Epidemiologic studies indicate a decreased incidence of most cancer types in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. However, some neoplasms are associated with a higher risk of occurrence in PD patients. Both pathologies share some common biological pathways. Although the etiologies of PD and cancer are multifactorial, some factors associated with PD, such as α-synuclein aggregation; mutations of PINK1, PARKIN, and DJ-1; mitochondrial dysfunction; and oxidative stress can also be involved in cancer proliferation or cancer suppression. The main protein associated with PD, i.e., α-synuclein, can be involved in some types of neoplastic formations. On the other hand, however, its downregulation has been found in the other cancers. PINK1 can act as oncogenic or a tumor suppressor. PARKIN dysfunction may lead to some cancers’ growth, and its expression may be associated with some tumors’ suppression. DJ-1 mutation is involved in PD pathogenesis, but its increased expression was found in some neoplasms, such as melanoma or breast, lung, colorectal, uterine, hepatocellular, and nasopharyngeal cancers. Both mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are involved in PD and cancer development. The aim of this review is to summarize the possible associations between PD and carcinogenesis.

An objective and noninvasive examination of pupil size variability can be used to assess the activity of the autonomous nervous system. We designed a system that enables binocular, fast, and accurate recordings of different types of pupil variabilities, which are synchronous with other biosignals. This type of measurement system is needed to extend the scope of pupillometry applications. In the proposed system, the left and right eyes are independently and interchangeably illuminated to generate alternating images, which are successively acquired by a single camera. The system is composed of four functional modules: the image acquisition module, the image processing unit, the light stimulator, and the controller. The proposed image processing algorithm approximates the shape of the pupil using the best-fit ellipse. The user control panel (controller) precisely sets the stimuli parameters and controls the entire measurement procedure. The computer-based binocular system records the pupil size during the pupil light reflexes (direct and indirect) and spontaneous pupil size fluctuations, at a sampling rate up to 75 Hz, with a resolution better than 0.02 mm. Our initial laboratory tests confirmed that the new system is fast and precise (system accuracy better than 0.5% and repeatability better than 4%). The proposed system’s unique geometry and construction, and the method it uses to detect images from each eye, allows us to monitor the right and left eyes using a single camera with no overlap between the images. The system does not require a very experienced operator, because it is relatively simple and easy to use. Importantly, it is comfortable for the subjects. Additionally, the presented system can operate with other bio-measurement systems using a synchronous signal. These system capabilities can expand the scope of pupillometry research applications.

Ocular-involving paraneoplastic syndromes present a wide variety of clinical symptoms. Understanding the background pathophysiological and immunopathological factors can help make a more refined differential diagnosis consistent with the signs and symptoms presented by patients. There are two main pathophysiology arms: (1) autoimmune pathomechanism, which is presented with cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR), melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR), cancer-associated cone dysfunction (CACD), paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy (PVM), and paraneoplastic optic neuritis (PON), and (2) ectopic peptides, which is often caused by tumor-expressed growth factors (T-exGF) and presented with bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP). Meticulous systematic analysis of patient symptoms is a critical diagnostic step, complemented by multimodal imaging, which includes fundus photography, optical coherent tomography, fundus autofluorescence, fundus fluorescein angiography, electrophysiological examination, and sometimes fundus indocyjanin green angiography if prescribed by the clinician. Assessment of the presence of circulating antibodies is required for diagnosis. Antiretinal autoantibodies are highly associated with visual paraneoplastic syndromes and may guide diagnosis by classifying clinical manifestations in addition to monitoring treatment.

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the effect of sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) on the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2). Methods: We systematically searched the databases Pubmed, Embase, and Clinicaltrials up to October 2, 2023, for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of drugs from the GLP-1RA, SGLT-2i, and DPP-4i groups, with at least 24 weeks duration, including adult patients with DM2 and reported ocular complications. A pairwise meta-analysis was performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of DR incidents. Results: Our study included 61 RCTs with a total of 188,463 patients and 2773 DR events. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that included drug groups did not differ in the risk of DR events: GLP1-RA vs. placebo (OR 1.08; CI 95% 0.94, 1.23), DPP-4i vs. placebo (OR 1.10; CI 95% 0.84, 1.42), SGLT2i vs. placebo (OR 1.02; CI 95% 0.76, 1.37). Empagliflozin may be associated with a lower risk of DR, but this sub-analysis included only three RCTs (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.17, 0.88, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Based on currently available knowledge, it is challenging to conclude that the new antidiabetic drugs significantly differ in their effect on DR complications.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of postoperative management with 5-fluorouracil injections after XEN Gel Stent implantation. Methods: Prospective real-world evidence study included 39 eyes (of 36 patients) with primary open-angle glaucoma without previous glaucoma surgery and with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma progression, or intolerance to IOP-lowering therapy. Patients underwent mitomycin C-augmented XEN implantation either as a stand-alone procedure or combined with cataract extraction. 5-Fluorouracil subconjunctival injections were a first-choice therapy for bleb failure and were administered according to predetermined criteria (analogous to pro re nata regimen in age-related macular degeneration treatment). Primary outcome was unqualified success, defined as postoperative IOP < 18 mmHg and > 20% reduction from medicated baseline without any antiglaucoma medications and no detected glaucoma progression. Results: At median follow-up of 8 months (range 3–24 months), IOP decreased from a medicated baseline value of 23 mmHg (95% CI 21–24 mmHg) to 13 mmHg (95% CI 12–15 mmHg) and number of medications decreased from 3 (95% CI 2–3) to 0 (p < 0.0001 for both). Median number of 5-fluorouracil injections per eye was 3 (95% CI 2–3), and median time to first injection was 0.5 months (95% CI 0.25–3 months) after surgery. Thirteen eyes (33.3%) underwent ≥ 1 needling, and surgical revision was performed in three cases (7.7%). The primary outcome measure, which allows performing additional procedures, was achieved in 27 eyes (69%). Conclusions: 5-Fluorouracil subconjunctival injections are safe and effective in postoperative management of bleb failure after XEN implantation and represent a viable alternative to other methods.

Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome resulting in progressive loss of vision and clinical signs of retinal degeneration. It is associated with various types of cancer and is also considered to be an autoimmune disorder that involves cross-reaction between autoantibodies and retinal proteins. The aim of this study was to establish whether immunoreactivity to retinal antigens (RAs) observed in patients with breast cancer is accompanied by any visual impairments. Sera of 295 patients with diagnosed breast cancer were screened for the presence of anti-RAs antibodies using immunoblotting. Cellular immunoreactivity to RAs present in retinal extracts and to purified recoverin and arrestin was determined by means of a lymphocyte proliferation assay. Six patients with high-titer antibodies to RAs then underwent ophthalmic and neurological examinations. Four serum samples contained high-titer antibodies to a 46-kDa protein, most probably retinal α-enolase, three had antibodies to a 48-kDa protein identified as retinal arrestin, while 56-, 43-, 41-, and 34-kDa antigens were recognized only by one serum sample each. Moreover, weak cellular response to all the RAs tested was observed in one patient and another patient responded only to retinal extract. Two of the examined patients displayed symptoms of CAR. Immunoreactivity to RAs in patients with breast cancer may also be present in cases without clinical signs of CAR.