@article{3084402,
    title = "Alterations in conjunctival cytology and tear film dysfunction in
patients with beta-thalassemia",
    author = "Gartaganis, SP and Georgakopoulos, CD and Exarchou, A and Mela, EK and and Psachoulia, C and Eliopoulou, MI and Kourakli, A and Gotsis, SS and and Tripathi, RC",
    journal = "Cornea : The Journal of Cornea and External Disease",
    year = "2003",
    volume = "22",
    number = "7",
    pages = "591-597",
    publisher = "Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins",
    issn = "0277-3740, 1536-4798",
    doi = "10.1097/00003226-200310000-00002",
    keywords = "beta-thalassemia; brush cytology; tear film; squamous metaplasia; iron
overload",
    abstract = "Purpose: Patients with beta-thalassemia (beta-tha) represent a group
with lifelong transfusion-dependent anemias. This study aimed to
describe the conjunctival changes and tear film parameters in these
patients.
Methods: A total of 52 patients (104 eyes) with beta-tha major and 22
normal control subjects (44 eyes) were studied during 1999 through 2000.
Tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, rose Bengal staining, and
cytologic evaluation of the conjunctival epithelium were performed in
all subjects. The Papanicolaou and May-Grumwald-Giemsa staining
procedures were performed on all smears. Patients and control subjects
were compared for tear function parameters and conjunctival changes.
Results: The BUT, Schirmer test, and rose Bengal staining values were
significantly lower (P < 0.001) in beta-tha patients than in control
subjects. Keratinized cells were observed in conjunctival samples in
41% of patients, with a decrease in the number of goblet cells per
slide in 64% of patients. In 9% of beta-tha patients, there were a
slightly greater number of inflammatory cells than in control eyes.
Conclusion: Ocular surface disorder of these patients was characterized
by goblet cell loss and conjunctival squamous metaplasia. Our findings
were correlated positively with the variable age. Epithelial damage by
toxic reaction and disorder of tear quality and quantity are implicated
as important factors in the pathogenesis of the ocular surface disease
in beta-tha patients."
}