Risk Factors For Dry Eye Research Articles

Dry Eye Due To Millet Diabetes

Eye dry syndrome or dry eye is a multifactorial disorder that causes reduced tear fluid, causing discomfort to the eye. Several risk factors that cause dry eye such as history of medication, meibomian gland dysfunction, age, gender, systemic disease and immune disorders (Mark, et al., 2021). Diabetes mellitus is one of the risk factors for dry eyes. The International Dry Eye Workshop II (DEWS) divides dry eyes into two parts based on etiopathological criteria, namely due to lack of tear production or Aqueous Tear Deficiency (ATD) and excessive evaporation or Evaporative Tear Deficiency (ETD) (shimazaki, 2018). Prevalence This article aims to review Diabetes Miletus, one of the risk factors for dry eye. The source search was carried out on the online portal of the publication of the journal Nation Center for Biotechnology Information / NCBI, Google Scholar with the keywords "Eye Dry Syndrome, Diabetes Milletus, Eye Dry treatment".

Prevalence and associated risk factors for dry eye disease among Brazilian undergraduate students.

PurposeDry eye is a common, complex, and multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and tear film that results in discomfort and visual disturbances. Prevalence rates vary and largely rely on studies involving older populations. This study sought to evaluate dry eye among a sample of young students in Brazil.MethodsCross-sectional survey included 2,140 students using 2 self-applicable questionnaires of dry eye symptoms: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the Women’s Health Study (WHS) questionnaire and a list of risk factors associated with dry eye. Participants with dry eye symptoms underwent a clinical evaluation.ResultsParticipants were 23.4±5.2 years of age, 56.1% female and 43.9% male, 34.4% had an OSDI score greater than 22, and 23.5% had dry eye according to the WHS. Dry eye frequency differed consistently between the sexes: 42.6% women and 24.0% men based on the OSDI, and 27.1% women and 18.5% men based on the WHS. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that female sex, contact lens wear, the screen use for more than 6 hours per day, less than 6 hours of sleep a night, and certain medications were relevant related risk factors for dry eye. Despite symptoms, clinical evaluations demonstrated mild signs of dry eye.ConclusionsDry eye symptoms were found to be a prevalent condition among Brazilian undergraduate students. Compared to the rates of dry eye among the general Brazilian population over 40 years of age, students present at higher dry eye symptoms rates and distinct odds for related risk factors were identified.

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF DRY EYE AMONG PATIENTS OF A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN EASTERN INDIA

AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye among patients of a tertiary care centre in eastern India. Symptoms of dry eye are encountered as one of the most frequent complains among the patients attending the outpatient department in ophthalmology commonly presenting as ocular discomfort, burning sensation and foreign body sensation.Prevalence of this entity is still not known in our study population due to lack of specificity of symptoms and diagnostic criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending ophthalmology OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Bihar. 4116 (16.64%) patients with dry eye symptoms were examined after taking informed consent. RESULTS: 1620 (6.55%) patients were found to have dry eye based on McMonnies questionnaire, Schirmer's test and tear film breakup time.There were 1180 female and 440 male with dry eye.Male to female ratio was 2.7:1.Non-tribals were affected more commonly than tribals. Students, outdoor workers and office worker with professional constituted over fifty percent of dry eye cases. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of dry eye was more in females and elderly as compared to male and younger population respectively.Burning sensation and ocular discomfort was the most common presenting complains.

Online Vs In-person Education: Evaluating the Potential Influence of Teaching Modality on Dry Eye Symptoms and Risk Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To assess the potential effects of switching to online lecture format on dry eye symptoms and dry eye disease (DED) risk factors. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 812 university students (mean age, 21.5±4.0 years). Participants were classified according to the number of hours the participants took online lectures into online students or in-person students. Respondents completed a total of three DED questionnaires (Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI]; 5-item Dry Eye Questionnaire; 8-item Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire) and were surveyed on dry eye risk factors contemplated by the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop II in addition to other factors potentially linked to dry eye. Five hundred twenty-three subjects (64.4%) were classified into the online group and 289 (35.6%) into the in-person group. No statistically significant age (P=0.266) or sex (P=0.423) differences were found between groups. Students taking online lectures used the computer more, spent less time outdoors, practised more exercise, wore a face mask for less time, experienced fewer allergies and fewer psoriasis episodes, and obtained a higher OSDI score (P<0.029 for all). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the hours of online lectures taken per week was independently associated with having a positive OSDI score (P=0.022). Taking online lectures is independently associated with having dry eye symptoms. Despite a lower prevalence of DED risk factors, a higher computer use is probably behind the greater ocular dryness reported by online students.

Analysis of Tear Ferning Patterns in Young Female Subjects with Refractive Errors.

To evaluate the dry eye symptoms and ocular tear film in young female subjects with refractive errors (RE) using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), phenol red thread (PRT) and tear ferning (TF) tests. Methods. A group of 50 young female subjects (mean ± standard division = 20.3 ± 1.1 years) with RE (−0.25 to −6.00D) completed the study. An age-matched control group consisting of 50 healthy normal eye female subjects (22.2 ± 1.5 years) was recruited for comparison. The OSDI was completed first, followed by PRT and TF tests. Results. Median OSDI and TF scores were significantly higher (Mann–Whitney test; P < 0.001) among the study group subjects [median (interquartile range (IQR)) = 13.5 (15.3) and 1.6 (1.3), respectively] compared to the control group [6.0 (4.0) and 0.9 (0.8), respectively], whereas the median PRT score was significantly lower (Mann–Whitney test; P=0.003) in the study group [(27.5 (6.3) mm] compared to the control group [29.5 (5.0) mm]. For subjects within the mild RE group (N = 30), significant differences (Mann–Whitney test, P < 0.001 to 0.005) were found between the median OSDI, PRT, and TF scores and those recorded within the control group. For the subjects with moderate RE (N = 20), significant differences (Mann–Whitney test, P < 0.001 to 0.002) were found between the median OSDI and TF scores, and those recorded within the control group. Conclusion. The presence of RE in young females has a negative effect on tear film in terms of dry eye symptoms, tear volume, and TF grades. Dry eye symptoms experienced by subjects with RE and the TF grades were significantly higher compared with the control group. In addition, the tear volume was significantly lower in the study group. Clearly, RE has a risk factor for dry eye.

A multicenter cross-sectional survey of dry eye clinical characteristics and practice patterns in Korea: the DECS-K study.

To compare the proportions of patients satisfying Korean dry eye guidelines and Asia Dry Eye Society (ADES) diagnostic criteria and to describe the clinical characteristics and practice patterns of dry eye patients in Korea. Prospective observational study. This study enrolled 160 patients, with 158 patients analyzed. ADES guidelines were applied to dry eye patients satisfying the Korean dry eye guidelines. Risk factors for dry eye (e.g. visual display terminal [VDT] use) were evaluated. Dry eye subtypes were categorized as aqueous-deficient or evaporative. Objective signs (e.g. corneal and keratoconjunctival staining scores, tear break-up time [TBUT], and Schirmer test) and symptoms (Dry Eye-Related Quality of Life Score [DEQS] and Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI] questionnaire) were evaluated. Treatment patterns were also recorded. Patients (mean age 43.1years) were mainly women (85.4%), with a high proportion (77.2%) of VDT users. Concordance between Korean and ADES guidelines was high (94.3%), with most patients (94.3%) having tear film instability (TBUT ≤ 5s). Evaporative dry eye occurred in 60.1% and aqueous-deficient in 39.9% of cases. Objective signs were significantly better in evaporative than in aqueous-deficient dry eye. The DEQS bothersome ocular symptoms' score was significantly higher in VDT users than in non-users. OSDI symptom severity and DEQS were significantly correlated (p < 0.001). The most common treatments were hyaluronic acid (33.5%) and diquafosol (15.2%), the latter used mainly for mild and evaporative dry eye. The study showed high concordance between Korean and ADES diagnostic guidelines, with most patients having tear film instability.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of symptomatic dry eye in Ghana: A cross-sectional population-based study

