THE EOSINOPHIL AND THE EYE

Personal studies in allergic eye diseases reviewed in this paper indic ate that: 1. An increased number and an abnormal distribution of eosin ophils is present in conjunctival biopsies of patients with vernal ker atoconjunctivitis (VKC). 2. Eosinophil and eosinophil products, such a s ECP, are also increased in tears of VKC patients and, in hay fever c onjunctivitis, accumulate during the late-phase of allergic reaction f ollowing specific allergen challenge. 3. Circulating eosinophils of VK C patients show a typical activation phenotypic profile which is assoc iated with increased serum level of eosinophil cationic protein and eo sinophil-derived neurotoxin/protein X. A clinical study of the modulat ory effect of cetirizine on the early and late phase of the allergic r eaction as well as on the eosinophil activation and tissue recruitment following conjunctival allergen challenge is reported as an example o f the need to evaluate eosinophil functions when investigating anti-al lergic drugs. Drugs modulating various aspects of eosinophil function could play a primary role in the treatment of allergic eye disease.