title: Clinical Objective Dry Eye Tests in a Population of Tannery Workers in North India.
abstract: To analyze the correlation between subjective symptoms and clinical signs of dry eye among tannery workers.
  
  
  
  In this cross-sectional study, three classic clinical tests, namely the fluorescein tear film break-up time (FTBUT) test, the fluorescein staining (FS) test, and the Schirmer test (ST), were performed to assess the clinical signs of dry eye disease in 246 tanners who were found symptomatic for dry eye in a prior ocular surface disease index survey.
  
  
  
  All workers were male with a mean age of 35 ± 9 years, and the mean duration of work at tanneries was 8 ± 5 years. Among 246 symptomatic subjects, the FTBUT test, the FS test and the ST were positive in 63.8%, 30.9% and 41.9% workers, respectively. Mean FTBUT and ST scores were 10.6 ± 4.2 seconds and 10.1 ± 7.7mm, respectively. Mean FTBUT for mild, moderate and severe symptom categories differed significantly. Mean ST scores for the mild symptom group were significantly higher than that of the moderate group (p < 0.0001). The FTBUT and ST score showed a strong negative correlation with severity of symptoms (p < 0.0001). A moderate positive correlation was observed between FS positivity and increasing symptom severity (p < 0.0001). The effect of age was insignificant for FTBUT (p = 0.10), while significant for ST score (p < 0.001). The effect of duration of tannery work was significant for both FTBUT and ST scores (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  
  Clinical tests correlated well with symptom severity among tanners, and a multifactorial etiology is suggested for dry eye diseases.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , GSVM Medical College , Kanpur , India.
authors.forename: Ratnesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranjan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , GSVM Medical College , Kanpur , India.
authors.forename: Raj Nath
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Kushwaha
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , GSVM Medical College , Kanpur , India.
authors.forename: Perwez
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , GSVM Medical College , Kanpur , India.
authors.forename: Shalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , GSVM Medical College , Kanpur , India.
authors.forename: Ramesh Chandra
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013633:Tanning; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019793:Fluorescein
keywords: Dry eye; Schirmer test; ocular surface disease index; tannery; tear film break-up time