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Copyright of Česká a Slovenská Neurologie a Neurochirurgie is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We aim to report the ocular phenotype and molecular genetic findings in two Czech families with Sorsby fundus dystrophy and to review all the reported TIMP3 pathogenic variants. Two probands with Sorsby fundus dystrophy and three first-degree relatives underwent ocular examination and retinal imaging, including optical coherence tomography angiography. The DNA of the first proband was screened using a targeted ocular gene panel, while, in the second proband, direct sequencing of the TIMP3 coding region was performed. Sanger sequencing was also used for segregation analysis within the families. All the previously reported TIMP3 variants were reviewed using the American College of Medical Genetics and the Association for Molecular Pathology interpretation framework. A novel heterozygous variant, c.455A>G p.(Tyr152Cys), in TIMP3 was identified in both families and potentially de novo in one. Optical coherence tomography angiography documented in one patient the development of a choroidal neovascular membrane at 54 years. Including this study, 23 heterozygous variants in TIMP3 have been reported as disease-causing. Application of gene-specific criteria denoted eleven variants as pathogenic, eleven as likely pathogenic, and one as a variant of unknown significance. Our study expands the spectrum of TIMP3 pathogenic variants and highlights the importance of optical coherence tomography angiography for early detection of choroidal neovascular membranes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Four members of a three-generation Czech family with early-onset chorioretinal dystrophy were shown to be heterozygous carriers of the n.37C>T in MIR204. The identification of this previously reported pathogenic variant confirms the existence of a distinct clinical entity caused by a sequence change in MIR204. Chorioretinal dystrophy was variably associated with iris coloboma, congenital glaucoma, and premature cataracts extending the phenotypic range of the condition. In silico analysis of the n.37C>T variant revealed 713 novel targets. Additionally, four family members were shown to be affected by albinism resulting from biallelic pathogenic OCA2 variants. Haplotype analysis excluded relatedness with the original family reported to harbour the n.37C>T variant in MIR204. Identification of a second independent family confirms the existence of a distinct MIR204-associated clinical entity and suggests that the phenotype may also involve congenital glaucoma., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: We present a familial hereditary macular dystrophy, resembling North Carolina Macular Dystrophy. In members of a family, we describe the development of diagnostic-therapeutic approaches and their impact on the prognosis of those whose vision was affected., Methods: The macular dystrophy of varying degrees of severity was diagnosed in 3 consecutive generations in different family members, both men and women. Modern therapeutic tools were used for the diagnostics. In one patient of the youngest generation, the development of secondary choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was identified and treated with an anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) agent. DNA was isolated from venous blood and genome sequencing was performed in a proband., Results: We analysed the data of 13 members of one family of three consecutive generations. Six of them had macular dystrophy. The first were two of three siblings, a woman (73 years old) and a man (67). The offspring of the afflicted man, a female (36) and a male (80), had maculopathy. The first daughter of the woman (12) revealed findings of maculopathy but with normal electrical activity of the retina. The second girl (18), developed secondary CNV which responded well to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment. Genetic analysis excluded mutations previously reported to be pathogenic for NCMD., Conclusion: If there is a maculopathy of unclear etiology in younger patients or in patients with unclear development or appearance, it is advisable to focus carefully on the family history and trace the occurrence of impaired vision in other family members., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

North Carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD) is a rare autosomal-dominant disease affecting macular development. The disease is caused by non-coding single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in two hotspot regions near PRDM13 and by duplications in two distinct chromosomal loci, overlapping DNase I hypersensitive sites near either PRDM13 or IRX1. To unravel the mechanisms by which these variants cause disease, we first established a genome-wide multi-omics retinal database, RegRet. Integration of UMI-4C profiles we generated on adult human retina then allowed fine-mapping of the interactions of the PRDM13 and IRX1 promoters and the identification of eighteen candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs), the activity of which was investigated by luciferase and Xenopus enhancer assays. Next, luciferase assays showed that the non-coding SNVs located in the two hotspot regions of PRDM13 affect cCRE activity, including two NCMD-associated non-coding SNVs that we identified herein. Interestingly, the cCRE containing one of these SNVs was shown to interact with the PRDM13 promoter, demonstrated in vivo activity in Xenopus, and is active at the developmental stage when progenitor cells of the central retina exit mitosis, suggesting that this region is a PRDM13 enhancer. Finally, mining of single-cell transcriptional data of embryonic and adult retina revealed the highest expression of PRDM13 and IRX1 when amacrine cells start to synapse with retinal ganglion cells, supporting the hypothesis that altered PRDM13 or IRX1 expression impairs interactions between these cells during retinogenesis. Overall, this study provides insight into the cis-regulatory mechanisms of NCMD and supports that this condition is a retinal enhanceropathy., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The recent description of biallelic DNAJC30 variants in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and Leigh syndrome challenged the longstanding assumption for LHON to be exclusively maternally inherited and broadened the genetic spectrum of Leigh syndrome, the most frequent paediatric mitochondrial disease. Herein, we characterize 28 so far unreported individuals from 26 families carrying a homozygous DNAJC30 p.Tyr51Cys founder variant, 24 manifesting with LHON, two manifesting with Leigh syndrome, and two remaining asymptomatic. This collection of unreported variant carriers confirms sex-dependent incomplete penetrance of the homozygous variant given a significant male predominance of disease and the report of asymptomatic homozygous variant carriers. The autosomal recessive LHON patients demonstrate an earlier age of disease onset and a higher rate of idebenone-treated and spontaneous recovery of vision in comparison to reported figures for maternally inherited disease. Moreover, the report of two additional patients with childhood- or adult-onset Leigh syndrome further evidences the association of DNAJC30 with Leigh syndrome, previously only reported in a single childhood-onset case., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.)

Introduction: Premacular hemorrhage (PH) and sub-internal limiting membrane hemorrhage (sub-ILM-H) are among the causes of sudden deterioration of central visual acuity. Anatomical and functional outcomes of different therapeutic options were evaluated retrospectively., Methods: The study included three eyes of three patients (2 females and 1 male). Location of the hemorrhage was determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Subhyaloid premacular location of the hemorrhage was proven in one eye of each woman and sub-ILM location of the hemorrhage in one eye of the male. The baseline best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.63 in the eyes of the females and 0.16 in the eye of the male. Conservative treatment option was chosen in case of juxtafoveolar PH in the eye of the female patient on anticoagulant warfarin therapy. The female patient with PH secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) underwent Nd: YAG laser hyaloidotomy. The male patient with unexplained cause of the sub- ILM-H underwent 25-Gauge vitrectomy with ILM peeling and subsequent ultrastructural morphometric and histopathological examination of the ILM., Results: Both BCVA and retinal finding improvement were achieved in all patients. Final BCVA was 0.8 in the eye of the female patient with PDR and 1.0 in rest of the eyes of the other patients. No complications were recorded at follow-up visits. Histopathological and morphometric examination demonstrated variable ILM thickness (2.70 ±1.58 μm) and proved presence of fibroblasts and macrophages with hemosiderin deposits on the retinal side of ILM., Conclusion: The choice of the treatment option of PH and sub-ILM-H depends on input parameters such as the initial BCVA, the extent and the location of the hemorrhage, as well as the overall health of the patient. Nd: YAG laser hyaloidotomy is an effective method for rapid recovery of visual functions. Surgical ILM peeling and aspiration of the underlying hemorrhage result in the removal of breakdown products of hemoglobin and minimization of the risk of secondary epiretinal membranes development.

The aim of this study was to identify RS1 pathogenic variants in Czech patients with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) and to describe the associated phenotypes, including natural history, in some cases. Twenty-one affected males from 17 families were included. The coding region of RS1 was directly sequenced and segregation of the identified mutations was performed in available family members. In total, 12 disease-causing variants within RS1 were identified; of these c.20del, c.275G>A, c.[375_379del; 386A>T], c.539C>A and c.575_576insT were novel, all predicted to be null alleles. The c.539C>A mutation occurred de novo. Three patients (aged 8, 11 and 19 years) were misdiagnosed as having intermediate uveitis and treated with systemic steroids. Repeat spectral domain optical coherence tomography examinations in four eyes documented the transition from cystoid macular lesions to macular atrophy in the fourth decade of life. Four individuals were treated with topical dorzolamide and in two of them, complete resolution of the cystic macular lesions bilaterally was achieved, while one patient was noncompliant. Rebound phenomenon after discontinuation of dorzolamide for 7 days was documented in one case. Misdiagnosis of XLRS for uveitis is not uncommon; therefore, identification of disease-causing variants is of considerable benefit to the affected individuals.

Long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD/MTPD) and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) were included in the expanded neonatal screening program (ENBS) in Czechia in 2009, allowing for the presymptomatic diagnosis and nutritional management of these patients. The aim of our study was to assess the nationwide impact of ENBS on clinical outcome. This retrospective study analysed acute events and chronic complications and their severity in pre-ENBS and post-ENBS cohorts. In total, 28 children (12 before, 16 after ENBS) were diagnosed with LCHADD/MTPD (incidence 0.8/100,000 before and 1.2/100,000 after ENBS). In the subgroup detected by ENBS, a significantly longer interval from birth to first acute encephalopathy was observed. In addition, improvement in neuropathy and cardiomyopathy (although statistically non-significant) was demonstrated in the post-ENBS subgroup. In the MCADD cohort, we included 69 patients (15 before, 54 after ENBS). The estimated incidence rose from 0.7/100,000 before to 4.3/100,000 after ENBS. We confirmed a significant decrease in the number of episodes of acute encephalopathy and lower proportion of intellectual disability after ENBS ( p < 0.0001). The genotype-phenotype correlations suggest a new association between homozygosity for the c.1528C > G variant and more severe heart involvement in LCHADD patients.

Background: ALG3-CDG is a rare autosomal recessive disease. It is characterized by deficiency of alpha-1,3-mannosyltransferase caused by pathogenic variants in the ALG3 gene. Patients manifest with severe neurologic, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ophthalmic phenotype in combination with dysmorphic features, and almost half of them die before or during the neonatal period., Case Presentation: A 23 months-old girl presented with severe developmental delay, epilepsy, cortical atrophy, cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and ocular impairment. Facial dysmorphism, clubfeet and multiple joint contractures were observed already at birth. Transferrin isoelectric focusing revealed a type 1 pattern. Funduscopy showed hypopigmentation and optic disc pallor. Profound retinal ganglion cell loss and inner retinal layer thinning was documented on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging. The presence of optic nerve hypoplasia was also supported by magnetic resonance imaging. A gene panel based next-generation sequencing and subsequent Sanger sequencing identified compound heterozygosity for two novel variants c.116del p.(Pro39Argfs*40) and c.1060 C > T p.(Arg354Cys) in ALG3., Conclusions: Our study expands the spectrum of pathogenic variants identified in ALG3. Thirty-three variants in 43 subjects with ALG3-CDG have been reported. Literature review shows that visual impairment in ALG3-CDG is most commonly linked to optic nerve hypoplasia.

Purpose: Danon disease (DD) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by pathogenic variants in LAMP2. DD primarily manifests as a severe cardiomyopathy. An early diagnosis is crucial for patient survival. The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of ocular examination for identification of DD., Methods: Detailed ocular examination in 10 patients with DD (3 males, 7 females) and a 45-year-old asymptomatic female somatic mosaic carrier of a LAMP2 disease-causing variant., Results: All patients with manifest cardiomyopathy had pigmentary retinopathy with altered autofluorescence and diffuse visual field loss. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was decreased (<0.63) in 8 (40%) out of 20 eyes. The severity of retinal pathology increased with age, resulting in marked cone-rod involvement overtime. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in younger patients revealed focal loss of photoreceptors, disruption and deposition at the retinal pigment epithelium/Bruch's membrane layer (corresponding to areas of marked increased autofluorescence), and hyperreflective foci in the outer nuclear layer. Cystoid macular oedema was seen in one eye. In the asymptomatic female with somatic mosaicism, the BCVA was 1.0 bilaterally. An abnormal autofluorescence pattern in the left eye was present; while full-field electroretinography was normal., Conclusions: Detailed ocular examination may represent a sensitive and quick screening tool for the identification of carriers of LAMP2 pathogenic variants, even in somatic mosaicism. Hence, further investigation should be undertaken in all patients with pigmentary retinal dystrophy as it may be a sign of a life-threatening disease., (© 2020 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The aim of this comprehensive paper is to acquaint the readers with innovative approaches in the treatment of retinal diseases, which could in the coming years to get into clinical practice. Retinal prostheses, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) transplantation, gene therapy and optogenetics will be described in this paper., Methodology: Describing the basic characteristics and mechanisms of different types of therapy and subsequently literary minireview clarifying the current state of knowledge in the area., Results: Retinal prostheses, RPE transplantation, gene therapy and optogenetics offer yet unexplored possibilities and are considered as the future of treatment of retinal diseases where classical pharmacotherapy or surgical treatment are no longer sufficient. However, all these methods challenge not only in the innovative technical implementation itself, but also for the ethical, administrative and economic demands., Conclusion: There will be certainly interesting development in the treatment of retinal diseases, but it is not possible to fully estimate which modality of treatment will be dominant in the future.

Purpose: Missing heritability in human diseases represents a major challenge, and this is particularly true for ABCA4-associated Stargardt disease (STGD1). We aimed to elucidate the genomic and transcriptomic variation in 1054 unsolved STGD and STGD-like probands., Methods: Sequencing of the complete 128-kb ABCA4 gene was performed using single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs), based on a semiautomated and cost-effective method. Structural variants (SVs) were identified using relative read coverage analyses and putative splice defects were studied using in vitro assays., Results: In 448 biallelic probands 14 known and 13 novel deep-intronic variants were found, resulting in pseudoexon (PE) insertions or exon elongations in 105 alleles. Intriguingly, intron 13 variants c.1938-621G>A and c.1938-514G>A resulted in dual PE insertions consisting of the same upstream, but different downstream PEs. The intron 44 variant c.6148-84A>T resulted in two PE insertions and flanking exon deletions. Eleven distinct large deletions were found, two of which contained small inverted segments. Uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 1 was identified in one proband., Conclusion: Deep sequencing of ABCA4 and midigene-based splice assays allowed the identification of SVs and causal deep-intronic variants in 25% of biallelic STGD1 cases, which represents a model study that can be applied to other inherited diseases.

Cullin 4B (CUL4B), lysosomal-associated membrane protein Type 2 (LAMP2), ATP1B4, TMEM255A, and ZBTB33 are neighboring genes on Xq24. Mutations in CUL4B result in Cabezas syndrome (CS). Male CS patients present with dysmorphic, neuropsychiatric, genitourinary, and endocrine abnormalities. Heterozygous CS females are clinically asymptomatic. LAMP2 mutations cause Danon disease (DD). Cardiomyopathy is a dominant feature of DD present in both males and heterozygous females. No monogenic phenotypes have been associated with mutations in ATP1B4, TMEM255A, and ZBTB33 genes. To facilitate diagnostics and counseling in CS and DD families, we present a female DD patient with a de novo Alu-mediated Xq24 rearrangement causing a deletion encompassing CUL4B, LAMP2, and also the other three neighboring genes. Typical to females heterozygous for CUL4B mutations, the patient was CS asymptomatic, however, presented with extremely skewed X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) ratios in peripheral white blood cells. As a result of the likely selection against CUL4B deficient clones, only minimal populations (~3%) of LAMP2 deficient leukocytes were identified by flow cytometry. On the contrary, myocardial LAMP2 protein expression suggested random XCI. We demonstrate that contiguous CUL4B and LAMP2 loss-of-function copy number variations occur and speculate that male patients carrying similar defects could present with features of both CS and DD., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction: Achromatopsia is an autosomal recessive retinal disorder with an estimated prevalence ranging from 1 in 30.000 to 50.000. The disease is caused by mutations in six different genes. The aim of the study was to perform molecular genetic analysis in 11 unrelated probands with a clinical diagnosis of achromatopsia and to describe clinical findings in those that were found to carry biallelic pathogenic mutations., Methods: All probands and their parents underwent ophthalmic examination. Mutation detection was performed using Sanger sequencing of CNGB3 exons 6, 7, 9-13, which have been found to harbour most disease-causing mutations in patients with achromatopsia of European origin., Results: Three known pathogenic variants in CNGB3 were identified in 2 probands. Proband 1 was a compound heterozygote for the c.819&#95;826del; p.(Arg274Valfs*13) and c.1006G&gt;T; p.(Glu336*). Proband 2 carried the c.1148del; p.(Thr383Ilefs*13) in a homozygous state. The best corrected visual acuity in proband 1 (aged 19 years) was 0.1 in both eyes, in proband 2 (aged 8 years) 0.05 in the right eye and 0.1 in the left eye. Both individuals had nystagmus, photophobia, and absence of colour discrimination. Fundus examination appeared normal however spectral-domain optical coherence tomography revealed subtle bilaterally symmetrical structural changes in the fovea., Conclusion: Molecular genetic analysis of Czech patients with achromatopsia was performed for the first time. Identification of disease-causing mutations in achromatopsia is important for establishing an early diagnosis, participation in clinical trials assessing gene therapies and may be also used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Purpose: In this prospective observational comparative case series, we aimed to study the peripapillary capillary network with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)., Methods: Twelve eyes of six individuals, of these three males (five eyes) after clinical onset of visual impairment were imaged by OCT-A with scans centred on optic discs. Control group consisted of 6 eyes with no visual impairment., Results: The three affected individuals lost vision 6 years (at age 22 years), 2 years and 3 months (at age 26 years) and 1 year and 2 months (at age 30 years) prior to OCT-A examination. All five affected eyes had alterations in density of the radial peripapillary microvascular network at the level of retinal nerve fibre layer, including an eye of a patient treated with idebenone that underwent almost full recovery (best corrected visual acuity 0.87). Interestingly, the other eye showed normal ocular findings 14 months after onset. Results of OCT-A examination in this eye were unfortunately inconclusive due to a delineation error. At the level of the ganglion cell layer differences could be also noted, but only in two severely affected individuals. There were no differences between unaffected mutation carriers and control eyes., Conclusion: Optical coherence tomography angiography scans confirmed that the peripapillary microvascular network is highly abnormal in eyes manifesting visual impairment due to LHON. These findings support the hypothesis that microangiopathy contributes to the development of vision loss in this mitochondrial disorder., (© 2018 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A girl with profound congenital deafness and balance problems was found at 3.5 years of age to be a carrier of two novel compound heterozygous mutations in MYO7A that were predicted to be disease-causing. She also carried one known pathogenic mutation and one rare variant in USH2A. Fundus examination performed at 4.75 years revealed one small peripheral pigment deposit in the right eye, indicating probable retinal degeneration. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed a loss of photoreceptors throughout the macular area, except for the foveolar region, clearly confirming a diagnosis of Usher syndrome type 1. This case demonstrates that SD-OCT may be easily used in young children to confirm retinal disease, quantify the extent of retinal damage, and monitor disease progression., (Copyright © 2018 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an established application of genetic testing in the context of in vitro fertilization. PGD is an alternative method to prenatal diagnosis which aims to prevent the transmission of an inherited disorder to the progeny by implanting only embryos that do not carry genetic predisposition for a particular disease. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of eye disorders for which PGD has been carried out., Methods: The European literature search focused on best practices, ethical issues, risks and results of PGD for inherited eye disorders., Results: PGD is performed for a number of ocular disorders; a prerequisite for its application is however, the knowledge of a disease-causing mutation(s). The main advantage of this method is that the couple is not exposed to a decision of whether or not to undergo an abortion. Qualified counselling must be provided prior to the PGD in order to completely understand the risk of disability in any child conceived, consequences of disease manifestation, and advantages as well as limitations of this method. In the group of non-syndromic eye diseases and diseases in which ocular findings dominate, PGD has been performed in European countries for aniridia, choroideremia, congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles, Leber congenital amaurosis, ocular albinism, retinitis pigmentosa, X-linked retinoschisis, Stargardt disease, blepharophimosis-ptosis-inverse epicanthus syndrome and retinoblastoma. Sexing for X-linked or mitochondrial diseases has been carried out for blue cone monochromatism, choroideremia, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, macular dystrophy (not further specified), Norrie disease, X-linked congenital stationary night blindness, X-linked retinoschisis and nystagmus (not further specified)., Conclusion: In recent years, there has been an increase in potential to use PGD. The spectrum of diseases for this method has widened to include severe inherited eye diseases.Key words: preimplantation genetic diagnosis; monogenic eye diseases; in vitro fertilization.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the molecular genetic basis of an early-onset severe retinal dystrophy in three unrelated consecutive patients of Czech origin and to describe their ocular phenotype., Methods: DNA samples from two probands were analyzed using a genotyping microarray (Asper) followed by either target analysis of 43 genes implicated in retinal disorders by next generation sequencing or whole-exome sequencing, respectively. The third proband underwent conventional Sanger sequencing of CRB1 based on her ocular findings., Results: All three probands harboured a known disease-causing mutation c.2843G>A; p.(Cys948Tyr) in the CRB1 gene. One individual was homozygous for this mutation, while in the other two probands c.2308G>A; p.(Gly770Ser) and c.3121A>G; p.(Met1041Val) were also identified in the heterozygous state, respectively. Both variants were novel and evaluated by in silico analysis as pathogenic. A false-negative result was observed in one of the two samples examined by the genotyping microarray. Disease onset in all patients was before the age of 7 years. Hypermetropic refractive error, bilateral nummular retinal pigmentation, retinal thickening and cystoid spaces in the macula were observed in two probands, aged 6 and 7 years. The third proband, aged 28 years, had bone spicule-like pigmentary changes associated with increased retinal nerve fiber layer., Conclusions: The first study reporting on the molecular genetic cause of non-syndromic early-onset severe retinal dystrophy in Czech patients identified one homozygous and two compound heterozygote probands with CRB1 mutations. Retina nerve fibre layer measurements should be considered an integral part of the clinical evaluation of retinal dystrophies. Detailed clinical examination and imaging can both direct molecular screening and help to confirm or refute disease causation of identified variants.

The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of current gene therapy clinical trials for monogenic and optic nerve disorders.The number of genes for which gene-based therapies are being developed is growing. At the time of writing this review gene-based clinical trials have been registered for Leber congenital amaurosis 2 (LCA2), retinitis pigmentosa 38, Usher syndrome 1B, Stargardt disease, choroideremia, achromatopsia, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and X-linked retinoschisis. Apart from RPE65 gene therapy for LCA2 and MT-ND4 for LHON which has reached phase III, all other trials are in investigation phase I and II, i.e. testing the efficacy and safety.Because of the relatively easy accessibility of the retina and its ease of visualization which allows monitoring of efficacy, gene-based therapies for inherited retinal disorders represent a very promising treatment option. With the development of novel therapeutic approaches, the importance of establishing not only clinical but also molecular genetic diagnosis is obvious.Key words: gene therapy, monogenic retinal diseases, optic nerve atrophy, mitochondrial disease.

Purpose: To provide information on currently ongoing clinical trials for Stargardt disease., Methods: We have searched the clinical trial register (www.clinicaltrials.gov) for the keyword "Stargardt" and list active ongoing studies., Results: There are currently eight registered clinical trials enrolling patients with Stargardt disease; all in phase I or II aiming at four mechanisms of action: inhibition of the production of vitamin A toxic dimers, gene therapy restoring wild type transcription of the ABCA4 gene, neuroprotection preventing retinal cells from oxidative damage, and replacement of the damaged retinal pigment epithelium using stem cell therapy. The basic prerequisite for enrolment in the vast majority of clinical trials is confirmation of the clinical diagnosis by mutational analysis., Conclusion: The wide variety of therapies that are registered as clinical trials for Stargardt disease significantly raises the possibility that effective treatments will be available in the near future for this currently incurable condition and that molecular genetic testing should be increasingly considered., Key Words: Stargardt disease, clinical trial, ABCA4, mutation.

Purpose: To describe clinical findings in patient with dynamic changes of vitreomacular interface and retina. To provide summary of findings about mechanism of accommodation and its potential impact on vitreous and retina., Methods: In 57 year old patient we performed comprehensive ophtalmological examination including spectral domain optical coherent tomography (SD-OCT). We observed the impact of accommodative effort, head-downward position, combination of accommodative effort and head-downward position and influence of light reflex on vitreomacular interface and retina and change of minimal foveal thickness., Results: On SD-OCT we could observe vitreofoveal adhesion on both eyes. During accommodative effort in combination with head-downward position we could observe symptomatic dynamic vitreomacular traction with temporary elevation of minimal foveal thickness. We could not observe impact of only head-downward posture, reading with spectacle correction of presbyopia or light reflex on change of vitreomacular interface or retina., Conclusion: We should suspect dynamic changes of vitreomacular interface and retina when we see fluctuating impairment of central visual acuity particularly when it is in connection with accommodation and head-downward posture.Key words: accommodation, head-downward position, vitreomacular interface, SD-OCT.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to describe the phenotype and to perform molecular genetic investigation in two probands of Czech origin diagnosed with Stargardt disease (STGD)., Methods: Both males underwent ocular examination including assessment by high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). DNA was isolated from venous blood. Mutation detection was performed using the ABCA4 genotyping microarray (Asper Ophthalmics, Estonia)., Results: The best corrected visual acuity in proband 1 (aged 39 years) was 0.1 bilaterally, and 0.05 in proband 2 (aged 26 years). Fundus examination showed typical multiple yellow-white lesions and macular atrophy. Alterations of retinal pigment epithelium, retinal thinning and disruption of the photoreceptor inner segment ellipsoid band were detected with an SD-OCT. Two known disease-causing mutations in ABCA4 were identified in proband 1; c.4234C>T, p.(Gln1412*) in exon 28; and c.5882G>A, p.(Gly1961Glu) in exon 42. Only one pathogenic change was detected in proband 2; c.1988G>A, p.(Trp663*) in exon 14. A second change, anticipated because of the recessive status of the disease, was not identified., Conclusion: The frequency and full spectrum of ABCA4 mutations in Czech patients with inherited retinal disorders is yet to be established. The inability to detect a second pathogenic change in ABCA4 coding sequences in proband 2 warrants further investigation.