Secretory IgA epitopes in basal tears of extended‐wear soft contact lens wearers and in non‐lens wearers

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Abstract
Purpose: To determine secretory IgA epitopes in tears of extended‐wear soft contact lens wearers and non‐wearing controls. Methods: We developed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine the tear concentrations of two epitopes of secretory IgA, the IgA alpha‐chain and the secretory component. These epitopes were measured in basal tears of 20 individuals in 6 nights of extended wear of etafilcon A soft contact lenses and in 19 non‐lens‐wearing individuals. Results: Levels of IgA alpha‐chain immunoreactivity were significantly decreased in the lens‐wearing group compared to non‐lens wearers. However, the level of secretory component immunoreactivity was not significantly different between groups. IgA alpha‐chain and secretory component immunoreactvity were highly correlated; however, some samples showed a marked variation between these two values. Conclusion: Tear concentrations of sIgA epitopes are significantly reduced in extended‐wear contact lens wearers, and may contribute to the increased susceptibility to ocular infection seen in this group.