PurposeThis study sought to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of symptomatic dry eye in the general non-clinical Ghanaian population. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional population-based study conducted from November 2019 to February 2020. A stratified, multistage, random sampling technique was used to select participants aged 18 years and above from the capital cities of eight administrative regions in Ghana. Symptomatic dry eye was assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire (OSDI). A study specific structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on participants’ demographics and self-reported risk factors of dry eye disease such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, ocular allergies, pregnancy, contact lens wear, use of topical glaucoma medication and multivitamin supplement. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore associations between symptomatic dry eye and participant characteristics. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsA total of 1316 individuals participated in the study [mean (SD) age 37.0 (15.72) years; range 18–90 years; 50.2 % males]. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye was 69.3 % [95 % CI: 66.7 % - 71.7 %; mean (SD) OSDI score of 26.97 (21.52)]: 19.8 %, 16.6 % and 32.9 % mild, moderate and severe symptoms respectively. The most common ocular symptom was sensitivity to light (experienced at least some of the time), reported by 67.1 % of participants; most affected vision-related activity was reading (49.3 %); most common environmental trigger of dry eye symptoms was windy conditions (61.3 %). There was a significant positive association between symptomatic dry eye and age (p < .0001), female sex (p = .026), arthritis (p = .031), ocular surface allergy (p = .036) and regional zone (p = .043). ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of dry eye symptoms in Ghana. This represents a high dry eye disease burden and a significant public health problem that needs immediate attention.

Contact Lens Wear and Dry Eye: Beyond the Known.

Contact lens wear is one of the relevant risk factors for dry eye, and the coexistence of dry eye poses a serious challenge in patients wearing contact lenses. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Workshop addressed issues around the topic of discomfort in contact lens wear, which is a major cause for discontinuation of contact lens wear, and termed this condition as contact lens discomfort. With the rapid advances in contact lens technology and pharmacological agents and deeper understanding of this field, updating the "new normal" beyond what is known as standard is essential. This review aims to summarize the latest topics in contact lens and dry eye that would be useful for clinicians and contact lens practitioners.

Dry Eye Epidemiology in Patients before Cataract Surgery

Purpose. To evaluate the prevalence, clinical and pathogenetic variants and statistically significant risk factors of dry eye (DE) in patients before cataract surgery. Patients and Methods. 600 age-related and complicated cataract patients (70.6 ± 7.8 years old; 269 men, 331 women) were examined. Visometry and biomicroscopy with photographic recording of the lens state and assessment of its opacities according to the LOCS III classification were used to cataract revealing. OSDI testing, lipid interferential test, TBUT, Shirmer-1, -2 tests, visual and OCT meniscometry, evaluation of epitheliopaty and microerosion (with vital staining), compression Norn test in Korb modification, visual and OCT LIPCOF assessment, lid viper epitheliopathy evaluation, anterior segment of the eye photoregistration with computer morphometry were performed to assess the ocular surface condition. The structure of the DE risk factors, was studied both in DE patients and non-DE subjects with calculation of the Pearson xi-square test. To estimate the strength of the connection between the etiological condition and the DE, the normalized value of the Pearson coefficient (C´) was used. Results. The dry eye prevalence was 53.2 % (of them, 25.5 % was mild, 27.7 % — moderate, by Brzhesky). Subclinical DE prevalence was 27 %. Clinical and pathogenetic variants of mild DE included: isolated lipid deficiency (71.9 %), lipid-mucin deficiency (28.1 %). In patients with moderate DE were identified: aqueous-lipid-mucin deficiency (54.8 %), aqueous-lipid deficiency (37.95 %), isolated aqueous deficiency (7.2 %). The most significant systemic-organ DE risk factors were: diabetes mellitus (C´ = 0.302; in 18.8 % DE patients), female sex (C´ = 0.240; in 62.1 % de patients), allergy (С´ = 0.233; in 23.2 % DE patients). Local risk factors most significantly associated with DE were: meibomian glands dysfunction (С´ = 0.58; in 77.7 % DE patients), chronic blepharitis (С´ = 0.233; in 23.2 % DE patients), pterygium (С´ = 0.276; in 13.2 % DE patients), allergic conjunctivitis (С´ = 0.21; in 21.3 % DE patients). Among the exogenous risk factors, the most significant were: the use of medication affecting tear production or tear film stability (С´ = 0.485; in 89.03 % DE patients), preservative eye drops instillation (С´ = 0.2975; in 56.1 % DE patients). Conclusion. In our opinion, data on the high DE prevalence in cataract patients (53.2 %) should be taken into account when planning cataract surgery, since perioperative correction of the ocular surface condition can increase the surgical treatment efficiency, predictability and safety. The data on the structure of significant risk factors and clinical and pathogenetic DE variants in cataract patients can be the basis for the development of measures to ensure timely DE detection and implementation of reasonable therapy. The risk factor most significantly associated with DE in cataract patients was the meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) (Pearson xi-square test = 88.542, p &lt; 0.001, С´ = 0.58; “relatively strong” strength). Considering the modifiability of this risk factor (MGD), as well as its high prevalence (77.7 %), it can be considered that eye lids hygiene may be a reasonable therapy in most DE and cataract patients before phacoemulsification.

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye in 79,866 participants of the population-based Lifelines cohort study in the Netherlands

PurposeTo investigate the prevalence of dry eye among all adult age categories and to discover independent risk factors by investigating a wide range of etiological categories. MethodsA cross-sectional association study including 79,866 voluntary participants aged 20–94 years of the population-based Lifelines Cohort Study in the Netherlands. ResultsOverall, 9.1% of participants had dry eye disease as measured by the Women's Health Study dry eye questionnaire. Prevalence of dry eye symptoms were particularly prevalent in 20–30 years olds. Dry eye was associated with comorbidities in almost all body systems, including musculoskeletal, gastro-intestinal, ophthalmic, autoimmune, psychiatric, pain, functional, dermatological and atopic disorders. Numerous independent risk factors were discovered or confirmed, with strong associations for female sex, contact lens use, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, eye surgery including cataract and laser refractive surgery, keratoconus, osteoarthritis, connective tissue diseases, atherosclerosis, Graves' disease, autistic disorder, depression, ‘burnout’, Crohn's disease, sarcoid, lichen planus, rosacea, liver cirrhosis, sleep apnea, sinusitis, thyroid function, and air pollution (NO2). High blood pressure and high BMI were strongly associated with less dry eye, as was current smoking, while ex-smokers had more dry eye. No clear link between dry eye and lipid or blood glucose levels was found. ConclusionsThis study on dry eye confirmed but also refuted many risk factors from smaller epidemiological studies, and discovered numerous new risk factors in multiple etiological categories. The finding that dry eye symptoms are particularly common in young adults is concerning, and warrants further study.

Evaluation of the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye in Young Population

Methods: It was a prospective observational study, conducted in 500 patients (1000 eyes), who visited at outpatient department of pediatric ophthalmology of our tertiary eye care center. All patients were screened for ocular surface disease index. Of those, having score >13 were further evaluated for the dry eye tests. The 60 eyes of 30 patients were selected and studied for the causes, types of dry eye.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Dry Eye among Glaucoma Patients at KCMC Eye Department

Propose: Dry eye is a common disease among glaucoma patient undergoing on topical medication for lowering intraocular pressure. In this study we determine the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye among glaucoma patients. Methodology: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), Ophthalmology Department, over a period of 8 months, from October 2018 to June of 2019. Purposive sampling technique was used, and patients with POAG aged 18 years and above were consecutively selected. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. The main outcome variable was dry eye. The data were summarized using SPSS version 23 and analyzed using the STATA software version 13. Results: A total of 325 patients were enrolled into the study; 56.6% were male and 43.4% were female. The mean age was 66.1 years (SD11.7). We found that the prevalence of dry eye using OSDI questionnaire was 79.7%; among them evaporative dry eye was found in 36.9% and aqueous deficiency in 43.4%; 87.1% had abnormal TBUT; abnormal ocular surface staining was found in 64.3%; Schirmer test was abnormal in 43.4% and 36.9% had meibomian gland dysfunction. The severity of dry eyes among those using OSDI questionnaire is: mild 22.1%, moderate 16.0% and severe 61.9%. Factors such as use of two or more medication (AOR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.89 - 3.36), 2 - 5 years of medication (AOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.35 - 1.88) were associated with dry eye in patients with glaucoma at KCMC. Conclusion: Dry eye is highly prevalent in glaucoma patients in our setting, and showed also the high prevalence of signs and symptoms. The use of timolol combined with other medication in our study was shown to be a strong predictor of having dry eye. To be exposed to two or more medication is strongly predictors of having dry eye.

Risk Factors for Dry Eye After Refractive Surgery.

