Comparison of cytokine concentrations in vitreous fluids among uveitis diseases

Abstract

Purpose : To compare cytokine concentrations in vitreous fluids (VF) among representative uveitis diseases.

Methods : A total of 63 uveitis patients (sarcoidosis: 16 cases, acute retinal necrosis (ARN): 16 cases, bacterial endophthalmitis: 16 cases, intraocular malignant lymphoma (IOL): 15 cases) and 15 patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM, 15 cases) who had received pars plana vitrectomy were enrolled in this study. Vitreous samples (100 µL) were collected at the time of surgery and cryopreserved. The concentrations of 34 inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were examined using Bio-Plex Multiplex Immunoassays (BioRad), and the characteristics of the elevated cytokines in each disease were examined.

Results : Most of inflammatory cytokines were elevated in VF in uveitis patients compared to those in patients with ERM. Especially, proinflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-5, IL-6, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interferon (IFN)-γ) and chemokines (Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP- 1β, Regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)) were much higher in VF of uveitis patients compared to those in ERM patients. On the other hand, compared to VF with sarcoidosis, IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-10, Granulocyte colony-stimulating Factor (G-CSF), MIP-1α, MIP-1β and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) were significantly higher in VF with ARN and bacterial endophthalmitis. Moreover, IFN-α2 in ARN, G-CSF in bacterial endophthalmitis and IL-10 in IOL were much higher than those of the other types of uveitis.

Conclusions : Elevated patterns of cytokine concentrations in VF indicated a characteristic manner according to causative diseases of uveitis. They might be involved in the pathogenesis of each uveitis.

This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.