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Purpose To evaluate the outcomes and elucidate the success and failure factors for trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) in Southwest Chinese patients. Methods A retrospective correlational study was conducted on the glaucomatous patients who underwent initial trabeculectomy with MMC in Southwest Hospital and had been followed up for 1-3 years. A complete success for surgery is defined as a postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) > 5 and ≤ 21 mmHg and 20% reduction of IOP compared to preoperative, without IOP-lowering medications. A qualified success for surgery is defined as the abovementioned postoperative IOP with or without IOP-lowering medications. The primary outcomes were IOP, the number of IOP-lowering medications, and cumulative success rate. The secondary outcomes included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean deviation (MD) of visual field, major complications, and risk factors for surgical failure. Results A total of 325 eyes of 261 glaucomatous patients had been included in our study. Both the mean IOP and the number of IOP-lowering medications were significantly decreased from 32.9 ± 12.0 mmHg to 16.4 ± 5.7 mmHg (PPP=0.011), encapsulated bleb (HR=2.756, PP=0.008) were risk factors for surgical failure. Conclusions The qualified success rate of trabeculectomy with MMC in glaucomatous patients in Southwest China is 92.0% at 1-year follow-up, and 77.7% at 3-year follow up. Hypertension, encapsulated bleb, and more preoperative topical medications are associated with surgical failure.

PURPOSE To compare changes of chorioretinal blood perfusion between Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD) and typical retinitis pigmentosa and perform a staging and a longitudinal analysis of chorioretinal perfusion in BCD. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with BCD (56 eyes), 28 patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa (56 eyes), and 28 healthy subjects (56 eyes) were enrolled. Macular structural parameters and subfoveal choroidal thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography. Retinal vessel and perfusion densities were calculated using optical coherence tomography angiography. Choroidal blood perfusion was assessed through indocyanine green angiography. The results of the BCD group were compared with those of the retinitis pigmentosa and control groups and followed by a staging and a longitudinal analysis of BCD. RESULTS Macular structural and perfusion parameters were decreased less in the BCD group than those in the retinitis pigmentosa group. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was significantly thinner in the BCD group, with a remarkable choroidal perfusion deficit using indocyanine green angiography. The staging analysis revealed damage of both retinal and choroidal perfusion in BCD; however, the longitudinal analysis showed the impairment of choroidal perfusion outweighed retinal. CONCLUSION Both retinal and choroidal blood perfusion are impaired in BCD, but choroidal perfusion deficit caused by CYP4V2 mutations may play a more vital pathologic role.

BackgroundHuman embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (hESC-RPE) cell transplants have served as a cell therapy for treating retinal degenerative diseases. However, how to optimize the survival and engraftment of hESC-RPE cells is a great challenge.MethodsHere, we report hESC-RPE cells that are embedded with polyelectrolytes gelatin and alginate by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique, based on the opposite charge of alternate layers. Cells were assessed for cell survival, immunogenicity, and function in vitro and in vivo.ResultsThis strategy obviously decreased the immunogenicity of hESC-RPE cells without affecting its activity. LbL-RPE cell transplants into the subretinal space of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats optimized cell engraftment and decreased immunogenicity compared to untreated RPE cell transplants (immunosuppression was not used during the 21-week study). Visual-functional assay with electroretinogram recordings (ERGs) also showed higher B wave amplitudes in RCS rats with LbL-RPE cell transplants.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that transplanted LbL-RPE cells have better viability and grafting efficiency, optimized immunogenicity, and visual function. Therefore, LbL engineering is a promising method to increase the efficacy of hESC-RPE cell transplantation.