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Ocular Surface Pathology in Patients Suffering from Mercury Intoxication
Pilar Cañadas1, Yrbani Lantigua1, Amalia Enríquez-de-Salamanca1,2
1IOBA (Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology), University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 27, 2021
Summary
Mercury vapor intoxication causes ocular surface disease, affecting corneal sensitivity and nerve morphology. This study highlights the impact on the trigeminal nerve in affected workers.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Toxicology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mercury vapor intoxication can lead to systemic health issues.
- Ocular surface involvement in mercury toxicity is not well-characterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ocular surface pathology in patients with acute/subacute mercury vapor intoxication.
- To assess the impact of mercury on corneal sensitivity and nerve morphology.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of male workers with mercury intoxication and healthy controls.
- Evaluated dry eye symptoms (OSDI), tear osmolarity, tear cytokines, tear break-up time (T-BUT), corneal staining, tear production (Schirmer), corneal sensitivity, and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) for nerve and dendritic cell density.
Main Results:
- Patients exhibited dry eye symptoms, elevated tear osmolarity, and reduced tear break-up time.
- Corneal sensitivity was altered, with decreased nerve density and branching, and reduced dendritic cell density observed via IVCM.
- Specific tear cytokine profiles (increased IL-12p70, IL-6, RANTES, VEGF; decreased EGF, IP-10/CXCL10) and two patient clusters based on these levels were identified.
Conclusions:
- Systemic mercury intoxication induces ocular surface pathology.
- The trigeminal nerve is a primary target, evidenced by changes in corneal sensitivity and sub-basal nerve structure.
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