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Clinical science
Original article
Tear film inflammatory mediators during continuous wear of contact lenses and corneal refractive therapy
  1. Javier González-Pérez1,2,
  2. César Villa-Collar3,
  3. Tomás Sobrino Moreiras4,
  4. Isabel Lema Gesto4,5,
  5. José Manuel González-Méijome1,6,
  6. María Teresa Rodríguez-Ares5,
  7. Manuel Parafita1,5
  1. 1Ocular Surface and Contact Lens Research Laboratory, Faculty of Optometry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, Spain
  2. 2Department of Applied Physics (Optometry), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
  3. 3Department of Optometry, Ophthalmology Clinic Novovision, Madrid, Spain
  4. 4Clinic Neuroscience Research Laboratory, CHUS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
  5. 5Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
  6. 6Clinical and Experimental Optometry Research Laboratory, Center of Physics (Optometry), School of Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
  1. Correspondence to Dr Javier González-Pérez, Ocular Surface and Contact Lens Research Laboratory, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 A Coruña, Spain; javier.gonzalez{at}usc.es

Abstract

Objectives To study changes in tear film inflammatory mediators following continuous wear of silicone-hydrogel lenses and corneal refractive therapy with reverse geometry contact lenses.

Design A prospective, case–control study.

Methods Twenty-eight subjects had worn silicone-hydrogel lenses on a 30-night continuous wear basis. Thirty-two subjects had worn corneal refractive therapy lenses on an overnight basis. Thirty-two matched control subjects were also recruited. Tear samples were obtained 12 months after initial fitting and assayed using ELISA for cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and epidermal growth factor (EGF).

Results EGF was significantly increased 12 months after both interventions. IL-6, IL-8 and MMP-9 were significantly increased only after corneal refractive therapy. The inflammatory response for the corneal refractive therapy patients was found to be associated with the degree of myopia corrected and the presence of corneal staining. Moreover, an increased level of MMP-9 and EGF was found to be associated with the presence of corneal-pigmented arc in the corneal refractive therapy group.

Conclusions This research showed long-term increased tear levels of inflammatory markers in subjects wearing corneal refractive therapy lenses when compared with continuous wear of silicone-hydrogel lenses or no lens wear.

  • Contact lens
  • cornea
  • corneal-pigmented arc
  • corneal refractive therapy
  • immunology
  • infection
  • inflammation
  • inflammatory mediators
  • lens
  • ocular surface
  • orthokeratology
  • silicone-hydrogel
  • tears
  • treatment lasers
  • wound healing

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301527

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    Footnotes

    • Funding This research was financed by a grant (PI-081380) from the National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, Ministry of Health and Consume (General Division for Health Research Funding).

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval The study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Data sharing statement Additional data about structural changes (corneal thickness and curvature) in all groups investigated are available on request from the corresponding author: javier.gonzalez{at}usc.es.