Table 1.

Tear TSLP, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 cytokine concentrations in each group ($\stackrel{-}{x}\pm s$, pg/mL).

Group	Sample size	TSLP	IL-4	IL-5	IL-13
Control group	20	0.00 ± 0.00	0.00 ± 0.00	0.00 ± 0.00	0.00 ± 0.00
VKC group	20	48.91 ± 7.45	14.06 ± 3.50	10.88 ± 1.82	34.28 ± 8.42
SAC group	20	24.63 ± 2.43	7.71 ± 0.65	5.10 ± 1.33	23.77 ± 6.29
PAC group	20	21.56 ± 2.72	3.30 ± 1.50	2.43 ± 1.28	17.67 ± 4.28
F		349.71	200.29	260.49	128.23
P		<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001

TSLP, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 concentrations in the control group were not detected, but these were detected in VKC, SAC, and PAC patient specimens. The results of the four different types of allergic conjunctivitis are shown as mean ± SD. The Luminex microbead assay confirmed that the patient groups had different degrees of the increase in concentration of the cytokines compared with the normal control group. P < 0.001; each group n = 20.

VKC: vernal keratoconjunctivitis; SAC: seasonal allergic conjunctivitis; PAC: perennial allergic conjunctivitis.