Passive transfer of the ocular late-phase reaction

Abstract

The authors report a series of conjunctival provocation tests in a single allergic patient indicating that tears collected during the late phase of a conjunctival reaction induced by allergen challenge, can act as inducers of a new late-phase reaction when applied again to the eye of the same patient. This short report is aimed at stimulating more extensive investigations to confirm the authors' observation and to prove the hypothesis here suggested that soluble mediators present in tears during the late-phase conjunctival reaction can act as inducers of a de novo recruitment of inflammatory cells.

Key Words:

• passive transfer
• tear cytology
• allergic conjunctivitis
• late-phase reaction