Clinical Usefulness of Monitoring Expression Levels of CCL24 (Eotaxin-2)‎ mRNA on the Ocular Surface in Patients with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis and Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis

الملخص EN

Purpose.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of using expression levels of CCL24 (eotaxin-2) mRNA on the ocular surface as a biomarker in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC).

Methods.

Eighteen patients with VKC or AKC (VKC/AKC group) and 12 control subjects (control group) were enrolled in this study.

The VKC/AKC clinical score was determined by objective findings in patients by using the 5-5-5 exacerbation grading scale.

All subjects underwent modified impression cytology and specimens were obtained from the upper tarsal conjunctiva.

Expression levels of CCL24 (eotaxin-2) mRNA on the ocular surface were determined using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results.

The VKC group was divided into two subgroups, depending on the clinical score: the active stage subgroup with 100 points or more of clinical scores and the stable stage subgroup with 100 points or less.

CCL24 (eotaxin-2) mRNA expression levels in the active VKC/AKC stage subgroup were significantly higher than those in the stable VKC/AKC subgroup and the control group.

Clinical scores correlated significantly with CCL24 (eotaxin-2) mRNA expression levels in the VKC group.

Conclusions.

CCL24 (eotaxin-2) mRNA expression levels on the ocular surface are a useful biomarker for clinical severity of VKC/AKC.