title: Clinical Severity and Tear Biomarkers, Eosinophil Cationic Protein and CCL23, in Chronic Allergic Conjunctival Diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between clinical severity and tear levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and CC chemokine ligand 23 (CCL23) in patients with chronic allergic conjunctival disease (cACD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This clinical study included 21 patients with cACD, including atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and 14 subjects as controls. The clinical severity score was determined by objective findings. Tear ECP grade was evaluated using tear ECP levels determined by enzyme immunoassay. CCL23 expression in tears was also determined by enzyme immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the cACD group, tear ECP grade was significantly correlated with the clinical severity score. Clinical severity scores and tear ECP grades in the CCL23-positive subgroup were significantly higher than those in the CCL23-negative subgroup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have confirmed the value of tear ECP grade and CCL23 expression in tears as a severity grading system in patients with cACD.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences , Nihon University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.|b Department of Ophthalmology, Diabetes Center , Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.affiliation: a Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences , Nihon University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8957-3312
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.affiliation: a Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences , Nihon University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0486-1230
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C105504:CCL23 protein, human; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein
keywords: Allergy; atopic keratoconjunctivitis; biomarkers; tear; vernal keratoconjunctivitis