lactoferrin and Eyelid-Diseases

Meibomian gland dysfunction, but not atrophy, was associated with lower tear lactoferrin concentration, greater dry eye, and allergic symptoms, indicating greater inflammation and discomfort in patients with lower meibomian gland expressibility.. Meibomian gland dysfunction can potentially damage adjacent palpebral structures, which may induce inflammation in accessory lacrimal glands and affect lactoferrin secretion. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the severity of meibomian gland dysfunction with tear lactoferrin, conjunctival cell morphology, and clinical features of ocular allergy.. Forty subjects were divided into two groups based on the severity of meibomian gland plugging and expressibility and secondarily based on its atrophy. Dry eye and allergy questionnaires; slit-lamp examination, including lid telangiectasia; and meibography were performed. Tear lactoferrin concentration was measured using TearScan 270 MicroAssay. Impression cytology was performed on the upper palpebral conjunctiva, and goblet cell density and epithelial squamous metaplasia were quantified.. Twenty-two subjects with meibomian gland dysfunction were categorized into severely obstructed group (case), whereas 19 subjects had minimal/no obstruction (comparison). Lower lactoferrin (1.3 ± 0.4 vs. 1.7 ± 0.4 mg/mL, P = .007), greater dry eye (7 [1 to 10] vs. 2 [0 to 5], P = .03), and allergy symptoms (9 [4 to 23] vs. 6 [0 to 9], P = .05) were found in the cases compared with the comparisons. There were no differences in conjunctival cell morphology between groups. The plugging score was correlated with lactoferrin concentration (ρ = -0.43, P = .006), dry eye (ρ = 0.36, P = .02), and allergic symptoms (ρ = 0.33, P = .04). Greater lid margin telangiectasia was associated with meibomian gland obstruction, but not atrophy.. Meibomian gland activity/dysfunction, but not atrophy, may be associated with increased inflammation on the ocular surface. The inflammation may be sufficient to reduce tear lactoferrin production from damage to accessory lacrimal glands and/or meibomian gland and result in increased symptoms.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blepharitis; Conjunctiva; Conjunctivitis, Allergic; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dry Eye Syndromes; Eye Proteins; Eyelid Diseases; Female; Goblet Cells; Humans; Lactoferrin; Male; Meibomian Glands; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tears

To elucidate the pathogenic mechanism of amyloid formation in corneal amyloidosis with trichiasis.. Ophthalmological examination was performed in nine patients to determine secondary corneal amyloidosis with trichiasis. Congo red staining and immunohistochemistry using anti-human lactoferrin antibody were used for biopsied corneal samples. For genetic analyses, single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), direct DNA sequence analysis, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) induced mutation restriction analysis (IMRA) were employed to detect lactoferrin gene polymorphism.. All patients had had trichiasis at least for 1 year, and all amyloid-like deposits were found in one eye with trichiasis. Ophthalmological examination revealed that eight patients showed gelatinous type of amyloid deposition and one showed lattice type of amyloid deposition. Studies of biopsied corneal samples with Congo red stain revealed positive staining just under the corneal epithelial cells. Immunoreactivity of anti-human lactoferrin antibodies was recognised in all tissues with positive Congo red staining. Lactoferrin gene analysis revealed that seven patients were heterozygotic and two were homozygotic for lactoferrin Glu561Asp. The frequency of the polymorphism in the patients was significantly different from that in 56 healthy control subjects.. Lactoferrin Glu561Asp is a key polymorphism related to facilitating amyloid formation in corneal amyloidosis with trichiasis.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amyloidosis; Child; Congo Red; Corneal Diseases; Eyelashes; Eyelid Diseases; Female; Gene Frequency; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Hair Diseases; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lactoferrin; Male; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; Sequence Analysis, DNA

We report a novel localized amyloidosis associated with lactoferrin. To elucidate the precursor protein of corneal amyloidosis associated with trichiasis, we analyzed amyloid deposits from three patients by histopathology and biochemistry. Amyloid deposits showed immunoreactivity, confirmed by electron microscopy, for only anti-human lactoferrin antibody. Electrophoresis of amyloid fibrils revealed lactoferrin with and without sugar chains; N-terminal sequence analysis revealed full-length lactoferrin and a truncated tripeptide of N-terminal amino acids, Gly-Arg-Arg. Carboxymethylated wild-type lactoferrin formed amyloid fibrils in vitro. Lactoferrin gene analysis in the three patients revealed a Glu561Asp mutation in all of the patients and a compound heterozygote of Ala11Thr and Glu561Asp mutations in one patient. A heterozygotic Glu561Asp mutation appeared in 44.8% of healthy Japanese volunteers, suggesting that the mutation may not be an essential mutation for amyloid formation (p = 0.104). Results thus suggest that lactoferrin is this precursor protein.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Amyloid; Amyloidosis; Cornea; Corneal Diseases; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Eyelashes; Eyelid Diseases; Female; Heterozygote; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lactoferrin; Male; Molecular Sequence Data; Point Mutation

An ELISA method is described for measuring the age-related changes of tear lysozyme, lactoferrin, ceruloplasmin, IgA and IgG in normal eyes. The normal levels for these proteins at each age are compared with those from patients with dry and 'questionably dry' eyes, which each have individual profiles, as well as with patients suffering from ocular pemphigoid, chronic non-ulcerative blepharitis and meibomianitis. Results of tear lysozyme assays from patients on various beta-blockers are discussed with the suggested hypothesis that stimulation of beta-receptors per se in the human lacrimal gland is not required for tear protein secretion. The importance of other proteins present in the tear fluid is reviewed.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aging; Blepharitis; Ceruloplasmin; Eyelid Diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Keratoconjunctivitis; Labetalol; Lactoferrin; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Pemphigoid, Bullous; Practolol; Propranolol; Tears; Timolol; Xerophthalmia

Concentrations of tear lysozyme, lactoferrin, ceruloplasmin, IgG, and IgA have been measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients with chronic non-ulcerative blepharitis and meibomianitis at the same time as the lid and conjunctivae were cultured for bacteria and fungi by a semiquantitative method. A group of normal controls aged 20 to 80 were similarly sampled, when strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis from their eyes and the patients' eyes were biotyped according to Baird-Parker's scheme. 5% of blepharitis cases had increased numbers of Staph. aureus present on the lids, compared with only a scanty growth obtained from 5% of normals. 7% of blepharitis cases had increased numbers of Staph. epidermidis type VI (coagulase-negative, mannitol-fermenting) present compared with a scanty growth obtained from 6% of normals. Isolation rates of other types of Staph. epidermidis did not differ from those in normals; no types were associated with meibomianitis. Tear protein profiles were normal in most patients, and there was no increase in tear IgA or IgG, which is expected with chronic infection. Overall our evidence suggests that in 88% of cases these lid conditions have an inflammatory aetiology not associated with infection. Staphylococcal isolates often found in the eye usually represent a normal commensal rather than pathogenic flora.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Blepharitis; Ceruloplasmin; Eyelid Diseases; Eyelids; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Lactoferrin; Malassezia; Male; Meibomian Glands; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Tears