Browsing by Author "Resan, Mirko (26023596700)"

Purpose: To evaluate the participation of proinflammatory cytokines in the acute phase of corneal wound-healing response after excimer laser treatment. Methods: The study included 68 myopic eyes up to -3.0 diopters divided into two groups: 1) eyes treated with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) (n=31) and 2) eyes treated with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) (n=37). Each group was then divided into three subgroups based on tear sampling times: before (0 hours), 1 hour after, and 24 hours after treatment. The tear fluid was sampled from lower lateral tear meniscus using a cellulose microsurgical sponge. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in tear fluid were determined by flow cytometry method. Results: Statistical significance was observed in the concentrations of TNF-α (P=0.0421) and IL-1β (P=0.0225) between samples collected 1 and 24 hours after PRK treatment in favor of samples collected 1 hour after treatment. IL-6 concentration changes showed a significant increase in the PRK group in both time intervals following treatment compared to pretreatment (0 hour/1 hour, P=0.0031; 0 hour/24 hours, P=0.0059). For IL-8 concentrations, significant differences were observed between control and experimental groups in samples collected 1 hour after LASIK and 1 hour after PRK treatment (P < 0.001 for both groups), and IL-8 concentrations between control and experimental groups in samples collected 24 hours after LASIK and 24 hours after PRK treatment were greater after PRK treatment (P=0.0005). Comparison of average concentration values of proinflammatory cytokines in all the tested samples between LASIK and PRK groups showed significantly higher levels of IL-1β in the LASIK group 24 hours after treatment (P=0.0134), and of IL-6 in the PRK group 24 hours after treatment (P=0.0031). Conclusion: The acute phase of corneal wound healing after excimer laser treatment is defined by an intensive inflammatory response. After PRK treatment, there were increased concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in tear samples 1 hour after treatment, IL-6, 1 and 24 hours after treatment, and IL-8, 1 and 24 hours after treatment. After LASIK treatment, there were increased concentrations of IL-8 in tear samples 1 hour after treatment and IL-1β, 24 hours after treatment. Both PRK and LASIK methods are characterized with a significant inflammatory response. However, tear findings following PRK method showed more intensive inflammatory response than the findings after LASIK method. © 2016 Resan et al.

Background/Aim. Enlargement of optical zone (OZ) diameter during laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) correction of myopia postoperatively improves the optical outcome, however, it also leads to the increased stroma tissue consumption-progressive corneal thinning. The aim of this investigation was to present the possibility of safe OZ enlargement without impairing the structural stability of the cornea, while obtaining an improved optical outcome with LASIK treatment of shortsightedness. Methods. Preoperative assessment of the cornea structure and prediction of the ablated stroma tissue consumption was conducted in 37 patients (74 eyes) treated for shortsightedness by means of the LASIK method. With the eyes that, according to their cornea structure, had the capacity for OZ diameter enlargement of 0.5 mm, LASIK treatment was performed within the wider OZ diameter of 7.0 mm compared to the standard 6.5 mm. The following two groups were formed, depending on the diameter of the utilized OZ: the group I (the eyes treated with the OZ 6.5 mm, n = 37) and the group II (the eyes treated with the OZ 7.0 mm, n = 37). Results. No significant difference in the observed structural parameters of the cornea was detected between the groups of patients treated with different OZ diameters. The values of all the parameters were significantly bellow the threshold values for the development of postoperative ectasia. Conclusion. Diameter enlargement of the treated OZ, if there is a preoperative cornea capacity for such enlargement, will not impair the postoperative stability of the cornea structure, and will significantly improve the optical outcome. © 2016, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved.

Purpose: To test the validity and reliability of the Serbian version of the interviewer-administered format of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). Methods: The Serbian version of NEI VFQ-25 was translated in accordance with standard methods that have been adopted internationally. In order to assess the reliability and validity of the translated NEI VFQ-25, we used a sample of 105 patients with four different chronic ocular diseases. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess internal consistency for each subscale. To assess test-retest reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients were used. The test-retest data were obtained from clinically stable patients with age-related cataracts, in surveys performed 2weeks apart. Rasch analysis was also applied as a modern methods of psychometric assessment of the questionnaire. Results: Four groups of patients were studied and the most prevalent were patients with cataract 40 (38.1%), followed by diabetic retinopathy 31 (29.5%), age related macular degeneration 22 (21.0%) and glaucoma 12 (11.4%). The overall index score on the NEI VFQ-25 ranged from 65.3 to 67.8 with a mean of 67.4±15.0. Cronbach's alpha coefficient (index of internal consistency reliability) ranged from 0.643 to 0.889 for the subscales. Evaluation of the validity of the Serbian version of NEI VFQ-25 is presented in the multi-trait-multi-method matrix and all items passed the convergent and discriminant validity tests. Rasch analysis showed a good measurement precision, but also demonstrated misfitting items and multidimensionality of the questionnaire. Conclusion: Although traditional validation method indicates that the Serbian version of NEI VFQ-25 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of vision specific QoLin Serbian populations aged 40years or older, Rasch analysis revealed a substantial weakness of the questionnaire that should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results. © 2015 Kovac et al.