[Protein evaluation of tears: different biological parameters and their respective value].

Purpose: The lacrimal film contains 6 to 10 g/l of proteins, 99% of which locally synthesized by the lacrimal glands. The study of these proteins allows us to explore the lacrimal function and to reveal an inflammatory process.
Material and Methods: The lacrimal proteinic profile included the determination of total proteins and electrophoresis on agarose gel and, if necessary, specific determinations of albumin, lactoferrin, lysozyme and immunoglobulins using a nephelemetric technique. Normal values were established on a hundred of individual tears.
Results: The electrophoretic proteinic profile may present different abnormalities, such as an inflammatory process, a functional alteration of the lacrimal glands or a dysproteinic abnormality of the tears. The specific determination of the principal lacrimal proteins allows us to accurately quantify each of them.
Conclusion: The electrophoresis of the tears on an agarose gel reveals the presence of an inflammatory process or the quantitative or qualitative alteration of the lacrimal function. The immuno-nephelemetric determination of the most important proteins which are involved in theses mechanisms gives an accurate quantitative measurement of proteins and allows biological follow-up of the disease.