Abstract
Purpose:
We previously reported high concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, including CXCL12, CXCL13, IL-10, IP-10, and MCP-1, and a low concentration of MMP-9 in the anterior chamber in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as compared with those in normal control subjects. Here, we investigated the changes in the concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines in the anterior chamber from the first to the third injection of ranibizumab.
Methods:
Twenty-one eyes with typical AMD and 27 eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were treated with three consecutive injections of ranibizumab at the induction phase of treatment at the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Hospital. We determined the concentrations of IP-10, MCP-1, MMP-9, CXCL12, IL-6, IL-10, CXCL1, CXCL13, and CCL11 by the multiplex cytokine assay in the anterior chamber at the first and third injections of ranibizumab, after obtaining approval from our ethics committee. All data are expressed as geometric mean. Statistical significance was determined using a paired t-test with logarithm transformed value.
Results:
While the concentration of MMP-9 alone tended to increase (from 0.92 to 1.5 pg/mL; p = 0.02), the concentrations of the other cytokines decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) from the first to the third injection of ranibizumab: IP-10 (from 110 to 55 pg/mL), MCP-1 (from 620 to 220 pg/mL), CXCL12 (from 480 to 240 pg/mL), IL-6 (from 5.9 to 1.6 pg/mL), IL-10 (from 0.15 to 0.015 pg/mL), CXCL1 (from 8.4 to 3.3 pg/mL), CXCL13 (from 9.2 to 2.6 pg/mL), and CCL11 (from 7.1 to 2.8 pg/mL). IL-6/IL-10 ratio increased from 39 to 100 (p < 0.0001)
Conclusions:
Concentrations of a number of inflammatory cytokines which are elevated in AMD were decreased at the induction phase of treatment with ranibizumab.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
763 vitreous •
490 cytokines/chemokines