In a cohort study of 58 747 patients with allergic conjunctivitis, it was found that patients with allergic conjunctivitis had a higher prevalence of myopia than those without allergic conjunctivitis, and in the corresponding experimental animal model, TNF-α was found to activate NF-kB and to increase the expression of MMP-2, the latter of which has been shown to promote scleral remodelling in myopia6. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is atopic conjunctivitis.