PURPOSE To examine clinical findings and histologic changes on the conjunctival surface in ocular rosacea. METHODS Thirty-five patients with ocular rosacea and 30 normal subjects underwent dermatologic and ocular examinations. Tear film break-up time, Schirmer tests with and without topical anesthesia, and conjunctival impression cytology were done. Patients were divided into the following gr...

The ocular surface, which is among the most accessible and vulnerable tissues in mammals, is protected by a complex tear film composed of lipid, aqueous and mucin layers. In spite of its importance, the molecular nature of the mucin contribution remains uncertain. Since membrane mucins have been implicated in the protection of other epithelia, we have analysed rat corneal and conjunctival tissu...

PURPOSE To examine the psychometric properties of the Ocular Comfort Index (OCI), a new instrument that measures ocular surface irritation designed with Rasch analysis to produce estimates on a linear interval scale. METHODS The OCI was self-completed by 452 subjects. Some of them repeated the questionnaire, to aid in determining its reliability and test-retest repeatability. Ten versions wer...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% on ocular surface staining and visual performance in patients with dry eye. METHODS This was a single-center, 6-month, open-label, Phase IV study. Patients with bilateral dry eye disease and a symptom score of ≥2 on the Ocular Discomfort and 4-Symptom Questionnaire, an Ocular Surface Disease ...

Delivery of drugs into eyes using conventional drug delivery systems, such as solutions, is a considerable challenge to the treatment of ocular diseases. Drug loss from the ocular surface by lachrymal fluid secretion, lachrymal fluid-eye barriers, and blood-ocular barriers are main obstacles. A number of ophthalmic drug delivery carriers have been made to improve the bioavailability and to prol...

The increasing understanding of immune mechanisms changed our perception of the ocular surface, which is now considered a compartment of the common mucosal immune system. It offered the possibility to alter the physiological immune response on the ocular surface and effectively combat inflammation, which impairs stability of the tear film and causes tear hyperosmolarity, causing symptoms of dry...

It is a great pleasure for me to have a chance to host this opportunity of getting together and discussing our interest, ocular surface cell biology, at Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan again. The aim of the symposium is promoting international exchange of our research on biology, pathophysiology and clinical issues on cornea and conjunctiva, and also stimulating our research corpor...

PURPOSE Using an established rabbit toxicological model, this in vivo study compared the ocular cytotoxicity of four topical intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering agents: the commercial benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-containing solutions of 0.005% latanoprost, 0.004% travoprost, 0.03% bimatoprost (containing 0.02%, 0.015%, and 0.005% BAC, respectively), and 0.005% latanoprost in a new cationic emuls...

BACKGROUND To examine the associations between vision-targeted health-related quality of life (VT-HRQ) and ocular surface parameters in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dry eye and dry mouth. METHODS Forty-two patients fulfilling European / American diagnostic criteria for Sjögren's syndrome underwent Schirmer testing without anesthesia, ocular ...