Abstract
Purpose: :
Various exogenous allergens can cause allergic conjunctivitis, while refractive errors are also related (as an endogenous factor) to the pathogenesis of allergic conjunctivitis. However, little is known about the interaction between exogenous and endogenous factors in patients with allergic conjunctivitis. We investigated the relationship between refractive errors (an endogenous factor) and exogenous allergens in patients with allergic conjunctivitis to obtain further information about the pathogenesis of this condition.
Methods: :
Seventy patients with allergic conjunctivitis were enrolled. Refraction was performed in all subjects. In addition, total IgE and specific IgE levels for 12 inhaled allergens were measured by the CAP system.
Results: :
The highest positivity rate for a specific antibody was 60.0% for IgE to cedar pollen, followed by Cypress pollen (45.7%), house dust (37.1%), and D. pteronyssinus (37.1%). The patients who were positive for-specific IgE to indoor allergens had higher myopia than those who were negative, including those positive for house dust IgE (-3.41 ± 3.04 vs. -0.88 ± 4.02, p=0.0024), D. pteronyssinus IgE (-3.29 ± 3.00 vs. -0.84 ± 4.09, p=0.0051), and acarus IgE (-3.15 ± 2.42 vs. -1.29 ± 4.22, p=0.0134), while antibody-positive and antibody-negative patients for outdoor allergens showed no significant differences of refraction. [-refraction] was significantly correlated with total IgE (r=0.293, p=0.0069), house dust (r=0.264, p=0.0138) and D. pteronyssinus (r=0.301, p=0.0056), while no correlation between refractive error and outdoor allergens was proven.
Conclusions: :
These results suggest that indoor allergens such as house dust are closely associated with allergic conjunctivitis in myopic patients.
Clinical Trial: :
University of Tokyo 2255
Keywords: conjunctivitis • refraction