer retinal layer. HRS may represent a surrogate of microglial activation in diabetic retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess outer retinal layer (ORL), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), choroid (Ch) and choriocapillaris (CC) modifications in adolescents with long-lasting (>10 years) type 1 diabetes (T1D) without (noDR) or with diabetic retinopathy (DR). ORL and RPE thickness were measured at optical coherence tomography (OCT) macular scans. Vascular parameters of Ch and CC were quantified after elaboration of macular OCT-angiography (OCTA) images. Insulin dose and auxological and metabolic parameters were correlated with OCT and OCTA findings in patients. ORL thickness was higher in DR eyes than in noDR and healthy controls (HC), and RPE thickness was higher in noDR and DR eyes than in HC, with statistical significance for some sectors in noDR versus HC. No OCTA parameters of CC and Ch differed among groups, and no significant correlation was observed with auxological and metabolic parameters. In conclusion, ORL and RPE were both increased in adolescents with long-lasting T1D. Such changes were not associated with insulin dose and glycemia control, nor to any choroid or choriocapillaris flow change clinically detectable at OCTA, and they could be potential imaging biomarkers of disease progression.