Abstract
Presentation Description :
Tear film composition reflects ocular surface health. Alterations in tear film composition are increasingly used to reflect on ocular pathophysiology; some components are even considered markers of a condition or indicator for the severity of a disease. They are commonly called biomarkers. It is often the idea of easy access that fosters the temptation to take a sample of tears and consider it representative for the entire tear film, the lacrimal basin or "mare lacrimale". The issues of representability and interpretation of the values found in one tear film sample need to be taken seriously as miss-interpretation could result in a wrong diagnosis and wrong / inefficient treatment. Collection methods matter, standaridization is essential. Moreover even entire models of a disease can become rather rigid if models adhere too firmly to threshold values. The presentation will outline this with some examples, like osmolarity. Although hyperosmolarity is one of the main features associated with dry eye disease, it’s dynamic could be more important than the absolute values alone. Recent evidence suggests the introduction of more dynamic models as to the interpretation of biomarkers in tears and will be reviewed. A critical review on the placement of some biomarkers in the current model of the vicious circle of dry eye disease shall outline the different potential and clinical applicability of threshold values. A modified new model, offering a different perspective to the development of dry eye disease will be discussed in this context.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.