title: Dacryology in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  International Society of Dacryology held the IV International Congress in Stockholm on June 1996. I was warmly invited as a guest of honor beforehand to deliver a lecture on a special topic of "Dacryology in China" there, so that the world might understand the dacryology in China, and thus the international growth of dacryology as a discipline would be promoted.
  
  
  METHODS
  In China tear lab research and clinical research of LG are nearly empty except a few papers published. We had studied 3 items on LS for 28 years before 1979, and put our attention mainly on dacryology since 1979 by 3 stages: (1) collecting literatures (1979-81); (2) lab research (1981-84) and (3) clinical research, put DE as the key point by 4 steps: DE diagnosis (1984-86); DE treatment (1987-91); DE Condition Judgement (1989-92) & DE cause & mechanism (1991-95).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the past 44 years, esp. from 1979 on, in a planned way, we have systematically researched the dacryology with main results below: created new word "Leiyexue" in Chinese & its English words, dacryology & lacrimology by adding-ology to dacrya & lacrima; made LS consisted of reflex LG & LP, and basic LG besides; found out the normal & abnormal data of tear and serum LF & its iron bindingcapacity; MDH, LDH & isoenzymes; beta 2 m; MDA & antioxidants; trace elements, prostaglandins, intramuscular gentamicin passing the blood-tear barrier; bacteria, fungi, anaerobe, virus & parasite; Ig, T cell & subsets, Langerhan cell, HLA antigen; in cidence (KCS, 0.3-3%, trancomatous DE 0.003%); the parallel correlations between DE graded by rb, BUT & Slt; and in SS, lymphocytes infiltration in LG; Lab G & conjunctiva; LF (< 100 mg%) & beta 2 m (> 1.7 mg%); and testosterone receptors in LG; negated presence of tear Beta-lysim; set up a series of models for researching & a complete set of measures to diagnose, grade, judge and treat DE, deviced new operations. AT & prescription for DE; proved SS being autoimmune & EB virus, its one cause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This relatively, overall & systematical research of dacryology already have been widely applied to practice with over 100 papers published. It indicates that LS & its disease as a scientific discipline under the term of dacryology to grow up is entirely possible and extremely needful.
authors.affiliation: Center of Dacryology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Ist Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000628:therapy; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D013666:Tears / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase