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Biomedical subjects

C Faschinger

Publications and source records attributed to C Faschinger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Glaucoma and oxidative stress. Determination of malondialdehyde--a product of lipid peroxidation].

BACKGROUND: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a multifactorial disease, in which aging, race, genetic disposition, vascular status, probably inflammation, and maybe oxidative stress may play a specific role. We wanted to know if by using a common test for a specific oxidative stress product differences would be found in the aqueous humor and serum of patients with POAG, cataract without pseudoexfoliation, cataract with pseudoexfoliation, and volunteers without ocular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined the aqueous humor of 33 patients with POAG, 111 patients with cataract without pseudoexfoliation, 39 patients with cataract and pseudoexfoliation syndrome and the serum of all three groups plus of 43 volunteers without ocular disease. Malondialdehyde as an oxidative stress product of peroxidation of lipids was proven by thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS). RESULTS: The amount of TBARS is given in micromol/l: (1) in the serum of the group with cataract 1.176, with cataract and pseudoexfoliation 1.019, with POAG 0.992, and with healthy eyes 0.983; (2) in the aqueous humor of the group with cataract 0.279, with cataract and pseudoexfoliation 0.274, and with POAG 0.298. There were no statistically significant differences of TBARS (p<0.05) in either the aqueous humor or in the serum of patients with POAG in comparison to those patients without POAG. However, there was a significantly positive correlation between the values in the serum and the aqueous humor. CONCLUSION: For the first time malondialdehyde as a product of lipid peroxidation was determined in the aqueous humor of glaucomatous eyes. With the TBARS method used in our study, it was not possible to detect statistically significant differences of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde between patients with or without POAG. It has to be taken into account that the cataract of the patients in the control group might be a disease per se caused by at least a certain amount of oxidative stress and that these subjects might therefore not be ideal as a control group.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

One- and two-step hydrogen peroxide contact lens disinfection solutions against Acanthamoeba: how effective are they?

PURPOSE: Effective contact lens disinfection solutions are important to keep the storage case free of acanthamoebae and thus prevent an infection of the eye. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectivity of two new one-step hydrogen peroxide disinfecting solutions against Acanthamoeba spp. and compare it to the effectivity of other commercially available systems. METHODS: Nine one-step 3% hydrogen peroxide systems including the new systems Silver Sept (platinum and silver disk for intensifying disinfection) and Blue Vision (newly composed catalytic tablet) and 2 two-step systems (0.6 and 3.0% H(2)O(2)) were tested for their effectivity against cysts of two Acanthamoeba keratitis isolates at different concentrations. RESULTS: After a soaking time of 8 h (overnight soaking of contact lenses) the 2 two-step systems completely destroyed the cysts of both Acanthamoeba strains, even at the highest concentration of cysts tested. The nine tested one-step systems showed weaker effects. The new Blue Vision system was able to eradicate the cysts of one strain at the low concentration of cysts. CONCLUSIONS: One-step hydrogen peroxide systems do not have sufficient effects on Acanthamoeba cysts and therefore may not protect the contact lens user from a possible infection of the eye. Further development of tablets like the ones used in the Blue Vision system may result in better cysticidal effects for one-step systems.

Acanthamoeba↗
PubMed2002

[A clinico-pathological case report of necrotizing ulcerating keratopathy due to topical anaesthetic abuse].

BACKGROUND: Topical anesthetic abuse is rare, but difficult to diagnose since most patients deny its use and the clinical changes are very similar to other corneal diseases. CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old medical doctor with a 30-year history of soft contact lens wear and recurrent corneal erosion was admitted to our clinic with a ring-shaped keratitis and intense ocular pain. A corneal smear was negative for bacterial infections and acanthamoeba but the contact lens box contained a few dead acanthamoeba and many cocci. Due to the clinical findings and the acanthamoeba found in the contact lens box acanthamoeba keratitis was diagnosed and treatment with gentamycin, pentamidine isethionat (Brolene((R))) and hexamidine (Desomedine((R))) was started. The clinical appearance did not change for 6 weeks after onset of treatment and a perforating corneal transplantation was performed for pain relief and visual rehabilitation. An iris ectropion lacking iris motility and dense cataract developed within 5 weeks and the patient admitted on direct questioning to having taken topical anesthetic (oxybuprocain) by self-medication. The histological investigation revealed few inflammatory cells. The epithelium was largely missing and few vital cells could be found in the stroma and the endothelial cell layer. Acanthamoeba could not be detected in the tissue. CONCLUSION: Topical anesthetic abuse can mimic different corneal diseases and be difficult to diagnose if the patient denies its use. In cases of keratitis with no response to treatment and strong ocular pain, topical anesthetic abuse should be considered.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis↗
PubMed2002

