A contribution to the immunopathology of vernal keratoconjunctivitis

The IgG and IgM contents of tears from healthy eyes and from patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VC) were shown to be essentially blood-borne. In tears from VC-patients as well as from healthy controls, IgE was usually found to be a product of local synthesis. In tears from healthy eyes, IgA was almost entirely synthesized locally, but a significant part of the IgA in tears from inflamed eyes was blood-borne. The results indicate a marked association between VC and an increased IgE-content of tears derived from local immunocytes. However, in some patients apparently suffering from typical VC, normal IgE-levels were consistently found in tears from both eyes during a number of relapses or aggravations of the disease.