Our findings suggest that fibrocytes may participate in the pathogenesis of TAO because they express relevant autoantigens such as IGF-I receptor and functional TSHR and differentially accumulate in orbital tissue in TAO.

BackgroundThe impacts of social restrictions for COVID-19 on children’s vision and lifestyle remain unknown.AimsTo investigate myopia incidence, spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and lifestyle changes among schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsTwo separate longitudinal cohorts of children aged 6–8 years in Hong Kong were included. The COVID-19 cohort was recruited at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, whereas the pre-COVID-19 cohort was recruited before the COVID-19 pandemic. All children received ocular examinations, and answered a standardised questionnaire relating to their lifestyle, including time spent on outdoor activities and near work, both at baseline and at follow-up visits.ResultsA total of 1793 subjects were recruited, of whom 709 children comprised the COVID-19 cohort with 7.89±2.30 months of follow-up, and 1084 children comprised the pre-COVID-19 cohort with 37.54±3.12 months of follow-up. The overall incidence was 19.44% in the COVID-19 cohort, and 36.57% in pre-COVID-19 cohort. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in SER and axial length was –0.50±0.51 D and 0.29±0.35 mm, respectively; the time spent on outdoor activities decreased from 1.27±1.12 to 0.41±0.90 hours/day (p<0.001), while screen time increased from 2.45±2.32 to 6.89±4.42 hours/day (p<0.001).ConclusionsWe showed a potential increase in myopia incidence, significant decrease in outdoor time and increase in screen time among schoolchildren in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results serve to warn eye care professionals, and also policy makers, educators and parents, that collective efforts are needed to prevent childhood myopia—a potential public health crisis as a result of COVID-19.

Purpose-To study the effectiveness of anti-CD20 (Rituximab, RTX, Rituxan®, Genentech Inc. USA) therapy in patients with severe, corticosteroid (CS)-resistant thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Design-Retrospective interventional case seriesParticipants-Six consecutive subjects with severe, progressive TAO unresponsive to CS.Methods-Electronic medical record review of consecutive patients receiving RTX during the previous 18 months. Responses to therapy were graded using standard clinical assessment and flowcytometric analysis of peripheral lymphocytes.Main outcome measures-Clinical activity score (CAS), proptosis, strabismus, treatment sideeffects, and quantification of regulatory T cells.Results-Six patients were studied. Systemic CS failed to alter clinical activity in all patients (CAS= 5.3 + 1.0 (mean + standard deviation) before vs 5.5 + 0.8 during therapy for 7.5+ 6.4 months,