title: Passive smoking elevates neurotrophin levels in tears.
abstract: The effect of passive smoking on levels of neurotrophin in tears was studied in normal subjects or patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC). Basal levels of neurotrophins, nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and NT-4, in tears were significantly higher in AKC patients than those in normal subjects. Passive smoking had no effect on levels of neurotrophin in tears of normal subjects, while it elevated levels of NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4 in tears of AKC patients. These results indicate that passive smoking elevates levels of neurotrophin in tears, which in turn may aggravate AKC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, Ujitakeda Hospital, Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. h-kimata@takedahp.or.jp
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; C073922:neurotrophin 4