Browsing by Author "Hartnett, M. Elizabeth"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Activation of Rap1 inhibits NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS generation in retinal pigment epithelium and reduces choroidal neovascularization
    (Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, 2014-01) Wang, Haibo; Jiang, Yanchao; Shi, Dallas; Quilliam, Lawrence A.; Chrzanowska-Wodnicka, Magdalena; Wittchen, Erika S.; Li, Dean Y.; Hartnett, M. Elizabeth; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IU School of Medicine
    Activation of Rap1 GTPase can improve the integrity of the barrier of the retina pigment epithelium (RPE) and reduce choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Inhibition of NADPH oxidase activation also reduces CNV. We hypothesize that Rap1 inhibits NADPH oxidase-generated ROS and thereby reduces CNV formation. Using a murine model of laser-induced CNV, we determined that reduced Rap1 activity in RPE/choroid occurred with CNV formation and that activation of Rap1 by 2'-O-Me-cAMP (8CPT)-reduced laser-induced CNV via inhibiting NADPH oxidase-generated ROS. In RPE, inhibition of Rap1 by Rap1 GTPase-activating protein (Rap1GAP) increased ROS generation, whereas activation of Rap1 by 8CPT reduced ROS by interfering with the assembly of NADPH oxidase membrane subunit p22phox with NOX4 or cytoplasmic subunit p47phox. Activation of NADPH oxidase with Rap1GAP reduced RPE barrier integrity via cadherin phosphorylation and facilitated choroidal EC migration across the RPE monolayer. Rap1GAP-induced ROS generation was inhibited by active Rap1a, but not Rap1b, and activation of Rap1a by 8CPT in Rap1b(-/-) mice reduced laser-induced CNV, in correlation with decreased ROS generation in RPE/choroid. These findings provide evidence that active Rap1 reduces CNV by interfering with the assembly of NADPH oxidase subunits and increasing the integrity of the RPE barrier.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Genetic predictors of severe intraventricular hemorrhage in extremely low-birthweight infants
    (Springer Nature, 2021) Thornburg, Courtney D.; Erickson, Stephen W.; Page, Grier P.; Clark, Erin A. S.; DeAngelis, Margaret M.; Hartnett, M. Elizabeth; Goldstein, Ricki F.; Dagle, John M.; Murray, Jeffrey C.; Poindexter, Brenda B.; Das, Abhik; Cotten, C. Michael; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Objective: To test associations between grades 3 or 4 (severe) intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with coagulation, inflammation, angiogenesis, and organ development in an exploratory study. Study design: Extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) infants enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network's (NRN) Cytokines Study were included if they had cranial ultrasound (CUS) and genotyping data available in the NRN Anonymized DNA Repository and Database. Associations between SNPs and IVH severity were tested with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Result: One hundred thirty-nine infants with severe IVH and 687 infants with grade 1 or 0 IVH were included. One thousand two hundred seventy-nine SNPs were genotyped. Thirteen were preliminarily associated with severe IVH including five related to central nervous system (CNS) neuronal and neurovascular development. Conclusion: Genetic variants for CNS neuronal and neurovascular development may be associated with severe IVH in premature infants.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity, Third Edition
    (Elsevier, 2021) Chiang, Michael F.; Quinn, Graham E.; Fielder, Alistair R.; Ostmo, Susan R.; Chan, R. V. Paul; Berrocal, Audina; Binenbaum, Gil; Blair, Michael; Campbell, J. Peter; Capone, Antonio, Jr.; Chen, Yi; Dai, Shuan; Ells, Anna; Fleck, Brian W.; Good, William V.; Hartnett, M. Elizabeth; Holmstrom, Gerd; Kusaka, Shunji; Kychenthal, Andrés; Lepore, Domenico; Lorenz, Birgit; Martinez-Castellanos, Maria Ana; Özdek, Şengül; Ademola-Popoola, Dupe; Reynolds, James D.; Shah, Parag K.; Shapiro, Michael; Stahl, Andreas; Toth, Cynthia; Vinekar, Anand; Visser, Linda; Wallace, David K.; Wu, Wei-Chi; Zhao, Peiquan; Zin, Andrea; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Purpose: The International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity is a consensus statement that creates a standard nomenclature for classification of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It was initially published in 1984, expanded in 1987, and revisited in 2005. This article presents a third revision, the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity, Third Edition (ICROP3), which is now required because of challenges such as: (1) concerns about subjectivity in critical elements of disease classification; (2) innovations in ophthalmic imaging; (3) novel pharmacologic therapies (e.g., anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents) with unique regression and reactivation features after treatment compared with ablative therapies; and (4) recognition that patterns of ROP in some regions of the world do not fit neatly into the current classification system. Design: Review of evidence-based literature, along with expert consensus opinion. Participants: International ROP expert committee assembled in March 2019 representing 17 countries and comprising 14 pediatric ophthalmologists and 20 retinal specialists, as well as 12 women and 22 men. Methods: The committee was initially divided into 3 subcommittees-acute phase, regression or reactivation, and imaging-each of which used iterative videoconferences and an online message board to identify key challenges and approaches. Subsequently, the entire committee used iterative videoconferences, 2 in-person multiday meetings, and an online message board to develop consensus on classification. Main outcome measures: Consensus statement. Results: The ICROP3 retains current definitions such as zone (location of disease), stage (appearance of disease at the avascular-vascular junction), and circumferential extent of disease. Major updates in the ICROP3 include refined classification metrics (e.g., posterior zone II, notch, subcategorization of stage 5, and recognition that a continuous spectrum of vascular abnormality exists from normal to plus disease). Updates also include the definition of aggressive ROP to replace aggressive-posterior ROP because of increasing recognition that aggressive disease may occur in larger preterm infants and beyond the posterior retina, particularly in regions of the world with limited resources. ROP regression and reactivation are described in detail, with additional description of long-term sequelae. Conclusions: These principles may improve the quality and standardization of ROP care worldwide and may provide a foundation to improve research and clinical care.