ArticleBMJ open2023
Relationship between ocular surface pain and corneal nerve loss in dry eye diabetics: a cross-sectional study in Shenyang, China.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 10 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
3% Diquafosol Topical Ophthalmic Solution in Diabetic Patients With Dry Eye
Corneal and Tear Film Changes in Chinese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: a Cross-sectional Controlled Study
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Emerging Technologies in Corneal Nerve Evaluation for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease: A Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Impact of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy on Corneal Sensitivity and Ocular Surface.Ophthalmic research · 2026Observational
- Methods for the evaluation of corneal nerve fibres in diabetes mellitus by in vivo confocal microscopy: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Article
- Tear matrix metalloproteinases-9 and ocular surface parameters in diabetics: a cross-sectional study in Shenyang, China.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Visual analysis of research trends in diabetes-associated dry eyeInternational journal of ophthalmology · 2025Article
- The intrinsic reason why complementary tests (clinical neurophysiology, neuroimaging, skin biopsy) cannot establish the diagnosis of neuropathic pain.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy Corresponds with Corneal Nerve Alterations and Ocular Discomfort of the Patient.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Associations between Corneal Nerve Structure and Function in a Veteran Population.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Unveiling Ocular Manifestations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiabetes mellitus has been associated with increased dry eye disease (DED) and exacerbates DED pathology.
objectiveTo investigate the potential relationship between corneal nerve loss and ocular pain among diabetic patients with dry eye (DE).
designA cross-sectional study.
settingHe Eye Specialist Hospital, Shenyang, China.
participantsThis study recruited 124 eyes of 62 diabetic patients diagnosed with DED between August and October 2022.
main outcome measuresBest-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, non-invasive tear breakup time, tear meniscus height, tear film lipid layer, conjunctival hyperaemia (redness score), conjunctivocorneal epithelial staining (CS score), central corneal sensitivity and vitro confocal corneal microscopy was assessed in all subjects. The Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire assessed DE symptoms and ocular pain.
resultsThe study's final analysis included 26 patients (52 eyes) without ocular pain and 36 patients (72 eyes) with ocular pain. The corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) and corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL) in patients with ocular pain were significantly lower than those without (p<0.001, p=0.004, and p<0.001, respectively). CNFD, CNBD and CNFL negatively correlated with ocular pain (r=-0.385, r=-0.260, r=-0.358, respectively). Moreover, CNFD, CNBD and CNFL have a significant (p<0.05) positive correlation with corneal sensitivity (r=0.523, r=0.330, r=0.421, respectively).
conclusionsCorneal nerve loss was associated with ocular pain and decreased corneal sensitivity in diabetic patients with DE. Further studies into the neurological role of ocular surface diseases can elaborate diagnostics, prognosis and treatment of diabetic patients with DE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05193331).
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