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PurposeMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to enhance tissue repair as a cell-based therapy. In preparation for a phase I clinical study, we evaluated the safety, dosing, and efficacy of bone marrow-derived MSCs after subconjunctival injection in preclinical animal models of mice, rats, and rabbits.MethodsHuman bone marrow-derived MSCs were expanded to passage 4 and cryopreserved. Viability of MSCs after thawing and injection through small-gauge needles was evaluated by vital dye staining. The in vivo safety of human and rabbit MSCs was studied by subconjunctivally injecting MSCs in rabbits with follow-up to 90 days. The potency of MSCs on accelerating wound healing was evaluated in vitro using a scratch assay and in vivo using 2-mm corneal epithelial debridement wounds in mice. Human MSCs were tracked after subconjunctival injection in rat and rabbit eyes.ResultsThe viability of MSCs after thawing and immediate injection through 27- and 30-gauge needles was 93.1% ± 2.1% and 94.9% ± 1.3%, respectively. Rabbit eyes demonstrated mild self-limiting conjunctival inflammation at the site of injection with human but not rabbit MSCs. In scratch assay, the mean wound healing area was 93.5% ± 12.1% in epithelial cells co-cultured with MSCs compared with 40.8% ± 23.1% in controls. At 24 hours after wounding, all MSC-injected murine eyes had 100% corneal wound closure compared with 79.9% ± 5.5% in controls. Human MSCs were detectable in the subconjunctival area and peripheral cornea at 14 days after injection.ConclusionsSubconjunctival administration of MSCs is safe and effective in promoting corneal epithelial wound healing in animal models.Translational relevanceThese results provide preclinical data to support a phase I clinical study.

Purpose: To quantify chorioretinal microvascular damage and recovery post-treatment in patients with acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis (ASPPC) using fractal dimension (FD). Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients with serologically confirmed syphilitic uveitis. We obtained optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scans at baseline and follow-up after intravenous penicillin treatment and computed FD of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris (CC) using ImageJ. Results: We enrolled seven patients with ASPPC (11 eyes), and 17 control subjects (34 eyes). Pre-treatment averages of FD-SCP, FD-DCP, and FD-CC were: 1.672 (±0.115), 1.638 (±0.097), and 1.72 (±0.137); post-treatment: 1.760 (±0.071), 1.764 (±0.043), and 1.898 (±0.047). After treatment FD-CC increased in all 11 eyes with an average of 0.163 (p = 0.003); FD-DCP increased in 10 (91%) eyes with an average of 0.126 (p = 0.003); and FD-SCP increased in seven (64%) eyes with an average of 0.089 (p = 0.059). Compared to the post-treatment FD values in the syphilitic group, controls had similar FD-SCP (p = 0.266), FD-DCP (p = 0.078), and FD-CC (p = 0.449). Conclusions: CC and DCP are mostly affected in ASPPC with minimal changes in the SCP. All vascular layers FD recovered after completing antibiotic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionsTo compare the visual outcomes, rate of cystoid macular edema (CME), and additional associated complications in eyes that exhibited zonular dialysis (ZD) during phacoemulsification to a reference group of uneventful phacoemulsification eyes.A retrospective multicenter comparative database study. We pooled data from 8 United Kingdom sites between 2003 and 2015. The main outcome measures were the mean postoperative visual acuity (VA) at 12–24 weeks and the rates of CME and additional associated complications.We included 1074 eyes in the ZD group and 112,479 in the reference group. Logistic regression analysis showed that pseudoexfoliation was the strongest associated factor of ZD (OR: 6.1), followed by previous glaucoma surgery (OR: 4.4). Mean logMAR preoperative VA was 0.8 ± 0.6 in the ZD group vs. 0.6 ± 0.5 in the reference group (p < 0.001). Mean postoperative VA was worse in the ZD group (p < 0.001); 0.4 ± 0.6 vs. 0.2 ± 0.3 and 0.5 ± 0.6 vs. 0.2 ± 0.3 at 4–12 weeks and 12–24 weeks, respectively. At 12–24 weeks, the proportions of eyes that gained ≥0.3 logMAR units were 50% in the ZD group vs. 62% in the reference group (p < 0.001). In the ZD group, the most common intraoperative complication was vitreous loss (34.3%), followed by posterior capsular rupture (PCR) (11.1%). Postoperative CME occurred in 2.3% vs. 1.4% (p = 0.01), and 9.3% of eyes required surgery for correction of aphakia, intraocular lens decentration, or dropped lens figments removal.The occurrence of ZD was associated with worse postoperative vision, an increased rate of vitreous loss and PCR, and a higher risk of CME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodsResultsConclusionsTo quantify the risk of posterior capsule rupture (PCR) in fellow-eye phacoemulsification surgery and to determine risk factors.We pooled data from 8 United Kingdom sites for patients undergoing bilateral non-simultaneous phacoemulsification. Main outcome measures were the incidence and risk factors of the development of PCR during the fellow-eye phacoemulsification.We included 66,288 patients with a mean age of 75.3 ± 10.2 years. PCR during phacoemulsification occurred in the first eye in 932 patients (1.4%) and the fellow eye in 1039 patients (1.5%). The risk of fellow eye developing PCR in patients with PCR in the first eye was significantly higher than in patients without first eye PCR: 30 patients (3.2%) vs. 1009 (1.5%), respectively (odds ratio (OR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-2.7). Other risk factors for fellow-eye PCR included zonular dialysis (OR = 5.4, CI = 3.3-7.8) and advanced cataract (OR = 2.8, CI = 2.1-3.7).History of PCR in the first-operated eye is an independent risk factor for PCR in the fellow eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims This was a cross-sectional comparative study. We evaluated the ability of three large language models (LLMs) (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, and Google Bard) to generate novel patient education materials (PEMs) and improve the readability of existing PEMs on paediatric cataract. Methods We compared LLMs' responses to three prompts. Prompt A requested they write a handout on paediatric cataract that was 'easily understandable by an average American.' Prompt B modified prompt A and requested the handout be written at a 'sixth-grade reading level, using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability formula.' Prompt C rewrote existing PEMs on paediatric cataract 'to a sixth-grade reading level using the SMOG readability formula'. Responses were compared on their quality (DISCERN; 1 (low quality) to 5 (high quality)), understandability and actionability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (≥70%: understandable, ≥70%: actionable)), accuracy (Likert misinformation; 1 (no misinformation) to 5 (high misinformation) and readability (SMOG, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL); grade level <7: highly readable). Results All LLM-generated responses were of high-quality (median DISCERN ≥4), understandability (≥70%), and accuracy (Likert=1). All LLM-generated responses were not actionable (<70%). ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 prompt B responses were more readable than prompt A responses (p<0.001). ChatGPT-4 generated more readable responses (lower SMOG and FKGL scores; 5.59±0.5 and 4.31±0.7, respectively) than the other two LLMs (p<0.001) and consistently rewrote them to or below the specified sixth-grade reading level (SMOG: 5.14±0.3). Conclusion LLMs, particularly ChatGPT-4, proved valuable in generating high-quality, readable, accurate PEMs and in improving the readability of existing materials on paediatric cataract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the rates of intraoperative complications, cystoid macular edema (CME), and visual outcomes in eyes that underwent combined phacovitrectomy (Phaco-PPV) with those with stand-alone phacoemulsification. Setting: A multicenter database study across 8 ophthalmology departments in the United Kingdom. Design: Retrospective, nonrandomized, multicenter comparative study. Methods: We extracted data for patients who underwent Phaco- PPV and stand-alone phacoemulsification from January 2000 through May 2015. The primary study outcomes were the rates of intraoperative complications and CME postoperatively. Results: The study included 2222 eyes in the combined Phaco-PPV group and 112 689 in the stand-alone phacoemulsification group. The combined Phaco-PPV group had a higher incidence of posterior capsule rupture (2.7% vs 1.7%), dropped lens fragments (0.5% vs 0.2%), suprachoroidal hemorrhage (0.4% vs 0.1%), and CME (3.6 vs 1.1%) (P < .001). The mean preoperative visual acuity (VA) was lower in the combined Phaco-PPV group, with a mean VA of 0.98 vs 0.68 logMAR (Snellen ~20/200 vs 20/100) in the stand-alone phacoemulsification group (P < .001). VA at 24 weeks was lower in the combined Phaco-PPV group (mean VA 0.67 vs 0.22 logMAR (Snellen ~20/100 vs 20/32), P < .001). Conclusions: Combined Phaco-PPV had higher rates of intraoperative complications and CME, along with a lower postoperative VA, when compared with stand-alone phacoemulsification surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the quality, reliability, and readability of online patient educational materials on leukocoria. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the Google search engine was searched for the terms "leukocoria" and "white pupil." The first 50 search outcomes were evaluated for each search term based on predefined inclusion criteria, excluding duplicates, peer-reviewed papers, forum posts, paywalled content, and multimedia links. Sources were categorized as "institutional" or "private." Three independent raters assessed each web-site for quality and reliability using DISCERN, Health on the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode), and JAMA criteria. Readability was evaluated using seven formulas: Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index, Automated Readability Index (ARI), Linsear Write (LW), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), and Coleman-Liau Index (CLI). Results: A total of 51 websites were included. Quality, assessed by the DISCERN tool, showed a median score of 4, denoting moderate to high quality, with no significant differences between institutional and private sites or search terms. HONcode scores indicated variable reliability and trustworthiness (median: 10, range: 3 to 16), with institutional sites excelling in financial disclosure and ad differentiation. Additionally, institutional and private sites performed well in reliability and accountability, as measured by the JAMA Benchmark criteria (median: 3; range: 1 to 4). Readability, averaging an 11.3 ± 3.7 grade level, did not differ significantly between site types or search terms, consistently falling short of the recommended sixth-grade level for patient educational materials. Conclusions: The patient educational materials on leukocoria demonstrated moderate to high quality, commendable reliability, and accountability. However, the readability scores were above the recommended level for the layperson. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2024;61(5):332–338.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]