Abstract
Purpose :
To quantify and compare tear levels of LTA in dry eye patients and non-dry eye subjects; and to compare LTA test with traditional dry eye clinical tests.
Methods :
Clinical parameters including subjective symptoms (Ocular Surface Disease Index, OSDI), tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal florescent staining and Schirmer’s test I (without anesthesia) were collected in 83 clinically confirmed dry eye patients and in 56 volunteers. Tear fluid (2.2ul) were collected from dry eye patients and volunteers and analyzed using a newly developed point of care test (POCT) for LTA.
Results :
Results: DED patient group was significantly different from volunteer group in dry eye symptoms and clinical parameters: OSDI (Mean: 39.1 vs. 14.4, p-value < 0.0001), TBUT (Mean: 3.8 vs. 6.7, p-value < 0.0001), Schirmer I test (Mean: 7.8 vs.16.4, p-value < 0.0001). LTA concentration in tear fluid collected from dry eye group was also significantly different from volunteer group: LTA (Mean: 0.46 vs. 1.2 ng/mL, p-value < 0.0001). Test correlation coefficient between OS and OD was 0.759 for TBUT, 0.803 for Schirmer I and 0.881 for LTA test, among volunteer group.
Conclusions :
Conclusion: LTA level in tear fluid is reduced significantly in dry eye patients, indicating a potential role of LTA in ocular surface homeostasis. A POCT test measuring LTA concentration in tear fluid at a clinical setting offers a quantitative, accurate, fast and easy option for clinical research of LTA as a potential biomarker for ocular health and disease.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.