title: Conjunctival Impression Cytology and Dry Eye in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Pilot Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare signs of dry eye between ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with UC (group 1) and 15 healthy subjects (group 2) were enrolled in this study. Tear volume measurement, Schirmer-I test with no anesthetic, tear break-up time, and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) were evaluated in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with UC showed lower tear volumes when compared with healthy subjects (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in distribution of CIC grades between groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05). Tear break-up time and Schirmer-I measurements were significantly lower in group 1 compared with group 2 (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that UC is associated with demonstrable disturbances in tear function and conjunctival cytology.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology (P.O.), Ophthalmology (R.O., G.S., E.M.), and Gastroenterology (M.A.), Meram Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pembe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oltulu
authors.forename: Refik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oltulu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asil
authors.forename: Gunhal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satirtav
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mirza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult