Ocular allergy encompasses an inflammatory reaction of the surface of the eye that is caused by inappropriate response of the ocular surface to various environmental allergens. Since the majority of this inflammation involves the conjunctiva, the term “allergic conjunctivitis” is often used interchangeably with ocular allergies. Ocular allergy is a common problem that affects people of all ages...

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens causing keratitis. Surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays a critical role in host defense and innate immunity. In order to investigate the role of SP-D in ocular S. aureus infection, the eyes of wild-type (WT) and SP-D knockout (SP-D KO) C57BL/6 mice were infected with S. aureus (10(7) CFU/eye) in the presence and absence of cysteine protease...