Table 2. Comparison of the major tear protein components from allergic conjunctivitis patients and normal controls.

Band number	Protein name	Normal controls (n=12, in mg/ml)	Allergic conjunctivitis patients (n=21,in mg/ml)	p-value
1	spectrin alpha chain, brain isoform 1	0.20±0.06 (2.19%)	0.20±0.06(1.67%)	0.843
2	Serum albumin precursor	0.17±0.05(1.93%)	0.22±0.12(1.75%)	0.095
3	Lactoferrin	1.77±0.47(18.18%)	1.96±0.28(15.96%)	0.219
4	Serum albumin	0.66±0.46(6.66%)	1.43±0.82(10.73%)	0.005*
5	Ig alpha-2 chain C region	0.90±0.48(8.76%)	1.07±0.45(8.29%)	0.324
6	Ig gamma-2 heavy chain C-region	0.23±0.10(2.52%)	0.45±0.27(3.36%)	0.003*
7	alpha-enolase	0.15±0.05(1.55%)	0.19±0.08(1.52%)	0.090
8	actin, beta	0.25±0.07(2.63%)	0.30±0.10(2.42%)	0.149
9	leukocyte elastase inhibitor	0.13±0.04(1.37%)	0.20±0.09(1.55%)	0.003*
10	annexin A1	0.15±0.04(1.63%)	0.18±0.10(1.40%)	0.235
11	Ig kappa chain C region	0.82±0.40(8.10%)	1.18±0.59(9.01%)	0.067
12	-	0.67±0.40(6.46%)	0.89±0.27(7.19%)	0.064
13	Lipocalin-1 precursor	1.52±0.65(15.62%)	1.83±0.44(14.96%)	0.118
14	Lipocalin-1 precursor	0.33±0.16(3.34%)	0.42±0.12(3.35%)	0.089
15	Lysozyme precursor	1.72±0.40(17.87%)	1.90±0.29(15.59%)	0.151
Other Bands		0.11±0.08(1.26%)	0.17±0.18(1.23%)	-
SUM**		9.80±2.67	12.60±2.93	0.010#

Values are presented as mean ±standard deviation (%). The asterisk indicfates that the percentages were determined by: Tear protein band quantities/SUM*100%. The double asterisk indicates the SUM (the total tear protein concentration) was the sum of individual bands. The sharp (hash mark) indicates that p-values were determined by independent sample t-test. A p<0.05 was considered significant.