Neuroprotective effects of lutein in the retina

Although a large variety of pharmaceutical therapies for treating disease have been developed in recent years, there has been little progress in disease prevention. In particular, the protection of neural tissue is essential, because it is hardly regenerated. The use of nutraceuticals for maintaining the health has been supported by several clinical studies, including cross-sectional and interventional studies for age-related macular disease. However, mechanistic evidence for their effects at the molecular level has been very limited. In this review, we focus on lutein, which is a xanthophyll type of carotenoid. Lutein is not synthesized in mammals, and must be obtained from the diet. It is delivered to the retina, and in humans, it is concentrated in the macula. Here, we describe the neuroprotective effects of lutein and their underlying molecular mechanisms in animal models of vision-threatening diseases, such as innate retinal inflammation, diabetic retinopathy, and light-induced retinal degeneration. In lutein-treated mouse ocular disease models, oxidative stress in the retina is reduced, and its downstream pathological signals are inhibited. Furthermore, degradation of the functional proteins, rhodopsin (a visual substance) and synaptophysin (a synaptic vesicle protein also influenced in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease), the depletion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and DNA damage are prevented by lutein, which preserves visual function. We discuss the possibility of using lutein, an antioxidant, as a neuroprotective treatment for humans.

Non-responsiveness to intravitreal aflibercept treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: implications of serous pigment epithelial detachment

The prognosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been improved by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments, including intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) treatment. However, many patients remain incurable. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated non-responsiveness to IVA monotherapy at 12 months in 133 eyes of 133 AMD patients. Sixty-two patients were initially treatment-naive, and 71 had received other treatments before IVA (the treatment-switched group). Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was improved in the treatment-naive group but not in the treatment-switched group, although mean central retinal thickness (CRT) decreased in both groups. The respective percentages of non-responders as determined by worsened BCVA in the treatment-naive and treatment-switched groups were 8.1% and 15.5%, and via fundus findings, they were 12.9% and 8.5%. Multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, CRT, and greatest linear dimension showed that serous pigment epithelial detachment (PED) at baseline was associated with non-responsiveness in both groups as determined by BCVA and by fundus findings, and fibrovascular PED measurements indicated no response as determined by fundus findings in the treatment-switched group. The results reported herein may assist the formulation of appropriate treatment protocols for AMD patients.

Predictive factors of better outcomes by monotherapy of an antivascular endothelial growth factor drug, ranibizumab, for diabetic macular edema in clinical practice

Intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) has been approved for treating diabetic macular edema (DME), and is used in daily clinical practice. However, the treatment efficacies of IVR monotherapy in real-world clinical settings are not well known.The medical records of 56 eyes from 38 patients who received their first IVR for DME between April 2014 and March 2015, and were retreated with IVR monotherapy as needed with no rescue treatment, such as laser photocoagulation, were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical course, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and fundus findings at baseline, before the initial IVR injection, and at 12 months, were evaluated.Twenty-five eyes from 25 patients (16 men; mean age 68.7 ± 9.8 years) who received IVR in the first eye, or unilaterally, without any other treatments during follow-up were included. After 12 months, mean central retinal thickness (CRT), which includes edema, was reduced (P = .003), although mean BCVA remained unchanged. There was a negative correlation between individual changes in BCVA (r = -0.57; P = .003) and CRT (r = -0.60; P = .002) at 12 months compared with baseline values. BCVA changes were greater in individuals with a history of pan-retinal photocoagulation at baseline (P = .026). After adjusting for age and sex, CRT improvement >100 μm at 12 months was associated with a greater CRT at baseline (OR 0.87 per 10 μm [95% CI 0.72-0.97]; P = .018) according to logistic regression analyses; however, better BCVA and CRT at 12 months were associated with a better BCVA (r = 0.77; P < .001) and lower CRT (r = 0.41; P = .039) at baseline, respectively, according to linear regression analyses.IVR monotherapy suppressed DME, and the effects varied according to baseline conditions. Eyes that had poorer BCVA or greater CRT, or a history of pan-retinal photocoagulation at baseline, demonstrated greater improvement with IVR monotherapy. In contrast, to achieve better outcome values, DME eyes should be treated before the BCVA and CRT deteriorate. These findings advance our understanding of the optimal use of IVR for DME in daily clinical practice, although further study is warranted.

Distinct Responsiveness to Intravitreal Ranibizumab Therapy in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy With Single or Multiple Polyps

PURPOSE

To understand the prognosis of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) by evaluating the responsiveness to intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) monotherapy according to the presence of a single or multiple polyps.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

We included 48 treatment-naïve eyes of 48 patients who received IVR monotherapy at the Medical Retina Division Clinic, Keio University Hospital between March 2009 and January 2013 and attended the clinic for at least 12 months. All patients received 3 monthly IVR injections followed by pro re nata injections and were divided into single polyp and multiple polyps groups according to indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings. The outcome measures included changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and OCT findings over 2 years after initial IVR.

RESULTS

At baseline, the multiple polyps group exhibited a poorer BCVA, larger greatest linear dimension, and higher prevalence of fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment compared with the single polyp group. Over 2 years, the multiple polyps group showed no improvement in BCVA, although the central retinal thickness (CRT) decreased in both groups. The multiple polyps group exhibited a significantly greater CRT at 1 year and required more injections in the first year compared with the single polyp group; furthermore, it included a higher number of nonresponders judged either by BCVA or fundus findings at 1 year and fundus findings at 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that the stratification of PCV lesions according to the presence of single or multiple polyps may be valuable to understand the prognosis.

Wickerhamomyces anomalus fungal keratitis responds to topical treatment with antifungal micafungin

We describe a 91-year-old woman who suffered from fungal keratitis after corneal transplantation. The causative organism was identified as Wickerhamomyces anomalus (formerly Pichia anomala or Hansenula anomala) on the basis of morphological characteristics and the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene. The patient was successfully treated with topical micafungin (MCFG) only. We present the first report of a case of W. anomalus fungal keratitis that responded to topical treatment with the antifungal MCFG.

Decreased proteasomal activity causes photoreceptor degeneration in mice

PURPOSE

To study the retinal degeneration caused by decreased proteasomal activity in β5t transgenic (β5t-Tg) mice, an animal model of senescence acceleration.

METHODS

β5t-Tg mice and age-matched littermate control (WT) mice were used. Proteasomal activities and protein level of poly-ubiquitinated protein in retinal extracts were quantified. Fundus images of β5t-Tg mice were taken and their features were assessed. For histologic evaluation, the thicknesses of inner nuclear layer (INL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), and photoreceptor outer segment (OS) were measured. For functional analysis, ERG was recorded under scotopic and photopic illumination conditions. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining and TUNEL were performed to investigate the mechanism of photoreceptor degeneration.

RESULTS

Chymotrypsin-like activity was partially suppressed in retinal tissues of β5t-Tg mice. Retinal degenerative changes with arterial attenuation were present in β5t-Tg, but not in WT mice. Inner nuclear layer thickness showed no significant change between β5t-Tg and WT mice at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months of age. By contrast, thicknesses of ONL and OS in β5t-Tg mice were significantly decreased at 3, 6, and 9 months compared with those in WT mice. Electroretinograms showed decrease of scotopic a-wave amplitude in β5t-Tg mice. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in ONL were significantly increased in β5t-Tg mice and colocalized with apoptosis-inducing factor, but not with cleaved caspase-3 and -9, indicating that the photoreceptor cell death was induced via a caspase-independent pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data showed that impaired proteasomal function causes photoreceptor degeneration.

Neuroprotective effect of activated 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase on cone system function during retinal inflammation

BACKGROUND

Retinal inflammation can cause retinal neural disorders. In particular, functional disorder in the cone photoreceptor system influences visual acuity. However, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. In this study, we evaluated cone system function and the role of 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) during retinal inflammation.

RESULTS

Six to eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice received an intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce retinal inflammation, and were treated with an AMPK activator, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR; 250 mg/kg body weight) or phosphate-buffered saline as vehicle 3 h before the LPS injection. The b-wave of the photopic electroretinogram, which represents cone system function, was decreased 24 h after LPS injection and this reduction was suppressed by AICAR treatment. At this time point, there was no remarkable morphological change in the cone photoreceptor cells. At 1.5 h after LPS injection, the retina mRNA levels of an inflammatory cytokine, Tnf-α, were increased, and those of a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, Pgc1-α, were decreased. However, AICAR treatment suppressed these changes in mRNA expression. Immunohistochemistry showed that induction of glial fibrillary acidic protein expression was also suppressed by AICAR 24 h after LPS injection. Furthermore, the mouse cone photoreceptor-derived cell line 661W was treated with AICAR to increase the level of phosphorylated and activated AMPK. After 3 h of AICAR incubation, 661W cells showed decreased Tnf-α mRNA levels and increased Pgc1-α mRNA levels.

CONCLUSION

AMPK activation has a neuroprotective effect on cone system function during inflammation, and the effect may, at least in part, involve the regulation of inflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial condition.

Interstitial pneumonitis related to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration following chemotherapy for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

We treated three cases of interstitial pneumonitis (IP) in 26 elderly (> or = 65 years old) patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who received the same chemotherapeutic protocol including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration. Fortunately, all three patients recovered from IP spontaneously by discontinuation of G-CSF alone or with administration of corticosteroid. Because the duration and extent of neutrophilia induced by G-CSF administration was not different between the cases complicated by IP and those without IP, underlying pulmonary damage is suggested to be more involved than neutrophil count in the development of IP.

Megakaryopoiesis in patients with cyclic thrombocytopenia

Megakaryopoiesis was examined in 10 patients (eight females and two males) with cyclic thrombocytopenia (CT) to investigate the underlying pathogenesis. Numbers of CFU-Meg and megakaryocytes and the mean cytoplasmic area (mean area) of megakaryocytes at the peak, nadir, ascent mid phase, and descent mid phase of the platelet cycle were determined. The patients were classified as female cases group I (cases 1-4; previously diagnosed as ITP and CT occurred during remission), female cases group II (cases 5-8; persistent CT from initial diagnosis), and male CT (cases 9 and 10). In three of the four female cases in group I, numbers of CFU-Meg and megakaryocytes were normal or increased persistently during the platelet cycle, whereas the mean area fluctuated in synchrony with the platelet cycle, suggesting failure of cyclic production rather than platelet destruction. In the female cases in group II and one female case in group I, numbers of CFU-Meg and megakaryocytes were also normal or increased at four phases of the cycle, but the mean area did not fluctuate, remaining large during the cycle, suggesting cyclic destruction or platelet clearance. In contrast, in the male patients values for numbers of CFU-Meg, megakaryocytes and mean cytoplasmic area fluctuated during the platelet cycle, indicating that cyclic changes in megakaryopoiesis generated the platelet cycle. These findings indicate that the measurement of cytoplasmic area is useful for distinguishing cyclic platelet production from cyclic destruction or clearance in CT.

Predicting recurrences of macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy

PURPOSE

To determine the predictive factors for recurrent macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) during intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) monotherapy.

METHODS

Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed for 65 patients (mean age 66.5 years, 65 eyes) who were diagnosed with macular edema due to BRVO and treated with IVR monotherapy for 12 months at the Medical Retina Division, Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University Hospital between October 2013 and August 2017. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus findings, and sectional optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were analyzed.

RESULTS

Overall BCVA and central retinal thickness (CRT) improved (all p < 0.01). BCVA at 12 months was significantly worse in patients with recurrent macular edema (40 eyes [61.5%]) (p < 0.01) than in those without, while CRT decreased and was comparable in both groups at 12 months. Logistic regression analyses showed association of recurrence with disorganization of the retinal inner layer (DRIL) temporal to the fovea at baseline (odds ratio = 7.74; 95% confidence interval 1.62-37.08, p = 0.01), after adjusting for age, gender, and initial CRT.

CONCLUSION

Recurrent macular edema due to BRVO affects visual outcome and is associated with initial DRIL temporal to the fovea, evaluated using OCT sectional images before treatments. DRIL may facilitate determination of follow-up schedules in clinical practice.

Effects of anti-platelet glycoprotein Ib and/or IIb/IIIa autoantibodies on the size of megakaryocytes in patients with immune thrombocytopenia

To determine whether anti-platelet autoantibodies react with megakaryocytes, as well as with platelets, in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), 38 ITP patients were studied. They were classified into four groups; anti-platelet glycoprotein Ib-positive (group A, n = 5), anti-platelet glycoprotein II/b/IIIa-positive (group B, n = 2), positive to both antibodies (group C, n = 3), and negative to both antibodies (group D, n = 28). The number and size of megakaryocytes in each group were compared. The number of megakaryocytes in groups A, B, C, and D was 12.8 +/- 8.9, 75.2, 29.1, and 17.0 +/- 21.7/mm2, respectively. The mean cytoplasmic area of megakaryocytes in groups A, B, C, and D was 1001 +/- 26.3, 1621, 1109, and 1311 +/- 235.6/micrograms2, respectively. This finding indicated that, in the presence of anti-platelet glycoprotein Ib, megakaryocytes were not increased in number and were small in size, whereas, in the presence of anti-platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, megakaryocytes were increased in number and in cytoplasmic area. Our study suggested that anti-platelet glycoprotein Ib may impair platelet production by megakaryocytes in ITP.

Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteriosis caused by mycobacterium kansasii in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome

A 38-year-old man with pancytopenia due to myelodysplastic syndrome exhibited persistent pyrexia and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A biopsy specimen of the lymph nodes showed diffuse infiltration of epitheloid cells, including acid-fast bacilli identified as Mycobacterium kansasii. Cultures from gastric lavage and stool yielded M. kansasii, and granulomas were found in the bone marrow. A diagnosis of disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (DNTM) was established. The patient's condition improved after treatment with isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Although DNTM due to M. kansasii is rare in Japan, it should be recognized as a possible cause of opportunistic infections.

Clinicopathological analyses of 5 Japanese patients with CD56+ primary cutaneous lymphomas

We analyzed the clinicopathological features of 5 Japanese patients with CD56+ primary cutaneous lymphomas (3 men and 2 women aged 25 to 73 years). Except for 1 patient in whom bone marrow involvement was simultaneously observed, all patients presented with cutaneous lesions. Based on their Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, we categorized these patients into 2 groups, namely EBV-encoded small RNA-1 (EBER-1) (3 patients) and EBER-1- (2 patients). Generalized lymphadenopathy and bone marrow involvement were observed only in EBER-1 patients. Morphologically, angiocentric proliferation was more prominent in EBER-1+ patients and was accompanied by panniculitis-like changes. The lymphomas in EBER-1- patients featured monomorphic proliferation of lymphoblastic cells with no cytoplasmic granules. Phenotypically, CD3-, cytoplasmic CD3 epsilon+, and CD56+ were common findings in both types. The EBER-1- type showed an additional distinguishing feature, CD7+, CD4+, CD8-, HLA-DR+, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive (TdT+) phenotype. The lymphoma was primarily resistant in the EBER-1+ type, and the patients died within 6 months of admission. In contrast, the lymphoma in the EBER-1- patients was originally chemosensitive. Collectively, we consider there to be at least 2 types of CD56+ primary cutaneous lymphomas, corresponding to nasal-type natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas (EBER-1+) and blastic NK-cell lymphomas (EBER-1-).

[Minimally differentiated hypoplastic leukemia]

Sixty-seven years-old female, who was an atomic bomb survivor in Hiroshima, was pointed out as having leukopenia and anemia in 1991. She was referred to Tsukuba University Hospital in June 1992. Her peripheral blood count showed pancytopenia- 2,600/microliters WBC, 10.5 g/dl hemoglobin, and 80,000/microliters platelets- at that time. BM biopsy revealed hypoplastic marrow and increased peroxidase-negative blasts (32.8%). Surface marker analysis of the blasts showed a feature of CD2+ CD33+ CD34+ CD13+ CD3-. Electronmicroscopically, myeloperoxidase was positive. She was diagnosed as having hypoplastic leukemia of which the blasts had a feature of AML-M0 by FAB-group. After 6 months' silent period, her pancytopenia became profound. We successfully reduced the blasts by BAM therapy. However, she died of bacterial pneumonia during the myelosuppressive state. This is a case of minimally differentiated hypoplastic AML.

[Human parvovirus B19-induced aplastic crisis in an elderly man with intestinal hemorrhage]

An elderly man with an intestinal hemorrhage from bowel diverticulosis developed human parvovirus B19-induced aplastic crisis. A 71-year-old man noticed occasional tarry stools and at the same time showed fever, arthralgia and severe anemia. Blood counts revealed Hgb 5.3g/dl, reticulocytes 0%, and WBC 1,900/microliters. Bone marrow examination showed hypocellular marrow with rare erythroid precursors (4.8%). A few giant proerythroblasts were found in the bone marrow smears. A diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection was made because of detection of B19-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. Parvovirus B19 infection should be carefully checked for in patients with hemorrhage as well as those with hemolysis.

[A study of hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome]

To distinguish hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) from aplastic anemia (AA), morphological abnormalities of bone marrow hematopoietic cells in 8 patients with MDS and 39 patients with AA were studied. All the patients with MDS and AA showed prolonged plasma iron disappearance time, (PIDT1/2) > 120 min. Five hundred erythroid and myeloid cells, as well as 20 megakaryocytes were counted. Dysplastic changes were defined if morphological changes were present in more than 1.0% cells with only one lineage, or in more than 0.6% cells with more than two lineages. Twenty six of 39 patients with AA showed morphological abnormalities. In MDS cases, morphological abnormalities were prominent in trilineage cells in some cases, in bilineage (erythroid and megakaryocytic or myeloid and megakaryocytic cells), in others, or solely in myeloid cells or in megakaryocytic cells in other cases. Morphological abnormalities seen solely in erythroid cells, especially those with segmented nuclei were considered to be less significant for the diagnosis of MDS. The findings were considered to be useful to distinguish hypoplastic MDS from AA.

48 CARBOXYLATED ε-POLY-L-LYSINE (COOH-PLL) IMPROVES DEVELOPMENTAL ABILITY AND REDUCES MITOCHONDRIAL DAMAGE OF VITRIFIED PORCINE EMBRYOS AT THE PRONUCLEAR STAGE

Although cryopreservation of pronuclear-stage embryos has increasing importance in the production of genetically modified animals via microinjection, it is well known that cryopreserved porcine embryos show low developmental ability. Cryopreservation causes damage to organelles such as mitochondria that are involved in metabolism and play important roles in embryonic development. To reduce the damage in embryo cryopreservation, we focused on carboxylated ε-poly-l-lysine (COOH-PLL), which has been recently developed as a new cryoprotective agent. Carboxylated ε-poly-l-lysine has antifreeze protein properties, such as inhibition of ice recrystallization (Matsumura and Hyon 2009). In this study, we examined the effect of COOH-PLL on development and mitochondrial damage of vitrified porcine embryos at the pronuclear stage. Porcine follicular oocytes were matured (in vitro) and then fertilized (IVF) in vitro. At 10 h after IVF, the presumptive embryos were centrifuged to visualise the pronuclei. Embryos with 2 or 3 pronuclei (PN embryos) were used for vitrification. The PN embryos were exposed to equilibration solution for 10 min and then exposed to vitrification solution for 1 min before being plunged into LN on Cryotop®. Vitrification solution was phosphate buffered saline supplemented with 30% (vol/vol) ethylene glycol + 0.5 M sucrose + 20% (vol/vol) fetal calf serum + 0 or 20% (wt/vol) COOH-PLL (P0 or P20). Development to the blastocyst stage of the vitrified PN embryos was observed after in vitro culture for 158 h. Nonvitrified embryos were used as a control (fresh). Fresh and vitrified with P0 or P20 PN embryos were stained with MitoTracker® Red CMXRos. The embryos stained with MitoTracker® Red CMXRos were investigated by using a laser-scanning confocal microscope. Mitochondrial fluorescent intensity of embryos was evaluated by measuring the mean numbers of pixels in the fluorescent area (mean/area) using the NIH ImageJ software. The blastocyst rate of embryos vitrified with P20 (19.4%) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of P0 (1.3%), and there were no significant differences in blastocyst rates between P20 and fresh group (28.4%; P > 0.05). The mitochondrial fluorescent intensity of embryos vitrified with P20 (2.8 mean/area) was significantly higher than that of P0 (1.5 mean/area), but the intensity of embryos vitrified with P20 was significantly lower than that of fresh (4.2 mean/area; P < 0.05). Our results suggest that supplementation of COOH-PLL with vitrification solution improved development and also reduced mitochondrial damage of vitrified porcine embryos at the pronuclear stage. Further studies are required to clarify the effect of COOH-PLL on various kinds of damage caused by cryopreservation such as other organelles, including endoplasmic reticulum damage, cytoskeleton damage, or DNA fragmentation of vitrified or warmed embryos in pigs.

[von Recklinghausen's disease complicated by macroglobulinemia, malignant schwannoma and pheochromocytoma]

We reported a case of von Recklinghausen's disease complicated by macroglobulinemia, malignant Schwannoma and pheochromocytoma. A 43-year-old male patient who was diagnosed as von Recklinghausen's disease developed abdominal masses at 5 years after the adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. Computed tomography showed multiple heterogeneous tumors in abdominal cavity. Histological examination of resected tumor was compatible with malignant Schwannoma. At the same time, peripheral blood and bone marrow smears showed a large number of plasmacytoid lymphocytes. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed M-protein of IgM, kappa type. He was also diagnosed of coexistence with macroglobulinemia. The chemotherapeutic protocols used were not effective against both malignant Schwannoma and macroglobulinemia. The present case is a rare case of von Recklinghausen's disease associated with triple neoplasms.