ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique with autologous blood for myopic macular hole.MethodsA retrospective, case-controlled study. Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients with myopic macular hole who received treatment in Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2017 to May 2019 were enrolled in this study. There were 5 males (5 eyes) and 24 females (24 eyes), with an average age of 55.28±11.40 years. According to the surgical method, the patients were divided into inverted ILM flap group (12 eyes) and ILM peeling group (17 eyes). All patients underwent BCVA, spectral domain OCT and axial length measurement before surgery. There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, gender, course of disease, hole diameter, BCVA and other baseline data. Follow-up was over 4 months after surgery. The BCVA, macular hole closure and continuity of outer retina after surgery were observed.ResultsIn ILM peeling group, 11 eyes were closed (64.7%) and 6 eyes were not closed at 3 months after surgery. In ILM flap group, 12 eyes were closed (100.0%). The difference of closure rate between two groups was statistically significant (χ2=5.34, P=0.028). The BCVA of inverted ILM flap group was significantly improved at 1, 3 months after surgery compared with preoperative measurements, and the difference was statistically significant (F=3.813, 4.667; P=0.003, 0.001). The BCVA of ILM peeling group was improved at 1 month after surgery, but the difference was not statistically significant (F=1.556, P=0.139). And the BCVA was significantly improved at 3 month after surgery compared with preoperative measurements, and the difference was statistically significant (F=2.453, P=0.026). But there was no significant difference in BCVA between the two groups at 1 and 3 months after surgery (F=0.647, 0.535; P=0.551, 0.612). There was no significant difference in the recovery of outer structure (ELM and EZ continuity) between the two groups at 3 month after surgery (F=0.008, P=0.631).ConclusionsInverted ILM flap technique with autologous blood is a safe and effective method to treat myopic macular hole. The closure rate of the hole can be improved significantly.
ObjectiveTo observe the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in the inner limiting membrane (ILM) of diabetic retinopathy (DR) with macular edema, and analyze the correlation between VEGF and AQP4 expression. Methods A cross-sectional study. From September 2019 to September 2020, 38 eyes of 38 patients with DR and idiopathic macular hole (iMH) who underwent vitrectomy (PPV) combined with ILM stripping at the Hangzhou campus of The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University at Hangzhou were included in the study. Among them, there were 25 males and 13 females who aged 37-76 years old, average age was 59±10 years old; All eye included 15 right eyes and 23 left eyes. iMH and DR included 9 eyes in 9 cases and 29 eyes in 29 cases, respectively, and they were divided into iMH group and DR group. The DR group was divided into DME group and no DME group according to whether it was accompanied by diabetic macular edema (DME), with 14 eyes and 15 eyes respectively. After the stripped ILM tissue was fixed, immunofluorescence analysis was performed to obtain a picture of the fluorescence mode of AQP4 and VEGF, and the fluorescence intensity value of VEGF and AQP4 was measured by Image J software. The differences of VEGF and AQP4 immunofluorescence values in the specimens between groups were compared by one-way analysis of variance. The correlation between the fluorescence intensity of AQP4 and the fluorescence intensity of VEGF was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results The average fluorescence intensity valuesof VEGF and AQP4 in ILM specimens of DME group, no DME group and iMH group were 38.96±7.53, 28.25±3.12, 30.07±4.84 and 49.07±8.73, 37.96±6.45, 38.08±5.04, respectively. The average fluorescence intensity of VEGF and AQP4 in the ILM specimens of the DME group was significantly higher than that of the no DME group and iMH group, and the difference was statistically significant (F=13.977, 9.454; P＜0.05). The average fluorescence intensity values of VEGF and AQP4 on IML specimens in the DR group were 33.80±7.91, 43.76±9.44, respectively. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the fluorescence intensity of VEGF and AQP4 in the ILM specimens of the DR group was significantly positively correlated (r=0.597, P=0.003). ConclusionsThe expressions of VEGF and AQP4 in ILM of eyes with DR and DME are significantly increased compared with those without DME. The expression of VEGF and AQP4 in ILM of eyes with DR is positively correlated.
ObjectiveTo observe and analyze the correlations between aqueous humor cytokine concentrations and disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL), as well as postoperative visual acuity, in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM). MethodsA prospective clinical study. From November 2022 to October 2024, 40 eyes of 40 patients diagnosed with iERM at Ophthalmology Center of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital) underwent cataract surgery alone or combined with pars plana vitrectomy (iERM group) were enrolled; 19 eyes of 19 patients undergoing cataract surgery alone during the same period served as the control group. All eyes underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) testing and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). BCVA was assessed using a logarithmic visual acuity chart and converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) for statistical analysis. Central macular thickness (CMT) was measured using SS-OCT. The iERM group was further subdivided into DRIL-positive and DRIL-negative subgroups (21 eyes and 19 eyes, respectively), based on the presence or absence of DRIL. Aqueous humor samples were collected preoperatively from eyes in both the iERM and control groups. Concentrations of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB, hepatocyte growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), placental growth factor (PLGF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), angiopoietin (Ang)-1, Ang-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. Follow-up examinations using the same equipment and methods were performed at 1 month postoperatively. Aqueous cytokine levels were compared between the iERM group, control group, DRIL-positive subgroup, and DRIL-negative subgroup. Correlations between aqueous cytokine levels in the iERM group and BCVA or CMT were also analyzed. Intergroup comparisons utilized the Mann-Whitney U test; correlations between variables were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation analysis. ResultsCompared to the control group, the iERM group exhibited significantly higher aqueous concentrations of TGF-β1, TGF-β3, PDGF-AB, PLGF, GDNF, ICAM-1, Ang-1, and TNF-α (P＜0.05). Compared to the DRIL-negative subgroup, the DRIL-positive subgroup showed significantly elevated aqueous concentrations of TGF-β3, PDGF-AB, PLGF, GDNF, ICAM-1, Ang-1, Ang-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 (P＜0.05). Significant differences were observed in logMAR BCVA (P=0.028) and CMT (P＜0.001) within the iERM group between preoperative and 1-month postoperative measurements. LogMAR BCVA differed significantly between the DRIL-positive and DRIL-negative subgroups (P=0.048). Correlation analysis revealed that baseline aqueous levels of VEGF-A and IL-6 in eyes with DRIL were positively correlated with postoperative BCVA (r=0.324, 0.452; P=0.042, 0.003). No significant correlation was found between CMT and any cytokine (P＞0.05). ConclusionsAqueous humor cytokines are closely associated with DRIL in iERM patients. IL-6 and VEGF-A may serve as potential predictive biomarkers for early postoperative visual recovery.