CORE Publishes Guidance on Ocular Surface Immunology for Better Patient Care
Monday, August 21 2023 | 03 h 36 min | News
In response to increased clinical interest regarding ocular surface immunology, the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has published a collection of resources to create a greater understanding among the global eye care community.
Issue 73 of Contact Lens Update focuses on the topic and is available by visiting ContactLensUpdate.com.
“The ocular surface forms the main line of defence in protecting the eye against external pathogens and has a crucial inflammation-regulating role. Inflammatory eye conditions disrupt the homeostasis of the immune system and can result in reduced quality of life or permanent sight loss,” said Lyndon Jones, director of CORE. “Increased awareness of the pathophysiology, early diagnosis, and effective management of ocular surface disease can benefit practitioners and patients alike.”
In primary eye care settings, immunological conditions that impact the ocular surface are routinely observed in people suffering from allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye, Sjögren’s syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis. As knowledge of ocular surface immunology continues to evolve, eye care practitioners who are familiar with the latest research and treatment options can offer a higher standard of care.
Sezen Karakus, assistant professor at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, shares her expertise in the issue’s editorial.
The feature article is authored by Jeremy Chung Bo Chiang, a postdoctoral research associate at Aston University. He succinctly presents the four stages underlying the immunopathogensis of dry eye disease, followed by valuable information about current topical ophthalmic treatments, their mechanisms of action, and clinical tips.
Barbara Caffery, an optometrist at Toronto Eye Care and former president of the American Academy of Optometry, shares her knowledge in the issue’s clinical insight column. The case report details a patient’s journey through an initial examination, dry eye diagnosis, and management. She then poses important questions that can help identify people who may have Sjögren’s syndrome and delves into additional tests required for diagnosis.
The conference highlight is contributed by Elyana Locatelli, a pre-medical student and research fellow at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. Based on her poster that was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2023 annual meeting, the retrospective study examines the subjective preference of cyclosporine compared to lifitegrast in patients with dry eye and investigates whether any patient factors were associated with medication choice.
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