In-depth analysis of the human tear proteome

Area of Science:

• Proteomics
• Ophthalmology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Tear fluid contains diverse molecules, including proteins, crucial for eye surface health.
• Exploring the human tear proteome is vital for identifying disease biomarkers.
• Previous tear proteome studies have been limited in scope and identified proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze the human tear proteome.
• To identify a large number of proteins in tear fluid.
• To establish a reference dataset for ocular disease biomarker research.

Main Methods:

• High-speed TripleTOF 5600 mass spectrometry system was utilized for tear protein analysis.
• Human tear samples from healthy subjects were analyzed.
• Identified proteins were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and compared with plasma and ocular tissue datasets.

Main Results:

• Identification of 1543 proteins in human tears with a false discovery rate below 1%.
• This represents the most extensive human tear proteome dataset reported to date.
• Comparative analysis with plasma and ocular datasets provided functional context for identified tear proteins.

Conclusions:

• The comprehensive human tear proteome list serves as a foundational resource for biomarker research in ocular diseases.
• This dataset facilitates the development of targeted assays, such as Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM), for disease diagnosis and monitoring.
• Tear fluid analysis offers a non-invasive approach to assess ocular surface health, inflammation, and lacrimal gland function.