Trace elements play an important role in the pathogenesis of several serious ophthalmological disorders, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataract, etc. This study aimed to measure alterations of chemical elements’ (67) levels in the aqueous humor of patients undergoing cataract surgery. The pilot study included 115 patients, (age 74 ± 7.27, female 64.35%, male 35.65%). The aqueous levels of elements were measured by the use of the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), quality controlled with certified standards. The classification of elements based on their concentration was achieved by hierarchical cluster analysis. This is the first screening study that quantifies over 60 elements which are present in the fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye of cataract patients. The obtained results can be suitable for understanding and identifying the causes that may play a role in the initiation and progression of lens opacity.

Haemodialysis (HD) is currently the most commonly used method of renal replacement therapy. The process of dialysis involves numerous changes that affect many systems, including the eye. The changes occurring in the course of HD may affect the ocular parameters, such as intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, retinal thickness, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, and choroidal thickness (CT). The choroid, being one of the most vascularized tissues, is characterized by the highest ratio of blood flow to tissue volume in the entire body, may be particularly susceptible to changes occurring during HD, and at the same time reflect the microcirculatory status and its response to HD. Patients with end-stage renal disease subjected to dialysis are highly susceptible to systemic microvascular dysfunction. Moreover, it is considered that the process of HD itself contributes to vascular dysfunction. Nowadays, thanks to the development of imaging techniques, the widely available optical coherence tomography (OCT) tests allow for the assessment of CT, while OCT-angiography allows for a quick, non-invasive, and repeatable assessment of the condition of retinal and choroidal microcirculation, which significantly expands our knowledge regarding the reaction of ocular microcirculation due to HD. The assessment of both retinal and choroidal circulation is even more attractive because retinal circulation is autoregulated, while choroidal circulation is mainly controlled by extrinsic autonomic innervation. Thus, assessment of the choroidal response to an HD session may provide the possibility to indirectly evaluate the functions of the autonomic system in patients subjected to HD. At a time when the importance of microcirculation in systemic and renal diseases is becoming increasingly evident, the assessment of ocular microcirculation appears to be a potential biomarker for assessing the condition of systemic microcirculation. In this work, we present a review of the literature on the effect of the HD session on CT and the retinal and choroidal microcirculation.

Pathological angiogenesis is correlated with many ophthalmic diseases. The most common are exudative age-related macular degeneration and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The current treatment for these diseases is based on regularly administered anti-VEGF antibodies injections. In the study, we investigated selected D₂ dopaminergic receptor agonists, namely bromocriptine, cabergoline and pergolide, on hypoxia-induced neovascularization. We used the zebrafish laboratory model, specifically three-day post fertilization (dpf) Tg(fli-1: EGFP) zebrafish larvae. To induce abnormal angiogenesis of hyaloid-retinal vessels (HRVs) and intersegmental vessels (ISVs), the larvae were treated with cobalt chloride (II) (CoCl₂) (a hypoxia-inducing agent) from 24 h post fertilization. The inhibitory role of D₂ dopaminergic receptor agonists was investigated using confocal microscopy and qPCR. Additionally, the results were compared to those obtained in the group treated with CoCl₂ followed by bevacizumab, the well-known antiangiogenic agent. Confocal microscopy analyses revealed severe deformation of vessels in the CoCl₂ treated group, while co-incubation with bromocriptine, cabergoline, pergolide and bevacizumab, respectively, significantly inhibited abnormalities of angiogenesis. The qPCR analyses supported the protective role of the chosen dopaminergic agonists by demonstrating their influence on CoCl₂-derived upregulation of vegfaa expression. The present results suggest that the D₂ receptor agonists can be considered as a new direction in research for antiangiogenic therapy.

Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is an emergency condition causing acute retinal ischemia and is considered an equivalent of ischemic stroke. The occurrence of an episode of RAO is associated with significant impairment of visual functions and correlates with an increased risk of future vascular events. Although RAO requires immediate diagnosis and treatment, there are currently no clear guidelines specifying optimal management. This review discusses current and future therapeutic strategies following an episode of RAO, including secondary prevention.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of a single haemodialysis (HD) session on the retinal and optic nerve morphology in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. Methods: It is a prospective study including only the right eye of 35 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients subjected to HD. Each patient underwent a full eye examination 30 min before HD (8 a.m.) and 15 min after HD. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to assess the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) thickness, macular nerve fibre layer (mRNFL) thickness, ganglion cell layer with inner plexiform layer thickness (GCL+), GCL++ (mRNFL and GCL+) thickness, total retinal thickness (RT) and total macular volume (TMV). The correlation was tested between such systemic parameters changes as systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), body weight, plasma osmolarity and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) and ultrafiltration volume with total RT and pRNFL thickness changes during HD. Results: In the results of a single HD session, we could observe a statistically significant increase in the total RT thickness (pre-HD 270.4 ± 19.94 μm, post-HD 272.14 ± 20.11 μm; p = 0.0014), TMV (pre-HD 7.48 ± 0.53 mm³, post-HD 7.52 ± 0.55 mm³; p = 0.0006), total pRNFL thickness (pre-HD 97.46 ± 15.71 μm, post-HD 100.23 ± 14.7 μm; p = 0.0039), total GCL+ thickness (pre-HD 70.11 ± 9.24 μm, post-HD 70.6 ± 9.7 μm; p = 0.0044), and GCL++ thickness (pre-HD 97.46 ± 12.56 μm, post-HD 97.9 ± 12.94 μm; p = 0.0081). We observed a significant correlation between the change in total RT and DBP change, as well as between body weight change and the change in total pRNFL thickness. There was also a correlation between total pRNFL thickness change and the presence of diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Even a single HD session affects the retinal and pRNFL thickness, which should be taken into account when interpreting the OCT results in patients subjected to HD. The impact of changes after a single HD session on selected parameters requires further assessment in subsequent studies, including long-term observation.

Background/Objectives: Dry-eye disease (DED) is a disorder of the eye surface associated, among other things, with tear film instability. It can lead to abnormal biometry results, especially with respect to keratometry. DED is more common in the elderly population. Its prevalence is often underestimated. Failure to provide adequate treatment prior to biometry may result in refractive errors after cataract surgery. The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of DED on refractive predictability in cataract surgery and assess whether short, preoperative ocular-surface optimization reduces the mean absolute error (MAE) of postoperative refraction, regardless of DED. Methods: Seventy patients undergoing cataract surgery were divided into three groups: A—individuals with DED who were receiving treatment; B—individuals without DED who were receiving treatment; and C—a control group. In all groups, biometry was performed twice, before and after treatment (groups A and B) or at two-week intervals without treatment (group C). All of the individuals underwent cataract surgery. Refractive error was calculated one month after surgery for both biometry measurements (before and after treatment). Results: After dry eye treatment, a reduction in refractive error was achieved in both groups with and without DED. The MAE in the group with DED was 0.39 ± 0.31 vs. 0.27 ± 0.30 (p < 0.001), and the MAE for those without DED was 0.30 ± 0.25 vs. 0.24 ± 0.20 (p = 0.043). No significant differences in biometric measurements were observed in any of the groups. The most variable parameter was corneal astigmatism in the DED group. Conclusions: Proper preparation of the eye surface for biometric measurement reduces refractive errors after surgery.