1. Quantification of Soluble Cytokines in Sjögren Disease, non Sjögren dry eye and Healthy Subjects M. Jaimes 1B, C. Santacruz-Valdes 1B, Y. Garfias 1A, T. Ramirez- Luquin 1B, M. Jimenez-Martinez 2. 1 Institute of Ophthalmology, “Fundacion Conde de Valenciana”, Mexico City, Mexico; A Research Unit - Department of Immunology, B Department of Cornea and External Diseases; 2 Biochemistry Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. The authors have no financial interest in the subject matter of this poster.

2. Introduction The tear film is a complex fluid composed of a lot of proteins, cytokines among others. One of the most severe inflammatory eye diseases is Sjögren syndrome. This is an autoimmune disease that affects ocular surface It has been previously identified by ELISA and PCR that in Sjögren syndrome exists an up-regulation of cytokines and in this report we use cytometric bead arrays (CBA) cytokine detection kit to identifiy tear film cytokines in Sjögren syndrome, non Sjögren dry eye and healthy subjects.

3. Purpose To identify soluble cytokine concentrations in tear samples of patients with Sjögren disease, non Sjögren dry eye and healthy subjects. *J Cataract Refract Surg 2009; 35:1101–1120

4. Materials and methods Patients classified according to tear film break-up time (BUT) <7 sec, Schirmer II test (ST) <7 mm, symptoms <12 points in a validated questionnaire and oral mucosa biopsy or SS-A, SS-B Ab in the Sjögren disease patients. We obtained a tear sample of both eyes and performed quantification of protein concentration. Using CBA Cytokine Detection Kit we performed IL-2, TNF- , IL-10, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-  detection in 50  l of tear sample. Descriptive statistics for demographic variables and ANOVA for identification of differences between groups. p was statistically significant if ≤0.05.

5. Results 65 patients were included, mean age 44 years (18-83), 37% male (n=24) and 63% female (n=41). Sjögren disease group showed the greatest concentration of TNF-  and IFN-  concentration (p < 0.05). We did not find statistically significant difference between non Sjögren dry eye and healthy subjects.

6. Results GroupAgeSymptomsBUTSchirmer II Healthy33.3 (22,58)6.36±4.229.66±1.5418.36±8.74 Non Sjögren dry eye44.3(18-83)16.29±10.135.38±3.0312.92±7.89 Sjögren55.36 (41,85)29.45±14.98*2.84±1.03*1.95±1.19* *p<0.05

7. Results IFN-  TNF-  IL-10IL-5IL-4IL-2 Sjögren37.94*9.97*7.43*8.758.73*5 SD64.8714.6012.3419.4115.019.42 Non Sjögren dry eye7.6422.591.281.371.50 SD29.395.567.693.746.015.23 Healthy6.311.652.141.061.131.24 SD26.755.097.033.425.464.77 *p<0.05

8. Results

11. Conclusions Sjögren patients showed higher cytokine concentration of TNF-  and IFN-  in the tear film. There was a statistically significative difference in IL-4 in Sjögren patients and healthy subjects only. Interesting, Sjögren patients showed the clinically most severe dry eye, this finding was not observed in the non Sjögren dry eye. Corresponding author: Martha Jaimes Gutiérrez martha.jaimes@institutodeoftalmologia.org

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