Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, School of Shanghai Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, PR China.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2010 Nov;94(11):1454-8. doi: 10.1136/bjo.2009.161059. Epub 2009 Dec 2.
To study the morphology and the density of conjunctival goblet cells (GC) in patients with Sjögren's syndrome dry eye with in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and to explore its correlation with the GC density detected by impression cytology.
A total of 43 Sjögren's syndrome dry eye patients were recruited. All were required to fill in the Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaires. The tear break-up time was measured, followed by corneal fluorescein staining examination and Schirmer I test. The images of conjunctiva were taken by the Heidelberg retina tomography (HRT-II)/Rostock cornea module. Finally, the specimens for impression cytology were obtained. SPSS V.13.0 software was used to analyse the data.
Tear film function test showed that all patients had moderate to severe dry eye. The GC in LSCM images was characterised as a large hyper-reflective oval-shape cell with relatively homogeneous brightness. Though GC density assessed by LSCM (332 ± 137) cells/mm² was higher than that measured by impression cytology (200 ± 141) cells/mm², they showed a significant positive correlation, ρ = 0.908 (p < 0.05). Conclusion Conjunctival GC could be easily discriminated under the LSCM. LSCM may be a valuable tool in monitoring the progress and the follow-up of patients with Sjögren's syndrome dry eye.
应用活体激光共聚焦显微镜（LSCM）观察干燥综合征患者眼表的结膜杯状细胞（GC）形态和密度，探讨其与印迹细胞学检测的 GC 密度的相关性。
收集 43 例干燥综合征患者，填写眼表疾病指数问卷，行泪膜破裂时间、角膜荧光素染色和 Schirmer I 试验，应用海德堡视网膜断层扫描仪（HRT-II）/罗斯托克角膜模块采集结膜图像，行印迹细胞学检查。应用 SPSS V.13.0 软件进行统计学分析。
泪膜功能检查均提示中重度干眼，LSCM 图像中 GC 为大而高亮的椭圆形细胞，形态清晰；LSCM 检测的 GC 密度（332±137）个/mm²高于印迹细胞学（200±141）个/mm²，且两者呈显著正相关（ρ=0.908，P<0.05）。
LSCM 能清晰显示结膜 GC，可作为监测干燥综合征患者眼表的有效工具。
