This study compares tear glucose dynamic differences between 121 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects after the administration of a carbohydrate load. A quantitative chromatographic analysis of tear glucose was used and the values correlated to blood glucose values. Diabetic and nondiabetic tear glucose mean values were 0.35 +/- 0.04 mmol/L and 0.16 +/- 0.03 mmol/L, respectively. Significant differences were observed among the subject groups in both the tear and capillary blood glucose values. A correlation between tear glucose and capillary blood glucose was observed. The concentration of glucose in the tear fluid changes proportionately with respect to capillary blood glucose after a carbohydrate challenge. Although it is possible to determine the diabetic status of a subject using tear glucose values alone, in the clinical setting this may not prove to be practical due to technical limitations.

MAs are powerful tools for differential screening of tears for large numbers of trace proteins. Analysis allowed the identification of previously undetected proteins that may participate in the host defense system as well as demonstrated the profound change in tear composition associated with prolonged eye closure in a manner reflective of physiological function.

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Stationary phase antibody array methodology was useful for the screening of various cytokines, growth factors and MMPs in tears. These analyses identified in tears of VKC patients previously unreported factors including MMP-3 and MMP-10 and multiple proteases, growth factors and cytokines, which may all play an important role in the pathogenesis of conjunctival inflammation.

We have previously shown that human tear fluid protects corneal epithelial cells against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo and that protection does not depend upon tear bacteriostatic activity. We sought to identify the responsible tear component(s). The hypothesis tested was that collectins (collagenous calciumdependent lectins) were involved. Reflex tear fluid was collected from healthy human subjects and examined for collectin content by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (