Effect of age and contact lens wear on corneal epithelial dendritic cell distribution, density, and morphology

Blanka Golebiowski; Cecilia Chao; Kim Anh Bui; Wing Yan Winnie Lam; Kathryn Richdale; Fiona Stapleton

doi:10.1016/j.clae.2019.05.002

Effect of age and contact lens wear on corneal epithelial dendritic cell distribution, density, and morphology

Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2020 Feb;43(1):84-90. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2019.05.002. Epub 2019 Jun 18.

Authors

Blanka Golebiowski¹, Cecilia Chao², Kim Anh Bui³, Wing Yan Winnie Lam³, Kathryn Richdale⁴, Fiona Stapleton³

Affiliations

¹ School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: b.golebiowski@unsw.edu.au.
² School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia; Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, USA.
³ School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
⁴ College of Optometry, University of Houston, USA.

PMID: 31227315
DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2019.05.002

Abstract

Purpose: Contact lens wearers aged 15-25 years are at higher risk of corneal inflammation, yet little is known about corneal inflammatory state in this group. Previous investigations show density of corneal epithelial dendritic cells (CEDC) may increase with contact lens wear. However, it is not known how corneal distribution or morphology of CEDC alters with lens wear or whether these markers are affected by age. This study characterised CEDC in adolescent and young adult contact lens wearers to determine effects of contact lens wear and age on CEDC density, distribution and morphology.

Method: Forty participants (20 contact lens wearers, 20 healthy non-wearers; age 16-36 years; 16M:24F) completed this pilot study. Corneal images were captured using in vivo confocal microscopy (HRTII, Rostock). CEDC were manually counted in a 1 mm² area of the central and mid-peripheral cornea, and ratio of central to midperipheral density was calculated. CEDC morphology and dendrite length were graded. Differences between groups and between regions, and associations with age were examined. Significance was determined at P < 0.05.

Results: A lower ratio of central to mid-peripheral CEDC density was found with younger age (ρ = 0.42, P = 0.01). CEDC morphology was not associated with age or contact lens wear. CEDC density in the mid-peripheral cornea was higher in soft lens wearers than non-wearers (P = 0.04), but central density did not differ. CEDC density and morphology were not significantly different between centre (median density 11 cells/mm², range 0-120) and mid-periphery (10 cells/mm², 0-58).

Conclusion: Density, distribution and morphology of CEDC do not differ in established contact lens wearers. A relatively lower density of CEDC in the central cornea of younger patients may allude to a more naive immune status in this group and warrants further study. Decreased central CEDC density identified in orthokeratology lens wear requires confirmation in a larger group.

Keywords: Adolescent; Contact lens; Cornea; Corneal epithelial dendritic cells; Inflammation; Youth.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Cell Count
Contact Lenses*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dendritic Cells / cytology*
Epithelium, Corneal / cytology*
Female
Humans
Male
Microscopy, Confocal
Myopia / therapy*
Orthokeratologic Procedures
Pilot Projects
Slit Lamp Microscopy
Young Adult