PECULIAR FEATURES OF PROTEIN COMPOSITION OF THE LACRIMAL FLUID IN CHILDRENAND ADOLESCENTS WITH HIGH PROGRESSIVE MYOPIA

The objective of the present work was to elucidate peculiar features of protein composition of the lacrimal fluid in children and adolescents with high progressive myopia. Thirty five samples of the lacrimal fluid obtained from35 children and adolescents at the age from 10 to 17 (mean 13,1 ± 2,2) years with myopia (5,0 – 20,5 D, mean9,5 ± 3,7 D) developing at the annual progression rate of 0,98 ± 0,8 D. were available for the analysis. Nineteenpatients had various forms of peripheral vitreochorioretinal dystrophy. None of the patients included in the studyused contact lenses to correct myopia. Nine samples of lacrimal fluid were taken from children and adolescents ofthe same age with emmetropy without changes in the eye fundus. The samples of lacrimal fluid from the patientsof the two groups were significantly different in that they contained much less total protein in the children withhigh progressive myopia compared with the control subjects. At the same time, the relative amount of lactoferrin(one of the major proteins of lacrimal fluid exhibiting antioxidative and metal-chelating activities) in the formergroup was significantly higher. The results of the study on the one hand confirm the pathogenetic role of thedisorders in the antioxidative protective system of the eye tissues and media and on the other hand give reasonto consider the reduction of the total protein content and the rise in the lactoferrin fraction in the lacrimal fluid asthe diagnostic signs of progressive development of the myopic process.

progressive myopia, lacrimal fluid, total protein, lysozyme, lactoferrin