Search

La práctica deportiva es importante para los estudiantes universitarios por varias razones: Mejora la salud física: El ejercicio regular ayuda a mejorar la salud física de los estudiantes, reduciendo el riesgo de enfermedades crónicas y mejorando el bienestar general. Mejora la salud mental: La práctica deportiva también puede mejorar la salud mental de los estudiantes, reduciendo el estrés, la ansiedad y la depresión. Mejora el rendimiento académico: Estudios han demostrado que los estudiantes que practican deportes tienen mejores resultados académicos, mayor concentración y más capacidad para resolver problemas. Fomenta habilidades sociales: Los deportes ayudan a los estudiantes a desarrollar habilidades sociales, como la comunicación, el trabajo en equipo y la empatía. Desarrolla la disciplina: La práctica deportiva requiere disciplina y perseverancia, lo que puede ayudar a los estudiantes a desarrollar estas habilidades importantes para su vida académica y profesional. En resumen, la práctica deportiva es importante para los estudiantes universitarios, ya que puede mejorar tanto su salud física como mental, su rendimiento académico, sus habilidades sociales y su disciplina. Además, también puede ayudarles a mantener un equilibrio saludable entre sus responsabilidades académicas y su tiempo libre. Además, según el marco de referencia de la convocatoria se busca la mejora de la calidad docente y de los servicios vinculada a procesos de innovación es una de las líneas de trabajo con la que se encuentra comprometida la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, al igual que este grupo que vamos a innovar en aprendizaje, implicando la participación de la comunidad universitaria en la conformación de una cultura de la calidad. El objeto principal de esta convocatoria es fomentar el esfuerzo de toda la comunidad universitaria en la mejora de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de los estudiantes, y en la gestión de la calidad, partiendo del impulso a la creación de equipos de trabaj

Esta tesis doctoral se lleva a cabo como parte del programa de investigación e innovación Horizon 2020 de la Unión Europea, en virtud del acuerdo de subvención-Curie N° 813440 ORBITAL - Investigación Ocular mediante Formación y Aprendizaje Integrados. La tesis se ha realizado en el contexto de una colaboración entre Ocupharm Diagnostics y el Departamento de Oftalmología, Farmacología Molecular y Neurociencia de la Universidad Loyola de Chicago (Maywood, Chicago) para desarrollar un nuevo cóctel de biomarcadores relacionados con el estrés oxidativo y la inflamación en el glaucoma, basado en la investigación de biomarcadores identificados en la literatura y probados en células, modelos animales y muestras humanas..., This doctoral thesis is achieved as part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie -Curie grant agreement N° 813440 ORBITAL Ocular Research by Integrated Training and Learning. The thesis has been carried out within a context of collaboration between the spin-off company Ocupharm Diagnostics and the Loyola University Chicago, Ophthalmology and molecular pharmacology and Neuroscience department (Maywood, Chicago) to develop a new cocktail of biomarkers related to oxidative stress and inflammation in glaucoma based on the research of biomarkers that have been identified in the literature and tested in cells, in animal models, and human samples...

Acanthamoeba spp. son protozoos de vida libre que se encuentran ampliamente distribuidos en el ambiente. En contacto con la superficie ocular puede comportarse como parásito provocando la queratitis por Acanthamoeba, considerada una de las patologías más graves a nivel ocular. La queratitis por Acanthamoeba cursa con dolor, fotofobia, daño epitelial, edema y si no se trata de manera adecuada, puede provocarla pérdida irreversible de la visión. Aproximadamente el 85% de los casos de queratitis amebiana está relacionado con el uso de lentes de contacto. El uso de las lentes durante el baño, las malas prácticas de higiene, así como su limpieza con agua de grifo incrementan el riesgo de infección. La limpieza y la desinfección de las lentes de contacto es esencial para evitar posibles infecciones corneales, por ello, existen numerosos estudios que tratan de valorar su eficacia frente a Acanthamoeba. Dada la ausencia de un enfoque estándar en los estudios existentes para valorar la eficacia de los productos de limpieza en la eliminación de Acanthamoeba, se dificulta la obtención de las mismas conclusiones..., Acanthamoeba spp. are free living protozoa widely distributed in the environment. Under favourable ocular conditions, it can behave as a parasite causing Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), considered as one of the most serious ocular pathologies. Acanthamoeba keratitis is an ocular infection characterized by pain, photophobia, epithelial damage, and edema and may lead to irreversible loss of vision if not properly treated. In developed countries, it is estimated that 85% of AK cases occur in contact lens wearers. Poor hygiene practices, the exposure to water wearing the contact lens, ineffective contact lens disinfection solutions as well as the use of tapwater to clean them increases the risk of infection. Cleaning and disinfection of contact lenses is essential to prevent corneal related infections. For this reason, numerous studies have attempted to assess their effectiveness against Acanthamoeba. The lack of a standard approach to assess the disinfection commercial products efficacy against Acanthamoeba, makes difficult to obtain accurate conclusions...

Received 16 February 2024, Revised 8 April 2024, Accepted 19 April 2024, Available online 26 April 2024, Version of Record 15 May 2024. This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, UIDB/04650/2020, Portugal). Maria João Faria acknowledges FCT I.P. for PhD grant (2020.06561.BD). 20234. Acuerdos transformativos CRUE-CSIC, Posterior eye disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, have a significant impact on human quality of life and are the primary cause of age-related retinal diseases among adults. There is a pressing need for innovative topical approaches to treat posterior eye disorders, as current methods often rely on invasive procedures with inherent risks. Limited success was attained in the realm of topical ophthalmic delivery through non-invasive means. Additionally, there exists a dearth of literature that delves into the potential of this approach for drug delivery and theranostic purposes, or that offers comprehensive design strategies for nanocarrier developers to surmount the significant physiological ocular barriers. This review offers a thorough and up-to-date state-of-the-art overview of 40 studies on therapeutic loaded nanocarriers and theranostic devices that, to the best of our knowledge, represent all successful works that reached posterior eye segments through a topical non-invasive administration. Most importantly, based on the successful literature studies, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the potential design strategies that can be implemented during nanocarrier development to overcome each ocular barrier., Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub, APC financiada por la UCM

Accepted: 18 March 2024; Published: 11 April 2024 2024. Acuerdos transformativos CRUE-CSIC. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Research Group UCM 920415 (InnOftal), PID2020-113281RB-C21 (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and 813440-ORBITAL-H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018 (This project was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Sklodowska–Curie Actions grant agreement number 813440 (Ocular Research by Integrated Training and Learning (ORBITAL)) financed this research., European Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación e Universidades (España), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Depto. de Farmacia Galénica y Tecnología Alimentaria, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, Fac. de Farmacia, Instituto Universitario de Farmacia Industrial, TRUE, inpress, APC financiada por la UCM

Purpose: To evaluate a new in vitro technique for measuring soft contact lens wettability using a nonmodified commercial videokeratoscope, the Medmont E300. To this end, the capability of different artificial tears containing hyaluronic acid (HA) to improve soft contact lens wettability in vitro was investigated. Methods: An experimental in vitro study was conducted to assess the wetting properties of three artificial tears containing different concentrations of HA (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) on soft contact lenses. A saline solution was used as the control. For each solution, 15 hydrogel (Ocufilcon D) contact lenses and 15 silicone-hydrogel (Somofilcon A) contact lenses were evaluated. The in vitro wettability of the lenses was measured using the Medmont E300 with a self-developed technique, which involved measuring the tear film surface quality (TFSQ) mean, TFSQ area, TFSQ central, and TFSQ inferior. Results: Compared with the saline solution, all the concentration of HA (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) improved the in vitro wettability of both soft contact lenses by decreasing their TFSQ mean and TFSQ area (P<0.05). Regression models revealed an exponential relationship between contact lens wettability and the concentration of HA for both soft contact lenses (R>0.5, P<0.05). Furthermore, the hydrogel contact lens presented a wetter surface than the silicone-hydrogel contact lens (P<0.05). Conclusions: The measurement of in vitro wettability of soft contact lenses with a nonmodified Medmont E300 seems to be a useful technique to evaluate the wetting properties of contact lens products., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub, Pagado por el autor

Received 11 October 2023, Revised 21 February 2024, Accepted 1 March 2024, Available online 11 March 2024, Version of Record 16 May 2024. 2023 Acuerdos transformativos CRUE-CSIC, Background: To assess accommodation and spherical aberration changes during one year of orthokeratology lens wear and one month after lens cessation. Methods: A prospective, randomized, longitudinal study was conducted on forty-seven young healthy subjects at the Optometry Clinic of the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). Non-cycloplegic refraction, high and low uncorrected visual acuity, high and low best corrected visual acuity, accommodative lag, horizontal near phoria, corneal topography, and high-order aberrations were performed at baseline, 1-day, 1-week, 1-, 6- and 12-months of lens wear and after one month of wash out period. p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Spherical equivalent refraction (SE) was -3.23 ± 1.57D at baseline and -0.36 ± 0.64D after 12-months of lens wear, while accommodative lag changed from 0.53 ± 0.39D to 0.15 ± 0.29D after one year of lens wear. No significant differences were found when comparing SE at baseline and after one month of lens cessation (p > 0.05). A high correlation was found between the accommodative lag at baseline and after 12 M of lens wear. 22 out of 25 subjects with exophoria at baseline showed a significant reduction in the deviation at 12-months (p < 0.05). Total spherical aberration increased during all visits due to the lens wear (p < 0.05) although internal spherical aberration showed a significant decrease for 1-week, 1-month and 12-month visits (p < 0,05). Conclusion: Orthokeratology lenses may change the accommodative response of the patient as a reduction on accommodative lag on exophoric patients and an overall increase on the internal spherical aberrations was found during treatment but return to nearly baseline values when cessation., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, inpress, APC financiada por la UCM

Purpose: Soft contact lens for myopia control has been increasingly used in recent years. Currently we find different designs, but there is no information about how the design of these lenses affects visual quality of the subjects. The purpose of this study was to compare the size and position of the halo with different soft contact lenses for myopia control.

Issue Online: 23 July 2015 Version of Record online: 28 December 2014 Manuscript accepted: 11 November 2014 Manuscript received: 28 December 2013, Purpose: To quantify diadenosine polyphosphate levels in tears of congenital aniridia patients to estimate the ocular surface changes associated with congenital aniridia compared to normal individuals. Methods: Fifteen patients diagnosed with congenital aniridia and a control group of forty volunteers were studied. Tears were collected to quantify the levels of diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4A and Ap5A by high-performance liquid chromatography (H.P.L.C). Break-up time (BUT), corneal staining, McMon- nies questionnaire and the Schirmer I test were applied to both groups. Results: Dinucleotides in congenital aniridia patients were higher than in control subjects. For the congenital aniridia group, under 15 years old, the values were 0.77 0.01 lM and 0.17 0.02 lM for Ap4A and Ap5A, respectively. The group aged from 15 to 40 years old provided concentrations of 4.37 0.97 lM and 0.46 0.05 lM for Ap4A and Ap5A, the group over 40 gave concentrations of 11.17 5.53 lM and 0.68 0.17 lM for Ap4A and Ap5A. Dinucleotide concentrations increased with age, being statistically significant different among the three age groups (p < 0.05). Congenital aniridia patients showed a normal tear secretion and no dry eye McMonnies scores, except for the group over 40 years old. BUT values decreased and corneal staining increased with age and correlated with the levels of diadenosine polyphosphates (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The levels of dinucleotides in tears increase in aniridia patients compared with healthy subjects, and they seem to be related with the progression of corneal disorders in aniridia patients, both of which increase with ageing., Redes temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Depto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Objective: To evaluate changes in the anterior corneal curvature and aberrometry after scleral contact lens wear in keratoconus (KC) subjects with and without intracorneal ring segments (ICRS). Methods: Twenty-six subjects diagnosed with keratoconus were selected to participate in the study. Subjects were divided into 2 groups, those with ICRS (KC-ICRS group) and those without ICRS (KC group). Subjects were instructed to wear 16.5-mm scleral lenses for 8 hours. Topographic and aberrometric parameters were evaluated before lens wear and immediately after lens removal. Anterior corneal curvature was evaluated at corneal diameters of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm, and corneal aberrations were measured at 4-, 6-, and 8-mm pupil diameters. Results: The mean age of subjects was 36.95±8.95 years. In KC group, there was a statistically significant flattening of the central corneal curvature, from 6.98 to 7.09 mm (P<0.05). No changes were found in the central corneal curvature in the KC-ICRS group. The KC group showed anterior corneal curvature flattening, mainly in the nasal quadrant. The KC-ICRS group showed flattening primarily in the inferior hemisphere. In the KC group, spherical aberration for 6-mm pupil increased significantly. In the KC-ICRS group, changes in aberrations were significant for high-order root mean square at 4- and 6-mm pupil diameters (P<0.05), for oblique astigmatism for 4 mm and 6 mm, and for vertical coma for 4-mm pupil (P<0.05). Conclusion: Short-term scleral lens wear showed flattening of the anterior corneal surface in all subjects. In the KC group, the flattening was more pronounced in the nasal quadrant while changes were more pronounced inferiorly in KC-ICRS group., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Depto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Submission received: 21 September 2023 / Revised: 2 November 2023 / Accepted: 3 November 2023 / Published: 8 November 2023, The aim of this study is to analyze the anterior and posterior corneal surface shape and the corneal thickness difference outcomes between before and after scleral lens (ScCL) wear in post-LASIK ectasia subjects for one year. Twenty eyes with post-LASIK ectasia wearing scleral lenses were evaluated in a visit before contact lens and after 1, 6, and 12 months. The study variables analyzed included the apex, nasal, temporal, inferior, and superior corneal thickness; the anterior and posterior surface corneal at corneal diameters of 8, 6, 4, and 2 mm, and high-contrast visual acuity. A statistically significant increment of corneal thickness (p < 0.05) was observed in the inferior area after 6 months and in the superior area in the 12-month follow-up after wearing ScCLs. The anterior corneal curvature presented a flattening and a statistically significant steepening (p < 0.05) in the central and peripheral radii, respectively, after one year. The posterior corneal curvature showed a significant (p < 0.05) steepening, which mainly affected the central region after one year. Despite these changes, high-contrast visual acuity with ScCL correction remained at the same values. The prolonged use of scleral lenses in post-LASIK subjects showed significant changes in the corneal curvature and thickness. These outcomes recommend more detailed and periodic topographic and vision quality checks to monitor the wear in ScCL patients., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease and the second leading cause of blindness. Detection of clinically relevant biomarkers would aid better diagnoses and monitoring during treatment. In glaucoma, the protein composition of aqueous humor (AH) is relevant for the discovery of biomarkers. This study analyzes AH protein concentrations of putative biomarkers in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) compared to a control group. Biomarkers were selected from known oxidative-stress and inflammatory pathways. Osteopontin (OPN), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured using the ELISA technique. Thirty-two patients were recruited to the study, including sixteen control and sixteen glaucoma patients. The glaucoma group consisted of patients diagnosed with glaucoma. In both groups, the aqueous humor sample was obtained during cataract surgery. A significant increase in OPN, MMP-9, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 was observed in the POAG aqueous humor, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Of note, the AH of POAG patients contained 5.6 ± 1.2-fold more OPN compared to that of control patients. Different expression profiles of oxidative stress-related and inflammatory biomarkers were observed between patients with POAG and controls. This confirms the reported involvement of inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways in POAG pathophysiology. In the future, several, targeted AH proteins may be used to generate a potential biomarker expression profile of this disease, aiding diagnoses and disease progression monitoring. This approach highlights the importance of biomarkers in the future. Biomarkers provide a way to measure disease progression and response to treatment. In the future, biomarkers will play a more critical role in the toolkit of ophthalmology healthcare professionals as the field moves towards personalized medicine and precision, European Union’s Horizon 2020, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

