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Investigation of anterior chamber flare and corneal Langerhans cells in rheumatoid arthritis and in dry eye
Author(s) -
MARSOVSZKY L,
BAUSZ M,
NÉMETH J,
RESCH M
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2014.2437.x
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , cornea , ophthalmology
Purpose To examine the anterior chamber flare and corneal Langerhans cells (LC)in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare the results to those found in patients with dry eye disease (DED) and in age matched control (C). Methods 15 patients with RA (11 women, és 4 men, mean age: 67.3±8.6 years), 20 DED patients (11 women, 9 men, mean age: 57.2±14.4 years) and 15 control subjects (8 women, 7 men, mean age: 49.6±19.1 years) were enrolled in this study. Anterior chamber flare was evaluated using Kowa FC‐600 laser flare meter and corneal LC densities were investigated at the corneal centre with confocal microscopy (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph with Rostock Cornea Modul (HRT II RCM)) in all groups. Results There was a significant difference in the flare values between RA and DED patients (6,65 f/ms in RA and 4,75 f/ms in DED (p<0.01). Central LC density was: 57.6±34.4/mm2 in RA and 52.3±31.3/mm2 in DED respectively. Both values were significantly lower than that of in control (24.6±18.6/mm2, p<0.05) Conclusion The blood aqueous barrier might be altered in RA even without signs of clinically significant ocular inflammation. This alteration in the blood aqueous barrier might contribute to the accumulation of LCs at the corneal centre. The greater LC density and flare values found in RA might represent novel players in the pathogenesis of dry eye.