Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Dec 1;64(15):18.
doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.15.18.

Epithelial Immune Cell Response to Initial Soft Contact Lens Wear in the Human Corneal and Conjunctival Epithelium

Rabia Mobeen  1 , Fiona Stapleton  1 , Cecilia Chao  1 , Mandy C Huynh  1 , Yee S Phoebe Wong  1 , Thomas Naduvilath  1   2 , Blanka Golebiowski  1
Affiliations

Epithelial Immune Cell Response to Initial Soft Contact Lens Wear in the Human Corneal and Conjunctival Epithelium

Rabia Mobeen et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the immediate ocular immune response to soft contact lens (CL) wear by examining presumed epithelial immune cell (EIC) density and morphology at the central, peripheral, limbal cornea, and conjunctiva.

Methods: Fifty-four participants naïve to CL wear (mean age = 24.8 ± 9.8 years, 44% female participants), were examined using in vivo confocal microscopy at baseline and after 2 hours of CL wear (1-Day ACUVUE MOIST). Images were captured at the central, temporal far peripheral and limbal cornea, and bulbar conjunctiva. EIC density was counted manually and morphology was graded. Differences in EIC parameters pre- and post-CL wear were examined using a generalized estimating equation model with appropriate post hoc analyses.

Results: After 2 hours of soft CL wear, there was a significant increase in EIC density in all regions other than the central cornea (all P < 0.001). Cell body size was significantly larger, and a higher proportion of participants exhibited EIC with long dendrites after lens wear at the central and peripheral cornea (both P < 0.001). There was a significant increase in the number of participants displaying EIC with thick dendrites at the peripheral (P = 0.04) and limbal cornea (P < 0.001) after lens wear.

Conclusions: EICs were primarily recruited to the peripheral regions, whereas the central cornea shows no significant recruitment after short-term CL wear. Both central and peripheral corneas exhibited an enhanced antigen capture capacity, whereas migratory capacity was increased in the peripheral corneal regions suggesting EIC activation following a short period of CL wear.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: R. Mobeen, None; F. Stapleton, None; C. Chao, None; M.C. Huynh, None; Y.S. Phoebe Wong, None; T. Naduvilath, None; B. Golebiowski, None

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Representative figure depicting the ocular region's localization using in vivo confocal microscopy. The peripheral cornea was defined as the region located approximately 1 to 2 mm inside the limbus, and corneal nerves were prominently observed as landmarks (black arrow). The palisades of Vogt were essential anatomic references utilized to identify the limbal cornea (white arrow), whereas superficial conjunctival cells with bright white nuclei served as distinctive markers for identifying the bulbar conjunctiva (dashed arrow).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Representative in vivo confocal microscope images of epithelial immune cells (EICs) at the central cornea, temporal peripheral cornea, temporal limbal cornea, and temporal bulbar conjunctiva. The upper panel represents the cells at baseline and the lower panel represents cells after 2 hours of soft contact lens wear. Image size is 400 × 400 µm2 and scale bar indicates 50 µm. (White arrows = corneal nerves, black arrows = EIC, white dashed arrows = EIC with long dendrite, and black dashed arrows = EIC with thick dendrites).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Epithelial immune cell (EIC) density at the central cornea, temporal peripheral cornea, temporal limbal cornea, and temporal bulbar conjunctiva before and after 2 hours of soft contact lens (CL) wear. Plots represent the median (horizontal black line), interquartile range (box), lower and upper extremes Q1/Q3 + 1.5 × interquartile range (whiskers) and outliers lying above Q3 + 1.5 × interquartile range (circles).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Epithelial immune cell (EIC) body size at the central cornea, temporal peripheral cornea, temporal limbal cornea, and temporal bulbar conjunctiva before (baseline) and after 2 hours of soft contact lens (CL) wear. Images devoid of EIC are not presented and were excluded from analyses.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Boxplots illustrating the relationships between epithelial immune cell (EIC) density and morphology at the central (A–C) and limbal cornea (D, E). Panels (A–C) focus on the central cornea, examining EIC density with cell body size (A), presence of dendrites (B), and presence of long dendrites (C). Panels (D, E) focus on the limbal cornea examining EIC density with cell body size (D), and the presence of thick dendrites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Efron N, Morgan PB, Woods CA, Santodomingo-Rubido J, Nichols JJ.. International survey of contact lens fitting for myopia control in children. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2020; 43: 4–8. - PubMed
    1. Stapleton F. The epidemiology of infectious keratitis. Ocul Surf. 2021; 28: 351–363. - PubMed
    1. Lakkis C, Lorenz KO, Mayers M.. Topical review: contact lens eye health and safety considerations in government policy development. Optom Vis Sci. 2022; 99: 737–742. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Randag AC, Van Rooij J, Van Goor AT, et al. .. The rising incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis: a 7-year nationwide survey and clinical assessment of risk factors and functional outcomes. PLoS One. 2019; 14: e0222092. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alipour F, Khaheshi S, Soleimanzadeh M, Heidarzadeh S, Heydarzadeh S.. Contact lens-related complications: a review. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2017; 12: 193. - PMC - PubMed