Biopsies from healthy human lacrimal glands (n = 9, 61 ± 14.3 years) and non-specific dacryoadenitis (n = 5; 42.8 ± 19.3 years) were immunostained with progenitor cell markers- Nestin, p63 alpha, CK15, ABCG2, c-kit, and CD90, along with RT-PCR. The gene discussed is NES; the disease is dacryoadenitis.