Background: To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with myopia and high myopia in children in South Korea. Methods: A total of 983 children 5–18 years of age who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2017 (KNHANES VII), a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study, were evaluated. Myopia and high myopia were defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ − 0.5 diopters (D) and SE ≤ --6.0 D. The association between refractive errors and potential risk factors for myopia was analyzed. Results: The prevalence of myopia and high myopia was 65.4 and 6.9%, respectively. Older age and parental myopia were significantly associated with both myopia and high myopia, while higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with high myopia only. Although the proportion of subjects who spent more time on near work activities (≥4 h/day) was sequentially increased with increased refractive error, this tendency was not statistically significant by multivariable logistic regression. Conclusions: Korean children had a high prevalence of myopia and high myopia. In this age group, the risk of myopia increased with aging and parental myopia. Higher BMI may be associated with high myopia.

We investigated the role of nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) under hyperosmotic conditions in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs). Hyperosmotic stress decreased the viability of human lens epithelial B-3 cells and significantly increased NFAT5 expression. Hyperosmotic stress-induced cell death occurred to a greater extent in NFAT5-knockout (KO) cells than in NFAT5 wild-type (NFAT5 WT) cells. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl expression was down-regulated in NFAT5 WT cells and NFAT5 KO cells under hyperosmotic stress. Pre-treatment with a necroptosis inhibitor (necrostatin-1) significantly blocked hyperosmotic stress-induced death of NFAT5 KO cells, but not of NFAT5 WT cells. The phosphorylation levels of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1) and RIP3, which indicate the occurrence of necroptosis, were up-regulated in NFAT5 KO cells, suggesting that death of these cells is predominantly related to the necroptosis pathway. This finding is the first to report that necroptosis occurs when lens epithelial cells are exposed to hyperosmolar conditions, and that NFAT5 is involved in this process.

Background/Objectives: To describe the study protocol and baseline characteristics of participants in the Myopic Normal-Tension Glaucoma Treatment Study (MYNT-GTS), which is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering treatment on glaucoma progression in eyes with myopic normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods: A prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial and baseline cross-sectional analysis. The study enrolled 473 treatment-naïve NTG eyes with myopia (spherical equivalent ≤ −1.0 diopters or axial length [AXL] > 24.0 mm) aged 20–60 years from 9 tertiary referral centers in South Korea. Participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio into a treated group and an untreated group managed by active surveillance, and stratified by age, baseline IOP, AXL, and visual field (VF) mean deviation (MD). Treatment was initiated or intensified when predefined structural or functional progression was detected. Comprehensive examinations including quantitative assessments of the optic nerve head structure and microvasculature, medication adherence, and quality of life were performed every 4 months during the first year and every 6 months thereafter. Glaucoma progression was assessed from the rate of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning, and the rate of VF deterioration was assessed from the MD or visual field index (VFI). Results: The 473 enrolled participants comprised 239 assigned to the treated group and 234 to the untreated group. Most of the baseline variables did not differ significantly between the groups, including age (43.1 ± 9.1 vs. 43.9 ± 9.1 years [mean ± standard deviation], p = 0.33), baseline IOP (14.9 ± 2.6 vs. 14.7 ± 2.5 mmHg, p = 0.26), AXL (26.31 ± 1.37 vs. 26.32 ± 1.34 mm, p = 0.94), global RNFL thickness (79.5 ± 11.4 vs. 80.5 ± 13.2 μm, p = 0.38), and VF MD (−2.71 ± 2.58 vs. −2.32 ± 2.52 dB, p = 0.10). Conclusions: The vast majority of the analyzed variables did not differ significantly between the treated and untreated groups at baseline, supporting the validity of the subsequent comparisons. As the first prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial dedicated to myopic NTG, the MYNT-GTS should clarify the efficacy of IOP-lowering treatment and inform the individualized management of myopic NTG. Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea, KCT0005225.