ドライアイにおける涙液中ラクトフェリン濃度

Lactoferrin concentration in the tear fluid in dry eyes

　ドライアイ患者の病態をより正確に把握するために，涙腺由来蛋白のラクトフェリン（LF）の涙液中の濃度を，最近開発されたラクトプレート^®を用いて測定した。

　ドライアイ患者111眼の涙液中LF濃度は，1.04±0.80mg/ml（mean±SD）と，健常者に比べて有意に低値を示し，角結膜染色性の程度とLF濃度は，負の相関を認めた（P＜0.01）。シェーグレン症候群（SS）のLF濃度は，0.56±0.61mg/mlと，SS以外のドライアイに比べ有意に低い値を示した（P＜0.01）。涙液中LF濃度測定は，涙腺機能を含めたドライアイの診断に有用であった。

We quantitated the lactoferrin concentration in the tear fluid in 111 dry eye patients and 49 normal controls. Dry eye patient was defined when the Schirmer I test value was less than 10 mm for both eyes. The lactoferrin concentration in the tear fluidaveraged 1.04±0.80 mg/ml in the dry eye group and 1.89±0.70 mg/ml in the controls. The difference was significant. There was an inverse correlation between the lactoferrin concentration and staining score with rose bengal in the dry eye group. In normal controls, the lactoferrin concentration significantly decreased with ageing. In the dry eye group, lactoferrin concentration was significantly lower when associated with Sjögren's syndrome than without. Lactoferrin concentration in the tear fluid thus promises to serve as a parameter for lacrimal function and the diagnosis of dry eye.