Recently, a self-developed drug called "tacrolimus eye drops" has attracted widespread attention due to a significant price increase. This eye drop with a reference price of 779 to 818 yuan has risen to thousands of yuan on multiple e-commerce platforms, and even reached 3382 yuan at one point. At present, it is the high incidence period of pollen allergy in spring. Some patients use tacrolimus eye drops to treat allergic conjunctivitis, and some parents even call it the nemesis of allergic eye disease, willing to spend a high price to buy medicine for their children. So, what exactly is tacrolimus eye drops? Can it really treat allergic eye diseases? Yang Ruibo, chief physician of the Department of Refractive and Corneal Diseases at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, stated in an interview with Science and Technology Daily that tacrolimus eye drops are not a "panacea" for treating all allergic eye diseases, and patients should not blindly hoard drugs at high prices. The main indication is Chunka. Tacrolimus eye drops are not a new drug, but an immunosuppressive agent that has been clinically used for many years. ”Yang Ruibo introduced that the activation of human T lymphocytes may trigger a series of complex immune inflammations. Tacrolimus eye drops mainly inhibit T lymphocyte activation, thereby preventing the release of inflammatory factors and the occurrence of immune responses associated with it. So, its indications are immune diseases mainly mediated by T lymphocytes. Tacrolimus eye drops are not traditional first-line anti allergic drugs. ”Yang Ruibo explained that common anti allergic drugs (such as antihistamines) mainly target IgE mediated rapid type allergic reactions (such as eye itching and sneezing caused by pollen, indoor dust mites, etc.), namely type I allergic reactions. And tacrolimus eye drops mainly target immune responses mediated by T lymphocytes, such as type IV hypersensitivity reactions. Yang Ruibo introduced that there are two main application scenarios for tacrolimus eye drops in ophthalmology. One is to prevent and respond to immune rejection after corneal transplantation, and improve the success rate of transplantation. The second is to treat some special immune related eye diseases, such as silkworm feeding corneal ulcers, spring corneal conjunctivitis (referred to as "spring card"), etc. Regarding the practice of self purchasing tacrolimus eye drops for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, Yang Ruibo pointed out that there are many types of allergic conjunctivitis, and this drug is not the first-line first choice for most common allergic conjunctivitis. Chunka is a chronic, recurrent, bilateral ocular surface inflammation commonly found in children and adolescents. It is a disease that involves both type I and type IV hypersensitivity reactions. For moderate to severe cases of Chunka, tacrolimus eye drops have a clear therapeutic effect, "Yang Ruibo told reporters. However, in clinical practice, over 80% of eye allergic diseases are seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and perennial allergic conjunctivitis. That is to say, the majority of ordinary people suffer from allergic conjunctivitis, which is not the main indication for tacrolimus eye drops. ”Yang Ruibo further said, "To deal with type I allergic reactions, conventional treatment drugs are double acting anti allergic drugs, such as loratadine or nitroglycerin eye drops. These drugs have a fast onset and can effectively control symptoms such as redness and itching in the eyes. Blindly using them can actually harm the eyes. So, how can allergic capsule inflammation patients preliminarily determine which type they belong to? Yang Ruibo introduced that typical patients with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis have clear seasonal attack characteristics, such as spring or autumn attacks, and the symptoms can self alleviate and disappear after the season; But Chunka often has a longer course of illness and fluctuating symptoms. However, the most reliable way is still for doctors to conduct examinations and diagnoses, rather than self searching online and purchasing medication. Moreover, tacrolimus eye drops are prescription drugs that ordinary patients cannot use on their own. Blindly following the trend not only wastes money, but may also lower the immune defense ability of the ocular surface. The function of immunosuppressants is to suppress the body's excessive immune response. If you do not have corresponding symptoms, long-term abuse can actually weaken the immune defense ability of the ocular surface. "Yang Ruibo explained that the most direct risk of long-term abuse of immunosuppressants is to increase the possibility of secondary ocular viral and fungal infections. Even if there is a need for immunosuppressive therapy, tacrolimus eye drops are not the only option. ”Yang Ruibo added, "In clinical practice, there is also cyclosporine eye drops, which have the same target as tacrolimus eye drops and can also be used to control special types of allergies and immune rejection reactions. Even if tacrolimus eye drops cannot be purchased, it does not mean that there is no drug available, and patients do not need to hoard drugs at high prices