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Teardrop test may speed diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome

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A noninvasive test that analyzes multiple protein biomarkers in tears is showing promising results during early clinical trials as a simple test for identifying Sjögren’s syndrome, according to an American Chemical Society press release.

Naohisa Tomosugi, MD, and colleagues at the Kanazawa Medical University in Japan have developed a “faster, more accurate test” for Sjögren’s syndrome, the press release said. The new technique requires patients to shed as little as a single teardrop, which can be collected via special filter papers in the physician’s office. The teardrop can then be analyzed in the lab; the physician can have results within an hour, the press release said. Dr. Tomosugi said he believes the test may reach the market in 2 to 3 years.

The researchers analyzed the protein content of tears from 31 patients diagnosed with Sjögren’s and of 57 subjects without Sjögren’s. They identified 10 protein biomarkers that appear to be specific for the disease.

The study will be published in the June 13 issue of Journal of Proteome Research, according to the press release.