Estimation of microbiota and interleukin-1 beta in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with ocular defects after using unilateral ocular prosthesis.

Statement Of Problem: Clinical studies evaluating the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with ocular defects after using ocular prostheses are lacking. Therefore, a comparative evaluation of IL-1β levels in the defective eye before and after placement of an ocular prosthesis is needed.

Purpose: The purpose of this clinical study was to compare the microbiota and IL-1β in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with an ocular defect after using an ocular prosthesis.

Material And Methods: Patients visiting the prosthodontic department for the rehabilitation of an eye defect that could be restored with an ocular prosthesis were screened with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty participants were enrolled in the study, and written informed consent was obtained. An ocular prosthesis was provided for each participant to manage anophthalmia. Tear samples for the evaluation of microbiota and IL-1β levels were collected from each participant from the healthy and the defective eye before and after using the ocular prosthesis. The culture method was used to identify microbiotas, and the IL-1β was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay sandwich kit. The obtained data of all parameters were tabulated and compared by using a statistical software program (α=.05).

Results: A statistically significant difference was observed on comparing microbiota and the levels of IL-1β, with a significant increase in the levels after the ocular prosthesis was provided (P<.05).

Conclusions: Levels of IL-1 β in the test group increased as compared with the control group. The increase might be attributed to the inflammatory changes as a result of change in microbiota.