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Plasma Levels of Bevacizumab and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor After Low-Dose Bevacizumab Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity in Infants
    (American Medical Association, 2022) Hartnett, M. Elizabeth; Wallace, David K.; Dean, Trevano W.; Li, Zhuokai; Boente, Charline S.; Dosunmu, Eniolami O.; Freedman, Sharon F.; Golden, Richard P.; Kong, Lingkun; Prakalapakorn, S. Grace; Repka, Michael X.; Smith, Lois E.; Wang, Haibo; Kraker, Raymond T.; Cotter, Susan A.; Holmes, Jonathan M.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Importance: Intravitreal bevacizumab effectively treats severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), but it enters the bloodstream and may reduce serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), potentially causing detrimental effects on developing organs in the premature infant. Objective: To evaluate the association of intravitreal bevacizumab with plasma bevacizumab and VEGF concentrations at 2 and 4 weeks after predefined, de-escalating doses of intravitreal bevacizumab were administered to infants with severe ROP. Design, setting, and participants: This phase 1 dose de-escalation case series study was conducted at 10 US hospitals of ophthalmology institutions from May 21, 2015, to May 7, 2019. Blood samples were collected 2 and 4 weeks after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. Participants included 83 premature infants with type 1 ROP in 1 or both eyes and no previous ROP treatment. Data were analyzed from April 2017 to August 2021. Interventions: Study eyes received a single bevacizumab injection of 0.250 mg, 0.125 mg, 0.063 mg, 0.031 mg, 0.016 mg, 0.008 mg, 0.004 mg, or 0.002 mg. When the fellow eye required treatment, one dose higher was administered. Total dose administered at baseline was defined as the sum of doses given to each eye within 3 days of initial study-eye injection. Main outcomes and measures: Plasma bevacizumab concentration at 2 and 4 weeks after injection and the percentage change in plasma VEGF concentrations from pretreatment levels. Results: A total of 83 infants (mean [SD] age, 25 [2] weeks; 48 boys [58%]) were included in this study. Higher doses of bevacizumab administered at baseline were associated with higher plasma bevacizumab concentrations at 2 weeks (ρ, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.70) and 4 weeks (ρ, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-0.64). Plasma VEGF concentrations decreased by 50% or more from pretreatment levels in 40 of 66 infants (61%) at 2 weeks and 31 of 61 infants (51%) at 4 weeks, but no association was observed between the total dose of bevacizumab administered at baseline and percentage change in plasma VEGF concentrations 2 weeks (ρ, -0.04; 95% CI, -0.28 to 0.20) or 4 weeks (ρ, -0.17; 95% CI, -0.41 to 0.08) after injection. Conclusions and relevance: Results of this phase 1 dose de-escalation case series study revealed that bevacizumab doses as low as 0.002 mg were associated with reduced plasma VEGF levels for most infants at 2 and 4 weeks after intravitreal administration; however, no association was observed between total bevacizumab dose administered and reductions in plasma VEGF levels from preinjection to 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of low-dose bevacizumab on neurodevelopment and retinal structure.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Retinal pigment epithelial cell expression of active Rap 1a by scAAV2 inhibits choroidal neovascularization
    (Elsevier, 2016-08-24) Wang, Haibo; Han, Xiaokun; Bretz, Colin A.; Becker, Silke; Gambhir, Deeksha; Smith, George W.; Samulski, R. Jude; Wittchen, Erika S.; Quilliam, Lawrence A.; Chrzanowska-Wodnicka, Magdalena; Hartnett, M. Elizabeth; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IU School of Medicine
    To test the hypothesis that increased Rap1a activity specifically in retinal pigment epithelial cells resists choroidal neovascularization (CNV), self-complementary adeno-associated virus 2 (scAAV2) with RPE65-promoter-driven GFP vectors were generated and introduced subretinally into Rap1b-deficient mice. Six-week-old mice that received subretinal control (scAAV2-Con) or constitutively active Rap1a (scAAV2-CARap1a) showed strong GFP at the 5 × 10(8) viral particle/µl dose 5 weeks later without altering retinal morphology or function. Compared to scAAV2-Con- or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-injected, eyes injected with scAAV2-CARap1a had increased Rap1 in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)/choroidal lysates and a significant reduction in CNV volume 7 days after laser, comparable to eyes that received intravitreal anti-VEGF versus IgG control. scAAV2-CARap1a-, but not anti-VEGF-, injected eyes had increased pan-cadherin in RPE/choroids. In cultured RPE cells, increased active Rap1a inhibited TNFα-induced disassociation of junctional pan-cadherin/β-catenin complexes, increased transepithelial electrical resistance through an interaction of β-catenin with phosphorylated scaffold protein, IQGAP1, and inhibited choroidal endothelial cell (CEC) transmigration of an RPE monolayer. This evidence shows that increased Rap1a activity specifically in RPE cells is sufficient to reduce CEC transmigration and CNV and involves IQGAP1-mediated protection of RPE junctional complexes.