Abstract
Purpose: To detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the aqueous humor (AH) of Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) patients and to evaluate their correlation with ophthalmic parameters in PSS patients.
Methods: Aqueous humor (AH) samples were obtained from 29 eyes of PSS patients and 16 eyes of age-related cataract (ARC) patients (control group) diagnosed in the Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University. Multiplex microsphere flow cytometric immunoassay was used to detect multiple inflammatory cytokines in AH, including interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 12 (IL-12), interleukin 17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, and interferon (IFN) γ. We collected ophthalmic parameters, including corneal endothelial cell density, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and visual field respectively. Independent sample t-tests/Mann-Whitney U tests were used for intergroup comparisons, and ROC curves were analyzed using MedCalc19.6.
Results: The levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in the AH of PSS patients were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). IL-6 showed a positive correlation with PSS key ophthalmic parameters IOP (r=0.430, P=0.025) and relative decrease in CECD loss between the affected eye and the fellow eye (RECL) (r=0.453, P=0.039) and a negative correlation with corneal endothelial cell count (r=-0.463, P=0.035). The ROC curves showed that IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α had diagnostic value for PSS (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The cytokine levels in the AH of PSS patients were abnormal, suggesting that inflammatory cytokines may also be involved in the pathogenesis of PSS.
Note: CECD, corneal endothelial cell density; RECL, relative decrease in CECD loss between the affected eye and the fellow eye