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Raluca Rusovici, Chirag J Patel, Kakarla V ChalamUniversity of Florida, Department of Ophthalmology, Jacksonville, FL, USABackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cell cycle changes in choroidal endothelial cells treated with varying doses of bevacizumab in the presence of a range of concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Bevacizumab, a drug widely used in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularization, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy, neutralizes all isoforms of VEGF. However, the effect of intravitreal administration of bevacizumab on the choroidal endothelial cell cycle has not been established.Methods: Monkey choroidal endothelial (RF/6A) cells were treated with VEGF 50 ng/mL and escalating doses of bevacizumab 0.1–2 mg/mL for 72 hours. Cell cycle changes in response to bevacizumab were analyzed by flow cytometry and propidium iodide staining. Cell proliferation was measured using the WST-1 assay. Morphological changes were recorded by bright field cell microscopy.Results: Bevacizumab inhibited proliferation of choroidal endothelial cells by stabilization of the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Cell cycle analysis of VEGF-enriched choroidal endothelial cells revealed a predominant increase in the G2/M population (21.84%, P < 0.01) and a decrease in the G0/G1 phase population (55.08%, P < 0.01). Addition of escalating doses of bevacizumab stabilized VEGF-enriched cells in the G0/G1 phase (55.08%, 54.49%, 56.3%, and 64% [P < 0.01]) and arrested proliferation by inhibiting the G2/M phase (21.84%, 21.46%, 20.59%, 20.94%, and 16.1% [P < 0.01]). The increase in GO/G1 subpopulation in VEGF-enriched and bevacizumab-treated cells compared with VEGF-enriched cells alone was dose-dependent.Conclusion: Bevacizumab arrests proliferation of VEGF-enriched choroidal endothelial cells by stabilizing the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and inhibiting the G2/M phase in a dose-dependent fashion.Keywords: bevacizumab, age-related macular degeneration, vascular endothelial growth factor.

KV Chalam, Vijay Khetpal, Chirag J PatelDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Florida Jacksonville, FL, USAIntroduction: Pseudophakic cystoid macular edema is a common cause of poor vision after cataract surgery, and topical corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for its treatment. We investigated the effectiveness of difluprednate (Durezol®, recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration) in the treatment of cystoid macular edema, assisted with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).Case report: A 63-year-old African-American woman presented 6 weeks after uneventful cataract surgery in her left eye with decreased vision and associated distortion of the central visual field. Fluorescein angiogram and SD-OCT confirmed pseudophakic cystoid macular edema. Difluprednate was topically administered twice daily and monitored with serial imaging. Resolution was noted after 1 month of topical therapy, with improvement in visual acuity and resolution of distortion.Conclusion: Difluprednate is an effective treatment for patients with severe pseudophakic cystoid macular edema. SD-OCT allows the physician to monitor resolution of the macular edema easily.Keywords: cystoid macular edema, difluprednate, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, pseudophakic

Background: Whole genome sequencing is poised to revolutionize personalized medicine, providing the capacity to classify individuals into risk categories for a wide range of diseases. Here we begin to explore how whole genome sequencing (WGS) might be inco

OBJECTIVE - Human blood glucose levels have likely evolved toward their current point of stability over hundreds of thousands of years. The robust population stability of this trait is called canalization. It has been represented by a hyperbolic function o

Genetic diversity across different human populations can enhance understanding of the genetic basis of disease. We calculated the genetic risk of 102 diseases in 1,043 unrelated individuals across 51 populations of the Human Genome Diversity Panel. We foun

Motivation: Complex diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D), result from the interplay of both environmental and genetic factors. However, most studies investigate either the genetics or the environment and there are a few that study their possibl

Background Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Although genome-wide association studies are currently testing the genetic f

In recognising the highly stressful nature of the nursing profession, the added burden of hospital staff shortages, and patient overload, the present study explored the impact of work on family functioning, its relationship to job satisfaction and the role of spousal support in a group of 80 female nurses working in a government hospital. Using a descriptive, correlational design, the relationships among job satisfaction, work-family conflict (WFC) and spousal/partner support were explored. The hypotheses that job satisfaction and WFC would be negatively correlated, that job satisfaction and spousal support would be positively correlated, and that WFC and spousal support would be negatively correlated, were tested using correlation techniques. All hypotheses were confirmed. The role of spousal support in the relationship between job satisfaction and work-family conflict was highlighted.