ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2011
Fluorescein punctate staining traced to superficial corneal epithelial cells by impression cytology and confocal microscopy.
Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Ultrahigh-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography for analysis of corneal microarchitecture during wound healing.Acta ophthalmologica · 2019Trial
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- Limbal stem cell sheet bandage for short-term treatment of corneal regeneration.BMC ophthalmology · 2025Article
- Cornea-SELEX for aptamers targeting the surface of eyes and liposomal drug delivery.Exploration (Beijing, China) · 2024Article
- Recombinant Human Clusterin Seals Damage to the Ocular Surface Barrier in a Mouse Model of Ophthalmic Preservative-Induced Epitheliopathy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Transmembrane Mucin 1 Blocks Fluorescein Ingress to Corneal Epithelium.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2022Article
- An Evaluation of a Simplified Impression Membrane Sampling Method for the Diagnosis of Microbial Keratitis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- Membrane-associated mucins of the human ocular surface in health and disease.The ocular surface · 2021Review
- Lipocalin-1 is the acceptor protein for phospholipid transfer protein in tears.Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2021Article
- Therapeutic Potential of the Molecular Chaperone and Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitor Clusterin for Dry Eye.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
- Evidence for Phospholipids on the Surface of Human Tears.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2020Article
- Characterization of dry eye disease in a mouse model by optical coherence tomography and fluorescein staining.Biomedical optics express · 2019Article
- Ellipsometry of human tears.The ocular surface · 2019Article
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- Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy reveals quenching of fluorescein within corneal epithelium.Experimental eye research · 2016Article
- Bayesian-based deconvolution fluorescence microscopy using dynamically updated nonstationary expectation estimates.Scientific reports · 2015Article
- Clusterin Seals the Ocular Surface Barrier in Mouse Dry Eye.PloS one · 2015Article
- Identification of cartilage injury using quantitative multiphoton microscopy.Osteoarthritis and cartilage · 2014Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe basis of fluorescein-associated superficial punctate staining in dry eyes is controversial. Prior explanations include fluorescein pooling in surface erosive defects, intercellular trapping of fluorescein, and intracellular staining in dead cells. In this study, the hypothesis that punctate erosions are individual cells with enhanced fluorescence was tested.
methodsTen impression cytology membrane materials were compared, to optimize cellular yield in buccal mucosa and cornea. Clinicocytologic correlation of punctate fluorescent spots was performed in four dry eye patients. Individual punctate spots were localized by fiducial marks in photographs, before and after removal with impression membranes, and were traced in fluorescence microscopy and cytologic staining. Two-way contingency table analysis was used to determine the correlation of punctate spots with cells removed by the membrane. Clinicopathologic correlation of punctate spots was performed in 10 corneas removed in dry eye patients by transplantation for concurrent diseases. Punctate fluorescence was tracked in specimens by fiducial marks and epifluorescence. The distribution of fluorescent spots in specific cell layers of the cornea was determined by confocal microscopy.
resultsCellular yield was greatest with impressions from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE [Teflon]; BioPore; Millipore, Billerica, MA) membrane compared with its closest rival (P = 0.019). Punctate fluorescent spots, most of which disappeared after impression cytology (71%), correlated with cells on the membranes (P = 0.009). The punctate spots were more frequent in the superficial cell layers of the cornea (80%) compared with the deepest two layers (0%) (P < 0.00049).
conclusionsPunctate epithelial erosions correspond to enhanced fluorescence in epithelial cells predominantly in superficial layers of the cornea and would be more aptly named fluorescent epithelial cells (FLECs).
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