The study, focused on morphological and functional changes in the eye during aging and early-stage glaucoma, included 112 people divided into 4 groups: the young control group I composed of 30 healthy young people (26.5 ± 5 years); the senior control group II involving 30 healthy elderly people (69.3 ± 4 years); group III composed of 30 glaucoma suspects (68.1 ± 6 years); and group IV consisting of 22 people with the early-stage of POAG (67.6 ± 5 years). All subjects received regular ophthalmic examination supplemented by examinations, laser scanning tomography, FDF and SAP perimetry, and dynamic applanation tonometry performed on the ORA analyzer. Aging and POAG have been shown to differ in the rate and the dynamics of morphological and functional changes. Also, our analysis has demonstrated that the assessment of age-related changes is important for early detection of the disease, when it has no clinical manifestations yet // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 5-11.

The paper is aimed at studying the bioelectrical activity of macula, light sensitivity and macular structure in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) with cystoid macular oedema (CMO) and atrophic maculopathy. 29 patients (58 phakic eyes), aged 16 to 40 (the average age 28.4 ± 8.2 years) with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) were divided into two groups: patients with foveal atrophy (30 eyes) and CMO (28 eyes). The control group involved 29 healthy subjects of the same age. The total ERG, the 30 Hz flicker ERG and macular ERG (MERG) were determined. The amplitude and latency of a- and b-waves were assessed. Light sensitivity and perimetric indices were estimated with automatic computer perimetry. Spectral ocular coherent tomography (OCT) was performed. In atrophic maculopathy and CMO, the decrease of the amplitude of a- and b-waves of MERG and a prolonged implicit time of the a-wave were found. The increased implicit time of the b-wave was found only in patients with CMO and it correlates with intraretinal cystoid changes in the inner nuclear and outer plexiform layers of the retina. A significant positive correlation between the amplitude of the a-wave of maximal ERG and mean sensitivity (MS), and a significant negative correlation between the a-wave amplitude and mean deviation (MD) indices of automatic perimetry were found. Thus, the prolonged implicit time of the b-wave of MERG is a specific sign of CMO. Perimetric indices are additional diagnostic criteria and may be used together with electroretinography to diagnose RP and assess its progression // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 12-18.

Age-related levels of sclera collagen crosslinking have been studied in 75 patients aged 50-91 (averagely 69.9 ± 9.2 years) with various degrees of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), whose sclera samples were obtained during deep nonpenetrating sclerectomy. The patients were divided into three age groups: 50-59 years (21 patients), 60-69 years (22 patients), and over 70 years (32 patients). 19 eyes of these patients had POAG stage I, 24 eyes had POAG stage II, and 32 eyes had stage III. To assess the level of collagen cross-linkage, sclera thermograms obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (Phoenix®, DSC 204, Netzsch, Germany) involving collagen denaturation temperature (Tm) and enthalpy value (∆Hm) measurements were analyzed. The level of collagen cross-linkage of glaucomatous sclera was found to increase with age and the stage of glaucomatous damage. However, the formation of excessive cross links associated with glaucomatous damage seems to play a more important role in damaging its structural and biomechanical properties than crosslinking of collagen complexes caused by natural aging, since the differences in values of thermomechanical parameters Tm and ∆Hm across different age groups (staying, respectively, within 0.8-1.0 оС and 0.3-2.1 J/g of dry residue) proved to be less substantial than the differences associated with the progression of glaucoma (varying, respectively, within 1.9-2.6 оС and 6.7-13.2 J/g of dry residue). The identified structural and biomechanical changes of the corneoscleral eye shell in patients with POAG do not fit into the pattern of natural aging processes; they are most probably based on the metabolic disorder of the connective tissue // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 19-26.

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive ophthalmic examination which includes, along with traditional methods, optical coherence tomography (taken by Spectralis HRA+OCT, Heidelberg Engineering) of 33 children (50 eyes) aged 1 to 7 years with pseudophakia after extraction of bilateral congenital cataracts (CC). Extraction of CC with IOL implantation was administered to children at the age from 4 to 36 months. The optical power of the IOL was determined by the standard formula SRKII. OCT was used to evaluate the following parameters: the minimum thickness of the retina in the fovea, the maximum thickness of the retina in parafovea, retinal thickness at 3.0 mm from foveola, the width (diameter) of the fovea, and the thickness of the choroid in the subfoveal area. The morphometric examinations of the status of the central fundus area in children with pseudophakia after CC revealed the smoothing of the foveolar depression, which is directly dependent on the child’s age at the time of surgery. The trends to fovea diameter reduction and choroid thinning revealed in the cases of surgeries performed at later stages testify to the need of further comprehensive research into the mechanisms underlying impaired formation of the macular area which could help identify the criteria for the prognosis of visual functions in children with CC // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 27-31.

To assess the damaged regional blood flow and functional activity of the retina and the optic nerve, 96 patients (96 eyes) with a blunt eye trauma (BET) were observed, of which 62 patients (62 eyes) had mild BET (group I), and 34 patients (34 eyes) had moderate BET (group II). Using Ultrasound Doppler techniques, we revealed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) of the peak systolic velocity (Vsyst) in the ophthalmic artery (OA), and a decrease of Vsyst and the final diastolic velocity (Vdiast) in the central retinal artery (CRA) (p < 0.05) during the first three days after the trauma in both groups. The recorded photopic negative response (PhNR) in the cone ERG and visual evoked potentials (VEP) showed an inhibited electrical activity of the inner retinal neurons and the visual cortex and a delayed VEP latency. The degree of these changes depended on the severity of post-contusion effects. In patients of group II, a greater inhibition of VEP into small patterns, and a smaller PhNR amplitude in ERG in response to low and high stimulus intensities was observed. All patients displayed changes in the vascular and neuronal systems of the retina in the early post-contusion period, which almost fully disappeared after one month following a 1st degree trauma but remained in the 2nd degree trauma // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 32-38.

The paper presents the evaluation of Retinalamin efficacy administered intramuscularly to 90 patients (180 eyes) aged 47 to 75 (averagely, 65.9 ± 7.18 years) with various stages of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) once or twice in 6 months. The data of multifocal electroretinography (MfERG) showed that in 80 % of cases of early and intermediate AMD stages, the functional state of the retina improved after a course of Retinalamin, reaching a peak 2 months after the start of treatment. A second course of Retinalamin, given 3 months later, resulted in a more pronounced improvement of the functional parameters, achieving the maximum in the month 5 of the follow-up period. This is confirmed by a change in the P1 component of Mf ERG, which proved to be the most pronounced in the central ring, corresponding to the foveal area. In more than 70 % of cases with atrophic AMD, a positive dynamics of the functional activity of the macula was noted only after a repeated course of intramuscular injections of Retinalamin, whose curative effect reached the maximum in the month 5 of the follow-up. An increase in the density of the P1 component of MfERG was more noticeable in the last two rings, corresponding to the periphery of macula // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 39-46.

The paper’s objective was to determine the nature of changes in the bioelectric activity of the retina and the visual cortex in conditions of long-term staying of man in an enclosed space with artificial light generated by light-emitting diode (LED) lamps with variable spectral and power characteristics. In addition to a set of standard ophthalmic examinations, we recorded electroretinograms (ERG) to diffuse flashes, pattern-reversing and multifocal stimuli, and visual evoked cortical potentials (VEP) using the diagnostic system RETIport/scan21. The examinations were carried out in four healthy volunteers before and after an 11-day hermetic-chamber experiment simulating conditions of the spacecraft. Prolonged exposure to closed LED lighting created by sources with a high correlated color temperature (CCT), was shown to have no pronounced negative impact on the function of the retina. Changes in the amplitude of the ERG and VEP were minor, but displayed certain features specified by the history of previous injuries or functional disorders. Also, according to VEP waveforms to reversing checkerboard pattern, a characteristic sign of changes in the activity of the visual system in all participants was a splitting of the P100 peak, possibly related to temporal uncoupling of the activity of various visual channels. Thus, artificial LED lighting with high CCT can have both positive and adverse effects on the functional activity of the retina and the visual cortex, the nature of which, apparently, depends on the initial functional state of the visual system // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 48-55.

We analyze long-term changes of quality of life (QOL) in uvealmelanoma patients, depending on age and treatment type. The study involved 100 patients (28 males and 72 females) aged 11 to 79. The patients were divided in three age groups: group I (25 years or younger), II (26-59 years), III (over 60 years), each group being further subdivided into subgroups depending on the treatment type - eye-preserving therapy (laser or brachytherapy) and enucleation. We used the general type questionnaire SF-36 for oncological patients. For each patient, the survey was taken once, 18 to 72 months after treatment start. The follow-up start median was 30 months for group 1 and 48 months for groups 2 and 3. It could be revealed that over the whole set of patients, the mean values of QOL parameters are no worse than the similar parameters in healthy population. No statistically significant differences in QOL parameters of patients from Groups 1 and 2 were revealed between those receiving eye-preserving or enucleation (p > 0.05). In group 3 statistically significant differences were found in the scales of physical and emotional functioning (p = 0.014, p = 0.001). Middle-aged and elderly patients who received laser treatment demonstrated a higher QOL level as compared to patients of the same age categories who received brachytherapy. In particular, group 2 patients revealed statistically significant differences in the scales of general health (GH, p = 0.012) and vitality (VT, p = 0.03), whereas the patients of group 3 showed similar differences in the scales of GH (p = 0.043), physical functioning (p = 0.005), bodily pain (BP, p = 0.003) and VT (p = 0,048). The lowest levels of QOL were identified in elderly patients after enucleation, and the best results were achieved in patients after laser treatment in all age groups // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 56-61.

The change of peripheral refraction and the shape of 52 myopic eyes of 26 patients aged 8 to 16 (averagely, 10.4 ± 0,9 years) resulting from overnight wearing of orthokeratology lenses was followed up for 3.2 ± 0.9 years on average. The use of Ortho-k lenses was found to form relative peripheral myopia, whose value correlated with the initial degree of myopia and was averagely equal to -1.4 ± 0.13 D, -1.9 ± 0.17 D and -4.4 ± 0.13 D, respectively for low, moderate and high myopia. The ratio coefficient APA/HD between the length of the anterioposterior axis (APA) and the horizontal diameter (HD) of the eye changed from the initial value, which was averagely equal to 1.01 ± 0.06 (1.00 ± 0.002 for low myopia, 1.01 ± 0.008 for moderate myopia, and 1.02 ± 0.003 for high myopia), to -0.98 ± 0.006 (-0.94 ± 0.001 for low myopia, 0.98 ± 0.007 for moderate myopia, and - 1.00 ± 0.006 for high myopia) by the end of lens wearing term. This dynamics of APA/HD variation is an evidence of eyeball shape change as a result of prolonged use of ortho-k lenses toward the shape of a oblate ellipsoid. This is accompanied by the formation of a peripheral myopic defocus // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 62-6.

An experimental study was performed to reproduce the model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) in young rats. This model is promising for the study of the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and for the search of new approaches to the prevention and treatment of the disease. It was found that the total protein content in the vitreous was increased during OIR at all observation times, with a maximum reached on the day 14. The phasal character was revealed in the changes of the level of antioxidant activity (AOA): on the day 7 AOA of rats with OIR is no different from the control, on the day 14, it becomes 6.4 times higher than the reference level, and on the day 18 (when the oxygen is no more active) it is falling but still remains higher than the norm. These findings suggest that the permeability of the blood-retinal barrier is damaged during OIR, and confirm the important role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of ROP, the advisability of the correction of its parameters by introducing antioxidants in the combined treatment of ROP, and the need for a differentiated approach to the times of their application Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 68-72.

To study the role of HHV-6 in the development of eye diseases, 193 patients with various eye diseases were examined. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests DNA of HHV-6 (n = 146) in peripheral blood was detected, using immunoferment analysis markers of chronic (IgG antibodies, n = 142) and active (IgM antibodies, n = 74) HHV-6 infection were detected in blood serum. HHV-6 could be detected in patients with different ophthalmic pathology forms both in the chronic (66.9 %) and the active (43.2 %) form, and DNA of the virus could be found in the blood (20.5 %). A parallel simultaneous study of the blood (n = 40) revealed markers of chronic and/or active infection and DNA of the virus in patients of all nosological groups surveyed (uveitis, corneal ulcers of various etiologies, post-inflammatory cataracts, corneoscleral eye injuries and corneal graft disease). For the first time serological tests (IgG and IgM antibodies) were performed on patients with age-related macular degeneration, where 82.4 % of the patients turned out to be seropositive. The obtained data suggest that HHV-6, along with other viruses generally known to be ophthalmic, may be an etiologic or pathogenetic factor of eye diseases. In this regard, a comprehensive laboratory testing (serological diagnostics and PCR) for HHV-6 should become the object of further targeted study // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 73-77.

We have critically analyzed the article by J.E. Legarreta et al. (Acanthamoeba Keratitis Associated with Tap Water Use during Contact Lens Cleaning: Manufacturer Guidelines Need to Change. Eye & Contact Lens 2013; 39: 158-61) proposing to exclude tap water from all treatment procedures for rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGP) lenses, in order to reduce the risk of acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). We have found the inferences of this publication insufficiently validated and largely biased, and we believe that the authors’ propositions are potentially dangerous for the health of RGP lens wearers. Our main conclusions are as follows: 1) there is no scientific evidence that the use of drinking tap water ONLY for rinsing RGP lenses with the view to fully remove daily cleaner, with subsequent disinfection is risk factor for AK; 2) before such an evidence is obtained, it should not be recommended to exclude tap water completely from all treatment regimens for RGP lenses; 3) access of water under the lens should be avoided, regardless of how it might happen; 4) any change of RGP lens treatment recommendations should not create new (and, possibly, more serious) risks for the lens wearer’s health // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 78-83.

Two clinical cases of lymphangiectosia treatment using cyclosporine 0.05 % (Restasis) in female patients with moderate dry eye syndrome (DES) are presented. Apart from DES, the patients had lymphangiectosia of bulbar conjunctiva that caused constant feeling of a foreign body in the eye and complaints about a cosmetic defect. In case 1, there was a single cyst, and in case 2, a large cyst with multiple small cysts. Both patients were prescribed cyclosporin emulsion 0.05 % (Restasis) to treat DES. In case 1, the cyst regressed completely in four weeks. In case 2, all small cysts regressed while the remaining large cyst was punctuated in aseptic conditions by an insulin needle. The treatment with cyclosporin 0.05 % was continued // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 84-86.

Macular edema (ME), or Irvine - Gass syndrome, emerging at different times after cataract extraction, remains a leading complication which brings about a significant vision reduction. The authors analyze three cases of macular edema in extracapsular IOL fixation in Marfan syndrome, which developed 9 months, 19 months and 8 years after cataract extraction. The advantages of intravitreal injections of dexamethasone implant (Ozurdeх), anti-VEGF agents (Ranibizumab) for postoperative ME treatment was shown. A higher efficiency of intravitreal injections of drugs as compared to traditional treatment techniques is explained by the fact that the active substance is directly delivered to the affected area. Recommendations for the treatment protocol are as follows: the number of procedures, the order of application and the choice of drug for intravitreal injection (steroids vs. anti-VEGF drugs) require further study // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 87-96.

The paper summarizes current data on HHV-6: prevalence, modes of transmission, clinical manifestations of the primary infection and the reactivation of chronic infection, the role played in the pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative diseases, malignant tumors, CNS, DRESS-syndrome, inflammatory diseases of the eye (keratitis, uveitis, retinitis, optic neuritis) in children and adults, the methods of laboratory diagnosis and treatment // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 98-104.

Arterial hypertension occurs in 48-65 % patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. It is the most frequent systemic disease among these patients. On the other hand, it is an independent risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma which must be taken into consideration in the development of the glaucoma treatment strategy. The low influence on the intraocular pressure and the significant perfusion disturbances cause damages to the whole visual system, which in its turn exacerbates the detrimental effects of the intraocular pressure elevation on the glaucomatous optic neuropathy. It is necessary to keep blood pressure at a normal level and to avoid the absence of night-time blood pressure dipping or extreme dipping, as the hypotensive phases impair the autoregulation of papillary blood flow, which finally leads to the emergence of ischemic areas. Intraocular pressure reduction is only one of the aspects of the antiglaucomatous therapy, since it does not prevent the progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. In this case, intensive interaction of various medical disciplines is required for the long-term stabilization of the glaucoma process // Russian Ophthalmological Journal, 2016; 1: 105-111.