Analysis of the Association between Galectin-3 Concentration in Tears and the Severity of Dry Eye Disease: A Case-Control Study.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of dry eye disease (DED) and galectin-3 concentration (gal-3) and its cleavage (gal-3C) in tear fluid. Twenty-eight DED patients and 14 controls were recruited at Keio University Hospital. The lissamine green conjunctival staining (LG) score, fluorescein corneal staining (FL) score, tear film break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer's test, and ocular symptoms questionnaire score (dry eye questionnaire score, DEQS) were evaluated. Furthermore, the correlation between these parameters and the concentrations of gal-3 in tears (ng/µg) and the detection rate of gal-3C (%) were analyzed. Gal-3 concentration in tears was positively correlated with the LG score (R = 0.60, p < 0.01), FL score (R = 0.49, p < 0.01), and DEQS (R = 0.45, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with the TBUT score (R = -0.40, p < 0.01) and Schirmer's I value (R = -0.36, p < 0.01). The detection rate of gal-3C in tears was significantly associated with the severity of DED, especially with the LG (p < 0.01) and FL (p < 0.01) scores. Therefore, the concentration of gal-3 and the detection rate of gal-3C in tears had a significant relationship with the severity of ocular surface barrier disruption.

Conjunctival Epithelial Ingrowth After Penetrating Keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To report a case of conjunctival epithelial ingrowth after penetrating keratoplasty. METHODS: A 57-year-old woman with herpetic corneal keratitis, endotheliitis, and bullous keratopathy underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and secondary cataract surgery. One month after cataract surgery, an epithelial ingrowth was observed at the 5 o'clock donor host junction. Ingrowth extended into the anterior chamber and along the iris surface by 9 months. Another PKP was performed, and the excised graft was submitted for histopathology. RESULTS: The graft showed CK13-positive and CK3-negative cells lining the endothelial surface, indicating the conjunctival origin of ingrown epithelium. Ten months postoperatively, no recurrence of ingrowth was observed. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a rare case of conjunctival epithelial ingrowth after penetrating keratoplasty. There was no recurrence of the ingrowth after surgical removal, and the conjunctival origin may explain the relatively benign course of the complication.