ArticlePloS one2023
Effect of monovalent electrolyte solutions on the human tear ferning pattern.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Alterations in the Crystallization Pattern of Tear Fluid Induced by Increases in the Body Mass Index.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Clinical Value of the Ferning Test in Monitoring Dry Eye Syndrome in Patients with Sarcoidosis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Correction: Effect of monovalent electrolyte solutions on the human tear ferning pattern.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo investigate the effect of the addition of a low concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl) solutions on the tear ferning (TF) patterns of tears collected from humans.
methodsA tear sample (20 μL) was collected from the right eye of 23 males and 7 females (25.4 ± 6.6 years). The tears were collected in one sitting for healthy subjects (N = 13). For dry eye participants (N = 17), the tear samples were collected in two separate settings with five minutes gap in between. A sample (1 μL) from each tear was dried on a glass slide, and the obtained ferns were observed using a microscope and graded using the five-point TF grading scale. Mixtures of tear samples (0.5 μL) and different volumes (0.5-2.5 μL) of each electrolyte (10-30 mg in 100 mL of water) solution were prepared, and their TF patterns were recorded and compared with those of the corresponding pure tears.
resultsSignificant improvements (Wilcoxon test, P < 0.001) have been seen in the TF grades of the tear samples after the addition of NaCl and KCl solutions. A significant difference (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.016) was found between the TF grades when NaCl and KCl solutions were added to the tear samples. The TF grades of pure tears collected from dry-eye subjects ranged from 2.1 to 3.5, based on the five points grading scale, and decreased to be in the range of 0.4 to 1.6 after the addition of electrolyte solutions. While the TF grades of pure tears collected from normal-eye ranged from 1.2 to 1.9 and improved after the addition of electrolyte solution to be in the range of 0.4 to 1.5.
conclusionsThe TF test was used in vitro to assess the impact of the addition of a low concentration of sodium and potassium chloride solutions on tears collected from humans. The TF grades of human tears significantly improved after the addition of either sodium or potassium chloride solution. The mechanism for the improvement in TF grades due to the addition of electrolyte solutions must be investigated.
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