Tear biomarkers in dry eye disease: Progress in the last decade.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a commonly occurring, multifactorial disease characterized by reduced tear film stability and hyperosmolarity at the ocular surface, leading to discomfort and visual compromise. DED is driven by chronic inflammation and its pathogenesis involves multiple ocular surface structures such as the cornea, conjunctiva, lacrimal glands, and meibomian glands. The tear film secretion and its composition are regulated by the ocular surface in orchestration with the environment and bodily cues.

Altered Ocular Surface Health Status and Tear Film Immune Profile Due to Prolonged Daily Mask Wear in Health Care Workers.

Prolonged daily face mask wearing over several months might affect health of the ocular surface and is reported to be associated with complaints of discomfort and dry-eye-like symptoms. We studied the ocular surface clinical parameters, tear soluble factors and immune cell proportions in ophthalmologists practicing within similar environmental conditions ( = 17) at two time points: pre-face-mask period (Pre-FM; end of 2019) and post-face-mask-wearing period (Post-FM; during 2020 COVID-19 pandemic), with continuous (~8 h/day) mask wear. A significant increase in ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores without changes in tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer's test 1 (ST1) and objective scatter index (OSI) was observed Post-FM.

Safety and efficacy of combination of suberoylamilide hydroxyamic acid and mitomycin C in reducing pro-fibrotic changes in human corneal epithelial cells.

Corneal haze post refractive surgery is prevented by mitomycin c (MMC) treatment though it can lead to corneal endothelial damage, persistent epithelial defects and necrosis of cells. Suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) however has been proposed to prevent corneal haze without any adverse effects. For clinical application we have investigated the short and long term outcome of cells exposed to SAHA.

Identification of novel predictive factors for post surgical corneal haze.

Molecular factors altered in corneas that develop haze post refractive surgery have been described, but pre-existing factors that predispose clinically normal corneas to aberrant fibrosis post surgery and the role of the corneal epithelium remains unknown. We analyzed the global gene expression in epithelium collected intraoperatively from subjects undergoing photorefractive keratectomy. Subjects were grouped into those that developed haze 12 months post surgery (n = 6 eyes; haze predisposed) and those that did not develop haze in a similar follow up duration (n = 11 eyes; controls).

Bilaterally Asymmetric Corneal Ectasia Following SMILE With Asymmetrically Reduced Stromal Molecular Markers.

Purpose: To evaluate extracellular matrix regulators and inflammatory factors in a patient who developed ectasia after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) despite normal preoperative tomographic and biomechanical evaluation.

Methods: The SMILE lenticules from both eyes of the patient with ectasia and three control patients (5 eyes) matched for age, sex, and duration of follow-up were used for gene expression analysis of lysyl oxidase (LOX), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), collagen types I alpha 1 (COLIA1) and IV alpha 1 chain (COLIVA1), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cathepsin K, cluster of differentiation 68, integrin beta-1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1). Furthermore, the functional role of LOX was assessed in vitro by studying the collagen gel contraction efficiency of LOX overexpressing in primary human corneal fibroblast cells.

Differential Molecular Expression of Extracellular Matrix and Inflammatory Genes at the Corneal Cone Apex Drives Focal Weakening in Keratoconus.

Purpose: In this study, we elucidated the differential expression of a set of local molecular factors in ectatic cone area of the cornea to uncover a functional cause for focal corneal weakening characteristic of the keratoconus (KC) disease.

Methods: All human corneal samples were collected after approval of Institutional Ethics Committee and informed consent. Keratoconus patients were classified based on clinical parameters, topographical features, and structural deformity.

Correlation of Clinical and Biomechanical Outcomes of Accelerated Crosslinking (9 mW/cm in 10 minutes) in Keratoconus with Molecular Expression of Ectasia-Related Genes.

Purpose: To assess visual, keratometry, densitometry, and corneal deformation outcomes after accelerated crosslinking (CXL) and its association with gene expression of extracellular matrix proteins.

Methods: 33 eyes underwent accelerated CXL (9 mW/cm for 10 minutes) after epithelium removal. Refraction, visual acuity, keratometry, corneal densitometry, and deformation (Corvis-ST) were assessed before and 6 months after surgery.