What's new in dry eye research today? | Oct 2, 2026

【Title】The role of neopterin in rheumatoid arthritis-related dry eye

【Journal】Eur J Ophthalmol

【Authors】Muzaffer Şahin; Özlem Evren Kemer; Aziz Çardak; et al.

【Summary】This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between serum and tear neopterin levels and dry eye disease (DED) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 57 patients with RA and 31 healthy controls were evaluated using OSDI, tear osmolarity, Schirmer I test, and TBUT, alongside serum and tear neopterin measurements. Both serum and tear neopterin levels differed significantly between RA patients and controls, but did not differ significantly between RA patients with and without DED. RA groups showed worse tear function, higher tear osmolarity, and higher OSDI scores than controls. Tear and serum neopterin levels showed a weak positive correlation (rₛ = 0.316, p = 0.003), but neopterin was not significantly correlated with DED severity or RA activity. The findings suggest that tear neopterin may reflect RA-related ocular surface disease.