title: Epithelial barrier function of the filtering bleb conjunctiva and the cornea after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate epithelial barrier function of the filtering bleb conjunctiva and the cornea after trabeculectomy with adjunct, intraoperative mitomycin C, by using a newly developed slit-lamp fluorophotometer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients with normal-tension glaucoma with a cystic filtering bleb who had undergone unilateral trabeculectomy with mitomycin C only once at least 1 year previously were subjected to the study. Epithelial barrier function of the bleb conjunctiva and the cornea in the operated eye was evaluated using an Anterior Fluorometer FL-500 to measure the uptake of topically applied fluorescein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fluorescein uptake (nanograms per milliliter, mean +/- standard error) by the bleb conjunctiva (1,857 +/- 380) was not significantly different from either the uptake by the superior bulbar conjunctiva in the operated eyes, located approximately 90 degrees C away from the filtering bleb (1,974 +/- 258), or the uptake by the conjunctiva in the intact eyes, located symmetrically against the bleb (1,913 +/- 248). The corneal uptake in the operated eye (56.1 +/- 10.2) was not significantly different from that in the intact eye (53.5 +/- 8.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epithelial barrier function of the cystic filtering bleb conjunctiva and the cornea long after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C was demonstrated to be almost identical to that of the control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitazawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komuro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D003315:Cornea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004848:Epithelium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014130:Trabeculectomy; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D005452:Fluoresceins; D016685:Mitomycin; C015173:dipivefrin; D019793:Fluorescein; D004837:Epinephrine