Tear ferning

Active tobacco smoking, passive smoking, and e-cigarette smoking have been associated with different systemic and ocular diseases. The precorneal tear film plays an important role in eye health and its analysis can provide useful information on ocular status. This review investigates the effects of different types of smoking on the precorneal tear film, by analyzing the peer-reviewed literature on this topic. Specifically, tear evaporation rate, stability, volume, ferning, osmolarity, and physical composition (lipids and proteins) of tear film are detailed...

Recent clinical findings suggest that mucomimetic polymers (MMP) can alter not only the texture of the aqueous tear but also the spreading and structure of the tear film (TF) lipid layer, thereby allowing for their synchronized performance in vivo. Thus, we aimed to evaluate in vitro (i) the capability of pharmaceutically applicable MMP to ensure the formation of post-evaporative ferning patterns (a characteristic feature of the "healthy" tear colloid) and (ii) the MMP interactions with human meibum films accessed in the course of blink-like deformations via Langmuir surface balance and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM)...

AIM: This study was designed to evaluate the tear film in beta-thalassemia patients using tear ferning (TF) and phenol red thread (PRT) tests. METHODS: Forty beta-thalassemia patients, aged 18 - 38 years (25.7 ± 6.0 years), along with a control group of 40 age-matched subjects with healthy eyes completed the study. All subjects completed the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) first, followed by the TF and PRT tests with a 5-minute gap between the tests...

To evaluate the dry eye symptoms and ocular tear film in young female subjects with refractive errors (RE) using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), phenol red thread (PRT) and tear ferning (TF) tests. Methods . A group of 50 young female subjects (mean ± standard division = 20.3 ± 1.1 years) with RE (-0.25 to -6.00D) completed the study. An age-matched control group consisting of 50 healthy normal eye female subjects (22.2 ± 1.5 years) was recruited for comparison. The OSDI was completed first, followed by PRT and TF tests...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of autologous blood eye drops in patients diagnosed with severe ocular surface disease and dry eye who were unresponsive to conventional therapy and who would otherwise be considered for autologous serum eye drops. METHODS: A total of 38 eyes of 19 patients (15 women and 4 men) with ocular surface disease and severe dry eye refractory to conventional treatment were treated with fingerprick autologous blood 4 times daily for 6 months...

Purpose: Analysis of ferning formation after tear drop desiccation on a glass slide has been applied as a simple method to examine tear normality and is referred to as the tear ferning (TF) test. Despite use of the TF test in clinical settings and in some animals, thus far no TF test protocol has been developed for the mouse model. This study aimed to establish a mouse TF test protocol that can be used for dry eye research using the mouse as the study model. Methods: Tear samples were collected from 24 healthy mice after repeated flushes with 2, 5, 10, or 20 µL wash solutions, either 0...

SIGNIFICANCE: The tear film promotes ocular surface health and protection through its various constituents' functions. The application of methods for ocular surface examination is essential in the research of diseases that affect the tear film. Rabbits have been used as a model to study some human ocular diseases and to test ophthalmic products. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to determine the biochemical profile, osmolarity, and tear ferning patterns of rabbit tears...

To compare tear electrolytes and tear crystallization patterns in birds and reptiles, tears were sampled by Schirmer tear test from 10 animals each of Ara ararauna, Amazona aestiva, Tyto alba, Rupornis magnirostris, Chelonoidis carbonaria , and Caiman latirostris , and 5 of Caretta caretta . The aliquots were pooled to assess concentrations of total protein, chloride, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, and urea. For the tear ferning test, samples of each species were observed under a polarized light microscope at room temperature and humidity...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acute conjunctivitis on tear film characteristics and corneal sensitivity in dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: Eight female spayed Beagle dogs (1.5-2 years old, 7.5-10 kg). PROCEDURES: On two consecutive days, one randomly selected eye in each dog received 1 or 375 mg/mL histamine solution to induce mild or severe conjunctivitis, while the contralateral eye served as control. Diagnostic tests were performed in the following order: fluorescein instillation and repeated tear collection over 20 minutes (to determine tear volume [TV] and turnover rate [TTR] by fluorophotometry), Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1), tear ferning, corneal esthesiometry, and tear film breakup time (TFBUT)...

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of the new lubricating product VisuEvo® (VSE) vs Cationorm® (CTN) in patients with dry eye disease (DED). METHODS: Seventy-two patients with evaporative (n=54) and non-evaporative DED (n=18) were included in a multicenter, double-blind, 12-week cross-over study to receive VSE (6 weeks) and CTN (6 weeks) in randomized sequence. After baseline, two visits were performed during each period (intermediate and final visit, respectively at 2 and 6 weeks from the beginning of each period)...

OBJECTIVE: To compare basal and reflex tear osmolarity in healthy dogs and to evaluate for correlation among tear film osmolarity, tear production, and tear fern pattern. ANIMALS STUDIED: The population consisted of 22 healthy adult dogs. PROCEDURES: Reflex tear osmolarity was measured in both eyes using the I-PEN®  VET osmometer 30 minutes following the Schirmer tear test (STT-1) measurement. Subsequently, two minutes following topical anesthetic application, the lacrimal lake and conjunctival fornices were dried, and 3 minutes later, basal tear osmolarity was measured...

BACKGROUND: The tear film is a trilaminar fluid composed mainly of lipids, electrolytes, proteins and water. It is responsible for lubrication, nutrition and protection against microbial and toxic agents. Disruption of any these components may weaken the ocular surface, making it more susceptible to disease. Increasing evidence suggests that qualitative tear film deficiencies are an important predisposing factor or cause of some of the most common and challenging ocular diseases in cats, including conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCED), pigmentary keratitis, corneal sequestrum and dry eye syndrome...

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess the tear film in subjects with a high body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Twenty male subjects aged 23-42 years (mean ± standard deviation =31.3±5.7 years) with a high BMI [median (interquartile range) =31.8 (5.2) kg/m2 ] were recruited. An age-matched control group of twenty male subjects aged 22-38 years with a normal BMI [20.5 (2.8) kg/m2 ] also participated in the study. RESULTS: There were significant (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test; P <0...

Objective: To investigate the ocular tear film in patients with thyroid disorders using various tests. Methods: The study involved the assessment of the ocular tear film in 20 patients with thyroid disorders (6 men and 14 women) aged 18-43 years (mean±standard deviation=34.3±3.2 years). An age-matched control group consisting of 20 subjects (8 males and 12 females) ranging in age from 18 to 43 years (31.3±2.9 years) was also examined under similar conditions. All patients completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire, followed by the tear ferning test within the right eye...

Purpose: To evaluate the tear ferning patterns in dry eye and normal eye subjects in the 3 hours following application of Refresh Plus® preservative-free lubricant eyedrops. Methods: Thirty men with dry eye (mean age 22.14±2.34 years) and 30 age-matched men with normal eyes (mean age 23.91±3.24 years) were enrolled. Eyes were classified as normal or dry based on their Ocular Surface Disease Index score, tear meniscus height, and noninvasive tear breakup time...

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the tear ferning patterns of non-stimulated and stimulated tears in normal eye male subjects using the tear ferning test. Methods: Thirty-five male subjects aged 20-38 years with normal eyes were enrolled in the study. Subjects with dry eye or with a risk factor for eye dryness (eg, recent ocular surgery, contact-lens wearers, smokers, anemic, diabetes, and thyroid gland problems) were excluded from the study. Dry eye subjects were excluded based on the ocular surface diseases index scores, non-invasive tear break-up time, and tear meniscus height measurements from the right and left eyes...

Objective: To test the effect of a single dose of hot peppermint consumption on the tear film in normal eye subjects. Methods: Thirty healthy male subjects aged 18-39 years (23.20±2.17 years) were enrolled. Also, an age-matched control group of 30 male subjects (19-39 years, 23.50±0.70 years) was enrolled to test the effect of the hot water. Tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive tear breakup time (NITBUT), and tear ferning (TF) tests were performed for each patient 30 mins before and 60 mins after they drank hot peppermint...

Purpose: Several pieces of epidemiologic evidence have indicated PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less) as a causing factor of allergic conjunctivitis, but without experimental elucidation of mechanism. In the present study, PM2.5 in solution was directly applied to the mouse ocular surface to elucidate whether PM2.5 might cause allergic conjunctivitis, and its underlying mechanisms were analyzed. Methods: ICR mice were challenged for 18 consecutive days with eye drops containing PM2...

The aim of this work was to design and evaluate novel cationized hyaluronic acid coated spanlastics (CHASVs), with the immunosuppressive peptide cyclosporine A (CsA) as the model drug. CHASVs exhibited ideal size, zeta potential, pH, osmolarity and entrapment efficiency. The developed CHASVs provided a surface tension of 34.98 ± 0.19 mN/m, a contact angle of 21.07 ± 3.56° and a viscosity of 9-12 mPa·s, which reflected favorable wetting and bioadhesion properties. From the in vitro release study, the sustain release property could also be seen...

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the acute effect of a single dose of green tea on the quality and quantity of tears in normal eye subjects. Methods: Forty normal eye subjects (22 men and 18 women) aged 19-39 years were enrolled in the study. Also, an age matching control group (20 males and 20 females) was enrolled for comparison. McMonnies dry eye symptoms questionnaire and slit lamp were used for the exclusion criteria determination. Phenol red thread (PRT) test was performed on both eyes of each subject...