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Open Access Clinical Research Issue
Altered amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations in primary open angle glaucoma patients: a resting-state fMRI study
International Journal of Ophthalmology 2026, 19(2): 291-301
Published: 18 February 2026
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AIM

To study the relationships between amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) changes and clinical ophthalmic parameters in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and analyze the diagnostic value of ALFF.

METHODS

Twenty-four POAG patients and 24 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Nonparametric rank-sum tests were used to compare the ALFF values in the slow-4 and slow-5 bands, and Spearman or Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between ALFF changes and clinical ophthalmic parameters in POAG patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the ALFF.

RESULTS

There were 16 males in POAG patients (median age 48y) and 12 males in HCs (median age 39y). Compared with HCs, POAG patients presented increased or decreased ALFF values in different brain regions, and similar changes were observed in mild POAG patients. The ALFF values were correlated with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, inner limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium thickness changes and the degree of visual field defects. Analysis of the diagnostic value of the ALFF via ROC curves revealed that the right medial frontal gyrus [area under the curve (AUC)=0.9063] and superior frontal gyrus (AUC=0.9097) had better diagnostic value than did the optic disc area (AUC=0.8019), visual field index (VFI%, AUC=0.8988) and macular parameters.

CONCLUSION

POAG patients present altered cortical function that is significantly correlated with the optic nerve and retinal thickness and had good diagnostic value, which may reflect the underlying neuropathological mechanism of POAG.

Open Access Meta-analysis Issue
Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of the lateral geniculate nucleus volume and height in patients with glaucoma: a Meta-analysis
International Journal of Ophthalmology 2023, 16(4): 638-644
Published: 18 April 2023
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AIM

To evaluate the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) volume and height using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in glaucoma patients.

METHODS

Literatures retrieval was carried out through PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Studies that compared the volume and height of LGN in glaucoma patients with that in control subjects were included. The volume and height of LGN were extracted from the included studies. The Review Manager 5.4.1 software was used for the Meta-analysis.

RESULTS

This Meta-analysis included 10 cross-sectional studies, including the eyes of 223 glaucoma patients and 185 healthy controls. Compared with the control subjects, the volume and height of LGN in glaucoma patients measured by MRI were significantly reduced {-29.13 mm3, 95% [confidence interval (CI): -44.82 to -13.43, P=0.0003; -0.61 mm, 95%CI: -0.78 to -0.44, P<0.00001, respectively]}. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the differences of LGN volume and height between glaucoma patients and control subjects in the older group were smaller than that in the younger group, and LGN volume decreased with the increase of glaucoma severity.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that the volume and height of LGN are decreased in glaucoma patients, and LGN volume can be considered a parameter of glaucoma severity.

Open Access Review Article Issue
Mitochondrial dysfunction in glaucomatous degeneration
International Journal of Ophthalmology 2023, 16(5): 811-823
Published: 18 May 2023
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Glaucoma is a kind of optic neuropathy mainly manifested in the permanent death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), atrophy of the optic nerve, and loss of visual ability. The main risk factors for glaucoma consist of the pathological elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and aging. Although the mechanism of glaucoma remains an open question, a theory related to mitochondrial dysfunction has been emerging in the last decade. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the mitochondrial respiratory chain are abnormally produced as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress takes place when the cellular antioxidant system fails to remove excessive ROS promptly. Meanwhile, more and more studies show that there are other common features of mitochondrial dysfunction in glaucoma, including damage of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), defective mitochondrial quality control, ATP reduction, and other cellular changes, which are worth summarizing and further exploring. The purpose of this review is to explore mitochondrial dysfunction in the mechanism of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Based on the mechanism, the existing therapeutic options are summarized, including medications, gene therapy, and red-light therapy, which are promising to provide feasible neuroprotective ideas for the treatment of glaucoma.

Open Access Basic Research Issue
A pedigree with retinitis pigmentosa and its concomitant ophthalmic diseases
International Journal of Ophthalmology 2023, 16(12): 1962-1970
Published: 18 December 2023
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AIM

To characterize the ophthalmic clinical phenotype of a family with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and closed-angle glaucoma and to detect pathogenic genes and mutation sites causing RP in this family.

METHODS

Ophthalmic clinic performance was examined in detail in 8 enrolled family members. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 4 family members for whole-exome sequencing (WES) to select potential genetic mutations whose structures were identified by bioinformatics analysis. Then, Sanger sequencing was used in 12 family members and control group members to validate and confirm the disease-causing mutation loci, and we analyzed the genotype-phenotype relationships.

RESULTS

The known c.512C>T (p.P171L) mutation in the rhodopsin (RHO) gene was only found in afflicted family members and was confirmed by WES and Sanger sequencing as the pathogenic mutation in this family. In addition to being diagnosed with RP, family member Ⅲ:4 was found to have bilateral closed-angle glaucoma, high myopia, and concurrent cataracts, and family members Ⅱ:2 and Ⅱ:4 had pathological changes of anterior chamber angle narrowing. Family members Ⅳ:3 and Ⅳ:4 were found to have retinoschisis.

CONCLUSION

Glaucoma and related pathological changes, such as retinoschisis, in family members are preliminarily considered RP complications caused by RHO mutation.

Open Access Clinical Research Issue
Values of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer and 10-2 visual field measurements in detecting and evaluating glaucoma
International Journal of Ophthalmology 2024, 17(5): 852-860
Published: 18 May 2024
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AIM

To assess the performance of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIPLT) and 10-2 visual field (VF) parameters in detecting early glaucoma and evaluating the severity of advanced glaucoma.

METHODS

Totally 127 eyes from 89 participants (36 eyes of 19 healthy participants, 45 eyes of 31 early glaucoma patients and 46 eyes of 39 advanced glaucoma patients) were included. The relationships between the optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived parameters and VF sensitivity were determined. Patients with early glaucoma were divided into eyes with or without central 10° of the VF damages (CVFDs), and the diagnostic performances of OCT-derived parameters were assessed.

RESULTS

In early glaucoma, the mGCIPLT was significantly correlated with 10-2 VF pattern standard deviation (PSD; with average mGCIPLT: β=-0.046, 95%CI, -0.067 to -0.024, P<0.001). In advanced glaucoma, the mGCIPLT was related to the 24-2 VF mean deviation (MD; with average mGCIPLT: β=0.397, 95%CI, 0.199 to 0.595, P<0.001), 10-2 VF MD (with average mGCIPLT: β=0.762, 95%CI, 0.485 to 1.038, P<0.001) and 24-2 VF PSD (with average mGCIPLT: β=0.244, 95%CI, 0.124 to 0.364, P<0.001). Except for the minimum and superotemporal mGCIPLT, the decrease of mGCIPLT in early glaucomatous eyes with CVFDs was more severe than that of early glaucomatous eyes without CVFDs. The area under the curve (AUC) of the average mGCIPLT (AUC=0.949, 95%CI, 0.868 to 0.982) was greater than that of the average circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT; AUC=0.827, 95%CI, 0.674 to 0.918) and rim area (AUC=0.799, 95%CI, 0.610 to 0.907) in early glaucomatous eyes with CVFDs versus normal eyes.

CONCLUSION

The 10-2 VF and mGCIPLT parameters are complementary to 24-2 VF, cpRNFLT and ONH parameters, especially in detecting early glaucoma with CVFDs and evaluating the severity of advanced glaucoma in group level.

Open Access Full Length Article Issue
The genomic and epigenomic landscape of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome
Genes & Diseases 2025, 12(3): 101448
Published: 06 November 2024
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Iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome is a rare, irreversibly blinding eye disease with an unknown etiology. Understanding its genomic and epigenomic landscape could aid in developing etiology-based therapies. In this study, we recruited 99 ICE patients and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 51 and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling on 48 of them. We conducted mutational burden testing on genes and noncoding regulatory regions, comparing the ICE cohort with control groups (9197 East Asians from the gnomAD database and 350 normal Chinese from our in-house cohort). Copy number variation (CNV) analysis and differential methylation of regions were also explored. We identified RP1L1 (27/51, 53%) with a significantly higher coding-altering mutational burden in the ICE cohort (p < 8.3×10−7), with mutations predominantly at chr8:10467637 (hg19). Additionally, 41 regions with significant CNVs were identified, including two regions at chr19:15783859-15791329 (hg19) and chr3:75786061-75790887 (hg19), showing copy number loss in 39 and 19 patients, respectively. We also identified 2,717 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), with hypomethylation prevalent in ICE syndrome (91.9% of DMRs). Among these, 45 recurrent hypomethylated regions (HMRs) in more than 10% of ICE patients showed differential methylation compared to normal controls. This study presents the first comprehensive genomic and epigenomic characterization of ICE syndrome, offering insights into its underlying etiology.

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