La presente tesis doctoral se ha llevado a cabo bajo un contexto de colaboración entre el grupo de investigación OCUPHARM de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y la empresa spin-off Ocupharm Diagnostics S.L. con el objetivo de desarrollar nuevos productos sanitarios para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento del ojo seco en base a la investigación y el conocimiento en torno a los dinucleótidos que se ha generado durante las últimas dos décadas como consecuencia de dicha colaboración. El ojo seco es una enfermedad multifactorial de la superficie ocular en la que se produce una pérdida de homeostasis de la película lagrimal, acompañada de un proceso inflamatorio que conduce al daño de la superficie ocular. Por su parte, los dinucleótidos presentes de forma natural en la lágrima desempeñan un papel importante en el diagnóstico del ojo seco, ya que algunos de éstos actúan como biomarcadores diagnósticos. Además, estos compuestos pueden actuar como agonistas del receptor P2Y2 expresado en las células de la superficie ocular, lo que les confiere propiedades secretagogas sobre los componentes acuoso, mucínico y lipídico de la lágrima, así como propiedades cicatrizantes útiles para el tratamiento del ojo seco. Capítulo III: El fin de este estudio dentro de la presente tesis doctoral fue optimizar un modelo de ojo seco en conejos inducido por la instilación tópica de cloruro de benzalconio (BAC) al 0.2% para medir posteriormente la concentración de fosfato libre en la lágrima (Capítulo IV), además de evaluar el efecto de una lágrima artificial basada en un extracto de Artemia salina (Capítulo VI). Se demostró que la instilación tópica de BAC al 0.2% dos veces al día durante 5 días consecutivos deterioró algunos marcadores de ojo seco como la secreción lagrimal, el tiempo de rotura lagrimal, la tinción corneal, la hiperemia conjuntival, la densidad de células Goblet, la altura de la nube de mucina y los niveles de ARNm de IL-6 en las células conjuntivales. Por tanto, fue posible, The current doctoral thesis was carried out in collaboration with the research group OCUPHARM of the Complutense University of Madrid and the spin-off Ocupharm Diagnostics. The aim was to develop new medical devices for dry eye diagnosis and treatment based on the research and knowledge about dinucleotides compiled by the research group and company over the last two decades.Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface caused by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, accompanied by an inflammatory process that leads to ocular surface damage. The naturally occurring dinucleotides in tears play an important role in dry eye diagnosis as some act as diagnostic biomarkers of the disease. Furthermore, these compounds can act as agonists of the P2Y2 receptor expressed in the ocular surface cells, which provides them with secretagogue properties over the aqueous, mucinous, and lipidic components of tears, as well as with wound healing properties, both useful for dry eye treatment.Chapter III: The purpose of the study was to optimize a rabbit dry eye model induced by the topical instillation of 0.2% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) to subsequently measure the concentration of free phosphate in tears (Chapter IV). It also aimed to evaluate the effect of artificial tears based on an extract of Artemia salina (Chapter VI). It was found that the topical instillation of 0.2% BAC, twice daily, for 5 consecutive days deteriorated some dry eye markers such as tear secretion, tear break-up time, corneal staining, conjunctival hyperemia, Goblet cell density, mucin cloud height, and ARNm levels of IL-6 in conjunctival cells. It was therefore possible to reduce the days of instillation of 0.2% BAC to induce a rabbit dry eye model compared with the original model, which required the instillation of 0.1% BAC for 14 days...

Dry eye disease affects a substantial segment of the word population with increasing frequency. It is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and tear film, which causes ocular discomfort, visual disturbances, and tear instability with potential damage to the cornea and conjunctiva. Because of its multifactorial etiology, the use of different pharmacological treatment for dry eye treatment has been proposed, which include anti-inflammatory molecules, lubricants or comfort agents, and secretagogues. However, in some cases these pharmacological approaches only relieve symptoms temporarily, and consequently, eye care professionals continue to have difficulties managing dry eye. To improve pharmacological therapy that allows a more efficient and long-term action, effective ocular drug delivery of the currently available drugs for dry eye treatment is required. Contact lenses are emerging as alternative ophthalmic drugs delivery systems that provide an increased residence time of the drug at the eye, thus leading to enhanced bioavailability and more convenient and efficacious therapy. In this article, we reviewed the different techniques used to prepare contact lens-based drug delivery systems and focused on articles that describe the delivery of compounds for dry eye treatment through contact lenses., Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Redes Telemáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Most irreversible blindness observed with glaucoma and retina-related ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, have their origin in the posterior segment of the eye, making their physiopathology both complex and interconnected. In addition to the age factor, these diseases share the same mechanism disorder based essentially on oxidative stress. In this context, the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mainly by mitochondria and their elimination by protective mechanisms leads to chronic inflammation. Oxidative stress and inflammation share a close pathophysiological process, appearing simultaneously and suggesting a relationship between both mechanisms. The biochemical end point of these two biological alarming systems is the release of different biomarkers that can be used in the diagnosis. Furthermore, oxidative stress, initiating in the vulnerable tissue of the posterior segment, is closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, autophagy dysfunction, and inflammation, which are involved in each disease progression. In this review, we have analyzed (1) the oxidative stress and inflammatory processes in the back of the eye, (2) the importance of biomarkers, detected in systemic or ocular fluids, for the diagnosis of eye diseases based on recent studies, and (3) the treatment of posterior ocular diseases, based on long-term clinical studies., Unión Europea - Proyecto "Horizon 2020", Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose. To compare the intersession repeatability of the Eye Refract, a new instrument to perform aberrometry-based automated subjective refraction, on healthy and keratoconus subjects. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional and randomized study was performed. A total of 64 participants were evaluated in the study, selecting one eye per participant randomly. The sample was divided into two different groups: 33 healthy subjects (38.85 ± 13.21 years) and 31 with keratoconus (37.29 ± 11.37 years). Three refractions per participant with the Eye Refract were performed on three different days, without cycloplegia. The repeatability analysis of refractive variables (M, J0, and J45), binocular corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), and spent time in refraction was performed in terms of repeatability (Sr), its 95% confidence interval (r), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results. There were no statistically significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) between sessions in both groups for all refractive variables (M, J0, and J45) and BCDVA. Spent time in refraction was reduced as the sessions went by (P < 0.05). The Eye Refract was more repeatable for refractive errors assessment in healthy subjects (M: Sr = 0.27 D; J0: Sr = 0.09 D; J45: Sr = 0.06 D) compared to those with keratoconus (M: Sr = 0.65 D; J0: Sr = 0.29 D; J45: Sr = 0.24 D), while it was similar for BCDVA. Conclusions. The Eye Refract offered better repeatability to assess refractive errors in healthy subjects compared to those with keratoconus. Despite measurements being also consistent in keratoconus subjects, they should be treated with caution in clinical practice., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a new nutritional supplement based on melatonin on the intraocular pressure (IOP) in normotensive subjects. Patients and methods: A short-term prospective study was designed. Sixty-seven normotensive subjects were recruited. Patients were divided into two groups. The daily group (DG) (n = 18) was instructed to take the supplement between 22:00 and 23:00 (before sleeping) for 3 consecutive days. IOP was measured from 10.00 to 11.00 am the day before treatment and during the 3 days of experiment. The acute group (AG) (n = 49) was instructed to take the supplement after the second measure (11.00) of the second day. IOP was measured 1 h and just before the intake of the supplement and 1 and 2 h after. All measurements in this group were taken 1 day before without any supplement (control) and the day of experiment. Results: The DG group showed a significant decrease in IOP after supplement intake in all days of experiment, from 14.9 ± 3.4 mm Hg to 13.8 ± 2.9 mm Hg after 3 days of experiment (p value < 0.001). For AG, IOP did not change during the control day; however, a reduction of 1 mm Hg was found 2 and 3 h after supplement intake, from 15.7 ± 2.5 mm Hg to 14.7 ± 2.5 mm Hg and 15.1 ± 2.7 mm Hg, respectively, being statistically significant (p value < 0.001). Conclusion: The supplement based on melatonin was able to reduce the IOP in normotensive subjects after 2 h of intake. Moreover, the daily intake showed a reduction in IOP during the 3 days of experiment., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Objective: To evaluate the differences between goblet cell density (GCD) and symptomatology after one month of orthokeratology lens wear. Methods: A pilot, short-term study was conducted. Twenty-two subjects (29.7. ±. 7.0 years old) participated voluntarily in the study. Subjects were divided into two groups: habitual silicone hydrogel contact lens wearers (SiHCLW) and new contact lens wearers (NCLW). Schirmer test, tear break up time (TBUT), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and conjunctival impression cytology. GCD, mucin cloud height (MCH) and cell layer thickness (CLT) were measured. All measurements were performed before orthokeratology fitting and one month after fitting to assess the evolution of the changes throughout this time. Results: No differences in tear volume and TBUT between groups were found (p>0.05). However, the OSDI score was statistically better after one month of orthokeratology lens wear than the baseline for the SiHCLW group (p=0.03). Regarding the goblet cell analysis, no differences were found in CLT and MCH from the baseline visit to the one month visit for the SiHCLW compared with NCLW groups (p>0.05). At baseline, the GCD in the SiHCLW group were statistically lower than NCLW group (p<0.001). There was a significant increase in GCD after orthokeratology fitting from 121±140cell/mm2 to 254±130cell/mm2 (p<0.001) in the SiHCLW group. Conclusion: Orthokeratology improves the dry eye subject symptoms and GCD after one month of wearing in SiHCLW. These results suggest that orthokeratology could be considered a good alternative for silicone hydrogel contact lens discomfort and dryness. © 2016 British Contact Lens Association., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: To assess the agreement between the Eye Refract, an instrument to perform subjective automated refraction, and the traditional subjective refraction, as the gold standard, in young hyperopes under noncycloplegic and cycloplegic conditions. Methods: A cross-section and randomized study was carried out, involving 42 participants (18.2 ± 7.7 years, range 6 to 31 years). Only one eye was chosen for the analysis, randomly. An optometrist conducted the refraction with the Eye Refract, while another different optometrist conducted the traditional subjective refraction. Spherical equivalent (M), cylindrical components (J0 and J45), and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were compared between both refraction methods under noncycloplegic and cycloplegic conditions. A Bland-Altman analysis was performed to assess the agreement (accuracy and precision) between both refraction methods. Results: Without cycloplegia, the Eye Refract showed significantly lower values of hyperopia than the traditional subjective refraction (p < 0.009), the mean difference (accuracy) and its 95% limits of agreement (precision) being -0.31 (+0.85, -1.47) D. Conversely, there were no statistical differences between both refraction methods under cycloplegic conditions (p ≥ 0.05). Regarding J0 and J45, both refraction methods manifested no significant differences between them under noncycloplegic and cycloplegic conditions (p ≥ 0.05). Finally, the Eye Refract significantly improved CDVA (0.04 ± 0.01 logMAR) compared with the traditional subjective refraction without cycloplegia (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The Eye Refract is presented as a useful instrument to determine the refractive error in young hyperopes, the use of cycloplegia being necessary to obtain accurate and precise spherical refraction., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, inpress

Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (España), Ministerio de Sanidad (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: We have investigated the effect of melatonin and its analogues on rabbit corneal epithelial wound healing. Methods: New Zealand rabbits were anaesthetised and wounds were made by placing Whatman paper discs soaked in n-heptanol on the cornea. Melatonin and analogues (all 10 nmol) were instilled. Wound diameter was measured every 2 hours by means of fluorescein application with a Topcon SL-8Z slit lamp. Melatonin antagonists (all 10 nmol) were applied 2 hours before the application of the n-heptanol-soaked disc and then every 6 hours together with melatonin. To confirm the presence of MT2 receptors in corneal epithelial cells immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR assays in native tissue and in rabbit corneal epithelial cells were performed. The tear components were extracted then processed by HPLC to quantify melatonin in tears. Results: Migration assays revealed that melatonin and particularly the treatment with the MT2 agonist IIK7, accelerated the rate of healing (p < 0.001). The application of the non-selective melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole and the MT2 antagonist DH97 (but not prazosin), prevented the effect of melatonin on wound healing (both p < 0.001). Immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR assays showed the presence of MT2 melatonin receptor in corneal epithelial cells. In addition, we have identified melatonin in tears and determined its daily variations. Conclusions: These data suggest that MT2 receptors are implicated in the effect of melatonin on corneal wound healing regulating migration rate. This suggests the potential use of melatonin and its analogues to enhance epithelial wound healing in ocular surface disease., Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (España), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad (España), Redes temáticas de investigación cooperativa en salud (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: To evaluate comfort, visual function, and in vivo wettability after the insertion of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses for a better understanding of how long practitioners should wait for the initial evaluation of soft contact lenses. Methods: A short-term prospective, contralateral, randomized, and participant-masked study was carried out. Twenty healthy participants (25.4 ± 2.6 years) were evaluated after the insertion of two different soft contact lenses at different times (1, 5, 10, 20, 30 min). Ocufilcon D (hydrogel) and Somofilcon A (silicone hydrogel) contact lenses were randomly assigned to both eyes of the same participant. Comfort, visual function under photopic conditions in terms of high-contrast visual acuity, low-contrast visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and in vivo wettability were measured. Results: There was an increase in comfort (p < 0.001), high-contrast visual acuity (p < 0.05), and contrast sensitivity (p < 0.001, only with silicone hydrogel) directly related to time after contact lens insertion. Besides, in vivo wettability suffered a statistically significant deterioration directly related to time with both contact lenses (p < 0.05). Except for comfort and contrast sensitivity, all the parameters stabilized their values 10 min after the insertion of both soft contact lenses. Additionally, in vivo wettability and visual acuity differences were found between hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses (p < 0.05). Conclusions: It would be possible to properly evaluate high-contrast visual acuity, low-contrast visual acuity, and in vivo wettability 10 min after the insertion of both soft contact lenses., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, inpress

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the topical instillation of hyaluronic acid eye drops with different viscosity on soft contact lens wettability and comfort. Methods: A randomized and participant-masked study was performed, involving 20 participants (25.4±2.6 years). One eye wore hydrogel (ocufilcon D) contact lenses, and another eye wore silicone-hydrogel (somofilcon A) contact lenses. The in vivo wettability tear film surface quality (TFSQ) index and comfort were measured before and after the instillation of different eye drops: saline solution (control) and 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% hyaluronic acid. Results: Compared with saline solution, the instillation of 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% hyaluronic acid improved the in vivo wettability of the hydrogel contact lenses by decreasing their TFSQ mean for 5, 10, and 30 min, respectively (P<0.05). During silicone-hydrogel contact lens wear, the hyaluronic acid did not affect wettability because there were no changes in TFSQ mean (P≥0.05), but the 0.3% hyaluronic acid produced a decrease in comfort for the first 3 min (P<0.05). Conclusions: The instillation of hyaluronic acid eye drops increased the in vivo wettability of the hydrogel contact lens, and the duration of this effect was directly related to its concentration and viscosity., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

En abierto en la web del editor (septiembre 2016), Universidad Complutense, Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, Circadian rhythm and the molecules involved in it, such as melanopsin and melatonin, play an important role in the eye to regulate the homeostasis and even to treat some ocular conditions. As a result, many ocular pathologies like dry eye, corneal wound healing, cataracts, myopia, retinal diseases, and glaucoma are affected by this cycle. This review will summarize the current scientific literature about the influence of circadian patterns on the eye, focusing on its relationship with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations and glaucoma. Regarding treatments, two ways should be studied: the first one, to analyze if some treatments could improve their effect on the ocular disease when their posology is established in function of circadian patterns, and the second one, to evaluate new drugs to treat eye pathologies related to the circadian rhythm, as it has been stated with melatonin or its analogs, that not only could be used as the main treatment but as coadjutant, improving the circadian pattern or its antioxidant and antiangiogenic properties., Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

En Acceso abierto en la web del editor., Purpose. To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) before and after Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), measured by Diaton, Perkins, and noncontact air pulse tonometers. Methods. Fifty-seven patients with a mean age of 34.88 were scheduled for myopia LASIK treatment. Spherical equivalent refraction (SER), corneal curvature (K), and central corneal thickness (CCT) and superior corneal thickness (SCT) were obtained before and after LASIK surgery. IOP values before and after surgery were measured using Diaton, Perkins, and noncontact air pulse tonometers. Results. The IOP values before and after LASIK surgery using Perkins tonometer and air tonometers were statistically significant (). However, no significant differences were found () for IOP values measured with Diaton tonometer. CCT decreases significantly after surgery () but no statistical differences were found in SCT (). Correlations between pre- and postsurgery were found for all tonometers used, with and for the air pulse tonometer, and for Perkins, and and for Diaton. Conclusion. Transpalpebral tonometry may be useful for measuring postsurgery IOP after myopic LASIK ablation because this technique is not influenced by the treatment., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

The eye is a metabolically active structure, constantly exposed to solar radiations making its structure vulnerable to the high burden of reactive oxygen species (ROS), presenting many molecular interactions. The biomolecular cascade modification is caused especially in diseases of the ocular surface, cornea, conjunctiva, uvea, and lens. In fact, the injury in the anterior segment of the eye takes its origin from the perturbation of the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance and leads to increased oxidative damage, especially when the first line of antioxidant defence weakens with age. Furthermore, oxidative stress is related to mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein modification, apoptosis, and inflammation, which are involved in anterior ocular disease progression such as dry eye, keratoconus, uveitis, and cataract. The different pathologies are interconnected through various mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress making the diagnostics more relevant in early stages. The end point of the molecular pathway is the release of different antioxidant biomarkers offering the potential of predictive diagnostics of the pathology. In this review, we have analysed the oxidative stress and inflammatory processes in the front of the eye to provide a better understanding of the pathomechanism, the importance of biomarkers for the diagnosis of eye diseases, and the recent treatment of anterior ocular diseases., Unión Europea, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Comunidad de Madrid, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

This study was published in memory of Jesus Pintor, who passed away on 2 April 2019. He founded and led our research group working continuously on the relation between purinergic signaling and dry eye., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

