BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The analysis of the interference patterns on the tear film lipid layer is a useful clinical test to diagnose dry eye syndrome. This task can be automated with a high degree of accuracy by means of the use of tear film maps. However, the time required by the existing applications to generate them prevents a wider acceptance of this method by medical experts. Multithread...

PURPOSE To examine the factors which contribute to tear stability and the validity and reliability of methods used for assessing tear break up time which is a core part of an examination of tear stability in dry eye patients. METHODS A review of publications which are relevant to tear stability and its assessment. RESULTS Tear break up time may be more invasive than intended if difficulty a...

PURPOSE The purpose of this work was to examine the tear film proteome using a combination of one-dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry-based techniques and to explore the effect of the tear collection methods on the tear proteome. METHODS Tear samples from eight normal non-contact lens wearing human subjects collected by Drummond glass microcapil...

Purpose. Numerous ocular side effects have been reported with the use of systemic isotretinoin therapy. Herein, we presented two contact lens user patients who did not have contact lens intolerance during systemic isotretinoin therapy. Methods. 25-year-old male and 20-year-old female patients with severe acne vulgaris who were using highly wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses which increas...

PURPOSE To examine the differences in tear film parameters more than 3 months postsurgery in eyes with cataract surgery (surgical eyes) versus eyes without cataract surgery (nonsurgical eyes). METHODS 29 patients were seen at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) who had cataract surgery by phacoemulsification in one eye more than 3 months prior to the study date and had no history...

Diquafosol is a drug used for dry eye treatment with a novel mechanism of action. It stimulates the secretion of tear fluid and mucin on the ocular surface, thus enabling us to selectively treat the tear film layer, playing an important role in the establishment of the concept of "Tear Film Oriented Therapy (TFOT)", an effective therapeutic approach to dry eye in Japan. The 3% diquafosol ophtha...

Ocular manifestations in patients with psoriasis vulgaris have been investigated in only a small number of studies. Our purpose was to identify tear film function and ocular pathologies associated with psoriasis vulgaris in patients who had received neither oral retinoids nor phototherapy. We examined 62 eyes of 31 patients with psoriasis and 60 eyes of 30 age-and-sex matched healthy volunteers...

The dynamics of the tear film are reviewed with specific reference to the biophysical aspects: distribution, turnover and elimination through evaporation, drainage, and absorption. The review concentrates on quantitative assessments and is confined to aspects of the dynamics that can be fully and directly measured. The techniques of fluorophotometry, fluorescein clearance, lacrimal scintigraphy...

The aim of the this study was to evaluate the effects of cloricrome, a new coumarin derivative, on dry eye model. Lacrimal gland inflammation-induced dry eye was performed by Concanavalin A (ConA) injection in rabbit, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), TNFα, IL-1β and IL-8 were evaluated. Tear film integrity was investigated by measuring tear volume and tear breakup time. Elevated levels o...

PURPOSE To investigate the relationships between tear osmolarity and other ocular surface parameters and to determine the diagnostic value of tear osmolarity in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) using tear film break-up time, Schirmer I test, and cornea/conjunctiva staining. METHODS We included 310 eyes of 155 patients diagnosed with dry eye disease (39 primary SS and 116 non-Sjögren dry eye di...