Impact of Systemic Inflammation on Ocular Surface Disease in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis and Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Objective: To characterize the findings on the ocular surface of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) and to correlate them with the degree of inflammation and systemic severity. Methods: This work is an observational, cross-sectional study of patients with CF and NCFB. A complete pulmonary evaluation (demographic and clinical data, spirometry, blood sample, computed tomography) and ophthalmological evaluation (visual acuity, biomicroscopy, OSDI test, TBUT test, Schirmer test, and InflammaDry test) were performed. Results: A total of 87 patients were recruited (CF=45, NCFB=42). Both the TBUT test (r=–0.373, p=0.001) and the Schirmer test (r=–0.280, p=0.010) correlated with the degree of systemic inflammation in our sample. Conclusion: Both CF and NCFB can cause a systemic inflammatory state related to altered ocular surface homeostasis, leading to evaporative and hyposecretory dry eye. However, in neither disease does this subclinical alteration translate into severe symptoms or serious ophthalmologic complications for these patients.