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Francesco Aiello,1 Gabriele Gallo Afflitto,1,2 Giulio Pocobelli,1 Diego Ponzin,3 Carlo Nucci1 1Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy; 2Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; 3Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto, Venice, ItalyCorrespondence: Francesco Aiello, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy, Email francescoaiello@hotmail.comAbstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exerted a great impact on medical practice, which was reframed according to the actual needs. Ophthalmological services and procedures including corneal transplantation did not represent an exception. The adoption and implementation of new standard operating procedures as well as of new technologies for remote consultation and smart-working reshaped daily activities of both eye bankers, physicians, researchers, and patients. Regulatory restrictions were issued redefining corneal donor eligibility criteria, as well as handling and harvesting procedures of donor ocular tissues. Surgical schedules underwent an abrupt contraction with prioritization of urgent procedures. Local lockdowns and confinement strategies resulted in both a reduction and redirection of research activities. The evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 colonization of ocular tissues, long-term corneal storage techniques, new disinfection strategies, split corneal transplants and cell-based therapies for the treatment of corneal disease peaked in the pipeline. Aim of this article is to summarizes the overall impact of the pandemic on the corneal transplantation machinery, and the current and future perspectives for the corneal transplant community.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, eye bank, cornea, cornea transplantation, cornea transplant, basic sciences

Massimo Cesareo,1 Ernesto Di Marco,1 Clarissa Giannini,1 Matteo Di Marino,1 Francesco Aiello,1 Antonio Pisani,2 Mariangela Pierantozzi,3 Nicola Biagio Mercuri,4,5 Carlo Nucci,1 Raffaele Mancino1 1Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 2Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 3Parkinson’s Center, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 4Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 5Fondazione Santa Lucia I.R.C.C.S, Rome, ItalyCorrespondence: Massimo Cesareo; Ernesto Di MarcoOphthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via Montpellier, Rome, 100133, ItalyTel/Fax +39 0620902973Email massimo.cesareo@uniroma2.it; Ernesto2601@hotmail.itPurpose: To assess the structure and function of the retinal posterior pole in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to identify possible biomarkers correlated with clinical features.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study of 21 patients with PD and 22 age-matched healthy controls (HC) was conducted. All subjects underwent full ophthalmological examinations, fundus perimetry (FP) and spectral domain-OCT (SD-OCT) of the entire retinal posterior pole and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL).Results: We analyzed 41 eyes from 21 patients (14 males and 7 females) with early PD (Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y) equal to or less than stage 2) and 41 eyes from 22 HC (12 males and 10 females). We found no significant difference in the pRNFL thickness between patients with PD and HC. The statistical analysis of the SD-OCT posterior pole area, consisting of 64 values for each retinal layer, revealed a decrease in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness in patients with PD (p < 0.0001). On the contrary, a significant increase in the thickness of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) (p < 0.0001) and of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) (p= 0.002) compared to healthy controls was detected. Other retinal layers showed no significant statistical differences. The differential light sensitivity (DLS) values measured by FP were significantly lower in patients than the healthy controls (15 [13– 16.2] vs 17.95 [16.08– 18.96] p< 0.0001).Conclusion: Our results showed that DLS and retinal structure differed in the posterior pole between patients with early PD and controls. Thickening of the OPL may represent accumulation of α-synuclein in the OPL of patients with PD.Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, optical coherence tomography, retina, dopamine, alpha-synuclein

María Dolores Pinazo-Durán,1,* Roberto Gallego-Pinazo,2,* Jose Javier García-Medina,1,3,* Vicente Zanón-Moreno,1,4 Carlo Nucci,5 Rosa Dolz-Marco,2 Sebastián Martínez-Castillo,2 Carmen Galbis-Estrada,1 Carla Marco-Ramírez,1 Maria Isabel López-Gálvez,6,* David J Galarreta,6,* Manuel Díaz-Llópis4,*1Ophthalmic Research Unit "Santiago Grisolía", Valencia, Spain; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Macula Section, The University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 3Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Reina Sofia, Murcia, Spain; 4Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain; 5University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 6Instituto de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Valladolid, Spain *Members of the Spanish Net of Ocular Pathology of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid), OFTAREDBackground: Oxidative stress (OS) and its biomarkers are the biochemical end point of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the ability of the antioxidant (AOX) biological systems to fight against oxidative injury.Objective: We reviewed the role of OS and its downstream signaling in aging eyes.Methods: A search of the literature and current knowledge on the physiological and pathological mechanisms of OS were revisited in relation to the eyes and the aging process. Most prevalent ocular diseases have been analyzed herein in relation to OS and nutraceutic supplements, such as dry-eye disorders, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.Results: Clinical, biochemical, and molecular data from anterior and posterior eye segment diseases point to OS as the common pathogenic mechanism in the majority of these ocular disorders, many of which are pathologies causing visual impairment, blindness, and subsequent loss of life quality. Studies with nutraceutic supplements in aging eye-related pathologies have also been reviewed.Conclusion: OS, nutritional status, and nutraceutic supplements have to be considered within the standards of care of older ophthalmologic patients. OS biomarkers and surrogate end points may help in managing the aging population with ocular diseases.Keywords: oxidative stress, eyes, aging, ophthalmic diseases, antioxidants, epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to assess body hydration in patients with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). PVD, one of the most common eye diseases, is associated in both research and the collective image with reduced daily water intake, but this finding is not supported by strong evidence in the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) evaluation, different PVD stages are identified: absent posterior vitreous detachment, partial posterior vitreous detachment (P-PVD), or complete posterior vitreous detachment (C-PVD). BIA is a simple, non-invasive bedside method used to assess body composition. Patients underwent BIA and completed a floaters symptoms. 30 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the degree of vitreous detachment, in P-PVD (n=12) and C-PVD (n=18). Patients underwent BIA and completed a floaters symptoms questionnaire. BIA measured the Resistance (R), Reactance (Xc), Phase Angle (PhA), Total Body Water (TBW), Extracellular Water (ECW), Fat Mass (FM), Fat-Free Mass (FFM), and Body Cell Mass Index (BCMI). Finally, patients received a test to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean Diet Test Score, MDTS) with the addition of daily water intake. RESULTS: Relevant data were obtained from the BIA evaluation: the values of R and Xc were lower in the P-PVD group than C-PVD group (respectively 417.08±58.12 O vs. 476.94±51.29 O p=0.006 and 41.33±8.23 O vs. 50.61±7.98 O p=0.004). Instead, patients in the P-PVD group reported higher values of TBW and ECW than C-PVD group (respectively 44.13±7.57 L vs. 37.96±6.27 L p=0.021 and 21.03±4.06 L vs. 17.24±2.63 L p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we reported a significant correlation between vitreous pathology and anthropometric and BIA measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is the most common ocular manifestation of systemic arterial hypertension. This paper aims to summarize the current knowledge of HR, reviewing its classical features, such as epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, classifications, management and the most significant systemic correlations. We also provide an update on the latest advances in new technologies focusing on novel instrumental classifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed to identify articles regarding HR listed in Embase, PubMed, Medline (Ovid) and Scopus database up to 1 December 2021. The reference lists of the analyzed articles were also considered a source of literature information. The following keywords were used in various combinations: hypertensive retinopathy, hypertension and eye, hypertensive retinopathy and systemic correlations, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and hypertensive retinopathy, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and hypertensive retinopathy, adaptive optics (AO) and hypertensive retinopathy. The authors analyzed all English articles found using the aforementioned keywords. All the publications were thoroughly reviewed to create a detailed overview of this issue. RESULTS: HR signs have a significative association with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and other systemic diseases. Patients with arteriosclerotic changes and, at the same time, severe HR, are at increased risk for coronary disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke and dementia. HR is even now diagnosed and classified by its clinical appearance on a fundoscopic exam that is limited by interobserver variability. New technologies, like OCT, OCTA, AO and artificial intelligence may be used to develop a new instrumental classification that could become an objective and quantitative method for the evaluation of this disease. They could be useful to evaluate the subclinical retinal microvascular changes due to hypertension that may reflect the involvement of other vital organs. CONCLUSIONS: The eye is the only organ in the human body where changes in the blood vessels due to systemic hypertension can be studied in vivo. All doctors should be familiar with this disease because it has been largely demonstrated that signs of HR are correlated to patient's health and mortality. Researchers should develop a new common, standardized, and objective method to assess hypertensive retinal changes; new technologies may have a significant role in this field. This review takes most of the literature published so far, including the OCTA studies in order to stimulate new points of reference to standardize parameters and new diagnostic markers of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]