To determine the factors associated with clinically significant dry eye after keratorefractive surgery. This is a large database retrospective study that included consecutive cases of myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy performed between 2008 and 2016 at Care-Vision Laser Center, Israel. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether they developed clinically significant dry eye. A total of 25,317 right eyes of 25,317 patients, with a mean age of 27.0 ± 8.3 years, were included. Postoperative dry eye developed in 1518 eyes (6.0%). The dry eye group was older (29.2 ± 9.0 vs. 27.6 ± 8.3 yrs, P < 0.001) and had a higher proportion of women (48.5% vs. 44.8%, P = 0.005), lower preoperative spherical equivalent (3.7 ± 2.0 vs. 4.0 ± 2.3D, P < 0.001), lower preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (0.019 ± 0.057 vs. 0.016 ± 0.064 Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (LogMAR), P = 0.04), and lower proportion of preoperative soft contact lens wearers (40.6% vs. 45.5%, P < 0.001). In the postoperative dry eye group, a high proportion underwent LASIK (52.4% vs. 38.7%, P < 0.001) and were treated with a 7.0-mm (as opposed to 6.0 mm) optic zone (18.9% vs. 16.3%, P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, older age [odds ratio (OR) 1.013, P < 0.001], female gender (OR 0.87, P = 0.009), lower preoperative refractive error (OR 1.05, P < 0.001), and LASIK (OR 0.67, P < 0.001) were associated with postoperative dry eye. Patients who are of older age, are of female gender, and have a lower preoperative refractive error and those undergoing LASIK are more likely to develop dry eye disease after keratorefractive surgery.

Prevalence of dry eye in college students at Uparwara community in Raipur

Background: The study aims to investigate the prevalence of dry eye in college students in the Uparwara community.Methods: This pilot study was conducted tenure to declaration of Helsinki rules with n=240 (males 200 and females 40) with in the age group of 18-25 years, OSDI questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence among the college students of Uparwara community at Raipur.Results: Data from 240 subjects were analyzed with a mean age group of 19.41±0.70 mean±SD. This OSDI questionnaire study with subscales for dry eye symptoms were measured in both the genders males 213 (89%), females 27 (11%). The percentage distributions among the subjects showed that 116 (48.3%) participants reported dry eye symptoms and 124 (51.6%) was normal.Conclusions: This study emphasized on the prolonged usage of VDT and electronic devices i.e., &gt;4 hours as a compliance factor for dry eye, our data suggest that VDT usage less than 4 hours also can be a risk factor for dry eye since all our 116 participants with dry eye symptoms are VDT users and interestingly 78% (90) of them are &lt;4 hours VDT users but still have dry eye symptoms.

Effects of chronic smoking on the meibomian glands.

To evaluate the effects of chronic smoking on tear function tests and meibomian glands. This prospective study included 40 volunteers with a long-term (> 5years) cigarette smoking history (study group) and 43 non-smoking healthy individuals (control group). The symptoms of all the participants were scored using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, and a detailed ophthalmological examination was performed including the tear breakup time (TBUT) and Schirmer test (with anaesthesia). The upper and lower lid meibomian glands were evaluated with meibography using the Sirius anterior segment analysis system (Sirius, CSO, Florence, Italy). The groups showed homogenous distribution in respect of age and gender (p > 0.05). The patients in the study group were determined with 22.59 ± 17.25 packet/year cigarette usage. The mean OSDI score was 36.67 ± 21.47 in the study group and 31.65 ± 15.60 in the control group (p = 0.64). The TBUT and Schirmer test values were determined as 9.65 ± 6.14s and 8.90 ± 4.95mm, respectively, in the study group and 11.23 ± 5.94s and 13.08 ± 8.61mm in the control group (p > 0.05). In the upper lid meibography, loss of 24.68 ± 16.54% was determined in the study group and 17.87 ± 7.06% in the control group (p = 0.01). No statistically significant difference was determined between the groups in respect of the lower lid meibomian gland loss: study group 14.70 ± 8.49% versus control group 12.48 ± 6.44% (p = 0.20). Smoking results in meibomian gland damage which may be a risk factor for dry eye. In cases of ocular surface disorders related to chronic smoking, meibomian gland damage should be taken into consideration.

Risk Factors for Dry Eye in Mainland China: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Hospital-Based Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: To investigate dry eye-associated risk factors in a hospital-based population of China.Methods: It is a multi-center cross-sectional study involving 94 tertiary hospitals all over China. Outpatients in these hospitals were asked to complete McMonnies Questionnaire and undergo dry eye examinations. A total of 31124 participants were finally selected.Results: Of the 31124 participants, 17937 (57.6%) participants were clinically diagnosed as dry eye. The percentage of diagnosed dry eye was higher among women than among men (61.9% versus 53.2%). Dry eye was diagnosed more often with higher age (under 25 years, 47.6%; 25–45 years, 56.6%; over 45 years, 65.6%). In multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for dry eye were female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37–1.51), higher age (compared to age<25 years, 25–45 years: OR = 1.42; 95%CI, 1.34–1.51; compared to age<25 years, over 45 years: OR = 2.09; 95%CI, 1.96–2.24), arthritis (OR = 1.51; 95%CI, 1.38–1.65), thyroid diseases (OR = 1.41; 95%CI, 1.27–1.56), refractive surgery (OR = 1.23; 95%CI, 1.15–1.31), antihistamine eye drops (OR = 1.34; 95%CI, 1.23–1.47), diuretics (OR = 1.13; 95%CI, 1.01–1.27), sleeping tablets (OR = 1.21; 95%CI, 1.09–1.34), tranquilizers (OR = 1.60; 95%CI, 1.40–1.82), medication for duodenal ulcer (OR = 1.88; 95%CI, 1.61–2.21) and medication for digestive problems (OR = 1.14; 95%CI, 1.05–1.25). Diabetes was not found to be significantly associated with dry eye in multivariate model (p = .836).Conclusions: Dry eye was commonly diagnosed among ophthalmic outpatients in mainland China. Risk factors for dry eye included female sex, higher age, certain systemic diseases and use of certain medications (see above). Diabetes was not significantly associated with dry eye in this study.

Passive Smoking as a Risk Factor for Dry Eye in Children

Passive Smoking as a Risk Factor for Dry Eye in Children

Rheumatoid arthritis is a risk factor for dry eye in south Indian population

Rheumatoid arthritis is a risk factor for dry eye in south Indian population - IJOOO- Print ISSN No: - 2581-5024 Online ISSN No:- 2581-5016 Article DOI No:- 10.18231/2581-5016.2019.0008, IP International Journal of Ocular Oncology and Oculoplasty-IP Int J Ocul Oncol Oculoplasty

Age-associated antigen-presenting cell alterations promote dry-eye inducing Th1 cells.

Aging is a significant risk factor for dry eye. Here we used a murine aged mode to investigate the effects of aging on antigen presenting cells (APCs) and generation of pathogenic T helper (Th)1. Our results showed that APCs from aged mice accumulate at the conjunctiva, have higher levels of co-activation marker CD86 and lower aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. Using topical ovalbumin peptide as a surrogate antigen, we observed an increased number of antigen-loaded APCs in the draining cervical lymph nodes in the aged group and loss of tight junction protein occludin in the conjunctiva. Aged cervical lymph nodes APCs showed a greater generation of Th1 cells than young APCs in antigen-presentation assays in vitro. Aged lacrimal glands and draining nodes showed an accumulation of IFN-γ producing CD4+T cells, while Th17 cells were present only in aged draining nodes. There was also an age-related increase in CD4+CXCR3+IFN-γ+ cells in the conjunctiva, nodes and lacrimal glands while CD4+CCR6+IL-17A+ cells increased in the draining nodes of aged mice. Adoptive transfer of aged CD4+CXCR3+ donor cells into young, naive immunodeficient recipients caused greater goblet cell loss than young CD4+CXCR3+ cells. Our results demonstrate that age-associated changes in APCs are critical for the pathogenesis of age-related dry eye.

Prevalence of eye dryness among the general population of the Northern Region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most frequently encountered ocular morbidities. 25% of patients who visit ophthalmic clinics report symptoms of dry eye, making it growing public health. This study estimated the prevalence of eye dryness and to determine the risk factors for dry eye in the general population in the Northern Region, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional community-based study, conducted among 384 Saudi and non-Saudi males and females of 15 years of age and above, in Arar, the Northern region of Saudi Arabia, during the period from 1 November 2018 to 31 January 2019. The data were collected by using a predesigned questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of dry eye disease in the sample was 36.5%. Reported symptoms were feeling gritty or sandy sensation in the eye 36.3%, burning sensation 40.3%, and sometimes having red-eye 44.9%. Dry eye disease was more prevalent in females 76.9% than males 23.1% (p = 0.521), there was no significant relation with age (p = 0.66) and was more prevalent in 21–30 age group (46.2%). In cases with DED, there were 13.2% who wore contact lenses and 22.2% wore glasses (p = 0.004). There was insignificant relation with osteoporosis, joint or rheumatic problems, bronchial asthma, thyroid diseases, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, and aspirin administration; however, it was positively associated with the previous history of trachoma. Conclusion:The prevalence of dry eye disease in this sample was 36.5%, with significant positive relation with wearing contact lenses and glasses, and previous history of trachoma.