• There may be a connection between serologic markers and conjunctival damage in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, reports a study in Cornea.¹ Researchers evaluated 64 patients diagnosed with primary Sjögren’s according to the 2012 Sjögren’s International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) criteria. Serum anti-Ro/SSA, anti-La/SSB, rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibody (ANA) levels, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Schirmer I test values, tear breakup time and SICCA ocular staining score (OSS) were determined. A strong correlation between serum RF and ANA levels and conjunctival staining scores and the total OSS was identified, suggesting conjunctival damage. Further study is needed to investigate the OSDI and SICCA OSS at multiple time points after treatment. 

1. Lim SA, Nam S, Kwok S, et al. Serologic markers are associated with ocular staining score in primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Cornea, epub ahead of print.

• Dry eye patients exhibit varied but diminished corneal sensitivity (CoS), suggesting there are different states of ocular surface compensation for the disease.¹ Researchers measured the CoS and evaluated the tear films of forty-six patients with DES four times over the course of three months, and observed a statistically significant change in sensitivity values, especially with more severe disease. CoS severity was highly variable. “Normal sensitivity values, measured once, cannot exclude future changes in sensitivity,” the authors wrote. Although patients were separated into etiologic subgroups—hormonal, immunologic, toxic, neural and environmental—no statistically significant differences were found among them, likely due to small sample size.

1. Nepp J, Wirth W. Fluctuations of corneal sensitivity in dry eye syndromes—a longitudinal pilot study. Cornea 2015;34:1221;1226.

• A new tear-infused lens material technology from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is designed to help wearers tolerate their lenses longer. The Acuvue Oasys Brand Contact Lenses 1-Day with HydraLuxe mimic the body’s natural mucins to lubricate and moisturize the eye, improving comfort, J&J says.