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Fujinami K, Waheed N, Laich Y, Yang P, Fujinami-Yokokawa Y, Higgins JJ, Lu JT, Curtiss D, Clary C, Michaelides M. Stargardt macular dystrophy and therapeutic approaches. Br J Ophthalmol 2024; 108:495-505. [PMID: 37940365 PMCID: PMC10958310 DOI: 10.1136/bjo-2022-323071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Stargardt macular dystrophy (Stargardt disease; STGD1; OMIM 248200) is the most prevalent inherited macular dystrophy. STGD1 is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by multiple pathogenic sequence variants in the large ABCA4 gene (OMIM 601691). Major advances in understanding both the clinical and molecular features, as well as the underlying pathophysiology, have culminated in many completed, ongoing and planned human clinical trials of novel therapies.The aims of this concise review are to describe (1) the detailed phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the disease, multimodal imaging findings, natural history of the disease, and pathogenesis, (2) the multiple avenues of research and therapeutic intervention, including pharmacological, cellular therapies and diverse types of genetic therapies that have either been investigated or are under investigation and (3) the exciting novel therapeutic approaches on the translational horizon that aim to treat STGD1 by replacing the entire 6.8 kb ABCA4 open reading frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Fujinami
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, NHO Tokyo Medical Center, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Nadia Waheed
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yannik Laich
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Eye Center, Medical Center, University of Freiburg Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul Yang
- Oregon Health and Science University Casey Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Yu Fujinami-Yokokawa
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, NHO Tokyo Medical Center, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Keio University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Jonathan T Lu
- SalioGen Therapeutics Inc, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Darin Curtiss
- Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Alachua, Florida, USA
| | - Cathryn Clary
- SalioGen Therapeutics Inc, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Mizobuchi K, Hayashi T, Tanaka K, Kuniyoshi K, Murakami Y, Nakamura N, Torii K, Mizota A, Sakai D, Maeda A, Kominami T, Ueno S, Kusaka S, Nishiguchi KM, Ikeda Y, Kondo M, Tsunoda K, Hotta Y, Nakano T. Genetic and Clinical Features of ABCA4-Associated Retinopathy in a Japanese Nationwide Cohort. Am J Ophthalmol 2024; 264:36-43. [PMID: 38499139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To clarify the genetic and clinical features of Japanese patients with ABCA4-associated retinopathy. DESIGN Retrospective, multicenter cohort study. METHODS Patients with retinal degeneration and biallelic ABCA4 variants were recruited from 13 different hospitals. Whole exome sequencing analysis was used for genetic testing. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed on matched patients. The primary outcome measure was identifying multimodal retinal imaging findings associated with disease progression. RESULTS This study included 63 patients: 19 with missense/missense, 23 with missense/truncation, and 21 with truncation/truncation genotypes. In total, 62 variants were identified, including 29 novel variants. Six patients had a mild phenotype characterized by foveal-sparing or preserved foveal structure, including 4 with missense/missense and 2 with missense/truncation genotypes. The p.Arg212His variant was the most frequent in patients with mild phenotypes (4/12 alleles). Clinical findings showed a disease duration-dependent worsening of the phenotypic stage. Patients with the truncation/truncation genotype exhibited rapid retinal degeneration within a few years and definite fundus autofluorescence imaging patterns, including hyper autofluorescence at the macula and few or no flecks. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that missense/missense or missense/truncation genotypes, including the p.Arg212His variant, are associated with a relatively mild phenotype. In contrast, the truncation/truncation genotype causes rapid and severe retinal degeneration in Japanese patients with ABCA4-associated retinopathy. These data are vital in predicting patient prognosis, guiding genetic counseling, and stratifying patients for future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Mizobuchi
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.M., T.H., T.N.), The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hayashi
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.M., T.H., T.N.), The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, Katsushika Medical Center (T.H.), The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Koji Tanaka
- Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences (K.T.), Nihon University School of Medicine, Nihon University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kuniyoshi
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.K., S.K.), Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-sayama, Japan
| | - Yusuke Murakami
- Department of Ophthalmology (Y.M.), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Natsuko Nakamura
- Department of Ophthalmology (N.N.), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaoruko Torii
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.T., Y.H.), Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Mizota
- Department of Ophthalmology (A.M.), Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daiki Sakai
- Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.M.), Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Akiko Maeda
- Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.M.), Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Taro Kominami
- Department of Ophthalmology (T.K., S.U., K.M.N.), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shinji Ueno
- Department of Ophthalmology (T.K., S.U., K.M.N.), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology (S.U.), Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan
| | - Shunji Kusaka
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.K., S.K.), Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-sayama, Japan
| | - Koji M Nishiguchi
- Department of Ophthalmology (T.K., S.U., K.M.N.), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ikeda
- Department of Ophthalmology (Y.I.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Mineo Kondo
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.K.), Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
| | - Kazushige Tsunoda
- Division of Vision Research (K.T.), National Institute of Sensory Organs, NHO Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Hotta
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.T., Y.H.), Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Nakano
- Department of Ophthalmology (K.M., T.H., T.N.), The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Großpötzl M, Riedl R, Schließleder G, Hu ZJ, Michaelides M, Sadda S, Birch D, Charbel Issa P, Wedrich A, Seidel G, Scholl HPN, Strauss RW. Progression of PROM1-Associated Retinal Degeneration as Determined by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Over a 24-Month Period. Am J Ophthalmol 2024; 259:109-116. [PMID: 37979600 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the progression of atrophy as determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with molecularly confirmed PROM1-associated retinal degeneration (RD) over a 24-month period. DESIGN International, multicenter, prospective case series. METHODS A total of 13 eyes (13 patients) affected with PROM1-associated RD were enrolled at 5 sites and SD-OCT images were obtained at baseline and after 24 months. Loss of mean thickness (MT) and intact area were estimated after semi-automated segmentation for the following individual retinal layers in the central subfield (CS), inner ring, and outer ring of the ETDRS grid: retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), outer segments (OS), inner segments (IS), outer nuclear layer (ONL), inner retina (IR), and total retina (TR). RESULTS Statistically significant losses of thickness of RPE and TR were detected in the CS and inner ring and of ONL and IS in the outer ring (all P < .05); a statistically significant decrease in the intact area of RPE and IS was observed in the inner ring, and of ONL in the outer ring (all P < .05); the change in MT and the intact area of the other layers showed a trend of decline over an observational period of 24 months. CONCLUSIONS Significant thickness losses could be detected in outer retinal layers by SD-OCT over a 24-month period in patients with PROM1-associated retinal degeneration. Loss of thickness and/or intact area of such layers may serve as potential endpoints for clinical trials that aim to slow down the disease progression of PROM1-associated retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Großpötzl
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.G., G.S., A.W., G.S., R.W.S), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Regina Riedl
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation (R.R.), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gernot Schließleder
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.G., G.S., A.W., G.S., R.W.S), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Zhihong Jewel Hu
- Doheny Eye Institute (Z.J.H., S.V.S.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Moorfields Eye Hospital (M.M., R.W.S.), NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (M.M., R.W.S.), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - SriniVas Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute (Z.J.H., S.V.S.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest (D.B.), Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Peter Charbel Issa
- Department of Ophthalmology (P.C.I.), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Oxford Eye Hospital (P.C.I.), Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology (P.C.I.), Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Wedrich
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.G., G.S., A.W., G.S., R.W.S), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gerald Seidel
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.G., G.S., A.W., G.S., R.W.S), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology (R.W.S.), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rupert W Strauss
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.G., G.S., A.W., G.S., R.W.S), Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria; Moorfields Eye Hospital (M.M., R.W.S.), NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (M.M., R.W.S.), University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland; Wilmer Eye Institute (R.W.S.), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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Abousy M, Antonio-Aguirre B, Aziz K, Hu MW, Qian J, Singh MS. Multimodal Phenomap of Stargardt Disease Integrating Structural, Psychophysical, and Electrophysiologic Measures of Retinal Degeneration. OPHTHALMOLOGY SCIENCE 2024; 4:100327. [PMID: 37869022 PMCID: PMC10585476 DOI: 10.1016/j.xops.2023.100327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Objective To cluster the diverse phenotypic features of Stargardt disease (STGD) using unsupervised clustering of multimodal retinal structure and function data. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Subjects Eyes of subjects with STGD and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), OCT, electroretinography (ERG), and microperimetry (MP) data available within 1 year of the baseline evaluation. Methods A total of 46 variables from FAF, OCT, ERG, and MP results were recorded for subjects with STGD as defined per published criteria. Factor analysis of mixed data identified the most informative variables. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering and silhouette analysis identified the optimal number of clusters to classify multimodal phenotypes. Main Outcome Measures Phenotypic clusters of STGD subjects and the corresponding cluster features. Results We included 52 subjects and 102 eyes with a mean visual acuity (VA) at the time of multimodal testing of 0.69 ± 0.494 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (20/63 Snellen). We identified 4 clusters of eyes. Compared to the other clusters, cluster 1 (n = 16) included younger subjects, VA greater than that of clusters 2 and 3, normal or moderately low total macular volume (TMV), greater preservation of scotopic and photopic ERG responses and fixation stability, less atrophy, and fewer flecks. Cluster 2 (n = 49) differed from cluster 1 mainly with less atrophy and relatively stable fixation. Cluster 3 (n = 10) included older subjects than clusters 1 and 2 and showed the lowest VA, TMV, ERG responses, and fixation stability, with extensive atrophy. Cluster 4 (n = 27) showed better VA, TMV similar to clusters 1 and 2, moderate ERG activity, stable fixation, and moderate-high atrophy and flecks. Conclusions Reflecting the phenotypic complexity of STGD, an unsupervised clustering approach incorporating phenotypic measures can be used to categorize STGD eyes into distinct clusters. The clusters exhibit differences in structural and functional measures including quantity of flecks, extent of retinal atrophy, visual fixation accuracy, and ERG responses, among other features. If novel pharmacologic, gene, or cell therapy modalities become available in the future, the multimodal phenomap approach may be useful to individualize treatment decisions, and its utility in aiding prognostication requires further evaluation. Financial Disclosures Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mya Abousy
