title: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis: the significance of immunoglobulin E levels in tears and serum.
abstract: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VC) is an inflammatory disorder of the outer eye, probably of allergic etiology. The present study was performed on patients with a typical clinical appearance of VC and examined periodically for serum and tear IgE and albumin (HSA). The geometric mean of serum and tear IgE was 219 and 18 IU/ml, respectively, for the patients, but about 100 and less than 1 IU/ml for serum and tears of healthy controls and of parents of VC patients. A positive correlation between variations in tear IgE and tear HSA was observed, indicating that tear IgE levels have a significant influence on the intensity of the inflammatory process.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000276:immunology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013666:Tears / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E