Aims: To investigate the changes in the protein composition of aqueous humour in primary open angle glaucoma patients and non-glaucomatous subjects. Patients and Methods: Case control study was conducted at a universi...Aims: To investigate the changes in the protein composition of aqueous humour in primary open angle glaucoma patients and non-glaucomatous subjects. Patients and Methods: Case control study was conducted at a university hospital to compare the protein profile of aqueous humour obtained from patients of primary open angle glaucoma with those of non glaucomatous subjects. Protein concentration of the aqueous humour samples collected from both glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous patients at the time of surgery was estimated by the Bradford protein assay method. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the samples was also performed. Results: Geometric mean of protein concentration of the samples was 55.73 mg/dl (range: 31-72) in the test group and 46.46 mg/dl (range: 27-65) in the control group and a statistically significant (p ≤= 0.001) difference in protein concentration of aqueous humour between the two groups was observed. Electrophoretic study revealed differences in the aqueous protein composition of the two groups. The glaucomatous group exhibited protein bands of 10 kDa, 20 kDa, 30 kDa, 50 kDa, 60 kDa, 70 kDa, and 90 kDa while the control subjects demonstrated bands of 6 kDa, 10 kDa, 30 kDa, 70 kDa, 90 kDa. Interestingly, almost all the proteins detected in this study corresponded to the molecular weights of heat shock proteins. Conclusions: Primary open angle glaucoma patients differed in protein compositions and had higher concentration of aqueous humour proteins than non glaucomatous patients.展开更多
Medical-grade poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is extensively employed in the fabrication of a variety of medical implants, including intraocular lenses (IOLs). However, a postoperative complication that leads to the ...Medical-grade poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is extensively employed in the fabrication of a variety of medical implants, including intraocular lenses (IOLs). However, a postoperative complication that leads to the failure of the implanted intraocular lenses has been recently identified. This process, termed calcification, occurs when calcium-containing deposits accumulate on the surface of the IOL. In this study direct gas fluorination was used to modify the surface of PMMA in an attempt to increase the service lifetime of the material in optical applications. PMMA discs exposed to a 20% fluorine/nitrogen gas mixture for 24 h were compared with untreated PMMA discs serving as control samples. Over time, both surface-fluorinated and untreated PMMA samples immersed in a simulated aqueous humour solution (SAHS) (pH 7.4, 35°C) were used to carry out in vitro studies. Attenuated total refractive Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), showed that calcium-containing surface deposits were less abundant on surface-fluorinated PMMA compared with the control samples, indicating that the fluorinated surface was acting as a barrier to the deposits. Gravimetric analysis data showed that the decreased rate of diffusion compared with that of a control sample was due to the fluorinated surface.展开更多
文摘Aims: To investigate the changes in the protein composition of aqueous humour in primary open angle glaucoma patients and non-glaucomatous subjects. Patients and Methods: Case control study was conducted at a university hospital to compare the protein profile of aqueous humour obtained from patients of primary open angle glaucoma with those of non glaucomatous subjects. Protein concentration of the aqueous humour samples collected from both glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous patients at the time of surgery was estimated by the Bradford protein assay method. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the samples was also performed. Results: Geometric mean of protein concentration of the samples was 55.73 mg/dl (range: 31-72) in the test group and 46.46 mg/dl (range: 27-65) in the control group and a statistically significant (p ≤= 0.001) difference in protein concentration of aqueous humour between the two groups was observed. Electrophoretic study revealed differences in the aqueous protein composition of the two groups. The glaucomatous group exhibited protein bands of 10 kDa, 20 kDa, 30 kDa, 50 kDa, 60 kDa, 70 kDa, and 90 kDa while the control subjects demonstrated bands of 6 kDa, 10 kDa, 30 kDa, 70 kDa, 90 kDa. Interestingly, almost all the proteins detected in this study corresponded to the molecular weights of heat shock proteins. Conclusions: Primary open angle glaucoma patients differed in protein compositions and had higher concentration of aqueous humour proteins than non glaucomatous patients.
文摘Medical-grade poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is extensively employed in the fabrication of a variety of medical implants, including intraocular lenses (IOLs). However, a postoperative complication that leads to the failure of the implanted intraocular lenses has been recently identified. This process, termed calcification, occurs when calcium-containing deposits accumulate on the surface of the IOL. In this study direct gas fluorination was used to modify the surface of PMMA in an attempt to increase the service lifetime of the material in optical applications. PMMA discs exposed to a 20% fluorine/nitrogen gas mixture for 24 h were compared with untreated PMMA discs serving as control samples. Over time, both surface-fluorinated and untreated PMMA samples immersed in a simulated aqueous humour solution (SAHS) (pH 7.4, 35°C) were used to carry out in vitro studies. Attenuated total refractive Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), showed that calcium-containing surface deposits were less abundant on surface-fluorinated PMMA compared with the control samples, indicating that the fluorinated surface was acting as a barrier to the deposits. Gravimetric analysis data showed that the decreased rate of diffusion compared with that of a control sample was due to the fluorinated surface.