1. Elevated Levels of Cytokines Associated with Th2 and Th17 Cells in Vitreous Fluid of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Patients.
- Author
-
Takeuchi M, Sato T, Tanaka A, Muraoka T, Taguchi M, Sakurai Y, Karasawa Y, and Ito M
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cytokines blood, Cytokines immunology, Diabetic Retinopathy immunology, Diabetic Retinopathy pathology, Diabetic Retinopathy surgery, Eye metabolism, Eye pathology, Female, Humans, Inflammation immunology, Inflammation pathology, Inflammation surgery, Macrophages immunology, Macrophages metabolism, Macrophages pathology, Male, Middle Aged, Retinal Perforations metabolism, Retinal Perforations pathology, Sarcoidosis immunology, Sarcoidosis metabolism, Sarcoidosis pathology, Th17 Cells immunology, Th17 Cells metabolism, Th2 Cells metabolism, Th2 Cells pathology, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha immunology, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha metabolism, Uveitis metabolism, Uveitis pathology, Vitrectomy, Vitreous Body immunology, Vitreous Body metabolism, Vitreous Body pathology, Cytokines metabolism, Diabetic Retinopathy blood, Immunity, Innate, Inflammation metabolism
- Abstract
Macrophages are involved in low-grade inflammation in diabetes, and play pathogenic roles in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) by producing proinflammatory cytokines. T cells as well as other cells are also activated by proinflammatory cytokines, and infiltration into the vitreous of patients with PDR has been shown. In this study, we measured helper T (Th) cell-related cytokines in the vitreous of PDR patients to define the characteristics of Th-mediated immune responses associated with PDR. The study group consisted of 25 type 2 diabetic patients (25 eyes) with PDR. The control group consisted of 27 patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM), 26 patients with idiopathic macular hole (MH), and 26 patients with uveitis associated with sarcoidosis. Vitreous fluid was obtained at the beginning of vitrectomy, and centrifuging for cellular removals was not performed. Serum was also collected from PDR patients. 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 sCD40L, and TNFα in the vitreous and serum samples were measured. Both percent detectable and levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-21, IL-22, and TNFα in the vitreous were significantly higher than those in the serum in PDR patients. Vitreous levels of these cytokines and IL-31 were significantly higher in PDR than in ERM or MH patients. Vitreous levels of IL-4, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-31, and TNFα in PDR patients were also significantly higher than those of sarcoidosis patients. In PDR patients, vitreous IL-17A level correlated significantly with vitreous levels of IL-22 and IL-31, and especially with IL-4 and TNFα. Although it is unclear whether these cytokines play facilitative roles or inhibitory roles for the progression of PDR, the present study indicated that Th2- and Th17-related immune responses are involved in the pathogenesis of PDR.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF