Abstract
Purpose :
Inflammation involved in progression of diabetic retinopathy has been known. We have recently indicated that vitreous levels of IL-4, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-31, and TNFα in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients were higher than those in the serum, and vitreous levels of these cytokines were also higher in PDR than in other non-inflammatory vitreoretinal diseases or in uveitis associated with sarcoidosis. The aqueous humor can be collected more easily and repeatedly compared with vitreous fluid. In the present study, we investigated aqueous humor levels of inflammatory cytokines elevated in the vitreous fluid of eyes with PDR including Th17-cell related cytokines, and analyzed the association of respective cytokines between the
aqueous humor and vitreous fluid.
Methods :
The study group consisted of consecutive 31 type 2 diabetic patients with PDR who underwent cataract surgery and vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage and/or tractional retinal detachment between January 1, 2016 and July 31, 2016 in National Defense Medical College. Approximately 0.2 to 0.5 mL of undiluted aqueous humor was collected during cataract surgery when the anterior chamber was replaced by viscoelastic substance. After cataract surgery, vitreous fluid was obtained using a 25G vitreous cutter inserted into the mid-vitreous cavity at the beginning of vitrectomy before active infusion. IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, IL-33, IFN-γ, soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), and TNFα in the aqueous humor and vitreous fluid were measured by beads-array system.
Results :
Although percent detectable of IL-10, IL-17A, IL-22, and TNFα were significantly lower in the aqueous humor than in the vitreous fluid, the correlation of IL-17A with IL-10, IL-22, and TNFα were observed in the aqueous humor as well as in the vitreous fluid. In addition, IL-17A in the aqueous humor was significantly correlated with IL-10, IL-17A, and TNFα in the vitreous fluid.
Conclusions :
The present study demonstrated that in patients with PDR, IL-17A is detected in the aqueous humor which is lower than that in the vitreous fluid, and is significantly correlated with IL-17A in the vitreous fluid and with IL-10, IL-22, and TNFα both in the aqueous humor and in the vitreous fluid.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.