Ocular Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)

Filarial infection of the eyes transmitted from person to person by bites of Onchocerca volvulus-infected black flies. The microfilariae of Onchocerca are thus deposited beneath the skin. They migrate through various tissues including the eye. Those persons infected have impaired vision and up to 20% are blind. The incidence of eye lesions has been reported to be as high as 30% in Central America and parts of Africa.

Also Known As:

Networked: 104 relevant articles (7 outcomes, 12 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Onchocerciasis
2.	Infection
3.	Body Weight (Weight, Body)
4.	Keratitis
5.	Inflammation

Experts

1.	Pearlman, E: 6 articles (06/2012 - 07/2000)
2.	Pearlman, Eric: 5 articles (04/2006 - 03/2002)
3.	Hoerauf, Achim: 4 articles (04/2015 - 11/2002)
4.	Basáñez, María-Gloria: 4 articles (04/2015 - 03/2007)
5.	Diaconu, E: 4 articles (09/2007 - 11/2000)
6.	Tanya, Vincent N: 3 articles (08/2015 - 01/2007)
7.	Makepeace, Benjamin L: 3 articles (08/2015 - 01/2007)
8.	Taylor, Mark J: 3 articles (04/2015 - 06/2003)
9.	Specht, Sabine: 3 articles (04/2015 - 03/2013)
10.	Churcher, Thomas S: 3 articles (04/2015 - 09/2009)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Ocular Onchocerciasis:

