The measurement of IgE in tear fluid: a comparison of collection by sponge or capillary.
We have used commercially available reference concentrations of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and tear samples from atopic patients to compare the recovery of IgE from fluid collected in cellulose sponges or glass capillary tubes. There was no statistically significant difference in the values for IgE in the reference samples recovered from capillaries or sponges (P = 0.16), but at some concentrations both methods produced a higher reading than the control samples (P less than 0.001). There was no significant difference when the values for IgE in the first or second of paired tear samples were compared using either sponges or capillaries for collection, but the mean value of samples collected by capillary tubes was lower (P = 0.02). The collection of tears in sponges for IgE estimation is less time consuming than capillary collection and for clinical practice it is as sensitive as collection in capillaries.
Department of Clinical Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, England.
S J
SJ
Tuft
J K
JK
Dart
D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013666:Tears / Q000276:immunology*
D007073:Immunoglobulin E