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Altered Ocular Surface Health Status and Tear Film Immune Profile Due to Prolonged Daily Mask Wear in Health Care Workers.
D'Souza, Sharon; Vaidya, Tanuja; Nair, Archana Padmanabhan; Shetty, Rohit; Kumar, Nimisha Rajiv; Bisht, Anadi; Panigrahi, Trailokyanath; J, Tejal S; Khamar, Pooja; Dickman, Mor M; Agrawal, Ruchika; Mahajan, Sanjay; Sengupta, Sneha; Nuijts, Rudy M M A; Sethu, Swaminathan; Ghosh, Arkasubhra.
  • D'Souza S; Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore 560010, India.
  • Vaidya T; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Nair AP; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Udupi 576104, India.
  • Shetty R; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Kumar NR; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Udupi 576104, India.
  • Bisht A; Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore 560010, India.
  • Panigrahi T; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • J TS; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Khamar P; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Dickman MM; Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore 560010, India.
  • Agrawal R; Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore 560010, India.
  • Mahajan S; University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
  • Sengupta S; MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
  • Nuijts RMMA; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Sethu S; GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore 560099, India.
  • Ghosh A; Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore 560010, India.
Biomedicines ; 10(5)2022 May 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1952991
ABSTRACT
Prolonged daily face mask wearing over several months might affect health of the ocular surface and is reported to be associated with complaints of discomfort and dry-eye-like symptoms. We studied the ocular surface clinical parameters, tear soluble factors and immune cell proportions in ophthalmologists practicing within similar environmental conditions (n = 17) at two time points pre-face-mask period (Pre-FM; end of 2019) and post-face-mask-wearing period (Post-FM; during 2020 COVID-19 pandemic), with continuous (~8 h/day) mask wear. A significant increase in ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores without changes in tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer's test 1 (ST1) and objective scatter index (OSI) was observed Post-FM. Tear soluble factors (increased-IL-1ß, IL-33, IFNß, NGF, BDNF, LIF and TSLP; decreased-IL-12, IL-13, HGF and VEGF-A) and mucins (MUC5AC) were significantly altered Post-FM. Ex vivo, human donor and corneoscleral explant cultures under elevated CO2 stress revealed that the molecular profile, particularly mucin expression, was similar to the Post-FM tear molecular profile, suggesting hypercapnia is a potential contributor to ocular surface discomfort. Among the immune cell subsets determined from ocular surface wash samples, significantly higher proportions of leukocytes and natural killer T cells were observed in Post-FM compared to Pre-FM. Therefore, it is important to note that the clinical parameters, tear film quality, tear molecular factors and immune cells profile observed in prolonged mask-wear-associated ocular surface discomfort were distinct from dry eye disease or other common ocular surface conditions. These observations are important for differential diagnosis as well as selection of appropriate ocular surface treatment in such subjects.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Biomedicines10051160

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Biomedicines10051160