The purpose was to quantify ocular dopamine in rabbits after stimulation of the optic nerve head with short-wavelength (blue) light to activate melanopsin expressed in the axons of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Dopamine levels in tears, aqueous humor, vitreous body, and retina (including choroid) were quantified after blue light stimulation of the optic nerve head of 15 rabbits with an optical fiber for 1 min, 10 min, or no stimulation (n = 5, each group). The left eye of all rabbits was operated on to introduce the optical fiber and stimulate the optic nerve, while the contralateral eye served as internal control. One minute of blue light stimulation significantly increased dopamine concentration in the vitreous body of the treated eyes compared to the contralateral ones (P = 0.015). Stimulation for 10 min significantly increased dopamine concentration in the vitreous body, as well as the aqueous humor (P < 0.05). Therefore, using an optical fiber approach to stimulate the optic nerve head with blue light significantly increased dopamine concentration in the aqueous humor and the vitreous body. This likely reflects an upregulation of retinal dopamine synthesis that could be attributed to ipRGC activation. However, the data provided in this study fell short of establishing a definitive link between dopamine release and ipRGC activation, mainly due to the absence of evidence supporting the expression of the melanopsin photopigment in the optic nerve., Federal Ministry of Education and Research Medical Technology programme (Alemania), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, inpress

Received 13 December 2013; revised 4 November 2014; accepted 9 November 2014; published online 9 December 2014, Purpose: To compare signs and symptoms of dry eye in keratoconus (KC) patients versus healthy subjects. Methods: A total of 15 KC patients (KC group, n = 15 eyes) and 16 healthy subjects (control group, 16 eyes) were enrolled in this study. The Schirmer I test with no anesthetic, tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal staining characteristics, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores were evaluated for both groups. Impression cytology, combined with/scanning laser confocal microscopy (LCM), was performed to evaluate goblet cell density, mucin cloud height (MCH), and goblet cell layer thickness (CLT). Finally, tear concentrations of di-adenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) were assessed. Results were statistically analyzed using Shapiro–Wilk and non-parametric Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: KC patients had lower tear volumes and greater corneal staining than did healthy subjects (p < 0.05). OSDI scores were 44.96 ± 8.65 and 17.78 ± 6.50 for the KC and control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). We found no statistically significant differences in TBUT between groups. Impression cytology revealed lower goblet cell densities in KC group patients versus control group subjects (84.88 ± 32.98 and 128.88 ± 50.60 cells/mm,2 respectively, p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant reduction in MCH and CLT in KC group patients compared with control group subjects. Ap4A tear concentrations were higher in KC group patients than in control group subjects (2.56 ± 1.10 and 0.15 ± 0.12 µM, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The parameters evaluated in this study indicate that KC patients suffer greater symptoms of dry eye and greater tear instability, primarily due to the decreased mucin production in their tears, than do healthy patients with no KC., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease and the second leading cause of blindness. Detection of clinically relevant biomarkers would aid better diagnoses and monitoring during treatment. In glaucoma, the protein composition of aqueous humor (AH) is relevant for the discovery of biomarkers. This study analyzes AH protein concentrations of putative biomarkers in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) compared to a control group. Biomarkers were selected from known oxidative-stress and inflammatory pathways. Osteopontin (OPN), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured using the ELISA technique. Thirty-two patients were recruited to the study, including sixteen control and sixteen glaucoma patients. The glaucoma group consisted of patients diagnosed with glaucoma. In both groups, the aqueous humor sample was obtained during cataract surgery. A significant increase in OPN, MMP-9, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 was observed in the POAG aqueous humor, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Of note, the AH of POAG patients contained 5.6 ± 1.2-fold more OPN compared to that of control patients. Different expression profiles of oxidative stress-related and inflammatory biomarkers were observed between patients with POAG and controls. This confirms the reported involvement of inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways in POAG pathophysiology. In the future, several, targeted AH proteins may be used to generate a potential biomarker expression profile of this disease, aiding diagnoses and disease progression monitoring. This approach highlights the importance of biomarkers in the future. Biomarkers provide a way to measure disease progression and response to treatment. In the future, biomarkers will play a more critical role in the toolkit of ophthalmology healthcare professionals as the field moves towards personalized medicine and precision, European Union’s Horizon 2020, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: To study the levels of melatonin in the aqueous humour of normotensive and hypertensive intraocular pressure (IOP) patients and to compare them to an animal model of glaucoma. Methods : A total of 37 eyes of 37 patients who underwent cataract surgery were included in the study and were divided into normotensive patients, with IOP below 21 mmHg (n = 23), and hypertensive patients, with IOP > 21 mmHg (n = 14). Glaucomatous DBA/2J (n = 6) and control C57BL/6J (n = 6) mice presenting 3 and 12 months of age for each strain were also used. Human and mice aqueous humours were aspirated using a 30-gauge Rycroft cannula on a tuberculin syringe and further processed to quantify melatonin by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Results: Melatonin levels in normotensive patients (IOP below 21 mmHg) presented values as medians (first quartile; third quartile) of 14.62 (5.38;37.99) ng/ml (n = 23), while hypertensive patients (IOP above 21 mmHg) showed melatonin concentrations of 46.63 (10.28; 167.28) ng/ml (n = 14; p < 0.039). Glaucoma mice presented melatonin values of 0.37 (0.34; 0.59) ng/ml (at 3 months of age, before the pathology starts), which increased to 1.55 (0.94; 1.88) ng/ml (at 12 months of age, when the pathology is fully developed and IOP is maximum; n = 6, p < 0.001). Control mice did not significantly modified melatonin concentrations between 3 and 12 months of age. Conclusion: Patients with high IOP present increased concentrations of melatonin in their aqueous humour compared to normotensive patients. This has been confirmed in a glaucomatous animal model in which it has been possible to see a correlation between the development of the pathology, with an increase in IOP, and a concomitant elevation of melatonin in the aqueous humour., Redes Temáticas en Investigación Cooperativa en Salud, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Gobierno de Arabia Saudí, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in the melatoninergic receptors of DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice with the development of glaucoma. DBA/2J mice are widely used to study the physiopathology of glaucoma due to the similarities of their eyes to human eyes and the resulting similarity in the development of their pathology. In addition, melatoninergic receptors are known for their control of intraocular pressure (IOP), reducing the production of aqueous humor; however, little is known about their relationship with the development of this pathology. Methods: mRNA expression of MT1, MT2, and GPR50 melatoninergic receptors was performed with quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, receptor expression was performed with immunohistochemical techniques on the ciliary processes. To further investigate the effect of melatonin and its analog 5-methoxycarbonylamino-N-acetyltryptamine (5-MCA-NAT) on IOP, animals were instilled with these compounds and the corresponding melatoninergic antagonists to assess their effect on IOP. Results: All melatoninergic receptor expression decayed with the development of the glaucomatous pathology in the DBA/2J mice, and was especially visible for the MT2 receptor. However, receptor expression was consistent in the C57BL/6J control mice across all ages investigated. Furthermore, IOP blockage was stronger with 4PPDOT (MT2 antagonist) only in the DBA/2J mice which suggests a correlation of this receptor with the development of the glaucomatous pathology in DBA/2J animals. Conclusions: Melatonin receptor expression decays with the development of the glaucomatous pathology. This implies that the physiologic hypotensive effect of endogenous melatonin reducing IOP is not possible. A solution for such changes in receptor expression is the exogenous application of melatonin or any of its analogs that permit the activation of the remaining melatonin receptors., Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (España), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (España), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose. To compare the ocular surface symptoms and signs in an adult population of silicone-hydrogel (Si-Hy) contact lens (CL) wearers with another modality of CL wear, overnight orthokeratology (OK). Materials and Methods. This was a prospective and comparative study in which 31 myopic subjects were fitted with the same Si-Hy CL and 23 underwent OK treatment for 3 months. Dry eye questionnaire (DEQ) was filled in at the beginning of the study and then after 15 days, 1 month, and 3 months using each CL modality. The tear quality was evaluated with noninvasive tear break-up time. Tear production was measured with Schirmer test. Tear samples were collected with Schirmer strips being frozen to analyze the dinucleotide diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) concentration with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results. After refitting with ortho-k, a reduction in discomfort and dryness symptoms at the end of the day (, ) was observed. No significant changes were observed in Ap4A concentration in any group. Bulbar redness, limbal redness, and conjunctival staining increased significantly in the Si-Hy group (, Kruskal–Wallis test). Conclusion. Discomfort and dryness symptoms at the end of the day are lower in the OK CL group than in the Si-Hy CL group., Xunta de Galicia, Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (España), Fundación para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (Portugal), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: To study the concentrations of diadenosine polyphosphates in the ocular surface after PRK and LASIK. Methods: Sixty-one patients (30 males and 31 females) with ages ranging from 20 to 63 (34.04 ± 9.13 years) were recruited in Balear Institute of Ophthalmology, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. LASIK was performed in 92 eyes of 46 patients and PRK in 25 eyes of 15 patients. Variations in the levels of diadenosine polyphosphate (Ap4A and Ap5A), Schirmer I (Jones test), TBUT, corneal staining together with the Dry Eye Questionnaire to evaluate discomfort and dryness were studied. All tests were performed at the preoperative visit and at 1-day, 2-week, 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits. Results: Ap4A showed a 5 and 3.5 fold increase at the 1-day visit for LASIK and PRK, respectively. LASIK patients continued having higher statistically significant concentrations (p = 0.01) all over the follow-up. Ap5A showed no significant differences at any visit. Tear volume decreased during the 3 months in LASIK. The PRK cases had a normal volume at 1 month. TBUT in LASIK increased at the 1-day visit (p = 0,002) and decreased from the 2 weeks onwards and for the PRK, decreased by a 35% at the 1-day visit and kept reduced for a month. Discomfort only increased at the 1-day visit (p = 0.007). Dryness frequency was similar in all visits. Conclusions: Ap4A levels only are increased in refractive surgery patients during the first day after the surgery. This increasing suggests that Ap4A may help accelerating the healing process., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Glaucoma is an optical neuropathy associated to a progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells with visual field loss and is the main cause of irreversible blindness in the world. The treatment has the aim to reduce intraocular pressure. The first therapy option is to instill drugs on the ocular surface. The main limitation of this is the reduced time of the drug staying on the cornea. This means that high doses are required to ensure its therapeutic effect. A drug-loaded contact lens can diffuse into the post lens tear film in a constant and prolonged flow, resulting in an increased retention of the drug on the surface of the cornea for up to 30 min and thus providing a higher drug bioavailability, increasing the therapeutic efficacy, reducing the amount of administered drug, and thereby provoking fewer adverse events. Several different systems of drug delivery have been studied in recent decades; ranging from more simple methods of impregnating the lenses, such as soaking, to more complex ones, such as molecular imprinting have been proposed. Moreover, different drugs, from those already commercially available to new substances such as melatonin have been studied to improve the glaucoma treatment efficacy. This review describes the role of contact lenses as an innovative drug delivery system to treat glaucoma., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Redes temáticas de investigación cooperativa en salud, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Dinucleoside polyphosphates comprises a group of dinucleotides formed by two nucleosides linked by a variable number of phosphates, abbreviated NpnN (where n represents the number of phosphates). These compounds are naturally occurring substances present in tears, aqueous humour and in the retina. As the consequence of their presence, these dinucleotides contribute to many ocular physiological processes. On the ocular surface, dinucleoside polyphosphates can stimulate tear secretion, mucin release from goblet cells and they help epithelial wound healing by accelerating cell migration rate. These dinucleotides can also stimulate the presence of proteins known to protect the ocular surface against microorganisms, such as lysozyme and lactoferrin. One of the latest discoveries is the ability of some dinucleotides to facilitate the paracellular way on the cornea, therefore allowing the delivery of compounds, such as antiglaucomatous ones, more easily within the eye. The compound Ap4A has been described being abnormally elevated in patient's tears suffering of dry eye, Sjogren syndrome, congenital aniridia, or after refractive surgery, suggesting this molecule as biomarker for dry eye condition. At the intraocular level, some diadenosine polyphosphates are abnormally elevated in glaucoma patients, and this can be related to the stimulation of a P2Y2 receptor that increases the chloride efflux and water movement in the ciliary epithelium. In the retina, the dinucleotide dCp4U, has been proven to be useful to help in the recovery of retinal detachments. Altogether, dinucleoside polyphosphates are a group of compounds which present relevant physiological actions but which also can perform promising therapeutic benefits., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, inpress

