CMTF is a novel, reproducible technique for obtaining epithelial and corneal thickness measurements during clinical in vivo confocal microscopy of the cornea. More importantly, this methodology provides the first objective, quantitative approach for measurement and analysis of depth and thickness of corneal sub-layers which may prove uniquely valuable in temporally assessing corneal function.

No abstract

Excimer laser transepithelial photoablation induced significantly less keratocyte loss than manual epithelial debridement; however, photoablation was followed by a more intense inflammatory response and a greater increase in backscattering of light (haze) that was associated with increased keratocyte activation and myofibroblast transformation. Most important, the magnitude of corneal wound repair and the development and duration of corneal haze increased proportionally with increasing stromal photoablation depth (i.e., the volume of stromal tissue removal) but were unrelated to depth of initial keratocyte loss.

No abstract

Because it has been found that growth hormone (GH) treatment of GH-deficient adults is able to reduce the total fat mass, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of GH treatment in obese subjects. The investigation was a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in which nine obese females were treated with GH (0.03 mg.kg ideal body wt-1.day-1) and placebo for 5 wk. Body composition was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the quantity of intra-abdominal adipose tissue was determined by CT scan. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was determined in fat biopsies taken from the subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal region. GH treatment significantly reduced the total fat mass from 40.5 to 38.4 kg (i.e., 5% reduction of the total fat mass; P < 0.01), whereas the fat-free mass increased from 50.5 to 53.5 kg (P < 0.01). In addition, GH treatment significantly reduced the intra-abdominal adipose tissue determined by CT scan (reduction by 7 +/- 0.3%; P < 0.02). CT scan performed at the level of the femur showed a 7% reduction in adipose tissue and a 5% increase in muscle volume in the GH group (P < 0.05). Thus no clear regional differences in the GH-mediated reduction of the adipose tissue mass were observed. GH reduced the LPL activity by approximately 50% (P < 0.01) in the adipose tissue. Finally, GH treatment significantly increased the level of plasma free fatty acids (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This study confirms our earlier observations that increased corneal light reflectivity following PRK is predominantly due to: (1) distortion of the photoablated stromal surface leading to prominent reflections; and (2) increased reflections from activated and transformed keratocytes. Anti-TGFbeta reduced keratocyte activation and transformation and inhibited stromal fibrosis, leading to a reduction in early light reflectivity as well as to a more rapid decline. Of greatest interest is the unexpected finding that anti-TGFbeta treatment inhibited stromal fibrosis without reducing or delaying post-PRK stromal re-thickening. Based on these findings we propose that corneal thickness may be tightly and dynamically regulated by an unknown, non-TGFbeta mediated pathway. We propose that anti-TGFbeta treatment may be useful in reducing post-PRK corneal haze development in patients by: (1) inhibiting the recruitment of highly reflective, activated keratocytes, (2) inhibiting myofibroblast transformation, and 3) reducing stromal fibrosis.

No abstract

No abstract