title: [Ocular surface and hepatitis C].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Catarata, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, SP, Brasil. rachelgnery@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rachel Lopes Rodrigues
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Júnia Cabral
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Marcos Bottene Vila
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: Roberto Mitiaki
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Paulo Elias Correa
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Felberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000379:methods