Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 1977 May;61(5):354–359. doi: 10.1136/bjo.61.5.354

Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking drugs: tear lysozyme and immunological screening for adverse reaction.

I A Mackie, D V Seal, J M Pescod
PMCID: PMC1042968  PMID: 17431

Abstract

Patients who had received long-term therapy with practolol and other beta-adrenergic receptor blocking drugs were examined ophthalmologically. Tear lysozyme concentration and serum autoantibodies (antinuclear antibodies, DNA-binding antibodies and intercellular cement substance antibodies) were measured. It was found that beta-adrenergic receptor blocking drugs may have a pharmacological effect on the lachrymal glands, but this was not associated with dry eyes or adverse reaction. Practolol was found to be capable of reducing tear lysozyme concentrations to very low levels, and this was initially associated with high titres of ICC antibody. No other drug tested produced these effects.

Full text

PDF
359

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amos H. E., Brigden W. D., McKerron R. A. Untoward effects associated with practolol: demonstration of antibody binding to epithelial tissue. Br Med J. 1975 Mar 15;1(5958):598–600. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5958.598. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson H. J., Newcomer V. D., Landau J. W., Rosenthal L. H. Pemphigus and other diseases. Results of indirect intercellular immunofluorescence. Arch Dermatol. 1970 May;101(5):538–546. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Behan P. O., Behan W. M., Zacharias F. J., Nicholls J. T. Immunological abnormalities in patients who had the oculomucocutaneous syndrome associated with practolol therapy. Lancet. 1976 Nov 6;2(7993):984–987. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)90831-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cubey R. B., Taylor S. H. Ocular reaction to propranolol and resolution on continued treatment with a different beta-blocking drug. Br Med J. 1975 Nov 8;4(5992):327–328. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5992.327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cumberbatch J. B. Letter: Skin reactions to beta-blockers. Br Med J. 1974 Nov 30;4(5943):528–528. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5943.528-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davies D. M., Beedie M. A., Rawlins M. D. Antinuclear antibodies during procainamide treatment and drug acetylation. Br Med J. 1975 Sep 20;3(5985):682–684. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5985.682. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Davies M. G., Holt P. Pemphigus in a patient treated with penicillamine for generalized morphea. Arch Dermatol. 1976 Sep;112(9):1308–1309. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fakhro A. M., Ritchie R. F., Lown B. Lupus-like syndrome induced by procainamide. Am J Cardiol. 1967 Sep;20(3):367–373. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(67)90060-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Felix R. H., Ive F. A., Dahl M. G. Cutaneous and ocular reactions to practolol. Br Med J. 1974 Nov 9;4(5940):321–324. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5940.321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gange R. W., Rhodes E. L., Edwards C. O., Powell M. E. Pemphigus induced by rifampicin. Br J Dermatol. 1976 Oct;95(4):445–448. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1976.tb00849.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holt P. J., Waddington E. Oculocutaneous reaction to oxprenolol. Br Med J. 1975 Jun 7;2(5970):539–540. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5970.539. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hughes G. R. Significance of anti-D.N.A. antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lancet. 1971 Oct 16;2(7729):861–863. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)90234-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mackie I. A., Seal D. V. Quantitative tear lysozyme assay in units of activity per microlitre. Br J Ophthalmol. 1976 Jan;60(1):70–74. doi: 10.1136/bjo.60.1.70. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mackie I. A., Seal D. V. Tear fluid lysozyme concentration: guide to practolol toxicity. Br Med J. 1975 Dec 27;4(5999):732–732. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5999.732. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McEWEN W. K., KIMURA S. J. Filter-paper electrophoresis of tears. I. Lysozyme and its correlation with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Am J Ophthalmol. 1955 Feb;39(2 Pt 2):200–202. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pinschmidt N. W. Evaluation of the Schirmer Tear Test. South Med J. 1970 Nov;63(11):1256–passim. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197011000-00013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Raftery E. B., Denman A. M. Systemic lupus erythematosus syndrome induced by practolol. Br Med J. 1973 May 26;2(5864):452–455. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5864.452. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Raftery E. B. Letter: cutaneous and ocular reactions to practolol. Br Med J. 1974 Dec 14;4(5945):653–653. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5945.653. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rahi A. H., Chapman C. M., Garner A., Wright P. Pathology of practolol-induced ocular toxicity. Br J Ophthalmol. 1976 May;60(5):312–323. doi: 10.1136/bjo.60.5.312. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Thivolet J., Beyvin A., André D. Anticorps pemphiguslike et pemphigoidlike. Dermatologica. 1970;140(5):310–317. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wright P. Letter: Ocular reactions to beta-blocking drugs. Br Med J. 1975 Dec 6;4(5996):577–577. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5996.577-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wright P. Untoward effects associated with practolol administration: oculomucocutaneous syndrome. Br Med J. 1975 Mar 15;1(5958):595–598. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5958.595. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. van Bijsterveld O. P. Proceedings: The lysozyme agar diffusion test in the sicca syndrome. Ophthalmologica. 1973;167(5):429–432. doi: 10.1159/000306987. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Ophthalmology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES