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Methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) hydrogels were prepared to serve as corneal stroma equivalents. They were highly transparent (ca. 95% at 700 nm), mechanically strong and withstood handling and had high human corneal keratocyte viability (98%) after 21 days of culture period. In order to test the in vivo performance of the cell free GelMA hydrogels a pilot in vivo study was carried out using eyes of two white New Zealand rabbits. Hydrogel was implanted in a mid-stromal pocket created and without suture fixation, and observed for 8 weeks under a slit lamp. No edema, ulcer formation, inflammation or infection was observed in both the control (sham) and hydrogel implanted corneas. Corneal vascularization on week 3 was treated with one dose of anti-VEGF application. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining showed that the hydrogel was integrated with the host tissue with only a minimal foreign body reaction. Results demonstrated some degradation in the construct within 8 weeks as evidenced by the decrease of the diameter of the hydrogel from 4 mm to 2.6 mm. High transparency, adequate mechanical strength, biocompatibility and well integration with the host tissue, indicates that this hydrogel is a viable alternative to the current methods for the treatment of corneal blindness and deserves testing on larger number of rabbits and more extensively using microscopy, histology and immune histochemistry.

Purpose: To determine the outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for treatment of corneal scarring caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis, and whether the corneal scar type affects treatment outcome. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent PK for HSV-related corneal scarring between January 2008 and July 2011 was performed. The patients were categorized into two groups. Group 1 consisted of patients with a quiescent herpetic corneal scar and group 2 consisted of patients who developed a corneal descemetocele or perforation secondary to persistent epithelial defects with no active stromal inflammation. The mean follow-up was 21.30 ± 14.59 months. The main parameters evaluated were recurrence of herpetic keratitis, graft rejection, graft failure, visual acuity, and graft survival rate. Results: There were 42 patients in group 1 and 13 in group 2. Preoperative BCVA varied from hand movements to 0.7 logMAR. Postoperatively, 34 patients (61.8%) achieved visual acuity of 0.6 logMAR or more. Recurrence of HSV keratitis was noted in 12 (28.57%) eyes in group 1 and 4 (30.76%) eyes in group 2 (p=0.40). Graft rejection occurred in 4 eyes (9.52%) in group 1 and in 3 (23.07%) eyes in group 2 (p=0.58). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year graft survival rates were 91.9%, 76.0%, and 65.1% in group 1, and 89.5%, 76.0%, and 63.6% in group 2 (p=0.91), respectively. Conclusions: Although there were different recurrence and graft rejection rates for two groups, the graft survival rates at 3 years were similar. According to our results, without inflammation, corneal herpetic scarring with a descemetocele or perforation achieved similar graft survival rates with quiescent herpetic corneal scars. RESUMO Objetivo: Determinar os resultados da ceratoplastia penetrante (PK) para o tratamento da cicatriz da córnea consequente à ceratite por Herpes simplex vírus (HSV), e se o tipo de cicatriz na córnea afeta o resultado cirúrgico. Métodos: Foi realizada análise retrospectiva dos pacientes, submetidos à PK para a cicatriz da córnea relacionados com o HSV entre janeiro de 2008 e julho de 2011. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos. Grupo 1 consistiu de pacientes que tiveram cicatriz corneana herpética quiescente e grupo 2 consistiu de pacientes que desenvolveram descemetocele ou perfuração córnea secundária a defeitos epiteliais persistentes sem inflamação estromal ativa. O seguimento médio foi de 21,30 ± 14,59 meses. Os principais parâmetros avaliados foram recorrência de ceratite herpética, rejeição de enxerto, falência do enxerto, acuidade visual e taxa de sobrevida do enxerto. Resultados: Foram avaliados 42 pacientes do grupo 1 e 13 doentes do grupo 2. Acuidade visual pré-operatória variou de movimentos das mãos (HM) para 0,7 logMAR. No pós-operatório, 34 pacientes (61,8%) atingiram acuidade visual de 0,6 logMAR ou melhor. Doze olhos (28,57%) tiveram recorrência de HSV ceratite no grupo 1, e quatro olhos (30,76%) tiveram recorrência no grupo 2 (p=0,40). A rejeição do enxerto ocorreu em 4 olhos (9,52%) no grupo 1, e em 3 olhos do grupo 2 (23,07%; p=0,58), taxa de sobrevivência do enxerto foi de 91,9% a 1 ano, 76,0% aos 2 anos e 65,1% aos 3 anos no grupo 1, e 89,5% a 1 ano, 76,0% aos 2 anos e 63,6% aos 3 anos no grupo 2 (p=0,91). Conclusões: Embora diferentes taxas de recorrência e de rejeição do enxerto foram encontradas nos dois grupos, a taxa de sobrevida do enxerto em 3 anos foi semelhantes nos dois grupos. De acordo com nossos resultados, em casos sem inflamação, a cicatriz herpética da córnea com descemetocele ou perfuração demonstra as taxas de sobrevivência do enxerto semelhantes às da cicatriz corneana herpética quiescente.

