Late-phase reaction in ocular allergy

The existing literature demonstrates that an ocular late-phase reaction also exists and has implications in the development severity of disease, change of reactivity and progression of the atopic disease state from a localized target organ, such as the nose or eye, to a more systemic atopic disorder. The existence of the clinically relevant allergic late-phase response is not only limited to the nose, skin and lungs but also includes the eyes. The appreciation that the late-phase response may be clinically very important as there is a continuum of ocular mast-cell activation during the waking hours of the day, a better understanding of its clinical impact may be a more appropriate focus in the development of future treatments.