title: Hepatitis C virus induces abnormalities in surface and intraocular pressure: a comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various ocular lesions are associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Few studies have focused on untreated patients. This study aims to describe ocular lesions in untreated HCV-infected patients without ophthalmic symptoms by means of a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five consecutive naive HCV chronically infected patients and 54 controls (blood donors) were enrolled in a prospective, cross-sectional, single-center study. The following variables were analyzed: age, sex, HCV viral load and genotype, liver fibrosis, visual acuity, biomicroscopy of the anterior segment, lacrimal function (tear break-up time) and Schirmer's tests), posterior segment examination, and intraocular pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCV-infected patients presented an almost four times higher risk of lacrimal function involvement by tear break-up time [odds ratio (OR)=3.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75-8.04, P=0.001] and Schirmer's test (OR=4.17; 95% CI 1.83-9.50, P=0.001) than the controls. The chances of palpebral biomicroscopic lesions (blepharitis) were also higher (OR=3.21; 95% CI 1.49-6.94, P=0.003). Mean tonometry was higher in HCV patients (right eye 14.4±2.3 vs. 12.2±1.5, P<0.001 and left eye 14.5±2.3 vs. 12.0±1.4, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Naive HCV patients even with no ophthalmic complaints presented a greater prevalence of lacrimal function abnormalities and a higher frequency of blepharitis compared with the control group. As never formerly described, intraocular pressure in HCV patients was higher than that in controls.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Course of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. leonardozeni@bol.com.br
authors.forename: Leonardo P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zeni
authors.forename: Paulo D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Viera
authors.forename: Matheus T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Michalczuk
authors.forename: Oscar A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Birkhan
authors.forename: Manuel A P
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Mário R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Álvares-da-Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001762:Blepharitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult