Tear fluid database: a reference website for tear fluid proteomics

Tear fluid is a clinically accessible, minimally invasive biofluid with a complex and dynamic proteome. Molecular alterations in tear composition have been linked to a broad spectrum of ocular and systemic diseases; however, the small volume of tear samples presents substantial challenges for obtaining high-quality proteomic data. To overcome this limitation, we developed a highly sensitive mass spectrometry workflow capable of identifying more than 1,000 proteins from individual tear samples. Applying this workflow to a large and diverse cohort, we generated a representative and comprehensive profile of the human tear fluid proteome and established reference abundance ranges for proteins commonly detected in tear fluid. In parallel with protein quantification, we collected detailed clinical annotations for each participant. As the database continues to grow, these analyses will increasingly support the identification of disease-associated proteomic signatures, deepen our understanding of underlying biological mechanisms, and accelerate the discovery of clinically relevant biomarkers. To make these data broadly accessible, we created a user-friendly website for exploring protein measurements alongside associated clinical metadata. The current release includes proteomic profiles from 74 human tear samples, encompassing 2,134 unique proteins. The TearFluid Database serves as a foundational resource for biomarker discovery, comparative proteomics, and systems-level investigations in tear biology, offering the scientific community a robust and expandable platform for advancing tear fluid proteomics research. Database URL: https://tearfluid.org/.