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Published on: October 13, 2017
Phenol Red Thread-based Sampling Procedure for Untargeted Tear Fluid Lipidomics in Biomarker Discovery.
Kenrick Kai-Yuen Chan1, Jimmy Sung Hei Tse2, Jimmy Ka-Wai Cheung3
1Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR); kenrick.chan@cevr.hk.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|December 29, 2025
Summary
A new phenol red thread (PRT) method offers a minimally invasive and reproducible way to collect tear lipids for analysis. This technique improves tear lipidomic data accuracy, aiding disease biomarker discovery and monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Tear lipids are vital for ocular surface health and tear film stability.
- Altered tear lipid profiles are linked to diseases like meibomian gland dysfunction and dyslipidemia.
- Current tear sampling methods (Schirmer's strips, capillary tubes) have limitations including patient discomfort and operator variability, impacting lipidomic data accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a minimally invasive phenol red thread (PRT)-based sampling method for tear lipidomics.
- To assess the PRT method's suitability for collecting tear lipids with improved reproducibility and reduced ocular irritation.
- To evaluate the efficiency of PRT-based tear lipid collection for subsequent high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis.
Main Methods:
- Developed a minimally invasive tear collection technique using phenol red thread (PRT).
- Optimized a methanol/methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) protocol for extracting tear lipids from PRT samples.
- Analyzed extracted lipids using high-resolution LC-Orbitrap-IQX MS/MS and identified species with LipidSearch software.
Main Results:
- The PRT method demonstrated minimal ocular irritation and ease of use, suitable for subjects with low tear volume.
- PRT sampling significantly reduced operator-dependent variability, enhancing sample collection reproducibility.
- The workflow successfully identified over 700 unique tear lipid species, confirming robust lipid recovery.
Conclusions:
- The PRT-based method is a practical, reproducible, and minimally invasive approach for tear lipidomic analysis.
- This technique offers a reliable platform for clinical and experimental tear research, improving data consistency.
- PRT tear sampling facilitates biomarker discovery and disease monitoring for ocular and systemic conditions.
