Abstract
Purpose: :
Evaluate immunostaining patterns of inflammation and osmoprotection markers prior and after treatment with osmoprotective lubricant compared to non-osmoprotective, on patients with evaporative dysfunctional tear syndrome (EDTS).
Methods: :
35 patients were enrolled in this study. They were divided into group (A), 15 patients with EDTS, and (B) 20 patients without EDTS who underwent LASIK (10) or PRK (10). In group A, 10 patients were treated with Optive, as 4 patients from group B/PRK and 6 patients from group B/LASIK. Additionally to diagnostic exams, impression cytology (IC) was performed on all patients. IC conjunctival samples were submitted to immunocytochemistry (ICC) for inflammation marker human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and L-carnitine, Optive®’s osmoprotective component.
Results: :
All exams pre-treatment were performed to this moment. ICC of conjunctiva samples showed 42.86% positivity for HLA-DR on group A and 20% for group B/LASIK, 30% for PRK, before treatment (p=0.4896, Χ2 test).ICC for L-carnitine staining was 53.33% positive for A, 22% for LASIK and 10% for PRK subgroup, before treatment (p=0.0572, Χ2 test).
Conclusions: :
Conjunctival cells have shown a tendency of higher expression of inflammation marker HLA-DR on EDTS patients, and, interestingly, L-carnitine as well. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L-carnitine staining on conjuntival samples from EDTS patients, prior treatment. Both markers could be used as diagnostic tools for early EDTS outset and prognosis.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye