Table 1.
Patient demographics.
| Total number of patients | |
| Male | 11 |
| Female | 8 |
| Age of patients (years) | |
| Mean ± SEM | 52 ± 4 |
| Range | 23-78 |
| Subgroups∗ | |
| Pinguecula | 5 |
| Primary | 15 |
| Recurrent | 8 |
| PHC | 10 |
| HC | 37 |
| Side of involvement | |
| Left | 6 |
| Right | 9 |
| Bilateral | 4 |
| Classification∗ | |
| I+II | 3 |
| III | 18 |
| IV | 2 |
| Vascularization index∗,† (%) | |
| All patients (n = 19) | 26.9 ± 3.9 |
| Grades I+II (n = 2) | 6.5 ± 6.5 |
| Grade III (n = 14) | 28.4 ± 4.5 |
| Grade IV (n = 3) | 33.7 ± 9.1 |
| Affected corneal area∗ (%) | |
| All patients (n = 23) | 11.8 ± 1.3 |
| Grades I+II (n = 3) | 2.4 ± 1.6 |
| Grade III (n = 17) | 11.9 ± 1.1 |
| Grade IV (n = 3) | 20.7 ± 1.4 |
| IL-6 tear film levels∗,‡ (pg/mL) | |
| Pinguecula (n = 5) | 30.8 ± 16.0 |
| Primary (n = 14) | 27.0 ± 8.0 |
| Recurrent (n = 7) | 41.5 ± 13.5 |
| PHC (n = 8) | 45.9 ± 15.1 |
| HC (n = 37) | 17.0 ± 2.1 |
| IL-8 tear film levels∗,‡ (pg/mL) | |
| Pinguecula (n = 5) | 53.3 ± 15.8 |
| Primary (n = 14) | 53.1 ± 20.2 |
| Recurrent (n = 7) | 262.6 ± 97.5 |
| PHC (n = 8) | 326.9 ± 169.9 |
| HC (n = 37) | 99.0 ± 26.6 |
| VEGF tear film levels∗,‡ (pg/mL) | |
| Pinguecula (n = 5) | 154.9 ± 72.6 |
| Primary (n = 14) | 71.1 ± 21.8 |
| Recurrent (n = 7) | 373.1 ± 170.8 |
| PHC (n = 8) | 352.6 ± 161.8 |
| HC (n = 37) | 78.1 ± 11.0 |
The mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) of each group is given for the following parameters: age, vascularization index, affected corneal area, and IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF tear film levels. ∗n = 1 = one eye. †The vascularization index could not be calculated for each patient due to the influence of the iris colour and undesirable shadows on the ocular surface photographs. ‡Two patients are excluded from the cytokine analysis. One patient suffered from multiple myeloma, involving IL-6 and IL-8 in its pathogenesis. As serum derivatives can passively leak into the tear film, the corresponding concentrations are considered unreliable. The other patient has been excluded due to the presence of two pterygia in one eye, of which the second pterygium has not been surgically removed. PHC: patient's healthy eye; HC: healthy control.