Table 2.
Study characteristics of all articles included in meta-analysis.
| Study year | Country | Mean age, Yrs (SD) KC vs. controls |
Male (%) KC vs. controls |
No. of eyes KC vs. controls |
Representativeness of the case (%) | Design of studies | Materials | Test methods | Outcome | Contact lens worn (%) KC vs. controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonescu 2018 | Romania | 23.35 (11.8) vs. 28.66 (3.03) | 64.71% vs. 40% | 17 vs. 15 | Stage I (18%) Stage II (29%) Stage III (24%) Stage IV (29%) |
Observational cross-sectional study | Tear fluids | LICA | IL-1β, INF-γ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α | 0 |
| Pásztor 2016 | American | 44.2 vs. 44.5 | NR | 55 vs. 24 | NR | Cross-sectional | Tear fluids | CBA | IL-6, IL-10, MMP-9, NGF | NR∗ |
| Sorkhabi 2015 | Iran | 24.09 (6.50) vs. 24.43 (4.55) | 57.14% vs. 43.33% | 42 vs. 30 | Mild (33.3%) Moderate (33.3%) Severe (33.3%) |
Prospective case-controlled study | Tear fluids | ELISA | IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 | 0 |
| Balasubramanian 2012 | Australia | 27.4 (6.0) vs. 29.8 (8.9) | 64% vs. 40% | 25 vs. 20 | NR | Cross-sectional study | Tear fluids | Cytokine antibody array | IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α | NR∗∗ |
| Lema 2009 | Spain | 27.1 (8.1) vs. 22.6 (6.6) | 70% vs. 47.8% | 30 vs. 20 | NR | Case-control study | Tear fluids | ELISA | IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-9 | 56.7∗∗∗ vs. 0 |
| Lema 2008 | Spain | 22.8 (6.6) vs. 22.6(6.6) | 53.6% vs. 25% | 28 vs. 20 | NR | Case-control study | Tear fluids | ELISA | IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α | 0 |
| Lema 2005 | Spain | 22.4 (6.5) vs. 22.6 (6.6) | 47.8% vs. 52.3% | 28 vs. 20 | Mild (21.4%) Moderate (50%) Severe (28.6%) |
Case-control study | Tear fluids | ELISA | IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, MMP-9 | 0 |