Abstract
Purpose :
Flow cytometry analysis of immune cells infiltrating the eye in the endotoxin-induced uveitis mouse models have shown elevated numbers of neutrophils at peak disease, however little is known about the immune cells infiltrating the eye in human uveitis. The aim of this study was to describe the leucocytic cellular infiltrate in aqueous and vitreous samples of uveitis patients analyzed by flow cytometry.
Methods :
Retrospective analysis of aqueous and vitreous samples that were sent to flow cytometry for diagnostic purposes, including mascarade syndromes, infectious and non-infectious uveitis. Data collected included: demographics, anatomic classification, phenotypic diagnosis of the uveitis, anterior chamber cells score and vitreous haze, and time of follow-up since sample taken.
Results :
Thirty-one samples (17 aqueous and 14 vitreous samples) from 31 patients were included in the study, 18 males. The mean age at the time of sample collection was 60.23±17.03 years. The main anatomic classification was panuveitis (14/31). There was a positive linear correlation between the cell concentration in flow cytometry and the anterior chamber cell count in the slit lamp (R2=0.73), however the linear correlation with vitreous haze was very weak (R2=0.12). The main cellular component in the majority of the samples was CD3+ T cells (10/13 aqueous samples; 7/14 in vitreous samples). Three cases of endophthalmitis (1 aqueous, 2 vitreous) showed neutrophils as the main leucocytic population. The CD4/CD8 ratio ranged from 0.21 to 16.3 in the case of aqueous samples and 0.5 to 9.7 in the case of vitreous samples.
Conclusions :
Flow cytometry analysis of aqueous and vitreous samples from human uveitis samples could help in unveiling the pathogeny of human uveitis, aid in the diagnosis of some conditions and help in the development of better animal models that could mimic more accurately human disease.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.