The Association between Diabetes and Herpes Simplex Eye Disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Herpes simplex eye disease (HSED) is a significant cause of ocular morbidity.
• Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a systemic condition with potential implications for various infections and inflammatory processes.
• The relationship between DM and HSED requires further investigation to understand potential risk factors and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and the presence and severity of Herpes simplex eye disease (HSED).
• To determine if diabetic patients exhibit a higher risk or more severe presentation of HSED compared to non-diabetic individuals.

Main Methods:

• Two sub-studies were conducted involving patients from the Wills Eye Hospital Cornea Service (2008-2012).
• Study 1 compared 541 HSED patients with 3226 controls; Study 2 compared 40 diabetic and 120 non-diabetic HSED patients.
• Ocular surface HSED severity was graded (mild, moderate, severe) based on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA); DM was categorized by control method (diet, oral medication, insulin).

Main Results:

• Prevalence of type 1 and type 2 DM was similar between HSED patients and controls.
• No statistically significant difference was found in the risk of severe ocular surface HSED between diabetic and non-diabetic patients (p = 0.120; OR, 1.900).

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest there may not be a positive association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and Herpes simplex eye disease.
• Further research may be warranted to explore potential nuances in the DM-HSED relationship.