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[Article in Portuguese]
PURPOSE:
To evaluate the outcomes of the tests used for dry eye diagnosis in patients with hepatitis C virus, and to verify if there is any relationship between the duration of illness and intensity of ocular surface changes.
METHODS:
25 patients with hepatitis C virus without treatment, and 29 patients with negative serologic tests for hepatitis C virus were selected. Biomicroscopy, tear film crystallization test, tear film break-up time, evaluation of the corneal staining with 1% fluorescein sodium, Schirmer I test, ocular surface staining with 1% rose bengal and esthesiometry were performed in both groups.
RESULTS:
In the Schirmer I test, the group of patients with hepatitis C displayed lower values in both eyes (OR p=0.0162; OS p=0.0265). For the tear film break-up time, there was a lower score in the group with hepatitis C, but it was statistically significant only in the left eye (p=0.0007). Regarding the ocular surface damage, the rose bengal staining test showed a higher average in the hepatitis group in both eyes (right p=0.0008; left p=0.0034). There was a difference in the average esthesiometry between the groups, being the average lower in infected patients (OR p=0.0006; OS p=0.0015). There was no linear association between time of hepatitis C infection and intensity observed in dry eye tests.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hepatitis C virus infection causes dry eye. Further researches are necessary to establish the physiopathology and the relationship with Sjögren syndrome.
To evaluate the outcomes of the tests used for dry eye diagnosis in patients with hepatitis C virus, and to verify if there is any relationship between the duration of illness and intensity of ocular surface changes.
METHODS:
25 patients with hepatitis C virus without treatment, and 29 patients with negative serologic tests for hepatitis C virus were selected. Biomicroscopy, tear film crystallization test, tear film break-up time, evaluation of the corneal staining with 1% fluorescein sodium, Schirmer I test, ocular surface staining with 1% rose bengal and esthesiometry were performed in both groups.
RESULTS:
In the Schirmer I test, the group of patients with hepatitis C displayed lower values in both eyes (OR p=0.0162; OS p=0.0265). For the tear film break-up time, there was a lower score in the group with hepatitis C, but it was statistically significant only in the left eye (p=0.0007). Regarding the ocular surface damage, the rose bengal staining test showed a higher average in the hepatitis group in both eyes (right p=0.0008; left p=0.0034). There was a difference in the average esthesiometry between the groups, being the average lower in infected patients (OR p=0.0006; OS p=0.0015). There was no linear association between time of hepatitis C infection and intensity observed in dry eye tests.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hepatitis C virus infection causes dry eye. Further researches are necessary to establish the physiopathology and the relationship with Sjögren syndrome.
Gomes RL, Marques JC, Albers MB, Endo RM, Dantas PE, Felberg S.
Source
Setor de Catarata, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.