Expressed sequence tag (EST), proteomic, and antibody capture assays are revealing a level of tear film protein complexity far greater than previously appreciated. A systems biology approach will be needed to fully appreciate function as tear protein doses fluctuate in time through different conditions. Although consensus is growing on what fully constitutes the human tear proteome, questions r...

Dry eye disease (also called keratoconjunctivitis sicca) is a common condition, with a prevalence ranging from 8 to 34%, depending on the criteria used. It becomes more common with increasing age and affects more women than men. Artificial tears and ocular lubricants are considered the mainstay of treatment, and there is a very wide range of these products available. In England in 2014, over 6....

Dry eye disease (DED) is a very prevalent eye disorder, affecting 40 million people in the United States alone. The primary cause of DED is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) [1], which by itself is a disease entity. The meibomian gland is a large sebaceous gland located in the tarsal plate of the eye lids. It functions to synthesize and secrete lipids onto the ocular surface. These lipids make ...

The primary purpose of the eyelids is to ensure corneal integrity. An important component of this protective function is maintaining the corneal tear film. Blink characteristics can determine tear film stability. Increasing blink amplitude thickens the lipid layer that overlies the aqueous layer of the tear film. This thickening reduces evaporation of the aqueous layer. Because each blink refor...

Recent advances in the field of refractive surgery have prioritized visual quality as a primary clinical parameter in the treatment of these patients. Dry eye symptoms are one of the most frequent causes of complaints of those patients who undergo refractive or cataract surgery, most often in the immediate post-operative phase. The patients who undergo cataract surgery show relatively higher ch...

The purpose of this comparative cross-sectional study was to investigate the use of standardized clinical tests for dry eye in pediatric patients with active and quiet vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and to compare them with healthy children. We recruited 35 active VKC, 35 inactive VKC, and 70 age-matched control healthy subjects. Each child underwent a complete eye examination, including vis...