Purpose: To determine the concentration of group IIA phospholipase A(2) (GIIAPLA(2)) in tears of patients with ocular rosacea, and to compare it with GIIAPLA(2) concentration in tears of age-matched healthy controls.
Methods: The GIIAPLA(2) concentration in tears was measured with a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay in 21 patients with ocular rosacea (mean age 55.6+/-9.2 years) and in 21 normal subjects (mean age 53.4+/-8.2 years). Conjunctival brush cytology was carried out and eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, squamous epithelial cells, columnar epithelial cells, metaplastic changes and goblet cells were calculated separately.
Results: The GIIAPLA (2) concentration in tears was statistically significantly lower in patients with ocular rosacea (31.0+/-18.4 microg/ml, p=0.0099) and, more specifically, in patients who had dry eye (25.8+/-15.1 microg/ml, p=0.0034), compared to that in normal controls. There was no correlation between the GIIAPLA (2) content of tears and the conjunctival cells collected by the brush cytology.
Conclusion: The tears of patients with dry eye symptoms due to ocular rosacea have decreased GIIAPLA (2) content. The pathogenic importance of this finding is discussed.