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Detection of Chlamydiaceae and Chlamydia-like organisms on the ocular surface of children and adults from a trachoma-endemic region. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7432. [PMID: 29743637 PMCID: PMC5943520 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23887-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness, is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), a bacterium of the phylum Chlamydiae. Recent investigations revealed the existence of additional families within the phylum Chlamydiae, also termed Chlamydia-like organisms (CLOs). In this study, the frequency of Ct and CLOs was examined in the eyes of healthy Sudanese (control) participants and those with trachoma (case). We tested 96 children (54 cases and 42 controls) and 93 adults (51 cases and 42 controls) using broad-range Chlamydiae and Ct-specific (omcB) real-time PCR. Samples positive by broad-range Chlamydiae testing were subjected to DNA sequencing. Overall Chlamydiae prevalence was 36%. Sequences corresponded to unclassified and classified Chlamydiae. Ct infection rate was significantly higher in children (31.5%) compared to adults (0%) with trachoma (p < 0.0001). In general, 21.5% of adults and 4.2% of children tested positive for CLOs (p = 0.0003). Our findings are consistent with previous investigations describing the central role of Ct in trachoma among children. This is the first study examining human eyes for the presence of CLOs. We found an age-dependent distribution of CLO DNA in human eyes with significantly higher positivity in adults. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of CLOs in trachoma pathogenicity and/or protection.
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Foulsham W, Coco G, Amouzegar A, Chauhan SK, Dana R. When Clarity Is Crucial: Regulating Ocular Surface Immunity. Trends Immunol 2018; 39:288-301. [PMID: 29248310 PMCID: PMC5880704 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ocular surface is a unique mucosal immune compartment in which anatomical, physiological, and immunological features act in concert to foster a particularly tolerant microenvironment. These mechanisms are vital to the functional competence of the eye, a fact underscored by the devastating toll of excessive inflammation at the cornea - blindness. Recent data have elucidated the contributions of specific anatomical components, immune cells, and soluble immunoregulatory factors in promoting homeostasis at the ocular surface. We highlight research trends at this distinctive mucosal barrier and identify crucial gaps in our current knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Foulsham
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Giulia Coco
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Afsaneh Amouzegar
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sunil K Chauhan
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Reza Dana
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Moos WH, Faller DV, Glavas IP, Harpp DN, Irwin MH, Kanara I, Pinkert CA, Powers WR, Steliou K, Vavvas DG, Kodukula K. Epigenetic Treatment of Neurodegenerative Ophthalmic Disorders: An Eye Toward the Future. Biores Open Access 2017; 6:169-181. [PMID: 29291141 PMCID: PMC5747116 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2017.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye disease is one of the primary medical conditions that requires attention and therapeutic intervention in ageing populations worldwide. Further, the global burden of diabetes and obesity, along with heart disease, all lead to secondary manifestations of ophthalmic distress. Therefore, there is increased interest in developing innovative new approaches that target various mechanisms and sequelae driving conditions that result in adverse vision. The research challenge is even greater given that the terrain of eye diseases is difficult to landscape into a single therapeutic theme. This report addresses the burden of eye disease due to mitochondrial dysfunction, including antioxidant, autophagic, epigenetic, mitophagic, and other cellular processes that modulate the biomedical end result. In this light, we single out lipoic acid as a potent known natural activator of these pathways, along with alternative and potentially more effective conjugates, which together harness the necessary potency, specificity, and biodistribution parameters required for improved therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter H. Moos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- ShangPharma Innovation, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Douglas V. Faller
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ioannis P. Glavas
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - David N. Harpp
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael H. Irwin
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | | | - Carl A. Pinkert
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Whitney R. Powers
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kosta Steliou
- Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- PhenoMatriX, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts
| | - Demetrios G. Vavvas
- Retina Service, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Krishna Kodukula
- ShangPharma Innovation, Inc., South San Francisco, California
- PhenoMatriX, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts
- Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia
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