Glucose Test Can Identify Conjunctival Hyperreactivity

Test useful for patients with ocular discomfort regardless of allergy

MONDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A hyperosmolar provocation test can predict conjunctival hyperreactivity in patients with ocular discomfort regardless of whether they have allergy, according to the results of a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Stefano Bonini, M.D., from the University of Rome in Italy, and colleagues graded symptoms of ocular discomfort triggered by non-specific stimuli in 19 patients with allergic conjunctivitis in remission and 50 healthy patients. They then performed a hyperosmolar provocation test by challenging them with glucose solutions at varying concentrations.

The researchers found that 12 patients with conjunctivitis and six healthy patients experienced ocular discomfort after exposure to non-specific stimuli. The mean provoking dose of glucose was significantly lower for those with discomfort (39.5 percent versus 47.5 percent). A threshold dose of 40 percent glucose predicted conjunctival hyperreactivity with the highest sensitivity and specificity, according to the study.

"Hyperosmolar provocation test may be useful for identifying conjunctival hyperreactivity in subjects with and without allergy with a history of ocular discomfort," Bonini and colleagues conclude.

Abstract
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