Abstract:
Background: Dry eye disease (DED) is a disorder of the anterior segment of the eye
which is common in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It has been reported
that symptoms of DED were observed in 60-70% of patients with T2DM. Given that
inflammation has a key role in the progression of both T2DM and DED, we believe it
is reasonable to study the role of neutrophils in this process.
Purpose: To assess the percentage expression of CD15, a neutrophil activation marker,
in the peripheral blood of patients with both DED and T2DM.
Material and Methods: Forty-six patients (92 eyes; mean age, 54.0 ± 8.0 years) with
both DED and T2DM were included in this study. There were 19 (40%) women and
27 (60 %) men. Mean diabetes duration was 8.0 ± 6.6 years. All patients had well compensated diabetes. In addition to a routine examination of the eye, Schirmer I test
and tear film break-up time (TBUT) test, they had their corneal fluorescein staining
(CFS) scored using the Oxford schema, severities of dry eye graded according to
the DEWS II classification and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) obtained. An
immunohistocytochemical study was employed to assess the expression of CD15, a
neutrophil activation marker, in peripheral blood cells of patients.
Results: The mean percentage expression of CD15, a neutrophil activation marker, in
the peripheral blood, was 46.7% for 14 patients with T2DM plus DED and punctuate
keratopathy, and 28.5% for 32 patients with T2DM plus DED and intact cornea
(р=0.0001). There was a mild negative correlation between the expression of CD15
and the Schirmer score (r = -0.32; р = 0.032), and between the former and the TBUT
score (r = -0.34; р = 0.019)
