Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been a source of fear around the world. We asked whether the measurement of this fear is trustworthy and comparable across countries. In particular, we explored the measurement invariance and cross-cultural replicability of the widely used Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), testing community samples from 48 countries (N = 14,558). The findings indicate that the FCV-19S has a somewhat problematic structure, yet the one-factor solution is replicable across cultural contexts and could be used in studies that compare people who vary on gender and educational level. The validity of the scale is supported by a consistent pattern of positive correlations with perceived stress and general anxiety. However, given the unclear structure of the FCV-19S, we recommend using latent factor scores, instead of raw scores, especially in cross-cultural comparisons.

Introduction:Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a central role in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. Immunoregulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in important homeostatic mechanism for maintaining tolerance and preventing autoimmunity, and autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the role of Tregs cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and determine the range value for Treg cells (CD4+ CD25+) in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis compared to the severity of disease.Material and methods:The study included 51 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and 25 healthy individuals. Phenotype profile of peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined by flow cytometry, and assessment of severity of disease was determined on the basis of PASI score (e.g. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index).Results:Proportion of CD4+CD25+T cells in the control group was significantly higher than in the patients with psoriasis [6,4% ±(5,4-7,6) vs. 4,1% (3,1 -5,8)–Mann–Whitney U test, p <0.001]. In the present study we did not find a statistically significant correlation between the levels of CD4+CD25+cells, in patients with psoriasis, compared to the severity of disease–PASI. (i.e. Pearson correlation, r = 0.197, p = 0.194).Conclusion:The stratification of patients, according to the severity of the clinical course was not possible on the basis of Treg cells’ level. ROC curve analysis of the optimal cutoff (PASI=10) and the CD4+CD25+, which distinguishes between patients and healthy individuals was 5% of CD4+CD25+ of the total number of CD4+ lymphocytes with specificity of 69% and sensitivity of 84%.

The aim was to compare retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thicknesses in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), ocular hypertension (OH) and healthy subjects, and to investigate the role of GCC parameters in glaucoma diagnosis. Eighty-one patients were divided into four groups according to Hodapp-Parrish-Anderson classification: 26 OH, 22 early POAG, 10 moderate to advanced POAG, and 23 healthy subjects. All patients underwent RNFL and GCC thickness measurement using SOCT Copernicus HR. All RNFL and GCC parameters were significantly lower in POAG than in OH and healthy subjects, especially Average RNFL, RNFL Superior and Inferior, GCC Average, and GGC Inferior. Of all RNFL parameters, the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was recorded for Average RNFL, 0.906. GCC Average, and GCC Superior and Inferior had the overall highest AUCs (0.957, 0.955 and 0.946, respectively) with 100% specificity. The RNFL Average and Inferior and GCC Average, Superior and Inferior were identified as the main predictors for development of glaucoma (p=0.015 and p=0.014 vs. p=0.002, p=0.002 and p=0.003, respectively). In conclusion, GCC parameters showed a slightly better glaucoma discriminating ability and were found to be better predictors for development of glaucoma as compared with RNFL.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess subjective, human aspect of the medical condition, evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and level of depressive symptoms in patients with watery eye and compare it with patients with two most common causes of visual deterioration: cataract and macular region pathology. The results of this study may serve to raise awareness of watery eye impact on a large number of patients and subsequently promote their treatment in order to restore full visual and life quality necessary for normal human functioning. Subjects and methods: In this prospective, randomised, questionnaire-based study, we have surveyed three groups of patients with a total of 210 patients: group with the watery eye of different etiology (n=69), group with one pseudophakic eye and one cataract eye (n=73) and group with the unilateral pathology of the macular region (n=68). All three groups underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination. To examine the overall quality of life we have used a modified vision-related quality of life questionnaire (VR-QOL) and to evaluate depression level "Beck Depression Inventory-2". The results were analyzed with statistical program STATISTICA 13. Results: Compared to group with unilateral cataract eye and to group with unilateral pathology of the macular region, the results of this study show that patients with watery eye have significantly decreased quality of life in all daily activities, particularly in outdoor activities (F=125.80, df=2/143, p<0.01), during sports (F=36.67, df=2/143, p<0.01) and interpersonal relations (F=18.73, df=2/143, p<0.01). Results between three groups showed that group with watering eye expressed highest depression level and group with one pseudophakic eye and the other cataract eye the lowest (F=25.86, df=2/207, p<0.01). Conclusion: Watery eye has a significant impact on vision-related quality of life. Our research showed that patients with watery eye had expressed more depressive symptoms than other groups, but still without statistically significant value. Since it affects a large and heterogenic group of patients it is important to be recognized on time and treated etiologically in attempt to restore full function and life quality. The results of this study may serve to raise awareness of watery eye impact on a large number of patients and subsequently promote their treatment in order to restore full visual and life quality necessary for normal functioning.