Authors of a US study have identified tear proteins which may serve as biomarkers for long-term eye pain in patients who have undergone refractive surgery. 

Writing in the Journal of Proteome Research, lead author Assistant Professor Brooke Harkness, Oregon Health & Science University, said the team used tandem mass tag proteomic analysis on the tears of 120 patients with or without eye pain three months after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy surgery (PRK). Of the 2,748 proteins detected, 83 were associated with pain, they said. 

Many of these differential proteins are involved in pathways of the immune system, inflammation and damage to the corneal nerves, said A/Prof Harkness. “So, it’s not a random mix of proteins, but a pattern that we’re seeing. I think that’s pretty exciting.” 

Not only could these findings inform prospective refractive surgery patients about their risk level for developing persistent pain after surgery, they could offer new pain-management pathways, said Professor Sue Aicher, corresponding author and professor of chemical physiology and biochemistry in the OHSU School of Medicine. “We hope to eventually develop drug treatments that modulate the proteins that are elevated and see if that can treat the eye pain.”