[Adverse effects of beta-blocker eye drops on the ocular surface].
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the adverse effects of beta-blocker eye drops on tears and ocular surface epithelium.


METHODS
We studied twenty-three eyes of twenty three glaucoma patients [10 males, 13 females: 53.8 +/- 12.2 (yrs; mean +/- standard deviation)] treated with beta-blocker eye drops for more than three months and thirty two control subjects (16 males, 16 females: 50.4 +/- 10.9). The parameters described below were compared between the groups: 1. the radius of tear meniscus curvature, 2. grades for tear lipid layer interference patterns, 3. non-invasive breakup time (N-BUT), 4. cotton thread value, 5. scores of fluorescein staining, 6. fluorescein breakup time (F-BUT), 7. scores of rose bengal staining, 8. and Schirmer I value.


RESULTS
The glaucoma group showed a significant decrease in the radius of tear meniscus curvature (p = 0.0007), a significantly lower distribution in the grades for tear lipid layer interference patterns (p = 0.0270), a significant difference in the scores of fluorescein staining (p < 0.0001), a significant shortening in F-BUT (p = 0.0050), a significantly higher distribution in the scores of rose Bengal staining (p = 0.0010), and a significantly smaller value in Schirmer I value (p = 0.0042). However, there was no significant difference in N-BUT and cotton thread value.


CONCLUSIONS
These results clearly demonstrate that the ocular surface in glaucoma patients treated with beta-blocker eye drops show dry-eye-like changes in terms of tears and ocular surface epithelium.
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Hirokoji-agaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan.
M
M
Ohtsuki
N
N
Yokoi
K
K
Mori
Y
Y
Matsumoto
W
W
Adachi
K
K
Ishibashi
M
M
Sato
S
S
Kinoshita
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013666:Tears / Q000187:drug effects
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions