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Updated: Apr 25, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancing Tear Fluid Analysis Using a Standardized Protocol for Proteomics Research
Published on: December 1, 2023
Tear Protein Analysis in Neonates Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Light Emitting Diode Induced
Alisha Rizvi1,2, Sphurti S Adigal3, Sulatha V Bhandary2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and HAHC Hospital, New Delhi, India (Current Affiliation).
Purpose:
This exploratory study aims to characterize and compare the tear fluid protein profiles of preterm and term neonates using a cost-effective High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Light Emitting Diode-Induced Fluorescence (HPLC-LED-IF) system.
Methods:
In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), unstimulated tear fluid samples were collected from 40 term and 40 preterm neonates using Schirmer's strips. Protein profile analysis was carried out using a HPLC-LED-IF system. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to evaluate the chromatographic data.
Results:
Averaged chromatographic profiles demonstrated differences in relative peak intensities and the presence of group-specific retention-time features between term and preterm neonates. Exploratory principal component analysis revealed partial separation of groups, particularly within the 1620-1860 s retention window.
Conclusion:
HPLC-LED-IF enabled reproducible comparative profiling of low-volume neonatal tear samples. The observed retention-time differences represent exploratory pattern-level distinctions and warrant further investigation incorporating protein identification and larger cohorts.
