Original Paper · Travail original · Originalarbeit

Conjunctival Epithelium Expression of HLA-DR in Dry Eye Patients
Kazuo Tsubota^a,b,c, Tsutomu Fujihara^a, Keiko Saito^b, Tsutomu Takeuchi<sup>d

a</sup>Department of Ophthalmology and
^bOral Health Science Center, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba,
^cDepartment of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, and
^dDepartment of 2nd Internal Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical College, Saitama, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 1999;213:16-19 (DOI: 10.1159/000027387)

  Key Words

• Dry eye
• Sjögren's syndrome
• HLA-DR
• Conjunctival epithelium
• Flow cytometry
• Rose bengal staining
• Fluorescein staining

  Abstract

Purpose: To compare conjunctival epithelium expression of HLA-DR and ICAM-1 with tear dynamics and ocular surface parameters. Methods: Brush cytology and flow cytometry were used to quantitatively analyze HLA-DR and ICAM-1 expression in 28 dry eye patients. Results: HLA-DR was expressed in 66% of the conjunctival cells of dry eye patients. This expression correlates with that of ICAM-1, as well as with the Schirmer test results (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study confirmed that dry eye consists not only of ocular surface desiccation, but also of upregulation of the HLA-DR and ICAM-1 molecule in the conjunctival epithelium, possibly resulting in increased inflammation.

  Author Contacts

Kazuo Tsubota, MD
Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College
11-13 Sugano 5 Chome
Ichikawa-shi, Chiba 272-8513 (Japan)
Tel. +81 47 321 2863, Fax +81 47 325 4456, E-Mail kazuo@eyebank.or.jp

  Article Information

Received: Received: September 11, 1997
Accepted: February 27, 1998
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 30