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Evaluation of corneal langerhans cells in patients with inactive thyroid ophthalmopathy by using an in vivo confocal microscopy

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First Author: B.Yilmaz Tugan TURKEY

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Abstract Details

Purpose:

To assess corneal Langerhans cell (LC) density in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) patients to investigate the role of inflammation in ocular surface disease related to TAO by using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Setting:

This study was performed at the Department of Ophthalmology at Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey, in a twenty months' period.

Methods:

Thirty-three patients who had inactive disease [(Clinical Activity Score (CAS)<3] and thirty age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent routine ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity levels, intraocular pressure, anterior segment and posterior segment evaluation. The subjects were evaluated with tear break-up time (BUT). IVCM was performed to evaluate LC density in central cornea. Also, correlation analyses of confocal microscopy data and clinical data were performed.

Results:

The mean BUT was 9.61±5.01 seconds in the TAO group and significantly lower in the TAO group than in the control group (12.70±2.76 seconds) (p=0.003). The median central corneal LC density in the TAO group was significantly higher than in control group (p<0.001). There were significant negative correlation between age and CAS of TAO patients (p=0.047, r=-0.348). The age of TAO patients was not correlated with BUT and LC count. BUT of TAO patients was negatively correlated with LC count and CAS (p=0.003,r=-0.495 and p<0.001,r=-0.644, respectively). In the control group, BUT, CAS, LC count were not correlated with each other.

Conclusions:

TAO patients in inactive phase suffer from ocular surface inflammation and LC participates in corneal inflammation in TAO.

Financial Disclosure:

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