Aim-To assess the ocular eVect of interferon alfa 2b prescribed with ribavirin in patients undergoing therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Methods-19 patients with chronic hepatitis C who satisfied the follow up criteria were assessed for ocular complications using slit lamp biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy before, during, and after the treatment at regular intervals. Results-8/19 patients, while on treatment, developed an asymptomatic retinopathy. Among these 3/8 were relapsers and 5/9 were non-responders to interferon monotherapy. All retinal changes faded, often while the patients continued the therapy. There was no significant association in occurrence of retinopathy with haematological and/or biochemical changes. Conclusion-Retinopathy was more common in interferon monotherapy nonresponders than relapsers when treated with interferon alfa 2b with the addition of ribavirin. The changes were transient, disappearing while the patients were still being treated.

The culture of tumor cell lines in three-dimensional scaffolds is considered to more closely replicate the in vivo tumor microenvironment than the standard method of two-dimensional cell culture. We hypothesized that our method of encapsulating and maintaining viable and functional pancreatic islets in agarose-agarose macrobeads (diameter 6-8 mm) might provide a novel method for the culture of tumor cell lines. In this report we describe and characterize tumor colonies that form within macrobeads seeded with mouse renal adenocarcinoma cells. Approximately 1% of seeded tumor cells survive in the macrobead and over several months form discrete elliptical colonies appearing as tumor cell niches with increasing metabolic activity in parallel to colony size. The tumor colonies demonstrate ongoing cell turnover as shown by BrdU incorporation and activated caspase-3 and TUNEL staining. Genes upregulated in the tumor colonies of the macrobead are likely adaptations to this novel environment, as well as an amplification of G 1 /S cell-cycle checkpoints. The data presented, including SCA-1 and Oct4 positivity and the upregulation of stem cell-like genes such as those associated with the Wnt pathway, support the notion that the macrobead selects for a subpopulation of cells with cancer stem cell or cancer progenitor properties. Cancer Res; 71(3); 716-24. Ó2011 AACR.