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B. BABUDIERI, M.D.; G. B. BIETTI, M.D.

Arch Ophthal. 1945;33(6):449-454.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Lysozyme is a substance in tears, described by Fleming¹ in 1922, which has a strong lytic action on certain organisms. It is also found in nasal mucus and in saliva, but it is especially abundant in egg white, tears and leukocytes.

Lysozyme is characteristically a ferment : It is water soluble, will not pass through a semipermeable membrane and is destroyed by boiling water but not by light or drying. Its optimum action in a neutral medium is attained at 56 to 60 C.

Lysozyme even in high dilutions destroys many saprophytes of the air and is, therefore, thought to have the function in the eye of keeping the conjunctival sac free from atmospheric organisms. The significance of lysozyme for pathogenic organisms is debatable,² but Ridley³ maintained that it does prevent the growth of some organisms.

For further details on the lytic principle of tears, the reader is . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Assistant Professor of the Bacteriological Laboratory, Institute of Public Health, Rome; Professor of Ophthalmology, Royal University of Sassari ROME, ITALY

From the Institute of Public Health, Rome, Italy.

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