title: Two Patients with Dry Eye Disease Followed Up Using an Expression Assay of Ocular Surface Mucin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report 2 patients with dry eye disease followed up using the expression levels of ocular surface mucin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient 1: a 57-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome-associated dry eyes experienced severe dryness and foreign body sensation in both her eyes, and instilled sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic solution 0.3% about 10-15 times daily. We measured the expression levels of MUC5AC mRNA (MUC5AC) and MUC16 mRNA (MUC16) by using real-time reversed transcription polymerase chain reaction for the specimens of modified impression cytology. Expression levels of MUC5AC and MUC16 on her ocular surface were very low. Subjective symptoms and expression levels of ocular surface mucin improved after combined treatment of rebamipide (4 times daily) and fluorometholone (once daily) ophthalmic suspension. Patient 2: a 62-year-old man with chronic graft-versus-host disease-associated dry eye experienced severe foreign body sensation and developed superficial punctate keratopathy with mucous thread and filamentary keratitis. Expression level of MUC5AC was very high at baseline. Subjective symptoms and expression levels of ocular surface mucin improved by combined treatment of rebamipide (4 times daily) and fluorometholone (once daily) ophthalmic suspension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical test for MUC gene expression on the ocular surface was found to be useful in the follow-up of dry eye treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inada
keywords: Dry eye; Fluorometholone; MUC16; MUC5AC; Mucin; Rebamipide