[Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in tears of patients with Sjögren syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the pathological role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in ocular surface disorder of patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS), TNF-alpha in the tears of patients with SS were analyzed. In addition, the relationship between TNF-alpha levels in the tear samples and the severity of the corneal epithelial disorder was evaluated.


METHODS
Tear samples were obtained from the 60 eyes of 30 patients with primary SS and the 60 eyes of 30 normal subjects. Tear samples were analyzed using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect TNF-alpha. Corneal epithelial cell damage was examined with a slit-lamp biomicroscope and scored by the van Bijsterveld scoring system.


RESULTS
TNF-alpha was detected in the tears of patients with SS at concentrations ranging from 8 to 1,500 pg/ml in 33 of the 60 eyes of the patients. In contrast, TNF-alpha was not detected in the tears of normal controls. The concentration of TNF-alpha was significantly higher in the tear samples from patients whose clinical scores were two or three points compared with patients whose scores were zero or one point (Mann-Whitney U test: p < 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
TNF-alpha was detected in the tears of patients with SS, and tear TNF-alpha levels showed a significant correlation with the grade of corneal epithelial damage, suggesting that TNF-alpha is a potent mediator in keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Oshida
Taiki
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Iwata
Mitsuhiro
M
Sakimoto
Takashi
T
Sawa
Mitsuru
M
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha