title: The effects of disposable daily wear contact lenses on goblet cell count.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of goblet cells on the inferior bulbar conjunctiva increases in response to daily wear contact lens use. We conducted a study to examine whether daily wear soft contact lenses worn on a 2-week disposable schedule would also induce the same goblet cell response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight subjects who had never worn contact lenses were fit with 38% water polymacon lenses. The lenses were worn on a daily wear basis and replaced every two weeks over a 6-month period. Goblet cell count was determined by impression cytology of the inferior bulbar conjunctiva.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant increase in goblet cell count was observed in the subjects during the 6 months period; the 3.23% baseline goblet cell count was never exceeded. In our previous study, after 6 months of conventional daily wear lens use, the goblet cell count increased from a baseline of 4.19% to 8.0%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears that wearing daily wear soft contact lenses on a disposable basis may be less irritating to the ocular surface than wearing soft contact lenses on a conventional daily wear basis.
authors.affiliation: Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, TN 38104, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Steel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000166:cytology*; D003261:Contact Lenses; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000166:cytology