title: Dry Eye Assessment in Patients With Vitamin D Deficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate tear film function in patients with vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single center, 60 eyes of 30 patients with vitamin D deficiency (group 1), and 60 eyes of 30 healthy individuals (group 2) were evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, Schirmer I test, tear break-up time (TBUT), scoring of ocular surface fluorescein staining using a modified Oxford scale, and tear osmolarity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tear osmolarity values, OSDI, and Oxford scale scores were significantly higher in group 1 (309±9 mOsm/L, 35.78±21.44 and 1.3±0.9, respectively) compared with group 2 (295±10 mOsm/L, 18.69±17.21 and 0.4±0.8, respectively) (P<0.001 for all). Schirmer I test and TBUT results in group 1 (8.5±3.7 mm and 8.7±0.6 sec, respectively) were significantly lower compared with group 2 (16.6±2.4 and 18.1±0.5, respectively) (P<0.001 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that vitamin D deficiency is associated with tear hyperosmolarity and tear film dysfunction. Patients with vitamin D deficiency may be prone to dry eye.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ophthalmology (G.D., S.K.E., M.O., M.E., R.A., M.S.K.), and Internal Medicine (O.O.), Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Goktug
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaman Erdur
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsutcu
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eliacik
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Olmuscelik
authors.forename: Rukiye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Mehmet Selim
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kocabora
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism