M. Fukuda et al., DETECTION OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA IN THE TEAR FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH CORNEAL DISEASE WITH OR WITHOUT CONJUNCTIVAL INVOLVEMENT, Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology, 41(2), 1997, pp. 63-66
To investigate the role of Interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the pathobiology of
the cornea, we measured IL-1 beta concentration in tear fluid samples
from patients with corneal disease. Twenty patients with unilateral c
orneal disease were included in the study. Tear fluid samples were col
lected during the active stages of the disease and following resolutio
n. The fellow (unaffected) eyes served as controls. The concentration
of IL-1 beta in the tear fluid samples was measured using a sandwich E
LISA method. IL-1 beta was detected in tear fluid from five eyes (thre
e eyes with chemical burns, one with a Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal
ulcer, and one with a peripheral corneal ulcer) at concentrations betw
een 29 and 218 pg/mL. IL-1 beta was not detected in tear fluid from th
e remaining 15 affected eyes, nor from the control eyes. The detection
of IL-1 beta in tear fluid correlated with limbal conjunctival involv
ement, but did not correlate with the type of disease, size of epithel
ial defect, or degree of stromal involvement. IL-1 beta in the tear fl
uid may be one of the factors modifying the complex inflammatory proce
ss of the anterior ocular surface. (C) 1997 Japanese Ophthalmological
Society.