Advanced Analysis Tools for Two Wavelength Autofluorescence Imaging of Macular Xanthophyll Carotenoids: ALSTAR2 Baseline.

Purpose: To allow exploration of xanthophyll carotenoids in vision and age-related macular degeneration progression using two-wavelength autofluorescence imaging for macular pigment optical density (MPOD), we developed tools for automatically centering and classifying the MPOD distribution pattern.

Methods: A subset of the ALSTAR2 baseline cohort (NCT04112667) and 44 eyes of adults aged 20 to 30 years with healthy maculas were imaged with optical coherence tomography and two-wavelength autofluorescence (MPOD module, Heidelberg Engineering). Images underwent a quality review.

Hypertransmission and vision in aging and age-related macular degeneration: longitudinal data from ALSTAR2.

Purpose: To investigate the presence of hypertransmission (HT) in normal aging, early (e)AMD, and intermediate (i)AMD, changes over 3 years, and the impact of HTs ≥ 250 µm (LHyperTD) on seven tests of scotopic, mesopic, and photopic vision.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Subjects: Participants of the Alabama Study on Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration 2.

Genetic Associations of Rod- and Cone-Mediated Vision in Aging and Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To compare genetic associations of rod- and cone-driven vision with those previously defined for delayed rod-mediated dark adaptation (RMDA), a functional risk indicator for incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: In adults aged ≥60 years with two normal eyes (per the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 9-step scale) or with AMD in one or both eyes, we measured RMDA at 5° superior retina, photopic vision (acuity, contrast sensitivity, light sensitivity), and mesopic vision (low luminance acuity and deficit). Vision associations of risk-conferring single-nucleotide polymorphisms in CFH and ARMS2 genes were adjusted for age and smoking and stratified for the presence of subretinal drusenoid deposit (SDD).

Early Photoreceptor Alterations After Retinal Detachment Repair.

Purpose: The importance of outer retinal microstructure, specifically the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ), was recently highlighted for visual recovery after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Quantitative assessment of the EZ/ELM reflectivity, termed the relative EZ reflectivity (rEZR), is a novel SD-OCT imaging biomarker for photoreceptor integrity. This study evaluates the rEZR's functional relevance after anatomically successful RRD repair, as well as its association with the surgical techniques.

Delayed Rod-Mediated Dark Adaptation Is Associated with Incidence and Early Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Alabama Study on Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration 2.

Purpose: To examine whether delayed rod-mediated dark adaptation (RMDA) in healthy older eyes and those with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with AMD incidence and progression at follow-up, as compared with other visual functions reliant on rods, cones, or mixed rod-cone mediation.

Design: Longitudinal study over 3 years.

Participants: Eyes from adults ≥60 years of age with normal macular health or with early AMD at baseline.

Oncological outcomes of breast cancer patients after planned IORT boost with low-kV x-rays-results of the TARGIT BQR prospective phase IV trial.

Purpose: The TARGIT BQR (boost quality registry) phase IV trial investigates clinical outcomes of breast cancer patients with standard external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) of the whole breast and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with low-kV x‑rays as an anticipated tumor bed boost in a real-world setting.

Methods: Intraoperative radiotherapy was performed immediately after breast-conserving surgery in one fraction. External-beam radiotherapy and systemic treatment were given according to the German S3 guideline for breast cancer and local tumor board recommendations.

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy, Vision, and Chorioretinal Asymmetries in Aging and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: ALSTAR2.

Purpose: Eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and some healthy aged eyes exhibit risk-indicating delays in rod-mediated dark adaptation (RMDA) and prolonged long spectral channel (LSC) lifetimes by fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) outer ring, especially nasally. To learn FLIO's potential for AMD detection, we correlate FLIO to RMDA.

Methods: The ALSTAR2 follow-up cohort underwent FLIO, color fundus photography, two-wavelength autofluorescence (for macular pigment optical density [MPOD]), visual function testing, including RMDA (rod intercept time [RIT]).

Topographic Analysis of Two-Wavelength Autofluorescence Supports Higher Macular Xanthophyll Pigment in AMD Than Aging: ALSTAR2 Baseline.

Purpose: To advance metabolic imaging of the high-risk macula lutea by quantifying the topography of macular pigment optical density (MPOD), measured with two-wavelength autofluorescence (2WAF), and quantitative (short-wavelength) autofluorescence (qAF) intensity, which share the same signal source and cross-retinal light path, in aging, early (e), and intermediate (i) age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: 2WAF and qAF images of 384 pseudophakic eyes of 230 persons (mean age, 74.2 ± 5.

Correlation of HLA-A and HLA-B/C Expression With PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer as a Potential Prognosticator of Favorable Survival.

Background/aim: Class 1 human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ensures that cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) attack tumor cells. As part of tumor de-differentiation, the expression of HLA on the tumor cell surface may decrease, which can facilitate tumor growth. Therefore, reduced expression of HLA is generally negatively associated with overall survival (OS).

Correlation of HLA-A and HLA-B/C Expression With ESR1 Expression in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer as a Potential Prognosticator of Favorable Distant Disease-free Survival.

Background/aim: The loss of breast cancer cell differentiation during metastatic progression leads to a down-regulation of class 1 human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression, which in turn hinders cytotoxic T lymphocytes from effectively preventing tumor cell proliferation. Consequently, one would expect that decreased HLA expression would correlate with decreased 5-year survival. However, estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is known to be positively associated with overall survival.

Prognostic Relevance of Relative Ellipsoid Zone Reflectivity for Ellipsoid Zone Loss in Macular Telangiectasia Type 2.

Purpose: The relative ellipsoid zone reflectivity (rEZR) is an innovative biomarker for photoreceptor alterations and showed association with disease staging in macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). However, its prognostic relevance for the ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss is unclear.

Methods: Longitudinal spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging of patients with MacTel from an observational natural history study was used for en face determination of manifest EZ loss.

Band Visibility in High-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography Assessed With a Custom Review Tool and Updated, Histology-Derived Nomenclature.

Purpose: For structure-function research at the transition of aging to age-related macular degeneration, we refined the current consensus optical coherence tomography (OCT) nomenclature and evaluated a novel review software for investigational high-resolution OCT imaging (HR-OCT; <3 µm axial resolution).

Method: Volume electron microscopy, immunolocalizations, histology, and investigational devices informed a refined OCT nomenclature for a custom ImageJ-based review tool to assess retinal band visibility. We examined effects on retinal band visibility of automated real-time averaging (ART) 9 and 100 (11 eyes of 10 healthy young adults), aging (10 young vs 22 healthy aged), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD; 22 healthy aged, 17 early (e)AMD, 15 intermediate (i)AMD).

Extent and Topography of Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits Associate With Rod-Mediated Vision in Aging and AMD: ALSTAR2 Baseline.

Purpose: In AMD, rod-mediated dark adaptation (RMDA) at 5° eccentricity is slower in eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) than in eyes without. Here we quantified SDD burden using supervised deep learning for comparison to vision and photoreceptor topography.

Methods: In persons ≥60 years from the Alabama Study on Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration 2, normal, early AMD, and intermediate AMD eyes were classified by the AREDS nine-step system.

Outer Retinal Thickness Is Associated With Cognitive Function in Normal Aging to Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and precursor states demonstrates a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (NFL) compared to age-similar controls. Because AD and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) both impact older adults and share risk factors, we asked if retinal layer thicknesses, including NFL, are associated with cognition in AMD.

Methods: Adults ≥ 70 years with normal retinal aging, early AMD, or intermediate AMD per Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) nine-step grading of color fundus photography were enrolled in a cross-sectional study.

ELLIPSOID ZONE RECOVERY IN MACULAR TELANGIECTASIA TYPE 2.

Purpose: To describe imaging features of macular telangiectasia type 2 eyes experiencing ellipsoid zone (EZ) recovery.

Methods: Macular telangiectasia type 2 patients with EZ recovery were identified from the Natural History and Observational Registry study and underwent retinal imaging including optical coherence tomography and fundus photography. Eyes were graded according to the classification system by Gass and Blodi, the EZ-loss area was measured, and optical coherence tomography parameters were assessed by two independent readers.

Association of Lesion Location and Functional Parameters with Vision-Related Quality of Life in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-related Macular Degeneration.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to determine how structural and functional parameters influence the vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in patients suffering from geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Design: This study was designed as a prospective, noninterventional, natural-history study (Directional Spread in Geographic-Atrophy study, NCT02051998).

Subjects: The research involved 82 patients with bilateral GA.

Human selection bias drives the linear nature of the more ground truth effect in explainable deep learning optical coherence tomography image segmentation.

Supervised deep learning (DL) algorithms are highly dependent on training data for which human graders are assigned, for example, for optical coherence tomography (OCT) image annotation. Despite the tremendous success of DL, due to human judgment, these ground truth labels can be inaccurate and/or ambiguous and cause a human selection bias. We therefore investigated the impact of the size of the ground truth and variable numbers of graders on the predictive performance of the same DL architecture and repeated each experiment three times.

Impact of lesion location and functional parameters on vision-related quality of life in geographic atrophy secondary to AMD.

Background/aims: The primary objective was to determine how structural and functional parameters influence the vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: This prospective, non-interventional, natural-history 'Directional Spread in Geographic-Atrophy' study was conducted at the University Eye Hospital in Bonn, enrolling 82 patients with bilateral GA. Parameters such as GA location (assessed by the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), low-luminance visual acuity (LLVA), reading acuity, and speed were examined.

Longitudinal cosmetic outcome after planned IORT boost with low kV X-rays-monocentric results from the TARGIT BQR registry.

Background: Intraoperative radiotherapy can serve as an anticipated boost (IORT boost) in combination with a subsequent external whole breast irradiation in high-risk breast cancer patients and is part of many guidelines. Nevertheless, there are only few prospective data available regarding cosmetic outcome after IORT boost using kV X-rays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cosmetic outcome of patients treated within the prospective phase IV TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy (TARGIT) Boost Quality Registry (BQR) study (NCT01440010) in one center.

Relative Ellipsoid Zone Reflectivity in Macular Telangiectasia Type 2.

Purpose: The relative ellipsoid zone reflectivity (rEZR) has been proposed as an innovative biomarker for photoreceptor integrity. This study evaluates the rEZR in macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) eyes of different disease stages.

Methods: The mean rEZR (ratio ellipsoid zone [EZ]/external limiting membrane [ELM] reflectivity [arbitrary units {AUs}], grey level range = 0-1) was analyzed for an entire spectral domain optical coherence tomography volume scan (global) and for each subfield of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid (topographic) in patients with MacTel and controls.