Daily disposable contact lenses (CLs) cause less damage to the ocular surface and less inflamation than other CL options, university researchers in Turkey have found.

“The use of soft contact lenses leads to an increase in the level of proinflammatory cytokines and to cellular changes in the conjunctiva. However, daily disposable contact lenses seem to cause less damage,” it concluded.

Researchers in the universities’ ophthalmology, biochemistry and pathology departments compared three groups of subjects. Daily disposable hydrogel CLs were given to 22 people (group 1), daily disposable silicone hydrogel CLs were given to 25 people (group 2) and reusable silicone hydrogel CLs were given to 24 people (group 3). All were told to wear them 10 hours a day.

Tear function tests and levels of inflammatory cytokine were evaluated before and at one and three months of CL usage. Impression cytology was evaluated before and at three months after CL usage.

The study found a statistically significant difference in the level of all inflammatory cytokines between the groups at three months, with the highest level in group 3 and the lowest in group 1.

At baseline, month one and month three, all patients completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and underwent tear osmolarity testing, Schirmer testing and tear break-up time (TBUT) analysis. A significant increase in OSDI score and a significant decrease in TBUT and Schirmer test was observed in group 3.

At baseline and three months, cellular changes occurring on the ocular surface were assessed by impression cytology. In the third month, a significant progression was observed in the Nelson grade (P < 0.05) in all groups.