Health and Disease in the Retinas and Optic Nerves—for Up-to-Date Practitioners

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Ophthalmology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 12137

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
University Hospitals Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Interests: genesis and molecular mechanism of therapies in ocular diseases, especially retinal diseases, caused by genetic mutations, aging, and drug side effects; clinical trials of different therapies in ocular diseases, which are evaluated by functional and morphological exams
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Guest Editor
Vision Center, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH, USA
Interests: understanding the pathophysiology of glaucoma using a multidisciplinary approach; translational medicine research

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Guest Editor
University Hospitals Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Interests: intraocular inflammation and secondary acquired retinal degeneration; surgical retinal procedure-related innovations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent research indicates that many factors, including genetic mutations, aging, and drug side effects, affect ocular cells and tissues. These diseases are often caused by mutations encoding many different signaling and structural proteins. The devastating effects of these diseases are substantial as they are often associated with several comorbidities, leading to a poor quality of life. Although many factors and mechanisms for some of these diseases have already been identified, the mechanisms regulating the development of ocular diseases are not fully understood, and novel therapies are warranted.

In this Special Issue, we welcome researchers and clinicians to contribute with Original Research and Review articles describing their in vitro and/or in vivo data, as well as clinical studies, to address the mechanisms by which genetic factors and protein molecules regulate ocular disorders, as well as novel diagnostic technologies and therapies for those diseases. Clinical Report is NOT accepted. The following topics are particularly welcome:

  • The potential effect of genetic mutations, aging, and drug side effects on eye diseases, including studies on novel mutations/biomarkers and signaling pathways.
  • Novel technologies, such as electrophysiology, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, artificial intelligence, clinical molecular genetic tests, etc., for diagnosis and monitoring of those eye diseases in the aspects of functional, morphological, and molecular characterization;
  • Therapeutic interventions for eye diseases, including drug, surgery, stem cell, cell, and gene therapies.

Submission Guideline:

1. type: research article/review/communication are welcomed, for theses retrospective/cohort/follow-up, narrative review, preliminary study, system/meta-analysis, health care/nursing, prediction/prognostic indicators/score/scale
2. case study/case series/study protocol are not considered, mini review/brief report/simple study, wait for the precheck approval first;
3. not considered topic, including clinical education, medical device/system/platform (Dentistry is ok), cadaver study, in-vitro (cell lines and with clinical significance are excluded), textbook review, medicine cost, tobacco/alcohol, 3D print of stomatology filed and without clinical application, survey or questionnaire of clinical psychology filed.
4. for plan paper with company affiliation, if only promote the company product, will reject, otherwise, can be considered, and also need provide conflicts of interest.

Dr. Minzhong Yu
Dr. Rachida Bouhenni
Prof. Shree K Kurup
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gene
  • protein
  • cell
  • eye
  • therapy
  • diagnosis

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 166 KiB  
Editorial
Updates on Functional and Morphologic Features via State-of-the-Art Testing in Some Clinically Evident Ocular Diseases
by Minzhong Yu and Shree K. Kurup
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(15), 5052; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm12155052 - 1 Aug 2023
Viewed by 558
Abstract
Recent research on functional and morphologic features is relevant to the diagnosis of ocular diseases [...] Full article

Research

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10 pages, 1261 KiB  
Article
Variability of Visual Recovery with Time in Epiretinal Membrane Surgery: A Predictive Analysis Based on Retinal Layer OCT Thickness Changes
by Mary Romano, Fiammetta Catania, Josè Luis Vallejo-Garcia, Tania Sorrentino, Emanuele Crincoli and Paolo Vinciguerra
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(6), 2107; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm12062107 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1482
Abstract
Purpose: To correlate postoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) thickness changes of each retinal layer with different patterns of visual recovery after idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery in a cohort of patients showing no known risk factors for poor visual recovery at preoperative imaging. [...] Read more.
Purpose: To correlate postoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) thickness changes of each retinal layer with different patterns of visual recovery after idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery in a cohort of patients showing no known risk factors for poor visual recovery at preoperative imaging. Methods: Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and OCT images were acquired preoperatively and 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Patients were divided into four groups according to postoperative BCVA improvement: improvement < 15 ETDRS letters (GROUP 1), immediate improvement of BCVA without further improvements at later follow-ups (GROUP 2), immediate improvement of BCVA with further improvements at later follow-ups (GROUP 3) and delayed improvement of BCVA (GROUP 4). Results: Eighty-five patients were included. GROUP1 was the only one characterized by retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness increase and ganglion cell layer/central macular thickness (GCL/CMT) ratio decrease at 1 month and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness decrease at 3 and 6 months. GROUP 2 was the only one showing a decrease in GCL/inner plexiform layer (GCL/IPL) ratio at 1 month. GROUP 3 and 4 showed higher preoperative RNFL thickness compared to the other, and GROUP 4 manifested a late increase in RNFL thickness at 6 months. Conclusions: Different patterns of VA recovery are associated with specific layer thickness changes. If further confirmed, this would help detect those cases characterized by poor or delayed visual recovery despite the absence of other known imaging risk factors. Full article
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9 pages, 1785 KiB  
Article
The Development of Electroretinographic Oscillatory Potentials in Healthy Young Children
by Ting Zhang, Jinglin Lu, Zhaoxin Jiang, Li Huang, Jun Zeng, Liming Cao, Xiaoling Luo, Bilin Yu and Xiaoyan Ding
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(19), 5967; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm11195967 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1339
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to summarize the electroretinographic oscillatory potential (OP) responses in healthy young children recorded by RETeval. Methods: By using the RETeval system, we recorded the implicit times and amplitudes of the OPs (OP1-5), in 132 healthy children aged from 0 [...] Read more.
Purpose: This study aimed to summarize the electroretinographic oscillatory potential (OP) responses in healthy young children recorded by RETeval. Methods: By using the RETeval system, we recorded the implicit times and amplitudes of the OPs (OP1-5), in 132 healthy children aged from 0 to 11 years old. The age, gender, and data of implicit time and amplitude of each child were recorded and analyzed. Correlation analysis was performed between age and implicit time/amplitude. Results: No correlation was shown between the implicit times and amplitudes with gender. The implicit times and amplitudes of OP1-5 matured over 10 years of age, with exponential time constants of 1.9, 2.2, 1.8, 1.7, and 1.6 years and 2.1, 2.9, 2.8, 3.0, and 3.2 years, respectively. The majority of the trend occurred within the first 4.6 years. Conclusions: In order to diagnose and evaluate vision-related disorders, the OP response is commonly used. The percentiles and age dependence of OP responses calculated and shown in this study could be regarded as reference data in age-matched pediatric patients. Full article
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8 pages, 651 KiB  
Article
Associations among Stroke, Myocardial Infarction, and Amaurosis Fugax in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Taiwan
by Ming-Hui Sun and Nomin-Erdene Ognoo
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(17), 5088; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm11175088 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1160
Abstract
Background: To determine the associations among carotid stenosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with amaurosis fugax (AF). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients diagnosed as having AF between January 2000 and December 2019. Among 14,857 patients with AF initially [...] Read more.
Background: To determine the associations among carotid stenosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with amaurosis fugax (AF). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients diagnosed as having AF between January 2000 and December 2019. Among 14,857 patients with AF initially reviewed in the database, only 173 were ultimately enrolled, after excluding patients with wrong diagnosis, insufficient medical records, or loss of follow-up. Results: Of the 173 patients with AF, 61 (35.3%) had carotid stenosis, and among them, 18 (10.4%) had severe stenosis. In multivariate regression analysis, carotid stenosis was significantly associated with age (p = 0.009), male sex (p = 0.006), and ischemic heart disease (p = 0.039). Sixteen (9.2%) patients experienced a stroke after AF diagnosis (mean time to stroke: 23.1 ± 31.1 months, range: 1 day~85 month), 11 (68.8%) of whom had carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.003). Three (1.7%) patients had MI after AF (mean time to MI: 24.8 ± 35.9 months, range: 12 days~66 months), none of whom had carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.553). Four (2.3%) patients had central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) after AF, all of whom had carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.034). Conclusions: A high incidence of internal carotid artery stenosis was observed after AF attack and was significantly associated with stroke. The incidence of MI and CRAO after AF was low. Among them, only CRAO was associated with carotid artery stenosis. Full article
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13 pages, 2690 KiB  
Article
Clinical Features and Natural History in a Cohort of Chinese Patients with RPE65-Associated Inherited Retinal Dystrophy
by Jie Shi, Ke Xu, Jian-Ping Hu, Yue Xie, Xin Zhang, Xiao-Hui Zhang, Zi-Bing Jin and Yang Li
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(22), 5229; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm10225229 - 10 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1889
Abstract
RPE65-associated inherited retinal dystrophy (RPE65-IRD) is an early-onset retinal degeneration. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and natural course of this disease in a Chinese patient cohort with RPE65 biallelic variants. Thirty patients from 29 [...] Read more.
RPE65-associated inherited retinal dystrophy (RPE65-IRD) is an early-onset retinal degeneration. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and natural course of this disease in a Chinese patient cohort with RPE65 biallelic variants. Thirty patients from 29 unrelated families with biallelic disease-causing RPE65 variants underwent full ophthalmic examinations. Thirteen were followed up over time. An additional 57 Chinese cases from 49 families were retrieved from the literature to analyze the relationship between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and age. Our 30 patients presented age-dependent phenotypic characteristics. Multiple white dots were a clinical feature of young patients, while maculopathy, epiretinal membrane, and bone spicules were common in adult patients. Among the 84 patients, BCVA declined with age in a nonlinear, positive-acceleration relationship (p < 0.001). All patients older than 40 years met the WHO standard for low vision. Longitudinal observation revealed a slower visual acuity loss in patients younger than 20 years than those in their third or fourth decade of life. Our study detailed the clinical features and natural course of disease in Chinese patients with RPE65-IRD. Our results indicated that these patients have a relatively stable BCVA in childhood and adolescence, but eyesight deteriorates rapidly in the third decade of life. These findings may facilitate the implementation of gene therapy in China. Full article
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9 pages, 1057 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Effect of Pan-Retinal Photocoagulation and Intravitreal Conbercept Treatment on the Change of Retinal Vessel Density Monitored by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Patients with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
by Hongkun Zhao, Minzhong Yu, Lijun Zhou, Cong Li, Lin Lu and Chenjin Jin
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(19), 4484; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm10194484 - 29 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2067
Abstract
Background: This study compares the change of retinal vessel density (VD) after pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) and intravitreal conbercept (IVC) treatment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) eyes with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: A total of 55 treatment-naïve PDR eyes were included in [...] Read more.
Background: This study compares the change of retinal vessel density (VD) after pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) and intravitreal conbercept (IVC) treatment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) eyes with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: A total of 55 treatment-naïve PDR eyes were included in this retrospective study. Of these, 29 eyes were divided into a PRP group, and 26 eyes were divided into an IVC group based on the treatment they received. OCTA was performed to measure macular and papillary VD at each follow-up in both groups. Results: The macular VD for superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), choriocapillaris (CC) and papillary VD for radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) between the two groups demonstrated no significant difference at baseline and month 12 (p > 0.05). The paired t-test results showed that the macular VD for SCP, DCP, CC and papillary VD for the RPC at month 12 did not differ to the baseline in each group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: During the 12-month follow-up, there was no significant change of macular and papillary VD between the PRP and IVC treatment in PDR eyes. Additionally, compared to the baseline, there were no significant changes of macular and papillary VD after either the PRP or IVC treatment. Considering the decrease in VD as DR progress, both treatments have potential protection of macular and papillary VD loss in PDR. Full article
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Review

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9 pages, 235 KiB  
Review
Choroidal Thickness and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma—A Narrative Review
by Alice Verticchio Vercellin, Alon Harris, Ari M. Stoner, Francesco Oddone, Kristen Ann Mendoza and Brent Siesky
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(5), 1209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcm11051209 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
The choroid provides the majority of blood flow to the ocular tissues and structures that facilitate the processes of retinal metabolism responsible for vision. Specifically, the choriocapillaris provides a structural network of small blood vessels that supplies the retinal ganglion cells and deep [...] Read more.
The choroid provides the majority of blood flow to the ocular tissues and structures that facilitate the processes of retinal metabolism responsible for vision. Specifically, the choriocapillaris provides a structural network of small blood vessels that supplies the retinal ganglion cells and deep ocular tissues. Similar to retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, choroidal thickness (CT) has been suggested to represent a quantifiable health biomarker for choroidal tissues. Glaucoma is a disease with vascular contributions in its onset and progression. Despite its importance in maintaining ocular structure and vascular functionality, clinical assessments of choroidal tissues have been historically challenged by the inaccessibility of CT biomarker targets. The development of optical coherence tomography angiography and enhanced depth imaging created a framework for assessing CT and investigating its relationship to glaucomatous optic neuropathy onset and progression. Pilot studies on CT in glaucoma are conflicting—with those both in support of, and against, its clinical utility. Complicating the data are highly customized analysis methods, small sample sizes, heterogeneous patient groups, and a lack of properly designed controlled studies with CT as a primary outcome. Herein, we review the available data on CT and critically discuss its potential relevance and limitations in glaucoma disease management. Full article
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