title: Ocular surface and tear parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis C at initial stages of hepatic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in ocular surface and tear function parameters in chronic hepatitis C at initial stages of hepatic fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects without systemic hepatitis C infection were examined with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, Schirmer I, tear film break-up time, and scoring of ocular surface fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining using modified Oxford and van Bijsterveld scoring systems, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All ocular surface parameters, except OSDI and corneal staining scores, were significantly worse in hepatitis C group. The control group had greater OSDI scores than the hepatitis C group, but there was no statistically important difference. In subgroup analysis, progression of hepatic fibrosis was found to be correlated strongly with decreased Schirmer test I, increased OSDI, lid parallel conjunctival folds, conjunctival, and corneal staining scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with chronic hepatitis C were more likely to exhibit severe ocular surface damage and signs of dry eye.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology (S.K.E., M.S.K., M.O., I.G.G., G.D., M.E.), Medicine School, Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey; and Department of Ophthalmology (D.K.K.), Medicine School, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaman Erdur
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kulac Karadeniz
authors.forename: Mehmet Selim
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kocabora
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsutcu
authors.forename: Ibrahim Gokhan
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Gulkilik
authors.forename: Goktug
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eliacik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism