Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease in young and middle-aged office employee: a Xi'an Study.

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye disease (DED) in young and middle-aged office employee in Xi'an. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of the prevalence of and risk factors for DED investigated 486 young and middle-aged Chinese office employee in Xi'an. DED symptoms and potential risk factors were assessed using the ocular surface disease index combined with a risk factors questionnaire, and tear function was evaluated using the tear film break-up time and Schirmer's test. Possible risk factors for DED were estimated by binary Logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: DED was diagnosed in 100 females and 96 males, giving a prevalence of 40.3% [95% confidence interval (CI)=36.0%-44.7%]. The multivariate binary Logistic regression model indicated that the possible risk factors for DED were being female (OR=1.592, 95%CI=1.034-2.451, P=0.035), being aged ≥40y (OR=1.593, 95%CI=1.034-2.454, P=0.035), using a VDT daily for >6h (OR=1.990, 95%CI=1.334-2.971, P=0.001), the presence of central air conditioning (OR=1.548, 95%CI=1.053-2.276, P=0.026), and self-reported dryness of the mouth and nose (OR=1.589, 95%CI=1.071-2.357, P=0.021). CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of clinically diagnosed DED in young and middle-aged video display terminal (VDT) users. Interventions against the modifiable risk factors should be taken to prevent the occurrence and development of DED in this population.

Fabrication of Konjac glucomannan-based composite hydrogel crosslinked by calcium hydroxide for promising lacrimal plugging purpose.

Swelling, mechanical strength, flexibility, and toughness are important parameters in hydrogel preparation for application in the human body. Herein, composite hydrogels were prepared using a mix of Konjac glucomannan (KGM), sodium alginate (SA), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cross-linked by calcium hydroxide. The PVA/KGM/SA composite hydrogel showed a suitable swelling ratio and rate, as well as elasticity and flexibility. In addition, the elongation at break was 660.3%, with a breaking strength of 87.25 kPa and a compression modulus of 1.660 MPa. Rheological studies showed that the composite hydrogel was composed of a multiply cross-linked network involving chemical and physical interactions, thereby affecting the elasticity and flexibility of the gel. Interestingly, the composite gel network was reformed when the temperature decreased. In rabbit models of dry eye, the hydrogel effectively maintained the normal tear meniscus height and increased the low tear meniscus area. The results therefore showed that the PVA/KGM/SA gels not only provide a simple, effective, and safe method for the preparation of hydrogels, but also have potential applications in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.

In vivo study of the biocompatibility of a novel compressed collagen hydrogel scaffold for artificial corneas.

The experiments were designed to evaluate the biocompatibility of a plastically compressed collagen scaffold (PCCS). The ultrastructure of the PCCS was observed via scanning electron microscopy. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into experimental and control groups that received corneal pocket transplantation with PCCS and an amniotic membrane, respectively. And the contralateral eye of the implanted rabbit served as the normal group. On the 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st, 30th, 60th, 90th, and 120th postoperative day, the eyes were observed via a slit lamp. On the 120th postoperative day, the rabbit eyes were enucleated to examine the tissue compatibility of the implanted stroma. The PCCS was white and translucent. The scanning electron microscopy results showed that fibers within the PCCS were densely packed and evenly arranged. No edema, inflammation, or neovascularization was observed on ocular surface under a slit lamp and few lymphocytes were observed in the stroma of rabbit cornea after histological study. In conclusion, the PCCS has extremely high biocompatibility and is a promising corneal scaffold for an artificial cornea.