1.	Ivermectin (Mectizan)FDA Link 04/01/2003 - "Ivermectin has already proven to be highly effective in the elimination of river blindness as a public health burden. " 07/01/1996 - "The authors conclude that annual treatment with ivermectin is effective in controlling ocular onchocerciasis apart from chorioretinal lesions and that a 6-month treatment gives no additional benefit." 11/02/1991 - "Effects of repeated doses of ivermectin on ocular onchocerciasis: community-based trial in Sierra Leone." 05/01/2015 - "Correction: Control, elimination, and eradication of river blindness: scenarios, timelines, and ivermectin treatment needs in Africa." 04/01/2015 - "Control, elimination, and eradication of river blindness: scenarios, timelines, and ivermectin treatment needs in Africa."
2.	Diethylcarbamazine (Hetrazan)FDA Link 09/01/1976 - "A single 10-14 day course of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) was given under betamethazone cover to 18 patients (Group A) with ocular onchocerciasis, and the effects were studied in detail over 1-2 years. " 09/01/1976 - "Effects of diethylcarbamazine on ocular onchocerciasis." 01/01/1973 - "Topical diethylcarbamazine in ocular onchocerciasis." 08/01/1972 - "Topical diethylcarbamazine in ocular onchocerciasis." 11/01/1970 - "Topical hetrazan in the treatment of ocular onchocerciasis."
3.	Doxycycline (Vibramycin)FDA LinkGeneric 04/15/2015 - "Therapeutic efficacy and macrofilaricidal activity of doxycycline for the treatment of river blindness." 11/01/2011 - "Recent work on the treatment of heartworms in dogs with doxycycline stems from related work with the human filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus that causes river blindness in people." 10/01/2007 - "With the use of a mouse model of corneal inflammation to study the pathogenesis of ocular onchocerciasis by injecting worm extracts directly into the corneal stroma, it was found that worms treated with the antibiotic doxycycline, which destroys Wolbachia, induced lower corneal stromal thickness and stromal haze (indicators of corneal oedema and opacity) and neutrophil infiltration compared with both untreated worms and worms that do not harbour Wolbachia. "
4.	Ophthalmic Solutions (Eye Drops)IBA 07/01/1978 - "Effects of various concentrations of diethylcarbamazine citrate applied as eye drops in ocular onchocerciasis, and the possibilities of improved therapy from continuous non-pulsed delivery." 07/01/1978 - "Diethylcarbamazine was given as eye drops in varying concentrations in a half-log dilution series from 1.0 to 0.0001% to patients with ocular onchocerciasis. "
5.	CoffeeFDA Link 09/01/2009 - "Onchocerciasis (river blindness), which is close to being eliminated from Guatemala through semiannual administration of ivermectin, is still transmitted in one area of the country that coincidentally receives an annual influx of migrant workers to harvest coffee. "
6.	AntigensIBA 12/01/1999 - "In recent years, both clinical- and animal-model-based studies have implicated particular parasite antigens in the development of ocular onchocerciasis. " 10/01/1997 - "Previous studies have shown that pathology similar to human ocular onchocerciasis can be induced in sensitized mice by intracorneal injection with Onchocerca volvulus antigens. " 06/01/2012 - "Differential induction of Th2- and Th1-associated responses by filarial antigens and endosymbiotic Wolbachia in a murine model of river blindness." 12/01/2003 - "Sensitive and specific serodiagnosis of river blindness using Onchocerca ochengi antigens." 12/01/1999 - "To test the hypothesis that the difference in pathogenic potential of blinding and nonblinding parasites might be reflected in qualitative differences in antigens that have been implicated in the development of ocular onchocerciasis, we compared the sequences of two parasite antigens implicated in the development of ocular disease in blinding- and nonblinding-strain parasites. "
7.	Suramin (Suramin Sodium)IBA 09/01/1976 - "39 patients (Group A) with ocular onchocerciasis in the Sudan-savanna of north Cameroon were given 4-6 g of suramin and followed in detail over 1-2 years. " 09/01/1976 - "Effects of suramin on ocular onchocerciasis." 01/01/1979 - "The risk of optic atrophy following suramin treatment of ocular onchocerciasis." 07/01/1978 - "Further studies on the treatment of ocular onchocerciasis with diethylcarbamazine and suramin."
8.	CytokinesIBA 12/01/1996 - "In vivo molecular analysis of cytokines in a murine model of ocular onchocerciasis. " 09/01/2002 - "Using a mouse model of Onchocerca volvulus-mediated keratitis (river blindness), the present study examined the role of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in regulating recruitment of eosinophils to the cornea through expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. "
9.	Apolipoproteins C (ApoC)IBA 04/01/1998 - "This note overviews several studies that have been conducted on the economic impact of onchocerciasis (river blindness) control through the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). " 01/01/2002 - "This programme is supported by the Ministry of Health, the African Progamme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) and The Carter Center Global 2000 River Blindness Programme. "
10.	Interleukin-13IBA 09/01/2002 - "Using a mouse model of Onchocerca volvulus-mediated keratitis (river blindness), the present study examined the role of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in regulating recruitment of eosinophils to the cornea through expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 06/29/2002 - "[Combatting river blindness by means of chemotherapy directed at the symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria in the causative filariae]." 03/01/2007 - "We test this prediction using a population dynamics model of river blindness assuming that, before initiation of vector control or chemotherapy, recorded measures of vector density and human infection accurately represent endemic equilibrium. " 06/01/2003 - "TLR4 dependent inflammation has been shown to occur in the systemic inflammatory adverse reaction to Brugia malayi following anti-filarial chemotherapy and in the development of neutrophil-mediated ocular inflammation in a mouse model of river blindness. " 11/01/1984 - "Although various indications suggest that this district has a history of long-standing onchocerciasis, the knowledge of river blindness and its association with blackflies was poor throughout the district and, except for two teachers, no other subjects had ever received onchocercal chemotherapy. " 01/01/2007 - "Although vector control and ivermectin chemotherapy have led to a dramatic reduction in the incidence of river blindness (onchocerciasis), there is a consensus that additional control tools are required to sustain and extend this success. "
2.	Intravitreal Injections 04/01/1991 - "In an experimental animal model for ocular onchocerciasis, intravitreal injections of 10,000 live Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae isolated from infected humans into the eyes of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) resulted in patchy, progressive loss of retinal pigment with pigment clumping. "