Objective: To investigate the effects of systemically given propolis on the expanded premaxillary suture in a rat study model. Materials and Methods: The 24 rats were randomly divided into three groups—only expansion (OE), expansion plus propolis (PRO), and nonexpansion (control) groups. After the 5-day expansion period was completed, the OE and PRO groups underwent 12 days of mechanical retention. At the end of this period, the animals were euthanatized and their pre-maxillae were dissected and fixed. Histomorphometric examination was performed to determine the number of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and capillaries as well as the intensity of inflammatory cells and amount of new bone formation. Results: Statistical analysis showed that the intensities of inflammatory cells, number of osteoblasts, and amount of new bone formation were greater in the PRO group than in the other groups. The PRO group also had more osteoclasts and new capillaries. Conclusion: Systemic use of propolis may hasten new bone formation at the expanded suture in rats.

WOS: 000310616600001, The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of orthodontic malocclusion with periodontal status, dental caries, and sociodemographic status. Our study population consisted of a sample of 836 school children (384 male and 452 female, aged 1114 years). Four experienced orthodontists and two experienced periodontists performed the clinical examinations. The Treatment Priority Index (TPI), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) scores, and a questionnaire that surveyed socio-demographic status of students were used. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used to measure the association between variables. TPI scores showed that 36.4% of the students had normal occlusion, while 41.2% had slight, 15.7% had definite, 4% had severe, and 2.7% had very severe malocclusion. TPI values did not show any significant differences between pupils in different age, gender, socioeconomic status groups, and CPITN scores, whereas there was a significant relationship between TPI and DMFT scores. The orthodontic treatment need was not significantly correlated with CPITN or socio-demographic status; however, the correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between TPI and DMFT scores.

Introduction. Late-onset bleb leaks occur more frequently after the use of adjunctive antimetabolites and require surgical management to seal and preserve filtrating bleb. Case Presentation. A 48-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity for five days in her left eye. She had a left penetrating keratoplasty one year earlier and two trabeculectomies 7 years earlier. Visual acuity was hand motions, intraocular pressure was 3 mmHg, corneal graft was clear, mature cataract was present, and axial length was 30.48 mm. The conjunctiva covering the superotemporal sclerotomy was avascular, flat, and partially lost. After heavily painting the bleb with a fluorescein, late-onset point leak was revealed. Overlying conjunctiva was excised. The atrophic, irregular, and partially absent scleral flap was covered by a processed human pericardium graft and conjunctival advancement. Postoperatively, intraocular pressure stabilized around 16 mmHg. After four months, phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation were performed. Visual acuity did not exceed 0.1 (in decimal notation) due to degenerative myopia-related macular atrophy. Corneal graft remained clear at her 6-month followup period. Conclusion. Surgical bleb revision using a pericardium graft and conjunctival advancement seems to be an effective method for treating late bleb leaks. However, careful follow-up is required for detecting recurrent leaks and elevated intraocular pressure.