title: Mediator profiles in tears during the conjunctival response induced by allergic reaction in the nasal mucosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The allergic reaction occurring primarily in the nasal mucosa can induce a secondary conjunctival response of an immediate (SICR), late (SLCR), or delayed (SDYCR) type in some patients with allergic conjunctivitis (AC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the concentration changes of histamine, tryptase, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), leukotrienes (LTB 4, LTC4, LTE4), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5) in tears during the SICR, SLCR, and SDYCR.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 32 patients with AC, 11 SICR (p<0.01), 13 SLCR (p<0.001), and eight SDYCR (p<0.01) to nasal challenges with allergens (NPTs), the NPTs and 32 control tests with PBS were repeated and supplemented with the determination of these factors in tears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SICRs were associated with significant concentration changes in tears (p<0.05) of histamine, tryptase, ECP, LTC4, and IL-4. The SLCRs were accompanied by significant changes in concentrations of histamine, ECP, LTB4, LTC4, MPO, IL-4, and IL-5. The SDYCRs were associated with significant concentration changes in tears (p<0.05) of LTB4, MPO, IFN-γ, and IL-2. No significant changes in these factors were recorded in tears during the 32 PBS controls (p>0.1) or in the ten control patients (p>0.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide evidence for causal involvement of nasal allergy in some patients with AC, inducing secondary conjunctival response of immediate (SICR), late SLCR, or delayed SDYCR type, associated with different mediator, cytokine, and cellular profiles in the tears, suggesting involvement of different hypersensitivity mechanisms. These results also emphasize the diagnostic value of nasal allergen challenge combined with monitoring of the conjunctival response in some patients with AC.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Research Foundation, Breda, Netherlands. zpelikan@casema.nl
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pelikan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens