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Lacryglobin in human tears, a potential marker for cancer
Author(s) -
Evans Victoria,
Vockler Cassandra,
Friedlander Michael,
Walsh Bradley,
Willcox Mark DP
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-9071.2001.00408.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tears , breast cancer , prostate cancer , colorectal cancer , cancer , lung cancer , prostate , metastasis , oncology , ovarian cancer , pathology , immunology
Lacryglobin has been identified in human tears. This protein has high sequence homology to the mammaglobins, proteins upregulated in breast cancer and in breast cancer metastasis. In order to investigate the utility of tear screening for cancer, tear samples were collected from patients with different types of cancer and compared to controls. Tear samples were taken from five controls and eight breast, six lung, five colon, one prostate and three ovary cancer patients. Tears were analysed using 2‐D gel electrophoresis ( n = 25) and 1‐D electrophoresis ( n = 3). Lacryglobin was present in the following percentage of patients: breast cancer (88%), lung (83%), colon (100%), ovary (33%), prostate (100%) and controls (60%). Two control patients with lacryglobin had a family history of breast and prostate cancer. Lacryglobin was detected in some but not all tear samples and further studies are warranted to investigate its potential as a marker for cancer.