title: Cellular characteristics of non-allergic eosinophilic conjunctivitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the histology of conjunctival biopsy samples from patients with persistent allergic eosinophilic conjunctivitis (AEC) or non-allergic eosinophilic conjunctivitis (NAEC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients with conjunctivitis and eosinophilia in cytology samples were included in the study. Seven had positive skin-prick tests (the AEC group) and seven had negative skin-prick tests (the NAEC group). Eight asymptomatic subjects with negative skin-prick tests served as a control group. In conjunctival biopsies eosinophils were identified with monoclonal antibodies. Mast cells were identified by specific immunostaining and tryptase-positive granules were counted around them. The percentage of degranulated mast cells was used as a measure of cell activation. Eosinophil and goblet cell numbers were counted, epithelial thickness was measured, and the symptoms were characterized and graded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of eosinophils in biopsies were higher in patients with AEC than in healthy controls (p = 0.010). The proportion of activated mast cells tended to be higher in AEC patients (65%) than in NAEC patients (48%) or control subjects (40%). Patients with AEC had more goblet cells than control subjects (p = 0.049) and their epithelial layer was thicker (p = 0.054). Patients with AEC had more severe symptoms than control subjects (p = 0.0005), whereas the symptoms of NAEC patients did not differ statistically from those of controls (p = 0.065).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with NAEC were characterized by mild eosinophilic inflammation and only minor structural conjunctival changes. The condition seems to run a relatively mild but persistent clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Optokari Ltd, Espoo, Finland. osmo.kari@optokari.fi
authors.forename: Osmo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kari
authors.forename: Tari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: Juha P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Turunen
authors.forename: Marjatta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kari
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarna
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Petri T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Kovanen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002452:Cell Count; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000473:pathology*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests; D055815:Young Adult