Retinal disease

These dru are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity. Hydroxychloroquine is contraindicated in patients with porphyria (a group of serious inherited disorders affecting the bone marrow or the liver), psoriasis (chronic skin disorder), and retinal disease (may cause irreversible retinal damage). MTX is contraindicated during pregnancy because it is a Pregnancy Category X dmg and may cause birth defects... 

A research direction based on a hypothesis over 200 years old, but only recently starting to emerge, proposes to evaluate the role of the MP for optimal visual performance, thus investigating lutein s and zeaxanthin s effects beyond risk reduction of retinal diseases. 

Allikmets, R, 2000. Simple and complex ABCR Genetic predisposition to retinal disease. Am J Hum Genet 67, 793-799. 

Radu, RA, Han, Y, Bui, TV, Nusinowitz, S, Bok, D, Lichter, J, Widder, K, Travis, GH, and Mata, NL, 2005. Reductions in serum vitamin A arrest accumulation of toxic retinal fluorophores A potential therapy for treatment of lipofuscin-based retinal diseases. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 46, 4393 4401. 

The experimental methods for evaluating the BRB transport in vivo and the ocular pharmacokinetics of systemic drug administration are relatively straightforward and have been in use for over two decades. Overall, they are useful as a guide for the selection of drug candidates for the treatment of retinal diseases. With the combined use of conventional in vivo methods and newly developed... 

Ocular effects Carefully examine the fundus prior to initiating therapy with pilocarpine. An association of ocular pilocarpine use and retinal detachment in patients with preexisting retinal disease has been reported. The systemic blood level that is associated with this finding is not known. 

Retinal detachment Retinal detachment has been caused by miotics in susceptible individuals, in individuals with pre-existing retinal disease, or in those who are predisposed to retinal tears. 

This suggests that adult hippocampal-derived neural progenitor and stem cells elicit limited capacity to differentiate into mature neuronal phenotypes of the retina, and that adult human retinal progenitor and stem cells may be valuable in the treatment of retinal diseases. 

Recent efforts have focused on using these highly regulated gene expression systems in gene therapies for disease. Applications include modification of stem cells (Moutsatsos et al., 2001), treatment of retinal diseases (Dejneka et al., 2001) and immunotherapy for cancer (Nakagawa et al., 2001). 

Dyes are used for diagnostic purposes the most important is sodium fluorescein, which is used fc>r the detection of retinal disease (e.g., diabetic retinopathy). Because of the risk of allergic response to the administration of dye (whether by injection or orally), patients must be advised of this potential adverse effect befiare consenting to the procedure. Forms are often used to document communication of risk and patients agreement to testing (Figure 5-2). 

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