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The effects of disposable daily wear contact lenses on goblet cell count
C G Connor1, J B Campbell, S A Steel
1Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, TN 38104, USA.
Purpose:
The number of goblet cells on the inferior bulbar conjunctiva increases in response to daily wear contact lens use. We conducted a study to examine whether daily wear soft contact lenses worn on a 2-week disposable schedule would also induce the same goblet cell response.
Methods:
Twenty-eight subjects who had never worn contact lenses were fit with 38% water polymacon lenses. The lenses were worn on a daily wear basis and replaced every two weeks over a 6-month period. Goblet cell count was determined by impression cytology of the inferior bulbar conjunctiva.
Results:
No significant increase in goblet cell count was observed in the subjects during the 6 months period; the 3.23% baseline goblet cell count was never exceeded. In our previous study, after 6 months of conventional daily wear lens use, the goblet cell count increased from a baseline of 4.19% to 8.0%.
Conclusions:
It appears that wearing daily wear soft contact lenses on a disposable basis may be less irritating to the ocular surface than wearing soft contact lenses on a conventional daily wear basis.