Ocular surface extracellular DNA and nuclease activity imbalance: a new paradigm for inflammation in dry eye disease.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We determined whether nucleases are deficient in the tear fluid of dry eye disease (DED) patients, and whether this causes extracellular DNA (eDNA) and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) accumulation in the precorneal tear film, thus causing ocular surface inflammation.

Methods

Exfoliated cells adhered to Schirmer test strips were collected on glass slides, and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy was used to evaluate neutrophils, eDNA, NETs, and their molecular components. Similar experiments were performed with mucoid films collected from the inferior conjunctival fornix or bulbar conjunctiva. We used quantitative PCR to evaluate eDNA signaling pathways and inflammatory cytokine expression. We also determined the amount of ocular surface eDNA and evaluated tear

SUBMITTER: Sonawane S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3525138 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature