Chitinases have an important role in the defense of organisms against chitin-containing parasites. An acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) has been detected in epithelial cells in lung tissue samples taken from patients with asthma as well as in conjunctival epithelium of patients with inflammatory ocular diseases. Particularly, elevated AMCase activity has been observed in ocular tissues of pat...

CORTISONE and hydrocortisone are now widely used in the treatment of ocular inflammations, particularly in allergic conditions such as phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis, vernal conjunctivitis, scleritis, uveitis, and some kinds of keratitis. In the treatment of diseases in the anterior segment of the eye, an inexpensive topical application in the form of a suspension or ointment may be used wit...

AIMS/BACKGROUND--Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a quantifiable product secreted by activated eosinophils. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of eosinophil activity in different clinical stages of various forms of allergic conjunctivitis. METHODS--Tears were collected in glass capillary tubes from 14 subjects with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), 23 subjects with vernal ...

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