Viability of Acanthamoeba after exposure to a multipurpose disinfecting contact lens solution and two hydrogen peroxide systems.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Contact lens cases contaminated with Acanthamoeba are a major risk factor for an infection of the eye. In this study the anti-Acanthamoeba activity of three different contact lens storage solutions was tested. METHODS: A new multipurpose contact lens storage solution (Meni Care Plus) and a two step (Titmus H(2)O(2)) and one step (Oxysept Comfort) hydrogen peroxide system were tested for their effects on trophozoites and cysts of three different Acanthamoeba species: A castellanii, A hatchetti, and A lenticulata. RESULTS: After a soaking time of 8 hours (overnight soaking of contact lenses) the Titmus H(2)O(2) 0.6% solution showed very good amoebicidal effects, while Oxysept Comfort 3% H(2)O(2) could not effectively destroy the cysts of any of the three tested species. Viable cysts of the species A lenticulata and A hatchetti were still present after exposure to Meni Care Plus (0.0005% PHMB) for 8 hours. CONCLUSION: Not all of the three tested contact lens storage solutions have sufficient amoebicidal effects. The two step peroxide system Titmus H(2)O(2) is a very effective disinfectant contact lens solution in order to avoid a possible Acanthamoeba infection of the eye.

Acanthamoeba↗
PubMed2001

Microwave treatment of contact lens cases contaminated with acanthamoeba.

PURPOSE: Microbially contaminated contact lens cases are a predisposing risk factor for Acanthamoeba keratitis. Several findings have shown that microwave irradiation kills the six Food and Drug Administration test challenge microorganisms. We aimed to determine what effect microwave irradiation has on Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts. METHODS: Different types of contact lens cases were contaminated with trophozoites and cysts of three different Acanthamoeba species (A. comandoni, A. castellanii, A. hatchetti) and were exposed to microwave irradiation for 3, 5, and 8 minutes, respectively. RESULTS: Trophozoites, as well as cysts of the different Acanthamoeba strains, were effectively killed, even by only 3 minutes of microwave irradiation, and there were no negative effects of irradiation on the contact lens cases themselves. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that microwave treatment is a very effective, easy, and cheap method to keep contact lens cases free of Acanthamoeba, thus considerably reducing the risk of an Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Acanthamoeba↗
PubMed2000

Melanoma-associated retinopathy versus abnormal retinal function due to interferon-alpha/Isotretinoin therapy in cutaneous malignant melanoma.

PURPOSE: To analyze whether an abnormal retinal function in patients with a cutaneous malignant melanoma was due to paraneoplastic retinopathy or due to isotretinoin or interferon-alpha. METHODS: We studied 15 patients with malignant melanoma in stage IIa and IIb who are all participants in a randomized, multicentered, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing interferon-alpha/isotretinoin versus interferon-alpha/placebo performed by the Department of Dermatology, University of Graz. Our assessment included a full ophthalmic history and examination, electrophysiological testing (ERG, EOG), dark adaption, color vision and visual field testing. RESULTS: The most prevalent ocular symptom patients complained about was ocular dryness (8 patients). Electrophysiological as well as psychophysical testings showed no abnormalities in 12 patients. In 1 patient the therapy was stopped because of electrophysiological and psychophysiological pathology. This patient suffered from severe reduction of night vision and visual disturbances. Another patient had had night blindness since childhood which remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that in 1 of 15 patients, visual complaints are caused with a high probability by melanoma-associated retinopathy although, in the literature, isotretinoin is described to show similar effects on retinal function.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Hospital data management at the Graz University Ophthalmology Clinic].

