Urban eye allergy syndrome: a new clinical entity?

ABSTRACT

Background: A significant number of patients present with conjunctivitis that is not strictly speaking of allergic, infectious, or dry eye origin. Patients affected by this pseudo-allergic form of vasomotor or idiopathic conjunctivitis usually live in urban polluted areas and may be affected by a new clinical entity called the ‘urban eye allergy syndrome’.

Scope: To identify the incidence, pathogenesis and therapeutic response of this condition by collecting from the literature experimental evidence on the relationship between air pollution, allergy, and conjunctival disease.

Findings: Allergen susceptibility might be increased in areas with increased air pollutants. Both allergens and pollutants can directly initiate specific and nonspecific mucosal inflammation through several interweaving mechanisms.

Conclusions: The present commentary introduces the concept of ‘urban eye allergy syndrome’ discussing interactions between air pollutants and pollens, the increase of allergic signs and symptoms by pollutants, the prevalence of urban allergy, preliminary data from a single restricted geographical area, and proposed mechanisms of action.

Key words: :

• Idiopathic conjunctivitis
• Nonspecific mucosal inflammation
• Pollution
• Red eye
• Urban eye allergy syndrome
• Vasomotor

Acknowledgments

Declaration of interest: This paper was partially supported by an unrestricted grant from Alcon Laboratories. The authors have no financial interest in any of the materials or drugs mentioned in the paper. They thank freelancer Lisa Marie Smith for the editorial assistance provided during the preparation of this manuscript.