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Kanza Aziz
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ming-Wen Hu
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jiang Qian
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mandeep S. Singh
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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5
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Daich Varela M, Laich Y, Hashem SA, Mahroo OA, Webster AR, Michaelides M. Prognostication in Stargardt Disease Using Fundus Autofluorescence: Improving Patient Care. Ophthalmology 2023; 130:1182-1190. [PMID: 37331482 PMCID: PMC11108789 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging as an alternative to electroretinography as a noninvasive, quick, and readily interpretable method to predict disease progression in Stargardt disease (STGD). DESIGN Retrospective case series of patients who attended Moorfields Eye Hospital (London, United Kingdom). PARTICIPANTS Patients with STGD who met the following criteria were included: (1) biallelic disease-causing variants in ABCA4, (2) electroretinography testing performed in house with an unequivocal electroretinography group classification, and (3) ultrawidefield (UWF) FAF imaging performed up to 2 years before or after the electroretinography. METHODS Patients were divided into 3 electroretinography groups based on retinal function and 3 FAF groups according to the extent of hypoautofluorescence and retinal background appearance. Fundus autofluorescence images of 30° and 55° were reviewed subsequently. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Electroretinography and FAF concordance and its association with baseline visual acuity (VA) and genetics. RESULTS Two hundred thirty-four patients were included in the cohort. One hundred seventy patients (73%) were in electroretinography and FAF groups of the same severity, 33 (14%) were in a milder FAF than electroretinography group, and 31 (13%) were in a more severe FAF than electroretinography group. Children < 10 years of age (n = 23) showed the lowest electroretinography and FAF concordance at 57% (9 of the 10 with discordant electroretinography and FAF showed milder FAF than electroretinography), and adults with adult onset showed the highest (80%). In 97% and 98% of patients, 30° and 55° FAF imaging, respectively, matched with the group defined by UWF FAF. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that FAF imaging is an effective method to determine the extent of retinal involvement and thereby inform prognostication by comparing FAF with the current gold standard of electroretinography. In 80% of patients in our large molecularly proven cohort, we were able to predict if the disease was confined to the macula or also affected the peripheral retina. Children assessed at a young age, with at least 1 null variant, early disease onset, poor initial VA, or a combination thereof may have wider retinal involvement than predicted by FAF alone, may progress to a more severe FAF phenotype over time, or both. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Daich Varela
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yannik Laich
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Shaima Awadh Hashem
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Omar A Mahroo
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R Webster
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Samelska K, Szaflik JP, Śmigielska B, Zaleska-Żmijewska A. Progression of Rare Inherited Retinal Dystrophies May Be Monitored by Adaptive Optics Imaging. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1871. [PMID: 37763275 PMCID: PMC10532666 DOI: 10.3390/life13091871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are bilateral genetic conditions of the retina, leading to irreversible vision loss. This study included 55 eyes afflicted with IRDs affecting the macula. The diseases examined encompassed Stargardt disease (STGD), cone dystrophy (CD), and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD) using adaptive optics (Rtx1™; Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). Adaptive optics facilitate high-quality visualisation of retinal microstructures, including cones. Cone parameters, such as cone density (DM), cone spacing (SM), and regularity (REG), were analysed. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed as well. Examinations were performed twice over a 6-year observation period. A significant change was observed in DM (1282.73/mm2 vs. 10,073.42/mm2, p< 0.001) and SM (9.83 μm vs. 12.16 μm, p< 0.001) during the follow-up. BCVA deterioration was also significant (0.16 vs. 0.12, p = 0.001), albeit uncorrelated with the change in cone parameters. No significant difference in REG was detected between the initial examination and the follow-up (p = 0.089).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Samelska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Paweł Szaflik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Barbara Śmigielska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Zaleska-Żmijewska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
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Pfau M, Huryn LA, Boyle MP, Cukras CA, Zein WM, Turriff A, Ullah E, Hufnagel RB, Jeffrey BG, Brooks BP. Natural History of Visual Dysfunction in ABCA4 Retinopathy and Its Genetic Correlates. Am J Ophthalmol 2023; 253:224-232. [PMID: 37211138 PMCID: PMC10524499 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To systematically assess the ability to detect change and retest reliability for a panel of visual function assessments in ABCA4 retinopathy. DESIGN Prospective natural history study (NCT01736293). METHODS Patients with at least 1 documented pathogenic ABCA4 variant and a clinical phenotype consistent with ABCA4 retinopathy were recruited from a tertiary referral center. Participants underwent longitudinal, multifaceted functional testing, including measures of function at fixation (best-corrected visual acuity, low-vision Cambridge Color Test), macular function (microperimetry), and retina-wide function (full-field electroretinography [ERG]). Two- and 5-year ability to detect change was determined based on the η2 statistic. RESULTS A total of 134 eyes from 67 participants with a mean follow-up of 3.65 years were included. In the 2-year interval, the microperimetry-derived perilesional sensitivity (η2 of 0.73 [0.53, 0.83]; -1.79 dB/y [-2.2, -1.37]) and mean sensitivity (η2 of 0.62 [0.38, 0.76]; -1.28 dB/y [-1.67, -0.89]) showed most change over time, but could only be recorded in 71.6% of the participants. In the 5-year interval, the dark-adapted ERG a- and b-wave amplitude showed marked change over time as well (eg, DA 30 a-wave amplitude with an η2 of 0.54 [0.34, 0.68]; -0.02 log10(µV)/y [-0.02, -0.01]). The genotype explained a large fraction of variability in the ERG-based age of disease initiation (adjusted R2 of 0.73) CONCLUSIONS: Microperimetry-based clinical outcome assessments were most sensitive to change but could only be acquired in a subset of participants. Across a 5-year interval, the ERG DA 30 a-wave amplitude was sensitive to disease progression, potentially allowing for more inclusive clinical trial designs encompassing the whole ABCA4 retinopathy spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Pfau
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Laryssa A Huryn
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisa P Boyle
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Catherine A Cukras
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wadih M Zein
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Amy Turriff
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ehsan Ullah
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert B Hufnagel
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brett G Jeffrey
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
| | - Brian P Brooks
- From the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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8
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Samelska K, Szaflik JP, Guszkowska M, Kurowska AK, Zaleska-Żmijewska A. Characteristics of Rare Inherited Retinal Dystrophies in Adaptive Optics-A Study on 53 Eyes. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2472. [PMID: 37568834 PMCID: PMC10417470 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13152472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are genetic disorders that lead to the bilateral degeneration of the retina, causing irreversible vision loss. These conditions often manifest during the first and second decades of life, and their primary symptoms can be non-specific. Diagnostic processes encompass assessments of best-corrected visual acuity, fundoscopy, optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography, electrophysiological tests, and genetic testing. This study focuses on the application of adaptive optics (AO), a non-invasive retinal examination, for the assessment of patients with IRDs. AO facilitates the high-quality, detailed observation of retinal photoreceptor structures (cones and rods) and enables the quantitative analysis of parameters such as cone density (DM), cone spacing (SM), cone regularity (REG), and Voronoi analysis (N%6). AO examinations were conducted on eyes diagnosed with Stargardt disease (STGD, N=36), cone dystrophy (CD, N=9), and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD, N=8), and on healthy eyes (N=14). There were significant differences in the DM, SM, REG, and N%6 parameters between the healthy and IRD-affected eyes (p<0.001 for DM, SM, and REG; p=0.008 for N%6). The mean DM in the CD, CRD, and STGD groups was 8900.39/mm2, 9296.32/mm2, and 16,209.66/mm2, respectively, with a significant inter-group difference (p=0.006). The mean SM in the CD, CRD, and STGD groups was 12.37 μm, 14.82 μm, and 9.65 μm, respectively, with a significant difference observed between groups (p=0.002). However, no significant difference was found in REG and N%6 among the CD, CRD, and STGD groups. Significant differences were found in SM and DM between CD and STGD (p=0.014 for SM; p=0.003 for DM) and between CRD and STGD (p=0.027 for SM; p=0.003 for DM). Our findings suggest that AO holds significant potential as an impactful diagnostic tool for IRDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Samelska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Paweł Szaflik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Anna Katarzyna Kurowska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Zaleska-Żmijewska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
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Soares RM, Carvalho AL, Simão S, Soares CA, Raimundo M, Alves CH, Ambrósio AF, Murta J, Saraiva J, Silva R, Marques JP. Eyes Shut Homolog-Associated Retinal Degeneration: Natural History, Genetic Landscape, and Phenotypic Spectrum. Ophthalmol Retina 2023:S2468-6530(23)00054-4. [PMID: 36764454 DOI: 10.1016/j.oret.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe the natural history, genetic landscape, and phenotypic spectrum of Eyes shut homolog (EYS)-associated retinal degeneration (EYS-RD). DESIGN Retrospective, single-center cohort study complemented by a cross-sectional examination. SUBJECTS Patients with biallelic EYS variants were recruited at an inherited RD referral center in Portugal. METHODS Every patient underwent a cross-sectional examination comprising a comprehensive ophthalmic examination including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), dilated slit-lamp anterior segment, and fundus biomicroscopy; ultrawide-field color fundus photography and fundus autofluorescence imaging; and spectral domain-OCT. In the setting of a retinitis pigmentosa (RP) diagnosis, every patient was classified as typical or atypical RP according to imaging criteria. Baseline demographics, age at onset of symptoms, family history, history of consanguinity, symptoms, age at diagnosis, BCVA at baseline and throughout follow-up, and EYS variants were collected from each individual patient file. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical/demographic, genetic, multimodal imaging data, and BCVA variation were compared between typical and atypical RP. Additionally, BCVA variation during follow-up was used as an endpoint to describe EYS-RD natural history. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients (59% men; mean age 52 ± 14 years) from 48 White families of Portuguese ancestry were included. Twenty distinct EYS variants were identified, 8 of which are novel. In 32.8% of patients, onset of symptoms was in early adulthood (21-30 years). A clinical diagnosis of RP was established in 57 patients and cone-rod dystrophy in 1 patient. Regarding RP, 75.0% of the patients were graded as typical and 25.0% as atypical. Atypical EYS-RP commonly presents with inferior crescent-shaped macular atrophy with superior midperipheral sparing. In EYS-RD, a negative correlation was found between age and BCVA (r = -0.50; P < 0.001), with an average loss of 1.45 letters per year. When stratifying for RP phenotype, lower average loss of letters per year (P < 0.001), higher BCVA (P < 0.001), and larger ellipsoid zone widths (P < 0.001) were found in atypical RP. CONCLUSIONS This study expands the genetic spectrum of EYS-RD by reporting 8 novel variants. A high frequency of atypical phenotypes was identified. These patients have better BCVA and larger ellipsoidal zone widths, thus presenting an overall better prognosis. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Machado Soares
- Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia e Espinho (CHVNGE), Gaia, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Carvalho
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Medical Genetics Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Simão
- Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Célia Azevedo Soares
- Centro de Genética Médica Jacinto Magalhães, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto (CHUP), Porto, Portugal; Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar/Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Miguel Raimundo
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - C Henrique Alves
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra (UC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - António Francisco Ambrósio
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra (UC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joaquim Murta
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge Saraiva
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Medical Genetics Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rufino Silva
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Pedro Marques
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Ophthalmology Unit, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
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10
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Strauss RW, Ho A, Jha A, Fujinami K, Michaelides M, Cideciyan AV, Audo I, Birch DG, Sadda S, Ip M, West S, Schönbach EM, Kong X, Scholl HPN. Progression of Stargardt Disease as Determined by Fundus Autofluorescence Over a 24-Month Period (ProgStar Report No. 17). Am J Ophthalmol 2023; 250:157-170. [PMID: 36764427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To estimate the progression rate of atrophic lesions in Stargardt disease derived from fundus autofluorescence (FAF). DESIGN International, multicenter, prospective cohort study. METHODS A total of 259 participants aged ≥6 years with disease-causing variants in the ABCA4 gene were enrolled from 9 centers and followed over a 24-month period. FAF images were obtained every 6 months, and areas of definitely decreased autofluorescence (DDAF) and decreased autofluorescence (DAF) were quantified. Progression rates were estimated from linear mixed models with time as the independent variable. RESULTS A total of 488 study eyes of 259 participants (88.8% with both eyes) were enrolled and images from 432 eyes were followed for 24 months. The overall estimated progression of DDAF was 0.74 mm2/y (95% CI 0.64-0.85, P < .0001) and that of DAF was 0.64 mm2/y (95% CI 0.57-0.71) over a 24-month period in univariate analysis. Growth rates were strongly dependent on baseline lesion area. After square root transformation, the DDAF growth rate was not dependent on baseline lesion radius (P = .11), whereas the DAF growth rate was dependent (P < .0001). Genotype was not found to significantly impact the growth rate of DDAF or DAF lesions. CONCLUSIONS FAF may serve as a convenient monitoring tool and suitable end point for interventional clinical trials that aim to slow disease progression. DDAF and DAF lesion sizes at baseline are strong predicting factors for lesion area growth and can be partially accounted for by square root transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupert W Strauss
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz (R.W.S.), Graz, Austria; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (R.W.S., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Department of Ophthalmology, Kepler University Clinic (R.W.S.), Linz, Austria; Institute of Clinical and Molecular Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) (R.W.S., H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Ho
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (A.H., A.J., S.S., M.I.), California, USA
| | - Anamika Jha
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (A.H., A.J., S.S., M.I.), California, USA
| | - Kaoru Fujinami
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (R.W.S., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division for Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization, Tokyo Medical Center (K.F.), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (R.W.S., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (A.V.C.), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Universités, University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Université de Paris 06, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut de la Vision, Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie (CHNO) des Quinze-Vingts (I.A.), Paris, France
| | - David G Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas (D.G.B.), Texas, USA
| | - Srinivas Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (A.H., A.J., S.S., M.I.), California, USA
| | - Michael Ip
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (A.H., A.J., S.S., M.I.), California, USA
| | - Sheila West
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University (S.W., X.K.), Baltimore, USA
| | - Etienne M Schönbach
- Shiley Eye Institute and Jacobs Retina Center, University of California, San Diego (E.M.S.), La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Xiangrong Kong
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University (S.W., X.K.), Baltimore, USA
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Institute of Clinical and Molecular Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) (R.W.S., H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel (H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland.
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11
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Heath Jeffery RC, Thompson JA, Lamey TM, McLaren TL, De Roach JN, McAllister IL, Constable IJ, Chen FK. Longitudinal Analysis of Functional and Structural Outcome Measures in PRPH2-Associated Retinal Dystrophy. Ophthalmol Retina 2023; 7:81-91. [PMID: 35792359 DOI: 10.1016/j.oret.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To establish disease progression rates in total lesion size (TLS), decreased autofluorescence (DAF) area, total macular volume (TMV), and mean macular sensitivity (MMS) in PRPH2-associated retinal dystrophy. DESIGN Single-center, retrospective chart review. PARTICIPANTS Patients with heterozygous pathogenic or likely pathogenic PRPH2 variants. METHODS Patients who underwent serial ultrawide-field (UWF) fundus autofluorescence (FAF), OCT, and Macular Integrity Assessment microperimetry with at least 1 year of follow-up were included. Linear correlation was performed in eyes of all patients to determine the rate of change over time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Outcome measures included changes in TLS, DAF area, TMV, and MMS. RESULTS Twelve patients (mean age, 55) from 10 unrelated families attended 100 clinic visits, which spanned over a mean (SD) of 4.7 (2.0) years. Mean (SD) TLS and DAF radius expansion were 0.14 (0.12) and 0.10 (0.08) mm/year, respectively. Mean (SD) TMV change was -0.071 (0.040) mm3/year with no interocular difference (P = 0.20) and strong interocular correlation (r2 = 0.88, P < 0.01). Mean (SD) MMS change was -0.10 (1.25) dB/year. Mean macular sensitivity declined in 4 and improved in 6 patients. Mean macular sensitivity was subnormal despite a TMV within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS Serial measurements of UWF-FAF-derived TLS and DAF showed slow expansion. Total macular volume might be a more sensitive measure than MMS in detecting disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael C Heath Jeffery
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Thompson
- Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tina M Lamey
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Terri L McLaren
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - John N De Roach
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ian L McAllister
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ian J Constable
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Fred K Chen
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (incorporating Lions Eye Institute), The University of Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Technology and Physics, Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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12
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Ngo WK, Jenny LA, Kim AH, Kolesnikova M, Greenstein VC, Tsang SH. Correlations of Full-Field Stimulus Threshold With Functional and Anatomical Outcome Measurements in Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa. Am J Ophthalmol 2023; 245:155-163. [PMID: 35870488 PMCID: PMC11149455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare full-field stimulus (FST) threshold values to conventional functional and anatomical measures commonly used in clinical practice. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS Patients with retinitis pigmentosa with nondetectable electroretinogram rod-mediated responses and light-adapted 3.0 cd·s·m2 30-Hz flicker (LA 3.0 flicker) amplitudes of 15 mV or less were included in this study. The threshold values for blue, white, and red stimuli on FST were correlated with best-corrected visual acuity, LA 3.0 flicker amplitude and implicit times, length of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) band and thickness of outer nuclear layer measurements on optical coherence tomography, and the vertical and horizontal diameters of the autofluorescent ring on autofluorescence imaging. RESULTS Forty-two eyes of 21 patients were included in the study. The mean FST thresholds were -22.5 ± 15.5 dB, -17.6 ± 11.5 dB, and -12.7 ± 6.0 dB for the blue, white, and red stimuli, respectively. The threshold values for the 3 FST stimuli were significantly correlated with selected functional and anatomical outcome measures. Specifically, they were strongly correlated with LA 3.0 flicker amplitude and EZ band length measured on optical coherence tomography. Using linear regression, blue and white stimulus values on FST were found to be predictive of EZ band length (R2 = 0.579 and 0.491, respectively), and the vertical (R2 = 0.694 and 0.532, respectively) and horizontal (R2 = 0.626 and 0.400, respectively) diameters of the hyperautofluorescent ring. CONCLUSIONS The significant correlations between FST and other clinical outcome measures highlight its potential as an adjunct outcome measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Kiong Ngo
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; National Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
| | - Laura A Jenny
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Angela H Kim
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; College of Medicine at the State University of New York at Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn
| | - Masha Kolesnikova
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; College of Medicine at the State University of New York at Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn
| | - Vivienne C Greenstein
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen H Tsang
- From the Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
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13
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Kuehlewein L, Straßer T, Blumenstock G, Stingl K, Fischer MD, Wilhelm B, Zrenner E, Wissinger B, Kohl S, Weisschuh N, Zobor D. Central Visual Function and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in PDE6A-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:9. [PMID: 35533076 PMCID: PMC9106976 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.5.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) can be caused by mutations in the phosphodiesterase 6A (PDE6A) gene. Here, we describe the natural course of disease progression with respect to central retinal function (i.e., visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color vision) and establish a detailed genotype-–phenotype correlation. Methods Forty-four patients (26 females; mean age ± SD, 43 ± 13 years) with a confirmed genetic diagnosis of PDE6A-associated arRP underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts, contrast sensitivity (CS) with Pelli–Robson charts at distances of 3 m and 1 m, and color vision testing using Roth 28-Hue and Panel D-15 saturated color cups. Results The most frequently observed variants were c.998+1G>A/p.?, c.304C>A/p.R102S, and c.2053G>A/p.V685M. Central retinal function in patients homozygous for variant c.304C>A/p.R102S was better when compared to patients homozygous for variant c.998+1G>A/p.?, although the former were older at baseline. Central retinal function was similar in patients homozygous for variant c.304C>A/p.R102S and patients heterozygous for variants c.304C>A/p.R102S and c.2053G>A/p.V685M, although the latter were younger at baseline. Annual decline rates in central retinal function were small. Conclusions We conclude that the severity of the different disease-causing PDE6A mutations in humans with respect to central visual function may be ranked as follows: c.2053G>A/p.V685M in homozygous state (most severe) > c.998+1G>A/p.? in homozygous state > c.304C>A/p.R102S and c.2053G>A/p.V685M in compound-heterozygous state > c.304C>A/p.R102S in homozygous state (mildest). The assessment of treatment efficacy in interventional trials will remain challenging due to small annual decline rates in central retinal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kuehlewein
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Torsten Straßer
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gunnar Blumenstock
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katarina Stingl
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - M Dominik Fischer
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Barbara Wilhelm
- STZ eyetrial at the Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bernd Wissinger
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Kohl
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nicole Weisschuh
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ditta Zobor
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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14
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Kong X, Ibrahim-Ahmed M, Bittencourt MG, Strauss RW, Birch DG, Cideciyan AV, Ervin AM, Ho A, Sunness JS, Audo IS, Michaelides M, Zrenner E, Sadda S, Ip MS, West S, Scholl HPN. Longitudinal Changes in Scotopic and Mesopic Macular Function as Assessed with Microperimetry in Patients With Stargardt Disease: SMART Study Report No. 2. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 236:32-44. [PMID: 34695402 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To estimate and compare cross-sectional scotopic versus mesopic macular sensitivity losses measured by microperimetry, and to report and compare the longitudinal rates of scotopic and mesopic macular sensitivity losses in ABCA4 gene-associated Stargardt disease (STGD1). DESIGN This was a multicenter prospective cohort study. METHODS Participants comprised 127 molecularly confirmed STGD1 patients enrolled from 6 centers in the United States and Europe and followed up every 6 months for up to 2 years. The Nidek MP-1S device was used to measure macular sensitivities of the central 20° under mesopic and scotopic conditions. The mean deviations (MD) from normal for mesopic macular sensitivity for the fovea (within 2° eccentricity) and extrafovea (4°-10° eccentricity), and the MD for scotopic sensitivity for the extrafovea, were calculated. Linear mixed effects models were used to estimate mesopic and scotopic changes. Main outcome measures were baseline mesopic mean deviation (mMD) and scotopic MD (sMD) and rates of longitudinal changes in the mMDs and sMD. RESULTS At baseline, all eyes had larger sMD, and the difference between extrafoveal sMD and mMD was 10.7 dB (P < .001). Longitudinally, all eyes showed a statistically significant worsening trend: the rates of foveal mMD and extrafoveal mMD and sMD changes were 0.72 (95% CI = 0.37-1.07), 0.86 (95% CI = 0.58-1.14), and 1.12 (95% CI = 0.66-1.57) dB per year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In STGD1, in extrafovea, loss of scotopic macular function preceded and was faster than the loss of mesopic macular function. Scotopic and mesopic macular sensitivities using microperimetry provide alternative visual function outcomes for STGD1 treatment trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Kong
- Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University (X.K., M.G.B., A.-M.E., S.W., H.P.N.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Biostatistics (X.K.), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Epidemiology (X.K., A.-M.E.), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Health Behavior and Society (X.K.), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
| | | | - Millena G Bittencourt
- Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University (X.K., M.G.B., A.-M.E., S.W., H.P.N.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rupert W Strauss
- Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (R.W.S., M.M.), London, UK; Department of Ophthalmology (R.W.S.), Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Linz, Austria; Department of Ophthalmology (R.W.S.), Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - David G Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest (D.G.B.), Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Scheie Eye Institute (A.V.C.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ann-Margaret Ervin
- Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University (X.K., M.G.B., A.-M.E., S.W., H.P.N.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Epidemiology (X.K., A.-M.E.), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander Ho
- Doheny Image Reading Center (A.H., S.V.S., M.S.I.), Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Janet S Sunness
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center (J.S.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabelle S Audo
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts (I.S.A.), DHU Sight Restore, INSERM-DHOS CIC 1423, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (R.W.S., M.M.), London, UK
| | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Universitäts-Augenklinik (E.Z.), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - SriniVas Sadda
- Doheny Image Reading Center (A.H., S.V.S., M.S.I.), Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael S Ip
- Doheny Image Reading Center (A.H., S.V.S., M.S.I.), Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sheila West
- Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University (X.K., M.G.B., A.-M.E., S.W., H.P.N.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University (X.K., M.G.B., A.-M.E., S.W., H.P.N.S.), Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) (H.P.N.S.), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology (H.P.N.S.), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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15
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Parker MA, Erker LR, Audo I, Choi D, Mohand-Said S, Sestakauskas K, Benoit P, Appelqvist T, Krahmer M, Ségaut-Prévost C, Lujan BJ, Faridi A, Chegarnov EN, Steinkamp PN, Ku C, da Palma MM, Barale PO, Ayelo-Scheer S, Lauer A, Stout T, Wilson DJ, Weleber RG, Pennesi ME, Sahel JA, Yang P. Three-Year Safety Results of SAR422459 (EIAV-ABCA4) Gene Therapy in Patients With ABCA4-Associated Stargardt Disease: An Open-Label Dose-Escalation Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial, Cohorts 1-5. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 240:285-301. [PMID: 35248547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To report on the safety of the first 5 cohorts of a gene therapy trial using recombinant equine infectious anemia virus expressing ABCA4 (EIAV-ABCA4) in adults with Stargardt dystrophy due to mutations in ABCA4. DESIGN Nonrandomized multicenter phase I/IIa clinical trial. METHODS Patients received a subretinal injection of EIAVABCA4 in the worse-seeing eye at 3 dose levels and were followed for 3 years after treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary end point was ocular and systemic adverse events. The secondary end points were best-corrected visual acuity, static perimetry, kinetic perimetry, total field hill of vision, full field electroretinogram, multifocal ERG, color fundus photography, short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS The subretinal injections were well tolerated by all 22 patients across 3 dose levels. There was 1 case of a treatment-related ophthalmic serious adverse event in the form of chronic ocular hypertension. The most common adverse events were associated with the surgical procedure. In 1 patient treated with the highest dose, there was a significant decline in the number of macular flecks as compared with the untreated eye. However, in 6 patients, hypoautofluorescent changes were worse in the treated eye than in the untreated eye. Of these, 1 patient had retinal pigment epithelium atrophy that was characteristic of tissue damage likely associated with bleb induction. No patients had any clinically significant changes in best-corrected visual acuity, static perimetry, kinetic perimetry, total field hill of vision, full field electroretinogram, or multifocal ERG attributable to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS Subretinal treatment with EIAV-ABCA4 was well tolerated with only 1 case of ocular hypertension. No clinically significant changes in visual function tests were found to be attributable to the treatment. However, 27% of treated eyes showed exacerbation of retinal pigment epithelium atrophy on fundus autofluorescence. There was a significant reduction in macular flecks in 1 treated eye from the highest dose cohort. Additional follow-up and continued investigation in more patients will be required to fully characterize the safety and efficacy of EIAV-ABCA4.
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16
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Schönbach EM, Strauss RW, Cattaneo ME, Fujinami K, Birch DG, Cideciyan AV, Sunness JS, Zrenner E, Sadda SR, Scholl HP. Longitudinal Changes of Fixation Stability and Location Within 24 Months in Stargardt Disease: ProgStar Report No. 16. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 233:78-89. [PMID: 34298008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Stargardt disease type 1 (STGD1) is the most common macular dystrophy. The assessment of fixation describes an important dimension of visual function, but data on its progression over time are limited. We present longitudinal changes and investigate its usefulness for clinical trials. DESIGN International, multicenter, prospective cohort study. METHODS Included were 239 individuals with genetically confirmed STGD1 (one or more disease-causing ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 4 [ABCA4] variant). We determined the fixation stability (FS) using 1 SD of the bivariate contour ellipse area (1 SD-BCEA) and fixation location (FL) using the eccentricity of fixation from the fovea during five study visits every 6 months. RESULTS At baseline, 239 patients (105 males [44%]) and 459 eyes, with a median age of 32 years, were included. The baseline mean logBCEA was 0.70 ± 1.41 log deg2 and the mean FL was 6.25° ± 4.40°. Although the mean logBCEA did not monotonically increase from visit to visit, the overall yearly increase in the logBCEA was 0.124 log deg2 (95% CI, 0.063-0.185 log deg2). The rate of change was not different between the 2 years but increased faster in eyes without flecks outside of the vascular arcades and depended on baseline logBCEA. FL did not change statistically significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS Fixation parameters are unlikely to be sensitive outcome measures for clinical trials in STGD1 but may provide useful ancillary information in selected cases to longitudinally describe and understand an eye's visual function.
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17
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Fars J, Pasutto F, Kremers J, Huchzermeyer C. Perifoveal Cone- and Rod-Mediated Temporal Contrast Sensitivities in Stargardt Disease/Fundus Flavimaculatus. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:24. [PMID: 34807235 PMCID: PMC8626853 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.14.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare L-cone-driven, S-cone-driven, and rod-driven temporal contrast sensitivities (tCSs) in patients with Stargardt disease 1/fundus flavimaculatus (STGD1/FF). Methods Fourteen patients (eight male, six female; mean age, 43.21 ± 13.18 years) with genetically confirmed STGD1/FF participated in this study. A dedicated light-emitting diode stimulator was used to measure perifoveal tCSs in an annular test field (1°-6° of visual eccentricity) at temporal frequencies between 1 and 20 Hz. Photoreceptor classes were isolated with the triple silent substitution technique. To compare functional damage among photoreceptor classes, sensitivity deviations (decibels) were calculated based on age-related normal values and then averaged across those frequencies where perception is mediated by the same post-receptoral pathway (L-cone red-green opponent pathway: 1, 2, 4 Hz; luminance pathway: 12, 16, 20 Hz; S-cone pathway: 1, 2, 4 Hz; fast rod pathway: 8, 10, 12 Hz). Sensitivity deviations were compared with infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (IR-SLO) and standard automated perimetry (SAP). Results Photoreceptor-driven tCSs were generally lower in patients with STGD1/FF than in normal subjects but were without systematic differences among photoreceptors. Although sensitivity deviations were significantly correlated between each other, only luminance-driven L-cone sensitivity deviations were significantly correlated with the IR-SLO area of hyporeflectance (AoH) and SAP central mean deviation within 6° eccentricity (MD6deg). Conclusions No systematic differences between photoreceptor classes were detected; however, our data suggest that temporal contrasts detected by the luminance pathway were closely correlated with other clinical parameters (AoH and MD6deg) and might be most useful as functional biomarkers in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Fars
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Francesca Pasutto
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Kremers
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cord Huchzermeyer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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18
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Gao FJ, Wang DD, Hu FY, Xu P, Chang Q, Li JK, Liu W, Zhang SH, Xu GZ, Wu JH. Genotypic spectrum and phenotype correlations of EYS-associated disease in a Chinese cohort. Eye (Lond) 2021; 36:2122-2129. [PMID: 34689181 PMCID: PMC9581949 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-021-01794-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To date, certain efforts have been made to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with EYS mutations. However, data for Chinese patients are limited. Objectives To perform a detailed phenotyping and genetic characterization of 55 Chinese patients with EYS-RD, and to identify risk factors for these clinical data. Methods A total of 55 patients with EYS-RD were recruited. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), patient age, age at symptom onset, disease duration, and genetic information were collected. Results Thirty-six novel variants, three hot mutations of EYS (30.3%, c.6416G>A, c.6557G>A, c.7492G>C) and one hot region (49.06%, Laminin G domains) were identified. In all, 36.84% of the mutations occurred at base G site, and majority of mutations (56.56%) were missense. Late-truncating mutations are significantly more prevalent (41.30%). The mean age of onset was 15.65 ± 14.67 years old; it had no significant correlation with genotype. The average BCVA was 0.73 ± 0.93 LogMAR, and 61.8% of eyes had a BCVA better than 0.52 logMAR. BCVA was positively correlated with disease duration time. The mean MD was 23.18 ± 7.34 dB, MD showed a significant correlation with genotype and age. Cataract was present in 56.45% of patients, and 42.59% of patients showed an absence of pigmentation in the retina. Cataract and hyperpigmentation both showed a significant correlation with age. Conclusions EYS-RD is associated with a moderate phenotype with onset around adolescence, but great variability. Our study largely enhances the current knowledge of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of EYS-RD, which could pave the way for better management of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Juan Gao
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan-Dan Wang
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang-Yuan Hu
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Xu
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Chang
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Kang Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Wei Liu
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng-Hai Zhang
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge-Zhi Xu
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China. .,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ji-Hong Wu
- Eye Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, College of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai, China. .,Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
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19
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Schönbach EM, Janeschitz-Kriegl L, Strauss RW, Cattaneo ME, Fujinami K, Birch DG, Cideciyan AV, Sunness JS, Weleber RG, Ip MS, Sadda SR, Scholl HP. The Progression of Stargardt Disease Using Volumetric Hill of Vision Analyses Over 24 Months: ProgStar Report No.15. Am J Ophthalmol 2021; 230:123-133. [PMID: 33951446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To report the yearly rate of change in macular function in patients with Stargardt disease type 1 (STGD1) over 24 months and to establish a new volumetric visual function index for use in clinical trials investigating the efficacy on retinal sensitivity. METHODS Design: International, multicenter, prospective cohort study with 5 study visits every 6 months over 24 months. PARTICIPANTS A total of 233 individuals with genetically confirmed STGD1 (≥1 disease-causing ABCA4 variant). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The total volume (VTOT) beneath the sensitivity surface of a 3-D model of the hill of vision and mean sensitivity (MS) derived from mesopic microperimetry performed with a white stimulus. Changes of VTOT over time and its correlation with the ABCA4 genotype and baseline features. RESULTS At baseline, 440 eyes (233 patients) with a mean (SD) age of 33.7 (15.0) years, mean (SD) visual acuity of 46.08 (16.03) ETDRS letters were analyzed with an average VTOT of 0.91 decibel-steradian (dB-sr) and an MS of 10.73 dB. The overall mean rate of decrease in sensitivity [95% confidence interval] was 0.077 [0.064, 0.090] dB-sr/y for VTOT and 0.87 [0.72, 1.02] dB/year for MS. The progression rate of VTOT depended on baseline visual function (0.029 dB-sr/year for low and 0.120 dB-sr/year for high baseline VTOT; P < .001) and exhibited a difference in the first vs second year of follow-up (0.065 dB-sr/year vs 0.089 dB-sr/year, respectively; P < .001). The absence of pigmentary abnormalities of the retinal pigment epithelium at baseline was found to be associated with a faster progression rate (P < .001), whereas a significant association with the genotype was not detected (P = .7). CONCLUSION In STGD1, both microperimetric outcomes demonstrate statistically significant and clinically meaningful changes after relatively short follow-up periods. Volumetric modeling may be useful in future interventional clinical trials that aim to improve retinal sensitivity or to slow down its decline and for structure-function correlations.
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20
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Iannaccone A, Alekseev O. Choosing Outcome Measures and Assessing Efficacy of Therapeutic Interventions in Inherited Retinal Diseases: The Importance of Natural History Studies. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:47-61. [PMID: 34584044 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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21
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Shughoury A, Ciulla TA, Bakall B, Pennesi ME, Kiss S, Cunningham ET. Genes and Gene Therapy in Inherited Retinal Disease. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:3-45. [PMID: 34584043 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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22
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Durham TA, Duncan JL, Ayala AR, Birch DG, Cheetham JK, Ferris FL, Hoyng CB, Pennesi ME, Sahel JA. Tackling the Challenges of Product Development Through a Collaborative Rare Disease Network: The Foundation Fighting Blindness Consortium. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:23. [PMID: 34004001 PMCID: PMC8083110 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.4.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established an international consortium of inherited retinal disease specialists in 2016, with a mission to accelerate the development of treatments for rare, inherited retinal degenerations, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease, Leber congenital amaurosis, Usher syndrome, choroideremia, and achromatopsia. The Consortium accomplishes its mission by evaluating novel outcome measures, sharing standardized study protocols and datasets, and disseminating findings. Having established research infrastructure in the first 3 years, including 39 global research sites, the network is now poised to expand its infrastructure for trials of new therapies in partnership with industry. This model represents an innovative approach to overcome challenges of therapeutic development for rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacque L Duncan
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Carel B Hoyng
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mark E Pennesi
- Casey Eye Institute - Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France.,Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC1423, Paris, France.,Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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23
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O'Hare F, Edwards TL, Hu ML, Hickey DG, Zhang AC, Wang JH, Liu Z, Ayton LN. An optometrist's guide to the top candidate inherited retinal diseases for gene therapy. Clin Exp Optom 2021; 104:431-443. [PMID: 33689629 DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2021.1878851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This review presents the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of a select group of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) that are currently the focus of retinal gene therapy trials globally. Research progress in IRD treatment trials may soon lead to their availability in Australia and New Zealand, as either approved treatment or a clinical trial. The salient clinical characteristics of retinitis pigmentosa-the largest IRD category-are highlighted, with specific reference to RPE65-associated Leber congenital amaurosis, followed by other specific IRDs, namely choroideremia and ABCA4-associated Stargardt disease. These IRDs are selected based on their candidacy for gene therapy. Guidance on the clinical diagnostic tests that support each of these diagnoses will be presented. More broadly, the most useful structure and function measures to monitor IRD progression is discussed, along with the key assessments that offer differential diagnostic insight. This review is intended to be a clinical guide for optometrists, to assist in assessment and management of individuals who may be eligible for current and future gene therapies. A companion article in this issue will provide an overview of the basic principles of gene therapy and its development as a new treatment for inherited retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur O'Hare
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Thomas L Edwards
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Monica L Hu
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Doron G Hickey
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alexis C Zhang
- Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jiang-Hui Wang
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zhengyang Liu
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lauren N Ayton
- Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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24
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Müller PL, Gliem M, McGuinnes M, Birtel J, Holz FG, Charbel Issa P. Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence in ABCA4-Related Retinopathy -Functional Relevance and Genotype-Phenotype Correlation. Am J Ophthalmol 2021; 222:340-350. [PMID: 32891696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate lipofuscin-related quantitative autofluorescence measures and their association with demographic characteristics, retinal structure, retinal function and genotype in ABCA4-related retinopathy (Stargardt disease 1). DESIGN Cross-sectional study with age-matched healthy control subjects. METHODS A total of 77 patients with ABCA4-related retinopathy and 110 control subjects underwent quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF) imaging using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope equipped with an internal fluorescent reference to measure qAF as surrogate for lipofuscin accumulation. Measures of qAF were correlated with demographic characteristics, structural alterations on optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence imaging, retinal function assessed by full-field electroretinography (ERG) and fundus-controlled perimetry, and genotype. RESULTS Most patients (76.6%) had qAF levels >95% prediction interval of the age-related control group, with best discrimination between cases and control subjects in younger patients. Reduced discrimination based on qAF measures was associated with mild disease, more advanced disease with dark flecks, or older age because of the physiological age-related increase in qAF and a ceiling effect in patients. Nullizygous patients presented with high qAF levels earlier in life compared with those with at least 1 milder ABCA4 variant. Within the sectors of qAF measurements, at approximately 7-9° eccentricity, increased qAF without flecks or with only bright flecks was associated with topographically related preserved retinal thickness and fundus-controlled perimetry results, and with normal full-field ERG recordings. All 3 parameters were increasingly abnormal with the development of dark flecks and decreasing qAF. CONCLUSIONS The accumulation of lipofuscin depends on the severity of ABCA4 variants, precedes other structural changes, and may remain without clinically relevant effect on retinal function.
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25
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Schönbach EM, Strauss RW, Muñoz B, Wolfson Y, Ibrahim MA, Birch DG, Zrenner E, Sunness JS, Ip MS, Sadda SR, West SK, Scholl HPN. Longitudinal Microperimetric Changes of Macular Sensitivity in Stargardt Disease After 12 Months: ProgStar Report No. 13. JAMA Ophthalmol 2021; 138:772-779. [PMID: 32463436 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Importance Functional end points for clinical trials investigating the efficacy of emerging treatments for Stargardt disease type 1 (STGD1) are needed. Objective To assess the yearly rate of change of macular function in patients with STGD1 using microperimetry. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in an international selection of tertiary referral centers from October 21, 2013, to February 15, 2017. The study included participants with ABCA4-related STGD1 who were enrolled in the Natural History of the Progression of Atrophy Secondary to Stargardt Disease (ProgStar) study at baseline. Data were analyzed from February 16, 2017, to December 1, 2019. Exposure ABCA4-related STGD1 with a minimum lesion size on fundus autofluorescence and a minimum visual acuity. Main Outcomes and Measures Changes in overall macular sensitivity (MS), deep scotoma count, number of points that tested normal, and location-specific sensitivity changes. Results Among the 359 eyes from 200 patients (87 [43.5%] men; mean [SD] age, 33.3 [15.2] years) who underwent microperimetry examination graded at baseline and month 12, the mean (SD) yearly change in MS was -0.68 (2.04) dB (95% CI, -0.89 to -0.47 dB; P < .001), and deep scotoma points increased by a mean (SD) of 1.56 (5.74) points per year. The points with sensitivity of 12 dB or higher decreased in sensitivity by a mean (SD) of -3.01 (9.84) dB (95% CI, -4.03 to -1.99 dB; P < .001). The mean (SD) yearly change in MS was not significantly different between the eyes with a grading of good or fair pattern placement at both visits (-0.67 [2.1] dB) and the eyes with a poor pattern placement during at least 1 visit (-0.64 [2.2] dB) (P = .91). Conclusions and Relevance This study showed that MS and the number of deep scotoma points had measurably changed after follow-up of approximately 1 year. Microperimetry may serve as a useful functional outcome parameter for clinical trials aimed at slowing the progression of STGD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne M Schönbach
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,University Hospitals Eye Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Rupert W Strauss
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Ophthalmology, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University, Graz, Austria
| | - Beatriz Muñoz
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yulia Wolfson
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mohamed A Ibrahim
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | | | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Center for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Janet S Sunness
- Hoover Low Vision Rehabilitation Services, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael S Ip
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California.,UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) David Geffen School of Medicine
| | - SriniVas R Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California.,UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) David Geffen School of Medicine
| | - Sheila K West
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Switzerland.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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26
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Inferred retinal sensitivity in recessive Stargardt disease using machine learning. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1466. [PMID: 33446864 PMCID: PMC7809282 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80766-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatially-resolved retinal function can be measured by psychophysical testing like fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP or 'microperimetry'). It may serve as a performance outcome measure in emerging interventional clinical trials for macular diseases as requested by regulatory agencies. As FCP constitute laborious examinations, we have evaluated a machine-learning-based approach to predict spatially-resolved retinal function ('inferred sensitivity') based on microstructural imaging (obtained by spectral domain optical coherence tomography) and patient data in recessive Stargardt disease. Using nested cross-validation, prediction accuracies of (mean absolute error, MAE [95% CI]) 4.74 dB [4.48-4.99] were achieved. After additional inclusion of limited FCP data, the latter reached 3.89 dB [3.67-4.10] comparable to the test-retest MAE estimate of 3.51 dB [3.11-3.91]. Analysis of the permutation importance revealed, that the IS&OS and RPE thickness were the most important features for the prediction of retinal sensitivity. 'Inferred sensitivity', herein, enables to accurately estimate differential effects of retinal microstructure on spatially-resolved function in Stargardt disease, and might be used as quasi-functional surrogate marker for a refined and time-efficient investigation of possible functionally relevant treatment effects or disease progression.
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Al-Khuzaei S, Shah M, Foster CR, Yu J, Broadgate S, Halford S, Downes SM. The role of multimodal imaging and vision function testing in ABCA4-related retinopathies and their relevance to future therapeutic interventions. Ther Adv Ophthalmol 2021; 13:25158414211056384. [PMID: 34988368 PMCID: PMC8721514 DOI: 10.1177/25158414211056384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review article is to describe the specific features of Stargardt disease and ABCA4 retinopathies (ABCA4R) using multimodal imaging and functional testing and to highlight their relevance to potential therapeutic interventions. Standardised measures of tissue loss, tissue function and rate of change over time using formal structured deep phenotyping in Stargardt disease and ABCA4R are key in diagnosis, and prognosis as well as when selecting cohorts for therapeutic intervention. In addition, a meticulous documentation of natural history will be invaluable in the future to compare treated with untreated retinas. Despite the familiarity with the term Stargardt disease, this eponymous classification alone is unhelpful when evaluating ABCA4R, as the ABCA4 gene is associated with a number of phenotypes, and a range of severity. Multimodal imaging, psychophysical and electrophysiologic measurements are necessary in diagnosing and characterising these differing retinopathies. A wide range of retinal dystrophy phenotypes are seen in association with ABCA4 mutations. In this article, these will be referred to as ABCA4R. These different phenotypes and the existence of phenocopies present a significant challenge to the clinician. Careful phenotypic characterisation coupled with the genotype enables the clinician to provide an accurate diagnosis, associated inheritance pattern and information regarding prognosis and management. This is particularly relevant now for recruiting to therapeutic trials, and in the future when therapies become available. The importance of accurate genotype-phenotype correlation studies cannot be overemphasised. This approach together with segregation studies can be vital in the identification of causal mutations when variants in more than one gene are being considered as possible. In this article, we give an overview of the current imaging, psychophysical and electrophysiological investigations, as well as current therapeutic research trials for retinopathies associated with the ABCA4 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saoud Al-Khuzaei
- Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mital Shah
- Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | - Stephanie Halford
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susan M. Downes
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Level 6 John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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Sung YC, Yang CH, Yang CM, Lin CW, Huang DS, Huang YS, Hu FR, Chen PL, Chen TC. Genotypes Predispose Phenotypes-Clinical Features and Genetic Spectrum of ABCA4-Associated Retinal Dystrophies. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121421. [PMID: 33261146 PMCID: PMC7759801 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The ABCA4 gene is one of the most common disease-causing genes of inherited retinal degeneration. In this study, we report different phenotypes of ABCA4-associated retinal dystrophies in the Taiwanese population, its clinical progression, and its relationship with genetic characteristics. Thirty-seven subjects were recruited and all patients underwent serial ophthalmic examinations at a single medical center. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images were quantified for clinical evaluation, and panel-based next-generation sequencing testing was performed for genetic diagnosis. Visual preservation, disease progression, and genotype–phenotype correlation were analyzed. In this cohort, ABCA4-associated retinal degeneration presented as Stargardt disease 1 (STGD1, 62.16%), retinitis pigmentosa (32.43%), and cone-rod dystrophy (5.41%). STGD1 could be further divided into central and dispersed types. In each phenotype, the lesion areas quantified by FAF increased with age (p < 0.01) and correlated with poorer visual acuity. However, three patients had the foveal sparing phenotype and had relatively preserved visual acuity. Forty-two ABCA4 variants were identified as disease-causing, with c.1804C>T (p.Arg602Trp) the most frequent (37.84%). Patients with a combination of severe/null variants could have more extensive phenotypes, such as arRP and dispersed STGD1. This is the first cohort study of ABCA4-associated retinal degeneration in Taiwan with wide spectrums of both genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. An extremely high prevalence of c.1804C>T, which has not been reported in East Asia before, was noted. The extensiveness of retinal involvement might be regarded as a spectrum of ABCA4-associated retinal dystrophies. Different types of genetic variations could lead to distinctive phenotypes, according to the coding impact of variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Sung
- Department of Medical Education, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan;
| | - Chang-Hao Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Chung-May Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Wen Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
| | - Ding-Siang Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
| | - Yu-Shu Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
| | - Fung-Rong Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Lung Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-L.C.); (T.-C.C.); Tel.: +886-2-23123456 (ext. 71942) (P.-L.C.); +886-2-23123456 (ext. 63783) (T.-C.C.); Fax: +886-2-23934420 (T.-C.C.)
| | - Ta-Ching Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (C.-H.Y.); (C.-M.Y.); (C.-W.L.); (D.-S.H.); (Y.-S.H.); (F.-R.H.)
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-L.C.); (T.-C.C.); Tel.: +886-2-23123456 (ext. 71942) (P.-L.C.); +886-2-23123456 (ext. 63783) (T.-C.C.); Fax: +886-2-23934420 (T.-C.C.)
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Analysis of retinal sublayer thicknesses and rates of change in ABCA4-associated Stargardt disease. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16576. [PMID: 33024232 PMCID: PMC7538899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73645-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Stargardt disease, the most common inherited macular dystrophy, is characterized by vision loss due to central retinal atrophy. Although clinical trials for Stargardt are currently underway, the disease is typically slowly progressive, and objective, imaging-based biomarkers are critically needed. In this retrospective, observational study, we characterize the thicknesses of individual retinal sublayers by macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a large cohort of patients with molecularly-confirmed, ABCA4-associated Stargardt disease (STGD1) relative to normal controls. Automated segmentation of retinal sublayers was performed with manual correction as needed, and thicknesses in various macular regions were compared using mixed effects models. Relative to controls (42 eyes, 40 patients), STGD1 patients (107 eyes, 63 patients) had slight thickening of the nerve fiber layer and retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch’s membrane, with thinning in other sublayers, especially the outer nuclear layer (ONL) (p < 0.0015). When comparing the rate of retinal sublayer thickness change over time (mean follow-up 3.9 years for STGD1, 2.5 years for controls), STGD1 retinas thinned faster than controls in the outer retina (ONL to photoreceptor outer segments). OCT-based retinal sublayer thickness measurements are feasible in STGD1 patients and may provide objective measures of disease progression or treatment response.
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Kong X, Strauss RW, Munoz B, West S, Cheetham J, Scholl HPN. Re: Shen et al.: Natural history of autosomal recessive Stargardt disease in untreated eyes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of study and individual level data (Ophthalmology. 2019;126:1288-1296). Ophthalmology 2020; 127:e28-e29. [PMID: 32327137 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Kong
- Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Rupert W Strauss
- Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK; Department of Ophthalmology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Linz, Austria; Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Beatriz Munoz
- Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sheila West
- Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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31
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Schönbach EM, Strauss RW, Ibrahim MA, Janes JL, Cideciyan AV, Birch DG, Sunness JS, Zrenner E, Ip MS, Kong X, Sadda SR, Scholl HP. The Effect of Attention on Fixation Stability During Dynamic Fixation Testing in Stargardt Disease. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 217:305-316. [PMID: 32422174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Sensitive, reproducible visual function biomarkers are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of emerging treatments for Stargardt disease type 1 in clinical trials. We previously demonstrated that fixation stability may serve as a secondary outcome parameter for visual function loss. However, the test duration and protocol have an unknown effect on the assessment of fixation stability. Here, we hypothesize that separate fixation testing with a single target is different from combined fixation testing using the same target with simultaneous perimetry testing. DESIGN International, multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study. METHODS Microperimetry data from the international, multicenter, prospective Progression of Atrophy Secondary to Stargardt Disease (ProgStar, NCT01977846) study were analyzed. Patients underwent various types of fixation testing including static testing and dynamic testing, and a duration-corrected dynamic test was generated (30sEpoch). RESULTS A total of 437 eyes from 235 patients were included (mean age, 33.8 ± 15.1 years; 55.3% female). The mean 1SD-BCEA (bivariate contour ellipse area), which is the smallest ellipse encompassing 1 standard deviation of all fixation events, was smaller for the static fixation test compared to the 30sEpoch (4.5 ± 6.9 deg2 vs 5.3 ± 7.0 deg2; P = .02) and the number of points within both the 2-degree and 4-degree circles was larger (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that differences in static and dynamic assessment of fixation stability are dependent not only on different test durations but also on the testing protocol of a single fixation target vs fixation target plus simultaneous perimetry testing and provide information on the conduct of fixation testing for clinical trials.
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Liu X, Meng X, Yang L, Long Y, Fujinami-Yokokawa Y, Ren J, Kurihara T, Tsubota K, Tsunoda K, Fujinami K, Li S. Clinical and genetic characteristics of Stargardt disease in a large Western China cohort: Report 1. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:694-707. [PMID: 32845068 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Stargardt disease 1 (STGD1) is the most prevalent retinal dystrophy caused by pathogenic biallelic ABCA4 variants. Forty-two unrelated patients mostly originating from Western China were recruited. Comprehensive ophthalmological examinations, including visual acuity measurements (subjective function), fundus autofluorescence (retinal imaging), and full-field electroretinography (objective function), were performed. Next-generation sequencing (target/whole exome) and direct sequencing were conducted. Genotype grouping was performed based on the presence of deleterious variants. The median age of onset/age was 10.0 (5-52)/29.5 (12-72) years, and the median visual acuity in the right/left eye was 1.30 (0.15-2.28)/1.30 (0.15-2.28) in the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution unit. Ten patients (10/38, 27.0%) showed confined macular dysfunction, and 27 (27/37, 73.7%) had generalized retinal dysfunction. Fifty-eight pathogenic/likely pathogenic ABCA4 variants, including 14 novel variants, were identified. Eight patients (8/35, 22.8%) harbored multiple deleterious variants, and 17 (17/35, 48.6%) had a single deleterious variant. Significant associations were revealed between subjective functional, retinal imaging, and objective functional groups, identifying a significant genotype-phenotype association. This study illustrates a large phenotypic/genotypic spectrum in a large well-characterized STGD1 cohort. A distinct genetic background of the Chinese population from the Caucasian population was identified; meanwhile, a genotype-phenotype association was similarly represented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xiaohong Meng
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Lizhu Yang
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yanling Long
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Fujinami-Yokokawa
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Health Policy and Management, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Public Health Research, Yokokawa Clinic, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jiayun Ren
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Toshihide Kurihara
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Tsubota
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazushige Tsunoda
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaoru Fujinami
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.,Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
| | - Shiying Li
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Cicinelli MV, Rabiolo A, Brambati M, Viganò C, Bandello F, Battaglia Parodi M. Factors Influencing Retinal Pigment Epithelium-Atrophy Progression Rate in Stargardt Disease. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:33. [PMID: 32832238 PMCID: PMC7414677 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.7.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate demographic, clinical, imaging, and genetic factors associated with retinal pigment epithelium enlargement in Stargardt disease (STGD1) and to measure the agreement between short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence (SW-FAF) and near-infrared fundus autofluorescence (NIR-FAF). Methods Retrospective cohort study of patients with STGD1 with ≥2 gradable SW-FAF images. RPE-atrophy areas were measured on SW-FAF and NIR-FAF at each visit and regressed against time to obtain the rate of RPE-atrophy enlargement. Agreement between SW-FAF and NIR-FAF with regards to baseline atrophic areas and rates of enlargement was evaluated. Baseline factors predictive of faster SW-FAF RPE-atrophy enlargement were investigated with linear mixed models. Results Fifty-four eyes of 28 patients (median age: 45 years; 13 males) were included. SW-FAF and NIR-FAF agreed well for slow rates of RPE-atrophy progression, but agreement decreased as the rate increased. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) rate of RPE-atrophy expansion was 0.18 (0.10–0.85) mm2/year on SW-FAF and 0.24 (0.08–0.33) mm2/year on NIR-FAF. Larger baseline RPE-atrophy area (estimate: 0.057 mm2/year, P < 0.001), worse visual acuity (0.305 mm2/year, P = 0.005), multifocal disease (0.401 mm2/year, P = 0.02), and SW-FAF pattern (0.534 mm2/year, P =0 .03) were associated with a faster rate of progression (predictive R2: 0.65). Conclusions SW-FAF and NIR-FAF are not interchangeable in the evaluation of RPE-atrophy enlargement, and both imaging modalities may be required for optimal detection of disease progression. A multivariable model based on baseline clinical and imaging information may identify patients at higher risk of fast disease progression. Translational Relevance The knowledge of the agreement of different FAF modalities, the estimated rates of RPE-atrophy enlargement, and factors predictive of faster anatomic decay in STGD1 may allow tailored clinical management and better clinical trials design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Cicinelli
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rabiolo
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS, Cheltenham, UK
| | - Maria Brambati
- Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Viganò
- Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Bandello
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Battaglia Parodi
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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Thompson DA, Iannaccone A, Ali RR, Arshavsky VY, Audo I, Bainbridge JWB, Besirli CG, Birch DG, Branham KE, Cideciyan AV, Daiger SP, Dalkara D, Duncan JL, Fahim AT, Flannery JG, Gattegna R, Heckenlively JR, Heon E, Jayasundera KT, Khan NW, Klassen H, Leroy BP, Molday RS, Musch DC, Pennesi ME, Petersen-Jones SM, Pierce EA, Rao RC, Reh TA, Sahel JA, Sharon D, Sieving PA, Strettoi E, Yang P, Zacks DN. Advancing Clinical Trials for Inherited Retinal Diseases: Recommendations from the Second Monaciano Symposium. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:2. [PMID: 32832209 PMCID: PMC7414644 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.7.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Major advances in the study of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) have placed efforts to develop treatments for these blinding conditions at the forefront of the emerging field of precision medicine. As a result, the growth of clinical trials for IRDs has increased rapidly over the past decade and is expected to further accelerate as more therapeutic possibilities emerge and qualified participants are identified. Although guided by established principles, these specialized trials, requiring analysis of novel outcome measures and endpoints in small patient populations, present multiple challenges relative to study design and ethical considerations. This position paper reviews recent accomplishments and existing challenges in clinical trials for IRDs and presents a set of recommendations aimed at rapidly advancing future progress. The goal is to stimulate discussions among researchers, funding agencies, industry, and policy makers that will further the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials needed to accelerate the approval of effective treatments for IRDs, while promoting advocacy and ensuring patient safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Thompson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alessandro Iannaccone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Robin R Ali
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Vision, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France.,CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
| | | | - Cagri G Besirli
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Kari E Branham
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Steven P Daiger
- Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Vision, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jacque L Duncan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Abigail T Fahim
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John G Flannery
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - John R Heckenlively
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elise Heon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - K Thiran Jayasundera
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Naheed W Khan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Henry Klassen
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Stem Cell Research Center, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Bart P Leroy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Center Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital and University, Ghent, Belgium.,Division of Ophthalmology and Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert S Molday
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David C Musch
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mark E Pennesi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science Center, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Simon M Petersen-Jones
- Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eric A Pierce
- Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rajesh C Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Thomas A Reh
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jose A Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Vision, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France.,CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France.,Fondation Ophtalmologique Rothschild, Paris, France.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dror Sharon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Paul A Sieving
- Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Ocular Regenerative Therapy, University of California-Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA.,National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Enrica Strettoi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Paul Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science Center, Portland, OR, USA
| | - David N Zacks
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Pfau M, Holz FG, Müller PL. Retinal light sensitivity as outcome measure in recessive Stargardt disease. Br J Ophthalmol 2020; 105:258-264. [PMID: 32345606 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-316201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS To evaluate the applicability of mesopic light sensitivity measurements obtained by fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP, also termed 'microperimetry') as clinical trial endpoint in Stargardt disease (STGD1). METHODS In this retrospective, monocentre cohort study, 271 eyes of 136 patients (age, 37.1 years) with STGD1 and 87 eyes of 54 healthy controls (age, 41.0 years) underwent mesopic FCP, using a pattern of 50 stimuli (achromatic, 400-800 nm) centred on the fovea. The concurrent validity of mesopic FCP testing using the MAIA device (CenterVue, Italy), the retest variability and its determinants, and the progression of sensitivity loss over time were investigated using mixed-model analyses. The main outcomes were the average pointwise sensitivity loss in dependence of patients' demographic, functional and imaging characteristics, the intrasession 95% coefficient of repeatability, and the pointwise sensitivity loss over time. RESULTS Pointwise sensitivity loss was on average (estimate (95% CI)) 13.88 dB (12.55 to 15.21) along the horizontal meridian and was significantly associated with the electrophysiological subgroup, presence/absence of foveal sparing, best-corrected visual acuity and disease duration. The 95% coefficient of repeatability was 12.15 dB (10.78 to 13.38) and varied in dependence of the underlying mean sensitivity and local sensitivity slope. The global progression rate for the sensitivity loss was 0.45 dB/year (0.13 to 0.78) and was higher for the central and inner ETDRS subfields compared with more peripheral regions. CONCLUSIONS Mesopic light sensitivity measured by FCP is reliable and susceptible for functional changes. It constitutes a potential clinical outcome for both natural history studies as well as future interventional studies in patients with STGD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Pfau
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Frank G Holz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Rare Diseases, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp L Müller
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany .,Center for Rare Diseases, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Prospective Cohort Study of Childhood-Onset Stargardt Disease: Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging, Progression, Comparison with Adult-Onset Disease, and Disease Symmetry. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 211:159-175. [PMID: 31812472 PMCID: PMC7082771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the reliability and repeatability of quantitative evaluation of areas of decreased autofluorescence (DAF) from fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images and track disease progression in children with Stargardt disease (STGD1), and to investigate clinical and genotype correlations, disease symmetry, and intrafamilial variability. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS Children and adults with molecularly confirmed STGD1 (n = 90) underwent longitudinal FAF imaging with subsequent semiautomated measurement of the area of DAF and calculation of the annual rate of progression. The age of disease onset was recorded for all subjects, as well as the electroretinography (ERG) group at baseline (n = 86). Patients were grouped for analysis based on the age at baseline and age of onset, into children (n = 56), adults with childhood-onset STGD1 (n = 15), and adults with adult-onset (n = 19). Fifty FAF images were selected randomly and analyzed by 2 observers to evaluate repeatability and reproducibility. Differences between groups, interocular symmetry, genotype-phenotype correlations, and intrafamilial variability were also investigated both for baseline measurements as well as progression rates. We measured visual acuity, molecular genetics, ERG group, FAF metrics, and their correlations. RESULTS The mean age of onset ± SD was 9.6 ± 3.4 years for childhood-onset (n = 71) and 28.3 ± 7.8 years for adult-onset STGD1 (n = 19). The intra- and interobserver reliability of DAF quantification was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.995 and 0.987, respectively). DAF area was symmetric between eyes and the mean rate of progression (SD) was 0.69 (0.72), 0.78 (0.48), and 0.40 (0.36) mm2/year for children, adults with childhood-onset, and adults with adult-onset disease, respectively. Patients belonging to a group 3 ERG phenotype (generalized cone and rod dysfunction) had a significantly greater progression rate. Limited intrafamilial variability was observed. CONCLUSIONS This is the first large prospective study of FAF in a cohort of molecularly confirmed children with STGD1. DAF area quantification was highly reliable and may thereby serve as a robust structural endpoint. A high rate of progression was observed in childhood-onset disease, making this subtype of STGD1 ideally suited to be considered for prioritization in clinical trials.
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Strauss RW, Kong X, Ho A, Jha A, West S, Ip M, Bernstein PS, Birch DG, Cideciyan AV, Michaelides M, Sahel JA, Sunness JS, Traboulsi EI, Zrenner E, Pitetta S, Jenkins D, Hariri AH, Sadda S, Scholl HPN. Progression of Stargardt Disease as Determined by Fundus Autofluorescence Over a 12-Month Period: ProgStar Report No. 11. JAMA Ophthalmol 2019; 137:1134-1145. [PMID: 31369039 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Importance Sensitive outcome measures for disease progression are needed for treatment trials of Stargardt disease. Objective To estimate the progression rate of atrophic lesions in the prospective Natural History of the Progression of Atrophy Secondary to Stargardt Disease (ProgStar) study over a 12-month period. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in an international selection of tertiary referral centers from October 21, 2013, to February 15, 2017. Patients who were affected by Stargardt disease, aged 6 years and older at baseline, and harboring disease-causing variants of the ABCA4 gene were enrolled at 9 centers in the United States, United Kingdom, and continental Europe. Data analysis occurred from November 2016 to January 2017. Exposures Autofluorescence images obtained with a standard protocol were sent to a central reading center, and areas of definitely decreased autofluorescence, questionably decreased autofluorescence, and the total combined area of decreased autofluorescence were outlined and quantified. Progression rates were estimated from linear mixed models with time as the independent variable. Main Outcomes and Measures Yearly rate of progression, using the growth of atrophic lesions measured by autofluorescence imaging. Results A total of 259 study participants (488 eyes; 230 individuals [88.8%] were examined in both eyes) were enrolled (mean [SD] age at first visit, 33.3 [15.1] years; 118 [54.4%] female). Gradable images were available for evaluation for 480 eyes at baseline and 454 eyes after 12 months. At baseline, definitely decreased autofluorescence was present in 306 eyes, and the mean (SD) lesion size was 3.93 (4.37) mm2. The mean total area of decreased autofluorescence at baseline was 4.07 (4.04) mm2. The estimated progression of definitely decreased autofluorescence was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.54-0.97) mm2 per year (P < .001), and the total area of both questionably and definitely decreased autofluorescence was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.50-0.78) mm2 per year (P < .001). Both progression rates depended on initial lesion size. Conclusions and Relevance In Stargardt disease, autofluorescence imaging may serve as a monitoring tool and definitely decreased autofluorescence and total area as outcome measures for interventional clinical trials that aim to slow disease progression. Rates of progression depended mainly on initial lesion size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupert W Strauss
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Services Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Ophthalmology, Johannes Kepler University Clinic Linz, Linz, Austria.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Xiangrong Kong
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
| | - Alexander Ho
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Anamika Jha
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Sheila West
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael Ip
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Paul S Bernstein
- Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City
| | | | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Michel Michaelides
- Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Services Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Universités, University Pierre et Marie Curie Université de Paris 06, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la Vision, Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Paris, France
| | - Janet S Sunness
- Hoover Low Vision Rehabilitation Services, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Center for Ophthalmology, Eberhard-Karls University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sean Pitetta
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Dennis Jenkins
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Amir Hossein Hariri
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - SriniVas Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Cursiefen C, Cordeiro F, Cunha-Vaz J, Wheeler-Schilling T, Scholl HPN. [Unmet research and developmental needs in ophthalmology : A consensus-based road map of the European Vision Institute for 2019-2025]. Ophthalmologe 2019; 116:838-849. [PMID: 31388757 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-019-00947-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To define unmet needs in ophthalmology which can realistically be addressed in the next years (2019-2025) and to describe potential avenues for research to address these challenges. METHODS Outcomes of a consensus process within the European Vision Institute (EVI, Brussels) are outlined. Disease areas which are discussed comprise glaucoma, retinal dystrophies, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye disease, corneal diseases, cataract and refractive surgery. RESULTS Unmet needs in the mentioned disease areas are discussed and realistically achievable research projects outlined. CONCLUSION Considerable progress can be made in the field of ophthalmology and patient-relevant outcomes in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cursiefen
- Zentrum für Augenheilkunde, Uniklinik Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50924, Köln, Deutschland. .,Zentrum für Molekulare Medizin Köln (CMMC), Universität zu Köln, Köln, Deutschland.
| | - F Cordeiro
- Imperial College London, London, Großbritannien
| | - J Cunha-Vaz
- Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - H P N Scholl
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Schweiz.,Augenklinik, Universitätsspital Basel, Basel, Schweiz.,Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Cursiefen C, Cordeiro F, Cunha-Vaz J, Wheeler-Schilling T, Scholl HPN. Unmet Needs in Ophthalmology: A European Vision Institute-Consensus Roadmap 2019-2025. Ophthalmic Res 2019; 62:123-133. [PMID: 31382265 DOI: 10.1159/000501374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To define unmet needs in ophthalmology that can realistically be addressed in the next 5 years (2019-2025) and describe potential avenues for research to address these challenges. METHODS Outcomes of a consensus process within the European Vision institute (Brussels) are outlined. Disease areas that are discussed comprise glaucoma, retinal dystrophies, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye disease, corneal diseases, cataract and refractive surgery. RESULTS Unmet needs in the mentioned disease areas are discussed and realistically achievable research projects outlined. CONCLUSIONS Considerable progress can be made in the ophthalmic field and patient-relevant outcomes in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Cursiefen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, .,Center for Molecular Medicine , University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany,
| | - Francesca Cordeiro
- Department of Ophthalmology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - José Cunha-Vaz
- Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Ervin AM, Strauss RW, Ahmed MI, Birch D, Cheetham J, Ferris FL, Ip MS, Jaffe GJ, Maguire MG, Schönbach EM, Sadda SR, West SK, Scholl HP. A Workshop on Measuring the Progression of Atrophy Secondary to Stargardt Disease in the ProgStar Studies: Findings and Lessons Learned. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2019; 8:16. [PMID: 31019847 PMCID: PMC6469878 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.8.2.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Progression of Atrophy Secondary to Stargardt Disease (ProgStar) studies were designed to measure the progression of Stargardt disease through the use of fundus autofluorescence imaging, optical coherence tomography, and microperimetry. The overarching objectives of the studies were to document the natural course of Stargardt disease and identify the most appropriate clinical outcome measures for clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of upcoming treatments for Stargardt disease. A workshop organized by the Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Research Institute was held on June 11, 2018, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Invited speakers discussed spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and microperimetry methods and findings in the ProgStar prospective study. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion of optimal endpoints for measuring treatment efficacy in Stargardt disease. We summarize the workshop presentations in light of the most current literature on Stargardt disease and discuss potential clinical outcome measures and endpoints for future treatment trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Margret Ervin
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rupert W. Strauss
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Austria
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Mohamed I. Ahmed
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Janet Cheetham
- Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Research Institute, Columbia, MD, USA
| | | | - Michael S. Ip
- Doheny Imaging Reading Center, Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Glenn J. Jaffe
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maureen G. Maguire
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Etienne M. Schönbach
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - SriniVas R. Sadda
- Doheny Imaging Reading Center, Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sheila K. West
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hendrik P.N. Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - for the ProgStar Study Group
- Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kepler University Clinic, Linz, Austria
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX, USA
- Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Research Institute, Columbia, MD, USA
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Doheny Imaging Reading Center, Doheny Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Cicinelli MV, Battista M, Starace V, Battaglia Parodi M, Bandello F. Monitoring and Management of the Patient with Stargardt Disease. CLINICAL OPTOMETRY 2019; 11:151-165. [PMID: 31819694 PMCID: PMC6886536 DOI: 10.2147/opto.s226595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Stargardt disease (STGD1) represents one of the major common causes of inherited irreversible visual loss. Due to its high phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity, STGD1 is a complex disease to understand. Non-invasive imaging, biochemical, and genetic advances have led to substantial improvements in unveiling the disease processes and novel promising therapeutic landscapes have been proposed. This review recapitulates the modalities for monitoring patients with STGD1 and the therapeutic options currently under investigation for the different stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Cicinelli
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: Maria Vittoria Cicinelli Department of Ophthalmology, San Raffaele Vita-Salute University, Via Olgettina, 60, Milano20132, ItalyTel +39 02 26432648Fax +39 02 26483643 Email
| | - Marco Battista
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Starace
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Bandello
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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Yerxa B. Progress in Inherited Retinal Disease Drug Discovery and Development: A Foundation's Perspective. Pharm Res 2018; 35:239. [PMID: 30338398 PMCID: PMC6208581 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-018-2514-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ophthalmic drug discovery and development has enjoyed a recent renaissance, with a major shift away from reformulating old systemic drugs for ocular use to de novo discovery of drugs for specific ocular disease targets. This shift, coupled with a revolution in molecular biology and genetic sequencing, has uncovered an unprecedented number and variety of novel targets for therapeutic intervention in eye disease. With such a treasure chest of new science to pursue, it also creates a new challenge for translating the lab-based discoveries through the translational "valley of death" into full scale industry-led development of new, approved therapeutics to treat eye disease. This is in fact a daunting task, as the cost of drug development continues to increase and many of the new therapeutic targets are based on smaller, orphan diseases with very high unmet medical needs. This perspective focuses on the role of a nonprofit foundation, The Foundation Fighting Blindness, in fueling and supporting the advancement of new therapies for blinding inherited retinal degenerative diseases into approved therapeutics. The new collaborative model is changing the way breakthrough drugs are coming to market for patients, and innovative funding models are required to match the innovative science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Yerxa
- Foundation Fighting Blindness, 7168 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, Maryland, 21046, USA.
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