Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Relationship between tear eotaxin-2 and MMP-9 with ocular allergy and corneal topography in keratoconus patients

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To analyze the relationship between the seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), eotaxin-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and the topographical findings in the keratoconus patients.

Methods

Thirty-four eyes of patients without SAC (Group 1), 34 eyes of patients with SAC (Group 2), and 20 eyes of control subjects (control group) were enrolled. Tear samples of the subjects were collected by Schirmer method. Corneal topography parameters, tear MMP-9, and tear eotaxin-2 levels were analyzed.

Results

The mean tear MMP-9 levels in Groups 1 and 2 were significantly higher than in the control group (p = 0.004). MMP-9 level exhibited a positive correlation with the keratoconus stage and a negative correlation with the thinnest corneal thickness (r = 0.294, p = 0.018, and r = − 0.302, p = 0.006, respectively). The tear eotaxin-2 level was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 and control group which is not statistically significant (p = 0.17).

Conclusion

The tear eotaxin-2 did not exhibit any difference in the presence of keratoconus. The tear MMP-9 level was higher in the keratoconic eyes, and it showed a correlation with the stage of the disease and the corneal thickness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jordan CA, Zamri A, Wheeldon C et al (2011) Computerized corneal tomography and associated features in a large New Zealand keratoconic population. J Cataract Refract Surg 37:1493–1501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Vazirani J, Basu S (2013) Keratoconus: current perspectives. Clin Ophthalmol 7:2019–2030

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Davidson AE, Hayes S, Hardcastle AJ et al (2014) The pathogenesis of keratoconus. Eye (Lond) 28:189–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pannebaker C, Chandler HL, Nichols JJ (2010) Tear proteomics in keratoconus. Mol Vis 16:1949–1957

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Sorkhabi R, Ghorbanihaghjo A, Taheri N et al (2015) Tear film inflammatory mediators in patients with keratoconus. Int Ophthalmol 35:467–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Nagase H, Woessner JF Jr (1999) Matrix metalloproteinases. J Biol Chem 274:21491–21494

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cristina Kenney M, Brown DJ (2003) The cascade hypothesis of keratoconus. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 26:139–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kenney MC, Chwa M, Opbroek AJ et al (1994) Increased gelatinolytic activity in keratoconus keratocyte cultures. A correlation to an altered matrix metalloproteinase-2/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase ratio. Cornea 13:114–124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ponath PD, Qin S, Ringler DJ et al (1996) Cloning of the human eosinophil chemoattractant, eotaxin. Expression, receptor binding, and functional properties suggest a mechanism for the selective recruitment of eosinophils. J Clin Invest 97:604–612

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Forsmann UM, Uguccioni P, Loetscher CA et al (1997) Eotaxin-2, a novel chemokine that is selective for the chemokine receptor CCR1, and acts like eotaxin on human eosinophil and basophil leukocytes. J Exp Med 185:2171–2176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fukagawa K, Nakajima T, Tsubota K et al (1999) Presence of eotaxin in tears of patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis with severe corneal damage. J Allergy Clin Immunol 103:1220–1221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Leonardi A, Jose PJ, Zhan H et al (2003) Tear and mucus eotaxin-1 and eotaxin-2 in allergic keratoconjunctivitis. Ophthalmology 110:487–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Shoji J, Inada N, Sawa M (2009) Evaluation of eotaxin-1, -2, and -3 protein production and messenger RNA expression in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Jpn J Ophthalmol 53:92–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Akpek EK, Dart JK, Watson S et al (2004) A randomized trial of topical cyclosporin 0.005% in topical steroid-resistant atopic keratoconjunctivitis. Ophtalmology 111:476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lema I, Duran JA (2005) Inflammatory molecules in the tears of patients with keratoconus. Ophthalmology 112:654–659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Bawazeer AM, Hodge WG, Lorimer B (2000) Atopy and keratoconus: a multivariate analysis. Br J Ophthalmol 84:834–836

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. McMonnies CW (2009) Mechanisms of rubbing-related corneal trauma in keratoconus. Cornea 28:607–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Balasubramanian SA, Pye DC, Willcox MD (2013) Effects of eye rubbing on the levels of protease, protease activity and cytokines in tears: relevance in keratoconus. Clin Exp Optom 96:214–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. McMonnies CW, Boneham GC (2003) Keratoconus, allergy, itch, eye-rubbing and handdominance. Clin Exp Optom 86:376–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Naderan M, Shoar S, Rezagholizadeh F et al (2015) Characteristics and associations of keratoconus patients. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 34:525–529

    Google Scholar 

  21. Weed KH, MacEwen CJ, Giles T et al (2008) The Dundee University Scottish Keratoconus study: demographics, corneal signs, associated diseases, and eye rubbing. Eye (Lond) 22:534–541

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Naderan M, Rajabi MT, Zarrinbakhsh P et al (2016) Effect of allergic diseases on keratoconus severity. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 25:418–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Mazzotta C, Traversi C, Mellace P et al (2018) Keratoconus progression in patients with allergy and elevated surface matrix metalloproteinase 9 point-of-care test. Eye Contact Lens 2:S48–S53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Fukagawa K, Nakajima T, Saito H et al (2000) IL-4 ınduces eotaxin production in corneal keratocytes but not in epithelial cells. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 121:144–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Leonardi A, Curnow SJ, Zhan H et al (2006) Multiple cytokines in human tear specimens in seasonal and chronic allergic eye disease and in conjunctival fibroblast cultures. Clin Exp Allergy 36:777–784

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Irkec M, Bozkurt B (2003) Epithelial cells in ocular allergy. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 3:352–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Trocme SD, Hallberg CK, Gill KS et al (1997) Effects of eosinophil granule proteins on human corneal epithelial cell viability and morphology. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 38:593–599

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Eperon S, Sauty A, Lanz R et al (2004) Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) up-regulation in tears during seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 242:966

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Cingu AK, Cinar Y, Turkcu FM et al (2013) Effects of vernal and allergic conjunctivitis on severity of keratoconus. Int J Ophthalmol 6:370–374

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Kaya V, Karakaya M, Utine CA et al (2007) Evaluation of the corneal topographic characteristics of keratoconus with orbscan II in patients with and without atopy. Cornea 26:945–948

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Offiah I, Calder VL (2009) Immune mechanisms in allergic eye diseases: What is new? Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 9:477–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kolozsvari BL, Petrovski G, Gogolak P et al (2014) Association between mediators in the tear fluid and the severity of keratoconus. Ophthalmic Res 51:46–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Pasztor D, Kolozsvari BL, Csutak A et al (2016) Scheimpflug imaging parameters associated with tear mediators and bronchial asthma in keratoconus. J Ophthalmol 2016:9392640

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Shetty R, Ghosh A, Lim RR et al (2015) Elevated expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and inflammatory cytokines in keratoconus patients is inhibited by cyclosporine A. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 56:738–750

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Oray M, Toker E (2013) Tear cytokine levels in vernal keratoconjunctivitis: the effect of topical 005% cyclosporine A therapy. Cornea 32:1149–1154

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This project was supported by Yıldırım Beyazit University Scientific Research Projects Office. None of the authors have any financial interests to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Eye Hospital Etiler, Vadi İstanbul Teras evleri 8.blok no:24, Istanbul, Turkey

    Melek Mutlu

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey

    Ozge Sarac & Nurullah Cağıl

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey

    Gamze Avcıoğlu

Authors
  1. Melek Mutlu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ozge Sarac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nurullah Cağıl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gamze Avcıoğlu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melek Mutlu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mutlu, M., Sarac, O., Cağıl, N. et al. Relationship between tear eotaxin-2 and MMP-9 with ocular allergy and corneal topography in keratoconus patients. Int Ophthalmol 40, 51–57 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01149-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01149-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation