Mini-scleral contact lens wear has minimal impact on tear film cytokines

Wearing well-fitted mini-scleral contact lenses (mini-SLs) for a period of 5 hours does not result in significant changes in the tear film cytokine expression in healthy eyes, according to a study.

While mini-SLs may reduce the rate at which the precorneal tear film is refreshed, they do not appear to significantly affect the cytokine-to-protein ratio in the tear film of healthy eyes.

In this prospective study, 1 eye of each of the 23 participants was chosen randomly for examination. An experienced contact lens specialist fitted a 16.5 mm diameter mini-SL to the selected eye, which remained in place for a duration of 5 hours. Tear fluid samples were collected using capillary tubes at three distinct time points: before mini-SL insertion (T0), after 5 hours of mini-SL wear (T1), and 3 hours following mini-SL removal (T2). The concentration of 40 inflammatory cytokines was assessed at these time points using multiplex bead assay.

The study found that mini-scleral lens wear did not lead to significant changes in the cytokine-to-protein ratio after 5 hours of wear on a healthy eye. This finding suggests that well-fitted mini-SLs have minimal impact on corneal cytokine expression, despite their potential to slow down the rate at which the precorneal tear film refreshes.

While the study’s objectives were to investigate the potential effects of mini-SLs on tear film cytokines, the results indicate that, in the context of this study, the use of mini-scleral contact lenses for 5 hours does not appear to significantly alter the cytokine-to-protein ratio in healthy eyes.

Reference
Ballet B, Behaegel J, Reppe S, et al Ocular Surface Homeostasis After Scleral Lens Usage. Eye Contact Lens. 2023;doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000001027. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37651199.