Allergic conjunctivitis, total and specific IgE in the tear fluid.

Twenty-three patients with allergic conjunctivitis caused by birch, timothy or mugwort pollen were examined for the presence of total and specific IgE in the tear fluid. In thirteen of the 23 patients IgE could be shown in the tears. Specific IgE antibodies against the causative pollens were present in the tear fluid of 8 of the patients. The relation between serum and tear IgE on one hand and serum and tear albumin on the other hand suggests local production of the specific IgE antibody.