In a sample of moderate evaporative-type dry eye disease patients Enriquez-de-Salamanca et al., elevated five inflammatory molecules. Fracktalkine was demonstrated to be present and elevated in tears in human DED. IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, and EGF levels correlated with pain and with clinical parameters measuring tear stability, tear production or ocular surface integrity. These results suggest that inflammation plays a role not only in severe DED but also in moderate evaporative DED.

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