The purpose of this study is to better understand the processes involved in the development of various eye conditions, such as uveitis, disorders of the conjunctiva, cornea, vitreous and retina, metabolic or genetic eye diseases or eye tumors, in order to develop better methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Patients who require eye surgery to treat an eye disease or other disease in which the eye is involved may participate in this study. Samples of eye tissue and fluid that are normally removed and discarded during eye surgery will instead be given to researchers for study. The tissues will be examined under microscope and studied using sophisticated chemical and biological tests. Immune cells from blood samples may also be examined. These studies will help better understand and diagnose the various eye diseases and to develop more attractive therapies.

Condition
Conjunctival Disease Corneal Disease Eye Disease Uveitis Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

Further Study Details: 

Expected Total Enrollment:  3000

The purpose of this project is to diagnose and evaluate ocular tissues with various diseases such as uveitis, conjunctival, corneal, vitreoretinal disorders, ocular metabolic or genetic diseases and tumors. These will be studied using light microscopy, electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, immunohistochemical techniques, in situ hybridization and the molecular pathological techniques including polymerase chain reaction. Lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood as well as other involved biopsied tissues and ocular tissue will be compared and categorized by disease. Cytokines in the blood and ocular fluids will be also analyzed. Elucidating the relationship between the infiltrating cells, ocular resident cells, and their products in various diseases will increase our understanding of human ocular disorders.

Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA:
All specimens either male or female of any age with ocular disease that are collected at the NEI or its collaborating institutes, will be included in the study. Specimens would consist of material obtained from surgical specimens, biopsy specimens, and from post mortem materials. These would include but would not be limited to cases involving uveal, conjunctival, corneal, vitreo-retinal, orbital disorders, tumor, and metabolic abnormalities.

Maryland
      National Eye Institute (NEI), 9000 Rockville Pike,  Bethesda,  Maryland,  20892,  United States; Recruiting

Study ID Numbers:  920113; 92-EI-0113
Record last reviewed:  April 16, 2004
Last Updated:  March 16, 2005
Record first received:  November 3, 1999
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00001310
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-04-08