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Top-nine from the Chinese Glaucoma Society Meeting
Beijing, PR China, December 8-11, 2008

Ningli Wang

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1. The Guangzhou Twin Eye Study showed that the heritability is approximately 70-90% for axial anterior chamber depth and drainage angle width, 60% for iris thickness and 80% for optic disc parameters. The variations of biometric traits that related to drainage angle dimension and glaucoma are largely attributable to genetic effects. (H. Mingguang, Guangzhou, PR China)
2. Several glaucoma-related genes were located in the region 2p15 ~ 2p16.3 among 34 individuals of the Li Pedigree in Chong qing, confirming the previous results of SP Suriyapperuma in a younger and more consistent population. (H. Xiangge, ChongQing, PR China)
3. Retinal seed cells could be obtained from neural progenitors, bone marrow stem cells, epidermal stem cells, fibroblasts and retinoblastoma tumor stem cells, opening a potential therapeutic opportunity for irreversible retinal blinding diseases. (G. Jian, Guangzhou, PR China)
4. Elevated IOP leads to increased levels of extracellular ATP in the anterior chamber. This elevated ATP may contribute to the pain experienced during acute glaucoma episodes, and may cause increase of adenosine levels in the anterior chamber. Whether long-term high IOP in chronic glaucoma patients also induces ATP level increases remains to be investigated. (Alan Laties, Philadelphia, PA, USA)
5. Rats undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery (GFS) developed antigen-specific delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) while those with sham filtering surgery or cervical lymph node (CLN) excision failed to do so. After GFS, te percentage of FITC-positive cells in CLNs was significantly increased on day 1, but not on days 3, 5, 7, or 12 post-antigen injection. These data indicate that GFS prevents the induction of ACAID in rats and that antigen drainage to CLNs plays a critical role in this process, indicating that the ocular immune status might be altered by GFS. (Hui Lu, Beijing, PR China)
6. Electroporation is an effective method for gene delivery into RGCs and RPE cells in vivo. This new method may potentially be used for treatment of diseases leading to optic nerve fibers damage, such as glaucoma. (Meng Zhang, Shanghai, PR China)
7. Subconjunctival bevacizumab administration, used as an adjunct treatment to trabeculectomy, was effective in reducing IOP in eyes with failed prior laser or surgical treatment. (Jaewan Chol, Incheon, Korea)
8. Chinese patients with Primary Dispersion Syndrome have homogeneous TM pigmentation and pigment granule dusting on lens zonules and/or posterior peripheral lens surface., while iris transillumination defects are uncommon. (Guoping Qing, Beijing, PR China)
9. The stereometric ONH parameters provided by the HRT II are interdependent and have small normal ranges. The authors conclude that the first five do not have sufficient accuracy for early diagnosis, and recommend the use of the sectional disc rim area. (Zeqin Ren, Beijing, PR China)