Pilot Study of Human Tear Proteins

Analysis of Human Tear Proteins: A Pilot Study to Describe the Tear Film Proteome of Patients Undergoing Ophthalmic Examination.

The significance of our study is in the importance of understanding the quality and quantity of proteins in the human tear film from diseased and non-diseased patients. This pilot study will provide data to plan prospective research to better delineate the utility of tear proteins in diagnosing and following disease status in a non-invasive fashion.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age and older
• able to cooperate with tear sample collection
• provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• special populations (children, pregnant or lactating females, prisoners, etc)
• refusal to sign sudy consent