Simultaneous increases in multiple proinflammatory cytokines in the aqueous humor in pseudophakic glaucomatous eyes

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate cytokine and growth factor levels in the aqueous humor in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Setting: Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.

Design: Cross-sectional cohort study.

Methods: Aqueous humor samples were collected from cataract cases and OAG cases. Aqueous levels of cytokines and growth factors were determined by multiplex immunoassay. The data were analyzed using the Tukey-Kramer honestly-significant-difference test and multiple regression analyses.

Results: The study evaluated 52 cataract cases and 73 OAG cases. In the cataract cases, the mean interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, PDGF-AB/BB, and VEGF levels (all pg/mL) were 21.4, 4.6, 829.4, 0.8, 0.5, 33.8, 1.6, and 77.9, respectively. In 23 phakic primary OAG (POAG) and 26 phakic exfoliation glaucoma cases, the corresponding values were 15.1 and 8.3, 15.2 and 12.3, 1142.5 and 1253.9, 0.3 and 0.5, 1.5 and 1.4, 57.7 and 58.0, 2.5 and 3.3, 37.4 and 59.7, respectively. In pseudophakic OAG cases, the IL-8 levels for exfoliation glaucoma (P=.0002) and MCP-1 for POAG (P=.0008) and exfoliation glaucoma (P<.0001) were significantly different compared with phakic OAG. Interleukin-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 levels were correlated (P<.0001). Multiple regression analyses showed the highest association of pseudophakic status with IL-8 and MCP-1 levels (P=.0002 and P<.0001, respectively).

Conclusion: The OAG patients, especially those with pseudophakic eyes, had simultaneous cytokine level increases, suggesting the aqueous humor microenvironment is altered in pseudophakic glaucomatous eyes.

Financial disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.