title: Corneal confocal microscopy in a healthy Brazilian sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of the corneal sub-basal plexus by performing in vivo confocal microscopy of healthy Brazilians to provide reference values for the Brazilian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study comparing corneas from 55 healthy Brazilian individuals across the age span of 20-70 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of fibers was 5.35 ± 1.36, fiber density was 33.4 ± 8.5 fibers per field, and the mean number of Langerhans cells was 5.13 ± 8.10. A correlation between the average number of fibers and age showed an inverse relationship between the number and density of fibers and age for women (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, each annual increase of age showed an average increase of 1.017 (95%CI: 1.008 to 1.026) in the number of Langerhans cells, adjusting for sex and thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to other samples, this Brazilian population showed a higher average number of fibers, though further studies with a larger sample should be performed.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pupe
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osvaldo J M
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult