- Email: [email protected]
Is dry eye syndrome a work-related disease among radiologists?
.00001). A meta-analysis confirmed that the risk allele in the heterozygous or homozygous state (odds ratio [OR], 2.4 and 6.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2 to 2.7 and 5.4 to 7.2, respectively) confers susceptibility. LOC387715 was also significantly associated with ARM in both cohorts (P ⬍/⫽ .00001) and a meta-analysis confirmed that the risk allele in the heterozygous and homozygous state (OR, 2.5 and 7.3; 95% CI, 2.2 to 2.9 and 5.7 to 9.4, respectively) confers susceptibility. Both CFH and LOC387715 showed an allele-dose effect on the ARM risk, individuals homozygous at either locus were at more than two-fold risk compared to those heterozygous. PLEKHA1, which is closely linked toLOC387715, was significantly associated with ARM status in the AREDS cohort, but not the CHS cohort and ELOVL4 was not significantly associated with ARM in either cohort. Joint action of CFH and LOC387715 was best described by independent multiplicative effect without significant interaction in both cohorts. Interaction of both genes with cigarette smoking was insignificant in both cohorts. This study provides additional support for the CFH and LOC387715 genes in ARM susceptibility via the evaluation of cohorts that had different ascertainment schemes regarding ARM status and through the meta-analyses.—Hans E. Grossniklaus *M. B. Gorin, Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, The Eye and Ear Institute Building, 203 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261; e-mail: [email protected]
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An apolipoprotein E variant may protect against agerelated macular degeneration through cytokine regulation. Bojanowski CM, Shen D, Chew EY, Ning B, Casaky KG, Green WR, Chan CC, Tuo J.* Envir & Mol Mut 2006;47:594 – 602.
I
N THIS STUDY, THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATED THE ASSO-
ciation between apolipoprotein E (ApoE C112R/R158C) single nucleotide polymorphisms (which determine the E2, E3, and E4 isoforms) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and the mechanism underlying the association. Genomic DNA was extracted from 133 clinically screened controls, 94 volunteers with a younger mean age, 120 patients with advanced AMD, and 40 archived ocular AMD slides for single nucleotide polymorphism typing. The effects of recombinant ApoE isoforms on CCL2 (a chemokine), CX3CR1 (a chemokine receptor), and VEGF (a cytokine) expression in cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were tested and serum cholesterol profiles of the clinically screened subjects were analyzed. ApoE112R (E4) distribution differed significantly between AMD patients and controls. ApoE112R allele frequency was 10.9% in the AMD group when compared with 16.5% in the younger controls and 18.8% in the clinically screened controls. The pathologically diagnosed archived AMD cases had the lowest allele frequency of 5%. No
VOL. 143, NO. 4
significant differences in ApoE158C (E2) distribution were observed among the groups. A meta-analysis of eight cohorts including 4,289 subjects showed a strong association between AMD and 112R, but not 158C. In vitro studies found that recombinant ApoE suppresses CCL2 and VEGF expression in RPE cells. However, the E4 isoform showed more suppression than E3 in both cases. These results further confirm the association between ApoE112R and a decreased risk of AMD development. The underlying mechanisms may involve differential regulation of both CCL2 and VEGF by the ApoE isoforms.— Hans E. Grossniklaus *J. Tuo, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; e-mail: [email protected]
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Is dry eye syndrome a work-related disease among radiologists? Ozkurt H,* Ozkurt YB, Baak M. Diagn Interv Radiol 2006;12:163–165.
I
N ORDER TOO ASSESS TEAR FUNCTION IN RADIOLOGISTS,
71 volunteers divided into 2 groups: 36 radiologists (Group 1) and 35 non-radiologist controls (Group 2) were assessed. The noted ophthalmologic symptoms in both groups were burning, stinging, redness, sensation of a foreign body, photophobia, and blurred vision. The Schirmer 1 and tear break-up time tests were used to assess tear function. The distribution of eye symptoms in Group 1 was as follows: 16 radiologists (44.4%) presented with burning and stinging, 17 (47.2%) with the sensation of a foreign body, 23 (63.8%) with redness, 11 (30.5%) with blurred vision, and five (13.8%) with photophobia. As for Group 2, the following symptoms were noted: 8 (22.8%) with burning and stinging, five (14.2%), with sensation of a foreign body, six (17.1%) with redness, three (8.5%) with blurred vision, and photophobia in 1 control volunteer (2.8%). Tear break-up time test scores were 8.4 for Group 1 and 15.4 for Group 2, whereas the Schirmer 1 test scores were 9.1 and 16.1 for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The authors conclude that dry eye syndrome occurs more frequently in radiologists compared to non-radiologist controls. The working conditions and circumstances, including air-conditioned rooms, use of negatoscopes, and exposure to diagnostic radiation may be possible causative factors of this statistical outcome.—Hans E. Grossniklaus
*H. Ozkurt, Department of Radiology, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; e-mail: [email protected]
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Surgical interventions for age-related cataract. Riaz Y,* Mehta JS, Wormald R, Evans JR, Foster A, Ravilla T, Snellingen T. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006;4:CD001323.
ABSTRACTS
733
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An apolipoprotein E variant may protect against agerelated macular degeneration through cytokine regulation. Bojanowski CM, Shen D, Chew EY, Ning B, Casaky KG, Green WR, Chan CC, Tuo J.* Envir & Mol Mut 2006;47:594 – 602.
I
N THIS STUDY, THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATED THE ASSO-
ciation between apolipoprotein E (ApoE C112R/R158C) single nucleotide polymorphisms (which determine the E2, E3, and E4 isoforms) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and the mechanism underlying the association. Genomic DNA was extracted from 133 clinically screened controls, 94 volunteers with a younger mean age, 120 patients with advanced AMD, and 40 archived ocular AMD slides for single nucleotide polymorphism typing. The effects of recombinant ApoE isoforms on CCL2 (a chemokine), CX3CR1 (a chemokine receptor), and VEGF (a cytokine) expression in cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were tested and serum cholesterol profiles of the clinically screened subjects were analyzed. ApoE112R (E4) distribution differed significantly between AMD patients and controls. ApoE112R allele frequency was 10.9% in the AMD group when compared with 16.5% in the younger controls and 18.8% in the clinically screened controls. The pathologically diagnosed archived AMD cases had the lowest allele frequency of 5%. No
VOL. 143, NO. 4
significant differences in ApoE158C (E2) distribution were observed among the groups. A meta-analysis of eight cohorts including 4,289 subjects showed a strong association between AMD and 112R, but not 158C. In vitro studies found that recombinant ApoE suppresses CCL2 and VEGF expression in RPE cells. However, the E4 isoform showed more suppression than E3 in both cases. These results further confirm the association between ApoE112R and a decreased risk of AMD development. The underlying mechanisms may involve differential regulation of both CCL2 and VEGF by the ApoE isoforms.— Hans E. Grossniklaus *J. Tuo, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; e-mail: [email protected]
●
Is dry eye syndrome a work-related disease among radiologists? Ozkurt H,* Ozkurt YB, Baak M. Diagn Interv Radiol 2006;12:163–165.
I
N ORDER TOO ASSESS TEAR FUNCTION IN RADIOLOGISTS,
71 volunteers divided into 2 groups: 36 radiologists (Group 1) and 35 non-radiologist controls (Group 2) were assessed. The noted ophthalmologic symptoms in both groups were burning, stinging, redness, sensation of a foreign body, photophobia, and blurred vision. The Schirmer 1 and tear break-up time tests were used to assess tear function. The distribution of eye symptoms in Group 1 was as follows: 16 radiologists (44.4%) presented with burning and stinging, 17 (47.2%) with the sensation of a foreign body, 23 (63.8%) with redness, 11 (30.5%) with blurred vision, and five (13.8%) with photophobia. As for Group 2, the following symptoms were noted: 8 (22.8%) with burning and stinging, five (14.2%), with sensation of a foreign body, six (17.1%) with redness, three (8.5%) with blurred vision, and photophobia in 1 control volunteer (2.8%). Tear break-up time test scores were 8.4 for Group 1 and 15.4 for Group 2, whereas the Schirmer 1 test scores were 9.1 and 16.1 for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The authors conclude that dry eye syndrome occurs more frequently in radiologists compared to non-radiologist controls. The working conditions and circumstances, including air-conditioned rooms, use of negatoscopes, and exposure to diagnostic radiation may be possible causative factors of this statistical outcome.—Hans E. Grossniklaus
*H. Ozkurt, Department of Radiology, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; e-mail: [email protected]
●
Surgical interventions for age-related cataract. Riaz Y,* Mehta JS, Wormald R, Evans JR, Foster A, Ravilla T, Snellingen T. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006;4:CD001323.
ABSTRACTS
733