In 1991, the eye hospital at the University of Graz initiated the development of a system for the documentation of patient data and services provided. The starting point of the hospital data management system was the surgical documentation system. This made it possible for the patient to be transferred to the ward accompanied by the completed and signed surgical report. In the subsequent steps we developed a complete client server system adapted to the different specific needs of all the various sections of the eye hospital. A further important feature is the fact that all the data are available for access at every part of the hospital. The current version has been in use since 1996, and will be discussed below. The main features of our hospital data management system are automated coding of medical services provided in the diagnostic, surgical and outpatient areas, and guaranteed authenticated data. Automatic generation of findings, reports, etc, allows the physician to concentrate fully on medical concerns. For a modern, service-oriented hospital, complete records of the services provided are indispensable. Complete recording of services is, however, possible only via automation. In our case, this means not only that the available data are always correct (up to date), but also that there is wide acceptance of and reliance on these data by the medical staff. Since the system is an in-house development, it is possible to react rapidly to suggestions for improvement and to eliminate possible errors immediately. The hospital data management system of the eye hospital at the University of Graz is a well-functioning example that makes it worthwhile discussing the greater use of subsystems.

Austria↗
PubMed1999

[Lattice corneal dystrophy. Detection of a point mutation in the kerato-epithelin gene].

BACKGROUND: Lattice dystrophy is an autosomal-dominantly inherited disease. A mutation of the gene coding for kerato-epithelin has been found in patients with this stromal dystrophy. In codon 124 a Guanine to Adenine mutation of the nucleotide 417 has been described. We looked for this mutation in a family with lattice dystrophy treated in our clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using primers specific for kerato-epithelin gene, we amplified the cDNA extracted from lymphocytes of two patients suffering from lattice dystrophy. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were subcloned and sequenced. RESULTS: Guanine to Adenine mutations, as published were detected in both of our patients at codon 124. CONCLUSION: We found the published mutation in both of our patients, indicating that this Guanine to Adenine exchange is pathognomonic for lattice dystrophy.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1997

Efficacy and safety of 0.3% carbomer gel compared to placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye syndrome.

PURPOSE: Carbomer gel is a water-soluble polymeric resin that has been reported to maintain the tear film in contact with the eye for an extended period. The efficacy and safety of this new artificial tear were assessed. METHODS: A multicenter, single-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study was carried out on 123 patients with moderate-to-severe dry eyes. The placebo was a mannitol solution with benzalkonium chloride 0.008% as preservative. Patients were observed over an 8-week period, and subjective and objective changes analyzed, compared to a baseline of no therapy, after 1 to 7 days washout period from previous medication. RESULTS: All primary subjective symptoms decreased significantly in the carbomer gel-treated group compared to the placebo group (i.e., dryness, discomfort, and foreign body sensation). The carbomer gel also significantly improved the rose bengal staining score relative to placebo. When data for the primary subjective efficacy variables were stratified for disease severity, there was a statistically significant improvement from baseline by day 10 for severely affected patients and from day 42 for patients with moderate disease. Secondary subjective symptoms that improved significantly in the tear gel group compared to placebo were photophobia, erythema, tear breakup time, blurry-filmy, dry-sandy sensation, and physician impression. However, no significant improvements in the secondary subjective symptoms of tearing, itching, scaling, conjuctival discharge, palpebral conjunctival redness, bulbar conjuctival redness, conjunctival luster, relief of discomfort, ease of use, and overall acceptability were found in either group over the baseline score. In addition, neither carbomer gel nor placebo improved the baseline fluorescein staining score or the Schirmer test score. Two patients suffered local allergic reactions to the carbomer gel or its preservative, which settled on withdrawal of the medication. CONCLUSIONS: Carbomer gel was more efficacious than was placebo in improving a number of subjective and objective symptoms of moderate-to-severe dry eye syndrome. The results of this study indicate that carbomer gel was a safe as was the placebo.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1996

[Superficial damage to the MemoryLens in implantation].

BACKGROUND: Besides silicone and acrylic lenses thermoplastic lenses, such as the MemoryLens, are being increasingly used. Thermoplastic lenses are implanted through a small incision in a rolled state so that they unfold in the capsular bag. Here we describe a complication that has had appeared in two patients. PATIENTS, METHODS AND STATUS: After phacoemulsification a MemoryLens was implanted in 35 years of 35 patients through an incision in the clear cornea revealing two cases of scratched anterior surfaces after implantation. The scratches were caused by the tip of the forceps through excessive pressure and mechanical force during implantation due to an incision slightly too small. CONCLUSIONS: By a lens diameter of 2.31 mm in a rolled state we do not only recommend a forceps with rounded ends but also an incision width of 3.8 mm in order to perform a safe implantation without damage to the lens surface.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Infectious corneal ulcers--once with endophthalmitis--after photorefractive keratotomy with disposable contact lens].

BACKGROUND: Infections of the cornea with or without involvement of intraocular tissues are severe complications after photorefractive keratectomy. We report on three cases with ulcerative keratitis and one case with severe endophthalmitis, which developed some days after laser treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After 39 photo-therapeutic and 118 photo-refractive treatments without complications four young treated persons suffered from corneal infiltrations. Three of them developed severe corneal ulcerations, one a severe endophthalmitis. We used the laser machine of the company Schwind (193 nm wavelength, repetition rate 10 Hz, fluence 180-200 mJ/cm2). One part of the treatment which all patients had in common was the application of a disposable contact lens postoperatively, which was worn overnight. THERAPY AND FOLLOW-UP: Because all three patients with ulcerations revealed hyphen of fungi in their corneal-scratch material they were treated with antifungal agents locally and systemically. Due to the local and temporal connection the patient with the endophthalmitis was treated with antifungal agents, too. All corneal ulcerations healed with scars similar to a haze graded 3 to 4, the eye with the endophthalmitis healed almost completely. CONCLUSION: Probably the use of disposable contact lenses postoperatively, especially the overnight wear, during an extremely hot and humid summer lead to the described severe infections of the eyes after the "traumatisation" of the cornea by the excimer laser. A known higher concentration of Aspergillus in the air due to renovations of buildings in the clinical area might have been an additional negative effect. The avoidance of the use of disposable contact lenses postoperatively, especially the overnight wear, is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Fetal development of the human orbit.

The development of the orbits in 70 human fetal skulls was investigated by measuring the width and height of the orbital entrance, as well as the volume and depth of the orbital cavity and the interorbital width. For determination of the orbital volume, we used the imprint method; the remaining parameters were estimated. Our measurements showed a linear growth rate for the orbital width, height, and depth. After transformation to the cubic root, the values of the orbital volume also demonstrated a linear increase. The orbital index (height/width x 100) expressed the change in the oval outline of the orbital entrance during fetal development from a flat, wide form to a nearly round form at birth. No statistically significant difference between the right and left orbit was found.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1993

[Proliferation markers, enzyme markers and oncogene expression profile of intraocular melanoma].

In this study 9 uveal melanomas, 1 iris melanoma and 1 conjunctival melanoma were evaluated for their proliferation activity with antibodies to KI67 protein. In addition, the distribution of glutathion-S transferase (alkaline and acid isoforms) and lysosomal cathepsin D protease was demonstrated immunohistochemically. The expression of the oncoproteins c-neu (internal and external domaine) and ras (mutated and non-mutated isoform) were also analyzed with specific monoclonal antibodies. In the case of the metastasing melanoma significant Ki67 protein expression and marked expression of the oncoproteins ras p21 and pan ras were obvious. All other melanomas showed less proliferation and enzymatic activity with a moderate expression pattern for oncoproteins. Regarding the results of the proliferation and enzymatic markers, the tumors were heterogeneous; single cells or clusters may play a role in the prognosis of the tumor if there is an intense immunohistochemical reaction. The influence of histomorphological criteria, e.g., cell subtype, seems to be minor compared to immunohistochemical criteria.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1989

[Ultrastructural findings in the cornea in xeroderma pigmentosum].

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a very rare disease caused by an inherited defect in the DNA repair system. The cells are less able to repair defects caused by UV radiation, which results in early aging of the skin and the development of malignant skin tumors. Robins assumes that the eye is involved in 60% of the cases. In our patient we found a dense opacity of both corneas in addition to the typical lentiginous alteration of the skin. Therefore, a corneal transplantation was carried out on both eyes. The corneal buttons obtained by keratoplasty were examined by light, and transmission electron microscopy. We found massive alterations in the tissues of all corneal layers.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Cytology of the normal ciliary ganglion].

In view of the increasing importance of tissue cytology in the diagnosis of different diseases the authors studied 12 ciliary ganglions of patients without eye disease who had died at ages ranging from seven months to 76 years. After preparation of the ganglions from the retrobulbar tissue, two different methods were used, i.e., the abklatsch and sedimentation methods. Only a small number of cells could be obtained by abklatsch preparation because the ganglion cells were difficult to separate. With sedimentation, however, excellent results were obtained relating to the morphology of the ganglion cells and their satellite cells. Three types of ganglion cells were distinguished, which differed in size and in their reaction to May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining.

Cytoplasm↗