This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Dye may lessen density and viability of cataractous lens epithelial cells
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Trypan blue staining may significantly reduce the density and viability of cataractous lens epithelial cells, a randomized study found.
Mayank A. Nanavaty, DO, and colleagues at the Iladevi Cataract and IOL Research Center in Ahmedabad, India, prospectively evaluated the effects of the dye in 40 eyes undergoing surgery for mature cataracts. Researchers randomized the patients to receive anterior capsule staining with trypan blue 0.0125% prior to capsulorrhexis or no staining, according to the study.
Patients who underwent staining had a significantly lower cell density (P = .01) and cell viability (P = .002) compared to the non-strained group. Specifically, the trypan-strained group had a mean lens epithelial cell (LEC) density of 3533.15 ± 664.01 cells/mm² compared. LECs covered a mean 80.75% ± 8.04% of the capsule area, with 51.69% ± 11.54% of the cells living, according to the study.
In contrast, the non-stained group had a mean LEC density of 4235.59 ± 414.93 cells/mm² covering 94.63% ± 3.78% of the capsule area; 68.67% ± 9.15% of these cells were living, according to the study.
The study is published in the October issue of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.