title: Elevated levels of human alpha -defensin in tears of patients with allergic conjunctival disease complicated by corneal lesions: detection by SELDI ProteinChip system and quantification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze levels of alpha -defensin in the tears of allergic patients (with/without corneal lesions) comparing the results with those of normal control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Screening of the protein profiles of the tears of allergic patients with corneal epithelial lesions and normal controls was performed by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) ProteinChip array initially. ELISA was then performed to quantify the levels of alpha -defensin in the tears of allergic patients (with/without corneal epithelial lesions) and normal control patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proteins expressing significant differences between patients and controls by SELDI analysis were examined. Several peptides with molecular weights similar to alpha -defensins were found to be expressed to a greater extent in allergic patients. ELISA was performed in tears of allergic patients and control subjects to ascertain the presence and increased expression of alpha -defensins in allergic patients. Concentrations of alpha -defensins in allergic patients with corneal epithelial lesions were significantly higher than those of allergic patients without epithelial lesions or normal controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alpha-defensins were found in greater concentrations in tears of allergic patients with corneal lesions. The antimicrobial effects of alpha -defensins may play a role in the prevention of secondary infection of corneal lesions in allergic patients. SELDI ProteinChip technology is a useful and effective tool in profiling the differential expression of proteins in tears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Richard Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Hida
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogru
authors.forename: Eiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujishima
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukase
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D023084:alpha-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D023084:alpha-Defensins; C042434:tear proteins