[Allergy related factors in tears of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis undergoing topical 0.1% tacrolimus treatment].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate, using tear fluid analysis, the effects of topical 0.1% tacrolims therapy on the pathophysiology of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).


METHODS
Subjects were 6 eyes of 6 patients with VKC who underwent topical 0.1% tacrolims treatment twice a day and 5 eyes of 5 healthy volunteers as a control. Using the filter paper method, the tear fluid of the patients was sampled both before and 4 +/- 2 weeks after the treatment and once from the control subjects. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the tears was examined by the chemiimmunoluminescent enzyme immunoassay method and the chemokine profile of the tears was analyzed using an antibody-array.


RESULTS
In terms of the chemokine profile, growth related oncogene (GRO) -alpha, eotaxin-2 and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) in the VKC were elevated compared with those in the controls, but they decreased significantly after the treatment (p<0.05). ECP concentrations in the tears were 3092 +/- 1658 ng/ml (average +/- S. D.) for the pretreatment base-line and 464 +/- 775 for the posttreatment. ECP values for the pre-treatment time were statistically significantly higher than those for the post-treatment in 5 patients (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Topical tacrolims treatment of VKC can suppress allergic inflammation associated chemokines such as eotaxin-2 and TARC.
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Shinsuke
S
Hori
Jun
J
Shoji
Noriko
N
Inada
Mitsuru
M
Sawa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000032:analysis*; D054423:Chemokine CCL24 / Q000032:analysis*; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1 / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D054423:Chemokine CCL24; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein; C479220:RNASE3 protein, human; D016559:Tacrolimus