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Purpose: To evaluate detailed corneal parameters of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and to assess associations between anterior segment values and other clinical variables. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional case-control study at a tertiary referral center included 30 CD patients, 36 UC patients and 80 age-and gender-matched controls with no ocular symptoms or ocular surface disorders. All study participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological evaluation with special interest in dry eye disease (DED). Corneal parameters were evaluated by Pentacam. Results: The mean age of CD patients, UC patients, and controls was 45.80 ± 11.55 years, 52.00 ± 16.05, and 50.68 ± 14.62, respectively. The average disease duration was 12.72 ± 5.83 years for CD patients and 15.94 ± 10.09 years for UC patients. All pachymetric (center, apex and thinnest) and corneal volume (CV) measurements were significantly decreased, while anterior chamber angle width (ACA) values were significantly increased on both sides in all IBD patients compared to those in controls (p < .05). In addition, several anterior segment parameters were altered unilaterally in CD or UC patients. Negative correlations were found between corneal parameters and Schirmer I test values. Conclusions: Our investigations suggest that IBD patients have thinner corneas compared to that of controls. The coexistence of reduced tear quantity seems to have an additional impact on the thinning of the cornea in IBD patients. Early recognition of corneal impairments, a possible extraintestinal manifestation of IBD, should be included in the disease checkup to reduce vision-threatening developments.

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) carriage rates were investigated in relation to genital HPV carriage in women with HPV-associated cervical lesions and male partner of such women, including several couples, in comparison with healthy individuals. Buccal and lingual mucosa of 60 males and 149 females with healthy oral mucosa and without known genital lesion, genital and oral mucosa of further 40 females with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and 34 male sexual partners of women with HSIL (including 20 couples) were sampled. HPV DNA was detected using MY/GP PCR. Genotype was determined by sequencing or restriction fragment length polymorphism. Virus copy numbers were determined by real-time PCR. Overall, oral HPV carriage rate was 5.7% (12/209) in healthy individuals; average copy number was 5.8 × 10(2) copies/1 μg DNA; male and female rates were comparable. Oral carriage in women with HSIL was significantly higher, 20.0% (8/40, P = 0.003); males with partners with HSIL showed a carriage rate of 17.6% (6/34), copy numbers were similar to the healthy controls. In contrast, genital carriage rate (52.9%, 18/34 vs. 82.5%, 33/40; P = 0.006) and average copy number were lower in males (5.0 × 10(5) vs. 7.8 × 10(5) copies/1 μg DNA; P = 0.01). Oral copy numbers in these groups and in healthy individuals were comparable. High-risk genotypes were dominant; couples usually had the same genotype in the genital sample. In conclusion, genital HPV carriage is a risk factor of oral carriage for the individual or for the sexual partner, but alone is not sufficient to produce an oral HPV infection in most cases.

Aim To evaluate tear film parameters and relationship of objective clinical signs and subjective symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subgroups. Methods 39 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 26 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 39 control persons with no ocular symptoms or surface disorders were included in this prospective, case-control, and cross-sectional study. The ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was applied to evaluate dry eye symptoms, and objective tests of DED were performed on both eyes of each subject. Results The average of OSDI scores was 30.59 (±16.68) in CD patients, 24.67 (±23.48) in UC patients, and 11.19 (±5.8) in controls. Except for tear film breakup time (tBUT) and Schirmer-I values other objective parameters were better in UC patients, than in CD patients. CD patients rather than UC patients tend to develop DED. This was associated with immunosuppressant and TNF-α inhibitor use. Conclusions Clinicians must be aware of the spectrum of DED involvement in IBD and suggest using artificial tears in order to decrease severity of ocular complications.