Systemic polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were shown to improve the symptoms of dry eye syndrome due to their anti-inflammatory effects. This study evaluated the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of PUFAs on human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. HCE cells were incubated for 2 hours with different concentrations of PUFAs: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and linoleic acid (LA). Oleic acid (OA) and dexamethasone (DM) served as negative and positive controls, respectively. Cells were stimulated with either polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) complex. The protein contents and mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and TNF-α were evaluated with multiplex fluorescent bead immunoassay and real-time PCR, respectively. The expression of inhibitory factor-κBα (I-κBα) was evaluated with real-time PCR. The protein and mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly increased after stimulation with LPS or poly I:C. Following treatment with ALA, a significant decrease was demonstrated in the protein content of TNF-α to 23.81% (P < 0.001), IL-6 to 46.71% (P < 0.001), IL-1β to 20.86% (P < 0.05), and IL-8 to 52.21% (P < 0.001). Similar results were demonstrated at the mRNA level. The anti-inflammatory effects of ALA were similar to those of DM for all of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. The ALA inhibition of the pro-inflammatory cytokines was associated with a significant reduction of I-κBα. ALA may serve as a potent anti-inflammatory agent in ocular surface inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects of ALA are comparable to those of corticosteroids, and are mediated through NF-κB signal transduction.

The new Corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a single-stranded RNA virus. Human-to-human transmission occurs mainly by air droplets up to 1-m distance and contact with contaminated surfaces or hands [1, 2]. The virus is effectively inactivated by ethanol and chlorine-containing disinfectants [3]. Intravitreal injections (IVI) have become the most commonly performed ophthalmic procedure. Patients requiring IVI therapy are often at increased risk for complications associated with COVID-19 given their age and comorbidities. These patients can pass through multiple stations in clinics, including the reception, waiting halls, visual acuity testing room, imaging suite, physician, and injection rooms. In addition, slit-lamp examination and the injection procedure itself expose both patient and treating physician as they create a close face-to-face contact between them. All the above, combined with the current high volume of IVI, poses a significant public health risk for COVID-19 transmission. Conversely, withholding IVI can cause irreversible vision loss in some patients.

Background: Existing research on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and astigmatism yields inconsistent results. This study analyses this association in a nationally representative sample of adolescents.Methods: This retrospective, cross‐sectional study included Israeli adolescents who underwent medical assessments before mandatory military service between 2011 and 2022. BMI was categorised based on the US age‐ and sex‐matched percentiles. Astigmatism was categorised by magnitude [low‐moderate: 0.75 to <3.00 diopters (D), high: ≥3.00 D], and axis orientation [with‐the‐rule (WTR), against‐the‐rule (ATR), or oblique (OBL)]. Sex‐stratified regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables were used.Results: Of 935 989 adolescents evaluated, 887 325 were included [511 465 (57.6%) males, mean age 17.2 years]. Astigmatism was diagnosed in 123 675 (13.9%) adolescents, of whom 117 081 (13.2%) had low‐moderate and 6594 (0.7%) had high astigmatism. WTR astigmatism was the most prevalent (8.2%), followed by ATR (4.1%) and OBL (1.6%) types. Compared with low‐normal BMI (5th to 50th percentile), the adjusted ORs for total astigmatism increased with increasing BMI, peaking at 1.65 (1.57–1.74) in males and 1.74 (1.64–1.86) in females with severe obesity. ORs were accentuated for high astigmatism, reaching 3.51 (3.01–4.09) in males, and 3.45 (2.83–4.22) in females with severe obesity. WTR astigmatism demonstrated the strongest association with BMI, with ORs reaching 2.26 (2.13–2.40) in males and 2.04 (1.90–2.20) in females with severe obesity. The results persisted in a series of subgroup analyses.Conclusions: Obesity is associated with higher odds of astigmatism in adolescence. Further investigation into the role of weight management in astigmatism development is warranted.

To evaluate whether migraine is associated with an increased risk of developing central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) using a large real-world electronic medical record dataset. Retrospective cohort study. Adults aged 18-40 years with a diagnosis of migraine were identified from the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network and compared to individuals without migraine or other headache syndromes who underwent routine medical examinations. Patients with a history of CSCR or corticosteroid use within one month before or after the index migraine diagnosis were excluded. All patients had at least one year of follow-up data after the index date. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed in a 1:1 ratio to balance baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Time-to-event analysis was conducted using Cox proportional hazards models and log-rank tests. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of the association across sex, migraine subtypes (with and without aura), age range, follow-up duration, corticosteroid exposure, and an alternative multivariable Cox regression in the full cohorts. Additional analyses evaluated the effect of migraine-related medications on CSCR risk. Incident CSCR within five years of the index date. The E-value was calculated to evaluate robustness against unmeasured confounding. After matching, 413,663 patients with balanced baseline characteristics remained per cohort. During a five-year follow-up, migraine patients demonstrated a higher risk of CSCR compared with controls (1.43 vs. 0.51 per 10,000), with an HR of 2.74 (95% CI, 1.66-4.51). The calculated E-value was 4.92 for the observed HR and 2.71 for the lower confidence bound. The association remained consistent across all subgroups and sensitivity analyses. Positive and negative control outcomes further supported the specificity and internal validity of the associations. Analysis of medication exposure showed no significant differences in CSCR risk across nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, topiramate, valproate, and antidepressants. Migraine was associated with a significantly increased risk of incident CSCR in a large, real-world cohort. The consistency of this association across multiple analyses suggests a potential shared pathophysiologic mechanism warranting further investigation.