Background Low temperature plasmas have been proposed in medicine as agents for tissue disinfection and have received increasing attention due to the frequency of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This study explored whether atmospheric-pressure cold plasma (APCP) generated by a new portable device that ionizes a flow of helium gas can inactivate ocular pathogens without causing significant tissue damage. Methodology/Principal Findings We tested the APCP effects on cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , Candida albicans , Aspergillus fumigatus and Herpes simplex virus-1, ocular cells (conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes) and ex-vivo corneas. Exposure to APCP for 0.5 to 5 minutes significantly reduced microbial viability (colony-forming units) but not human cell viability (MTT assay, FACS and Tunel analysis) or the number of HSV-1 plaque-forming units. Increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in exposed microorganisms and cells were found using a FACS-activated 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe. Immunoassays demonstrated no induction of thymine dimers in cell cultures and corneal tissues. A transient increased expression of 8-OHdG, genes and proteins related to oxidative stress (OGG1, GPX, NFE2L2), was determined in ocular cells and corneas by HPLC, qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Conclusions A short application of APCP appears to be an efficient and rapid ocular disinfectant for bacteria and fungi without significant damage on ocular cells and tissues, although the treatment of conjunctival fibroblasts and keratocytes caused a time-restricted generation of intracellular ROS and oxidative stress-related responses.

Even though allergic conjunctivitis is often associated to allergic rhinitis, epidemiology studies frequently do not include specific ophthalmological evaluations. An understanding of allergic conjunctivitis disease, its prevalence, demographics and treatment paradigms will provide important information towards understanding its pharmacoeconomics and burden on the national health systems.

An understanding of ocular allergic disease, its incidence, demographics, and treatment paradigms provides important information towards understanding its pharmacoeconomics and burden on the national health system.

Purpose To evaluate the effects of carbomer sodium hyaluronate trehalose (CHT) and sodium hyaluronate eye drops on tear film stability and ocular discomfort after cataract surgery. Setting Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Rovigo, Italy. Design Prospective randomized case-control study. Patients and methods This study enrolled sixty patients scheduled for unilateral cataract surgery. After phacoemulsification, subjects received carbomer sodium hyaluronate trehalose (trehalose group) or sodium hyaluronate tears (HG group) substitute and were assessed through objective (break up time, corneal and conjunctival staining) and subjective (OSDI questionnaire) clinical evaluations after a two times a day topical administration. Outcome measures were collected preoperatively (baseline), one week (day 7) and 1 month (day 30) after surgery. Finally, each patient was asked to give his personal treatment satisfaction score. Results Trehalose group showed a steeper break up time (BUT) increase compared to patient treated with hyaluronic acid ( P <0.001). OSDI questionnaire presented a opposite trend, trehalose patients evidenced a significantly major improvement ( P <0.001), and in seven days mean values reduced by more than three times. Fluorescein staining reduction was documented with both treatments, although there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Finally CHT resulted in a significantly greater global satisfaction score ( P <0.001). Conclusions CHT was effective and well tolerated in reducing dry eye disease symptoms and improving the clinical outcome after cataract surgery. On some parameters (BUT, OSDI), this new formulation was more effective than commonly used sodium hyaluronate in treating ocular irritation and tear film alterations.

Oxford and Van Bijsterveld scores are not adequate for the evaluation of the epithelial damage in patients with limbal VKC because the staining patterns considered for these tests do not correspond to the staining patterns in patients with VKC. We propose a new scoring system, VKC-CLEK, to better evaluate both limbal and tarsal epithelial damage in patients with VKC.