title: Effects of Long-Term Antiglaucoma Eye Drops on Conjunctival Structures: An In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Study.
abstract: Purpose. The study was aimed at comparing the long-term effects of different antiglaucoma eye drops on conjunctival structures using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Methods. Eighty patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma and twenty healthy volunteers were included in this study. The participants were divided into 5 groups according to the different medications. The lachrymal film break-up time, Schirmer's I test, and Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire were performed in all subjects. The confocal microscopy was used to observe the basal epithelial cell density (ECD), goblet cell density (GCD), dendritic cell density (DCD), and subepithelial collagen fiber diameter (SFD). Results. Statistically significant differences were found among the control group and the antiglaucoma therapy groups in the values of three clinical data (P < 0.05). The GCD, DCD, and SFD showed significant differences in all glaucoma groups when compared to the control (P < 0.001). Moreover, the prostaglandin group differed from the other antiglaucoma therapy groups in the GCD and SFD (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Our study confirmed the significant differences in the conjunctival structures based on the effects of antiglaucoma medications. Less pronounced changes were found in the patients treated with prostaglandin analogue than in the other kinds of antiglaucoma therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Xiangmei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Jianjiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China ; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China ; Key Laboratory of Myopia, Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China ; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xinghuai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun