The concentrations of plasmin and epidermal growth factor were determined in tear fluid (TF) samples from wearers of different types of contact lenses (CLs) during and after cessation of CL wear (CLW). TF samples of 50 healthy eyes served as controls. The plasmin concentrations in the control group (0.4 ± 0.1 μg/ml; mean ± SEM) were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than in the group of soft CL (SCL) wearers during CLW (1.2 ± 0.2 μg/ml). Cessation of CLW led to a decrease in TF plasmin concentrations from 1.2 ± 0.2 to 0.6 ± 0.1 μg/ml in the group of SCL wearers (p < 0.001), from 1.5 ± 1.1 to 0.3 ± 0.2 μg/ml in the group of extended-wear SCL wearers (p > 0.05) and from 0.4 ± 0.3 to 0.0 ± 0.0 μg/ml in the group of gas-permeable CL wearers (p > 0.05). After CLW cessation, TF plasmin levels of CL wearers did not differ from those of controls. The occurrence of plasmin in TF was associated with a higher degree of corneal neovascularization and with the presence of limbal injection. The concentrations of epidermal growth factor in TF were not significantly altered by the discontinuation of CLW.
We determined biochemically the plasmin concentration in tear fluid from 50 externally healthy eyes and from 49 eyes during contact lens (CL) wear. After cessation of CL wear, samples were collected again from 41 of the 49 eyes. Plasmin was detected more frequently (P less than 0.0001) in the CL-wearing group (75.5%) than in the control group (20%). After the cessation of CL wear (3-21 days), the frequency of plasmin detection in tear fluid decreased significantly (P less than 0.0006) but was still higher (39%) than in the control group. We conclude that the occurrence of plasmin in tear fluid is correlated with CL wear. The proteolytic activity of plasmin may contribute to the development of corneal epithelial pathology associated with CL wear.
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