Frontiers in Pharmacology (Jul 2011)

Acidic mammalian chitinase and the eye: implications for ocular inflammatory diseases

  • Claudio eBucolo,
  • Maria eMusumeci,
  • Salvatore eMusumeci,
  • Filippo eDrago

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2011.00043
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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Chitinases have an important role in the defence of organisms against chitin containing parasites. An acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) has been detected in epithelial cells in lung tissue samples taken from patients with asthma as well as in conjunctival epithelium of patients with inflammatory ocular diseases. Particularly, elevated AMCase activity has been observed in ocular tissues of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, and in patients affected by dry eye syndrome. This enzyme is induced via a TH2-specific, IL-13-dependent pathway. AMCase may thus be a key mediator of IL-13-induced responses in TH2-driven inflammatory ocular diseases.

Keywords