Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) up-regulation in tears during seasonal allergic conjunctivitis

• Published in: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology Vol. 242; no. 11; pp. 966 - 970
• Main Authors: Eperon, Simone, Sauty, Alain, Lanz, René, Leimgruber, Annette, Lurati, Floriana, Guex-Crosier, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.11.2004
• Subjects: Adult; Chemokine CCL11; Chemokines, CC - metabolism; Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil - metabolism; Conjunctivitis, Allergic - metabolism; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Ophthalmology; Prospective Studies; Seasons; Tears - metabolism; Up-Regulation
• ISSN: 0721-832X; 1435-702X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00417-004-0943-6

To compare in-season eotaxin-1 levels in tears of patients suffering from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) with (1) tears of normal subjects and (2) tears of SAC patients out of season. Tears of 11 SAC patients and six control volunteers were collected during the pollen season. Tears of five SAC patients showing a strong sensitivity to grass pollen (skin-prick tests and specific serum IgE) were collected both in season and out of season. ELISA measured eotaxin-1 level. Eotaxin-1 concentration in tears of SAC patients [2,100+/-503 (SEM) pg/ml] and normal subjects (1,193+/-176 pg/ml) were significantly different (P=0.0049). Regarding allergic patients, the clinical score (sum of five allergic criteria) was significantly different in season and out of season (P=0.0043) as was also the case with eotaxin-1 concentration (P=0.024). The eotaxin-1 concentration in tears of patients showing hay fever could confirm a diagnosis of seasonal ocular allergy.