Submitted: 29 September 2014 / Revised: 13 January 2015 / Accepted for publication: 29 January 2015, Background: The aim was to evaluate the visual performance achieved with a new multifocal hybrid contact lens and to compare it with that obtained with two other currently available multifocal soft contact lenses. Methods: This pilot prospective comparative study comprised a total of 16 presbyopic eyes of eight patients ranging in age from 43 to 58 years. All patients were fitted with three different models of multifocal contact lens: Duette multifocal (SynergEyes), Air Optix AQUA multifocal (Alcon) and Biofinity multifocal (CooperVision). Fittings were performed randomly in each patient according to a random number sequence, with a wash-out period between fittings of seven days. At two weeks post-fitting, visual, photopic contrast sensitivity and ocular aberrometry were evaluated. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in distance and near visual acuity achieved with the three different types of multifocal contact lens (p ≥ 0.05). Likewise, no significant differences between lenses were found in the monocular and binocular defocus curve (p ≥ 0.10). Concerning contrast sensitivity, better monocular contrast sensitivities for 6, 12 and 18 cycles per degree were found with the Duette and Air Optix multifocal compared to Biofinity (p = 0.02). Binocularly, differences between lenses were not significant (p ≥ 0.27). Furthermore, trefoil aberration was significantly higher with Biofinity multifocal (p < 0.01) and Air Optix (p = 0.01) multifocal compared to Duette. Conclusions: The Duette multifocal hybrid contact lens seems to provide similar visual quality outcomes in presbyopic patients with low corneal astigmatism, when compared with other soft multifocal contact lenses. This preliminary result should be confirmed in studies with larger samples., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

En O.A. en la web del editor, Purpose.: To evaluate the levels of dinucleotides diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and diadenosine pentaphosphate (Ap5A) in tears of patients wearing rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses on a daily wear basis and of patients wearing reverse-geometry RGP lenses overnight for orthokeratology treatment. Methods.: Twenty-two young volunteers (10 females, 12 males; 23.47 ± 4.49 years) were fitted with an alignment-fit RGP lens (paflufocon B) for a month, and after a 15-day washout period they were fitted with reverse-geometry RGP lenses for corneal reshaping (paflufocon D) for another month. During each period, tears were collected at baseline day 1, 7, 15, and 28. Ap4A and Ap5A were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, corneal staining, break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, and dryness symptoms were evaluated. Results.: Ap4A concentrations increased significantly from baseline during the whole period of daily wear of RGP lenses (P < 0.001); concentration was also significantly higher than in the orthokeratology group, which remained at baseline levels during the study period except at day 1 (P < 0.001) and day 28 (P = 0.041). While BUT and Schirmer remained unchanged in both groups, discomfort and dryness were significantly increased during alignment-fit RGP daily wear but not during the orthokeratology period. Conclusions.: Daily wear of RGP lenses increased the levels of Ap4A due to mechanical stimulation by blinking of the corneal epithelium, and this is associated with discomfort. Also, orthokeratology did not produce symptoms or signs of ocular dryness, which could be a potential advantage over soft contact lenses in terms of contact lens-induced dryness., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), RETIC Red de Patología ocular del envejecimiento, calidad visual, y calidad de vida, BSCH-UCM (Banco Santander Central Hispano-Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Purpose: the aim of this pilot study was to test whether retinitis pigmentosa patients would benefit from filter contact lenses as an effective optical aid against glare and photophobia. Methods: fifteen subjects with retinitis pigmentosa were enrolled in this study. All of them were evaluated with filter soft contact lenses (MaxSight), filter glasses (CPF 527) and without filters (control). All patients were assessed for the three aid conditions by means of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity (without glare and with central and peripheral glare)(CSV-1000) and a specific subjective questionnaire about quality of vision. Results: BCVA was slightly better with filters than without filter but the differences were not statistically significant. Contrast sensitivity without glare improved significantly with the contact lenses (p<0.05). The central glare had significant differences for the frequencies of 3 cpd and 18 cpd between the contact lens filter and the control group (p=0.021 and p=0.044, respectively). For the peripheral glare contrast sensitivity improved with contact lens versus control group for highest frequencies, 12 and 18 cpd (p<0.001 and p=0.045, respectively). According to the questionnaire the contact lens filter gave them more visual comfort than the glasses filter under the scenarios of indoors glare, outdoors activities and indoors comfort. Conclusion: the filter contact lenses seem to be a good option to improve the quality of vision of patients with retinitis pigmentosa., Objetivo: el objetivo de este estudio preliminar fue comprobar si los pacientes con retinitis pigmentosa se beneficiarían de lentes de contacto con filtro como ayuda óptica eficaz contra el deslumbramiento y la fotofobia. Métodos: en este estudio se incluyeron 15 sujetos con retinitis pigmentosa. Todos fueron evaluados con lentes de contacto blandas con filtro (MaxSight), gafas con filtro (CPF 527) y sin filtro (control). En todos los pacientes se evaluaron los tres medios de apoyo basándose en la agudeza visual con mejor compensación (AVMC), la sensibilidad al contraste (sin deslumbramiento y con des lumbramiento central y periférico) (CSV-1000) y un cuestionario subjetivo específico sobre la calidad de la visión. Resultados: la AVMC fue ligeramente mejor con filtro que sin filtro, aunque las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas. La sensibilidad al contraste sin deslumbramiento mejoró de manera significativa con las lentes de contacto (p<0,05). El deslumbramiento central presentó diferencias significativas para las frecuencias de 3 cpd y 18 cpd entre las lentes de contacto con filtro y el grupo de control (p=0,021 y p=0,044, respectivamente). En cuanto al deslumbramiento periférico, la sensibilidad al contraste mejoró con las lentes de contacto frente al grupo de control para las frecuencias más altas, 12 y 18 cpd (p<0,001 y p=0,045, respectivamente). Según el cuestionario, las lentes de contacto con filtro les proporcionaron más confort visual que las gafas con filtro para situaciones de deslumbramientos en interiores, actividades al aire libre y confort en interiores. Conclusiones: las lentes de contacto con filtro parecen una buena opción para mejorar la calidad de la visión de los pacientes con retinitis pigmentosa., Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Open Access funded by Spanish General Council of Optometry, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

En Open Access en la web del editor, Purpose. To analyze the levels of the diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4A and Ap5A in tears, in a set of control subjects and in groups of symptomatic and nonsymptomatic persons with dry eye. Methods. Ninety-seven subjects participated in the study. The subjects were divided into five experimental groups: control subjects; symptomatic patients with normal tear secretion; symptomatic patients with low tear secretion; forced blink; and corneal mechanical stimulation provided by a gas esthesiometer. The Schirmer I test was used to measure and collect tear secretions from each subject. All samples were processed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their Ap4A and Ap5A levels determined. Results. The levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears were greater in all symptomatic patients than in control subjects, especially in symptomatic subjects with low tear secretion. Within the symptomatic subjects with normal tear secretion, significant differences in concentrations of Ap4A and Ap5A were found between men and women. In the forced blink experiments, concentrations of the Ap4A and Ap5A rose with increasing blink frequency. When the cornea was mechanically stimulated, the levels of Ap4A and Ap5A rose significantly during both moderate and high-flow rate tests. Conclusions. The increased levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears of patients with dry eye allow these dinucleotides to be used as objective biomarkers in dry eye conditions., Ministerio de Industria y Comercio de España, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

Revista en O.A. en la web del editor, Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Unidad Docente de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub

La enfermedad de ojo seco está causada por una ausencia crónica de lubricación y humectación sobre la superficie ocular. Se trata de una patología de carácter multifactorial caracterizada por la pérdida de homeostasis de la película lagrimal y en cuya etiología intervienen la inestabilidad e hiperosmolaridad de la película lagrimal (Bron et al., 2017; Craig et al., 2017b).Las consecuencias de la enfermedad de ojo seco abarcan desde sintomatología de irritación ocular leve pero de carácter persistente, hasta una inflamación significativa y/o incluso a la aparición de lesiones en la superficie ocular de carácter irreversible. Los sustitutos lagrimales se consideran el tratamiento sintomático base para esta patología (Jones et al., 2017; No author, 2016)..., Dry eye disease is caused by a chronic lack of lubrication and moisture on the ocular surface. It is a multifactorial pathology characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film and whose etiology intervenes in the instability and hyperosmolarity of the tear film (Bron et al., 2017; Craig et al., 2017b). The consequences of dry eye disease range from symptoms of mild but persistent eye irritation, to significant inflammation and / or even the appearance of irreversible lesions on the ocular surface. Tear substitutes are considered the base symptomatic treatment for this pathology (Jones et al., 2017; No author, 2016) ...

European Union's Horizon 2020, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Xunta de Galicia, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Fundaçao para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Depto. de Optometría y Visión, Fac. de Óptica y Optometría, TRUE, pub