Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0022575 (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
 772 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This preliminary study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and dosage of oral use of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in the treatment of naturally occurring, immune-mediated, canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). Dogs with chronic immune-mediated KCS were selected from the two clinic populations. All medication, except topical artificial tears, was discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to beginning the clinical trial. IFN-alpha was administered orally once daily to the dogs by their owners as the sole therapy for the KCS. Examinations of the dogs were performed every 2 weeks for the duration of the trial (12 weeks). Each dog was given either two or three separate, escalating doses (20, 40, 80 IU of the IFN-alpha. A favorable response was observed in 55% (11/20) of all dogs treated. Clinical findings of those dogs that responded included increased wetting of the eyes, decreased mucus discharge, and fewer signs of discomfort. There was a nearly significant difference (p = 0.08) in pretreatment mean Schirmer's tear test (STT) between the dogs that responded (6.4 +/- SEM 0.62 mm/min) and those that did not respond (4.7 +/- SEM 0.69 mm/min) to the orally administered IFN-alpha. Seven of 11 dogs with favorable outcomes had an increased STT of at least 5 mm/min after treatment with oral IFN-alpha and the group had a post-treatment STT (10.5 +/- SEM 1.4 mm/min) significantly greater than baseline (p = 0.0004). The post-treatment STT of the dogs that did respond was significantly greater (p < 0.01) than the post-treatment mean STT of dogs that did not respond. All dogs that responded did so with the 20 or 40 IU dose of IFN-alpha. No side effects were noted and all dogs tolerated the treatment well.
J Interferon Cytokine Res 1999 Aug
PMID:Low-dose oral administration of interferon-alpha for the treatment of immune-mediated keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs. 1047 36

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder. It is caused by mutations in the protein-coding gene of chromosome 7, resulting in chronic pulmonary disease and pancreatic insufficiency. The disease affects all secretory epithelia, including the eye. The pathogenesis of ocular changes in CF is still unknown, but the involvement of immunologic processes in patients with CF has been studied in recent years. We measured interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) levels in tears in a group of patients and a group of normal controls to determine if the levels of these cytokines are elevated in CF. The levels of these cytokines in tears and the clinical severity of CF and eye disease were compared. Tear samples were collected from 24 patients with CF at the department of pediatric diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA. Ophthalmic examinations, including tests for keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye), were used to study the ocular surface. The tear levels of IL-8 and IFN-gamma in the CF patients were significantly higher than those in controls. The clinical severity of CF correlated significantly with the IL-8 and IFN-gamma levels. We found positive correlation between the tear levels of IFN-gamma and dry eye findings in CF patients. Our results suggest that the inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IFN-gamma may play key roles in the regulation of ocular surface inflammation and the immunologic reaction in patients with CF. The tear levels of IL-8 and IFN-gamma may be candidate markers for evaluation of the clinical status of CF and eye disease. These findings help to provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of dry eye in patients with CF and provide potential targets for therapy.
J Interferon Cytokine Res 2006 Feb
PMID:IL-8 and IFN-gamma in tear fluid of patients with cystic fibrosis. 1648 26

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the commonest multisystem genetic disease of white races, caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), encoded on the long arm of chromosome 7. Mutations in the CFTR gene result in defective sodium, chloride, and water transport in the epithelial cells of the respiratory, hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, and reproductive tracts, the pancreas, and the eye. The pathogenesis of ocular changes in CF is still unknown, but CF belongs to the large pathologic group of ocular surface epithelial diseases, termed keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), that develop in dry eye syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) in the tear fluid of CF patients. We also investigated the correlation between the tear levels of this chemokine and clinical severity of CF and ocular surface disease. We studied 25 patients with CF with a mean age of 14 years. Chemokine levels were determined by ELISA. Complete ophthalmic examination, including dry eye tests, were used to study the ocular surface. The tear levels of MIP-1alpha in the CF patients were significantly higher when compared with healthy controls. We found a negative correlation between the tear levels of MIP-1alpha and clinical severity in CF patients and a positive correlation between the tear levels of MIP-1alpha and the presence of dry eye findings in CF patients. This current study indicates that chemokines play an important role in the ongoing inflammatory response. Our findings may help to explain one of the key factors contributing to the pathogenesis of ocular surface changes in CF patients.
J Interferon Cytokine Res 2007 Jun
PMID:Elevated tear fluid levels of MIP-1alpha in patients with cystic fibrosis. 1757 13

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. The disease affects all secretory epithelia including the eye and belongs to the group of ocular surface epithelial diseases, termed keratoconjunctivitis sicca that develop in dry eye. In the pathogenesis of dry eye, inflammation plays a crucial role. The aim of this study was to assess the potential role of MIP-1beta in the pathogenesis of dry eye syndrome in patients with CF. We assayed MIP-1beta levels in tear fluid and serum of 28 patients with CF and 27 controls by ELISA. The ophthalmic examinations including the tests for dry eye were used to study the ocular surface. The tear levels of MIP-1beta in the CF patients were significantly higher than those in the controls. Dry eye syndrome was observed in 10 (36%) CF patients. The tear fluid levels of MIP-1beta were significantly raised in CF patients with dry eye syndrome compared with CF patients without dry eye symptoms. Our results suggest a crucial role of CCL4/MIP-1beta in the development of dry eye syndrome in CF patients and immunopathogenesis of ocular surface changes in this disease. Clarification of the role of CCL4/MIP-1beta in the pathogenesis of ocular findings in CF patients will be useful in establishing immunotherapeutic strategies for this disease.
J Interferon Cytokine Res 2010 Jul
PMID:CCL4/MIP-1beta levels in tear fluid and serum of patients with cystic fibrosis. 2057 39