Association of eosinophil major basic protein with intraocular lens dislocation in atopic dermatitis

Abstract The study aimed to investigate whether eosinophil major basic protein (MBP), which is linked to cataract formation due to lens epithelial cell (LEC) damage in atopic dermatitis (AD), is associated with intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation. This retrospective observational study was conducted at a Medical University Hospital and included 22 eyes (10 AD, 12 non-AD [NAD]) that underwent IOL explantation and fixation. Surgeries were conducted to extract the intraocular lens capsule for morphological evaluations. Quantitative analysis of the MBP staining was conducted using the staining area ratio (SAR) gap. MBP staining was negative in all cases for both the lens capsule and LEC. The SAR gap in Soemmering’s ring was significantly higher in the AD group (14.3 ± 8.7%) than in the NAD group (1.1 ± 1.1%) (p = 0.0037). In contrast, the SAR gap for fibrous metaplasia showed no significant difference between the AD (8.3 ± 13.2%) and NAD (6.5 ± 12.3%) groups (p = 0.75). Six cases of fibrous metaplasia, including those in the NAD group, showed SAR gaps equal to or greater than those in the positive control group, with five classified as low-density fibrosis (LDF). While Soemmering’s rings in AD cases demonstrated greater MBP immunoreactivity than NAD controls, both groups exhibited MBP-positive fibrous metaplasia specimens.