The reasearch of tear galectin-3 as new marker for dry eye

• Project/Area Number: 17K11432
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Uchino Yuichi 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師 (80365337)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
• Keywords: ドライアイ / ガレクチン / グライコカリックス / シェーグレン症候群 / ムチン / ガレクチン３ / 涙液 / ガレクチン3 / 切断型ガレクチン3 / グライコカリックスバリア / 涙液中タンパク / 眼表面バイオーマーカー / 臨床 / 細胞・組織 / 蛋白質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found that galectin-3 in the tears of patients with dry eye disease was significantly correlated with ophthalmic evaluation factors, especially the lissamine green staining score, which is used to evaluate the disruption of ocular surface glycocalyx. Cleaved galectin-3 was also found to have a higher detection rate in more severe cases of dry eye disease. These data suggested that galectin-3 and cleaved galectin-3 may have the possibility of being novel ocular surface biomarkers to evaluate the severity of ocular surface barrier disruption.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

涙液中ガレクチン3濃度はドライアイの重症度と有意に相関すること、非侵襲的に眼表面のバリア破綻を評価することができること、また眼表面における炎症にともなうタンパク分解酵素の影響などにより、切断型ガレクチン3がドライアイ重症例に多く認められることが判明した。
今後は涙液中ガレクチン3を簡易的に測定する方法を開発することで、ドライアイ重症度を簡易に評価することが可能となるだけでなく、切断型ガレクチン3陽性率をクロマトグラフィなどを用いて判定する技術が開発されれば、ドライアイ重症度判定キットとしてドライアイ専門家の手によらず、医療スタッフでもドライアイ重症度を判断できるようになる可能性がある。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Analysis of the Association between Galectin-3 Concentration in Tears and the Severity of Dry Eye Disease: A Case-Control Study (2021)
  • Author(s): Hata-Mizuno Miki、Uchino Yuichi、Uchino Miki、Shimmura Shigeto、Ogawa Yoko、Tsubota Kazuo、Negishi Kazuno
  • Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Medicine Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Pages: 66-66
  • DOI: 10.3390/jcm11010066
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Analysis of EMMPRIN and MMP in tears of dry eye patients. (2019)
  • Author(s): Miki Mizuno, Yuichi Uchino, Miki Uchino, Toshio Taira, Shigeto Shimmura, Yoko Ogawa, and Kazuo Tsubota
  • Organizer: Boston Cornea Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Alteration of Galectin-3 in tears of patients with severity of dry eye. (2019)
  • Author(s): Miki Mizuno, Yuichi Uchino, Miki Uchino, Shigeto Shimmura, Yoko Ogawa, and Kazuo Tsubota
  • Organizer: Asia Dry Eye Summit 2019
  • Int'l Joint Research