Tear film function in type 2 diabetic patients with retinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether diabetes mellitus is correlated with tear film dysfunction.


METHODS
Tear film function tests including tear film breakup time (BUT), fluorescein staining, Schirmer I test, rose Bengal staining, total tear protein detection, tear sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and TMS-4 corneal topography were performed. A dry-eye questionnaire was used.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) group, in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group, the BUT and the value of the Schirmer I test were reduced significantly (p < 0.01); corneal fluorescein staining scores, the positive rate of rose Bengal staining and the surface regularity index (SRI) and surface asymmetry index (SAI) were higher (p < 0.01); concentrations of lactoferrin and tear-specific prealbumin were lower (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). In diabetic patients, the SRI and SAI were positively correlated with fluorescein staining scores (r = 0.754, 0.480, p < 0.01, respectively), and the dry-eye symptoms were significantly related to an abnormal BUT and Schirmer I test (p < 0.01, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The declined tear film function is severer in the patients with PDR than in those with NPDR. Besides the traditional methods, tear SDS-PAGE and TMS corneal topographic indices contribute to the discovery of tear film dysfunction in diabetic patients.
Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Ling
L
Yu
Xiaoming
X
Chen
Gang
G
Qin
Hanping
H
Xie
Peng
P
Lv
D019781:Corneal Topography; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D006801:Humans; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology*
D005136:Eye Proteins; C042434:tear proteins