BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine prolidase activity in conjunctival tissue and its relationship with pterygium.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prolidase activity was measured in 23 pterygium and 25 healthy conjunctival tissues and the 2 groups were compared.

RESULTS: Prolidase enzyme activity could not be measured in either the healthy conjunctival or in pterygium tissues. The mean serum prolidase levels of the control and pterygium groups were 967.46±353.64 and 858.29±301.83, respectively. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the groups with regard to serum prolidase levels (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, absence of prolidase activity in pterygium tissue indicates that there is no collagen turnover in this tissue. We may explain this finding with the elastin-rich structure of the conjunctiva.

Keywords: Case-Control Studies, Collagen - chemistry, Conjunctiva - pathology, Dipeptidases - metabolism, Elastin - chemistry, Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic, Pterygium - enzymology