Multiple cytokine analyses of aqueous humor from the patients with retinitis pigmentosa

Significantly increased levels of PDGF-AA, MMP2, MMP3, MMP-7, MMP-8, PAI-1, and TSP-2 and lower levels of BMP-4 were found in the aqueous humor of RP patients. This result indicates a disturbance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytokines in RP patients and suggests a possible role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of capsular contraction syndrome (CCS) in RP patients.

The aqueous humor was collected from RP eyes with cataract (RP group, n = 20) and age-related cataract eyes (ARC group, n = 20) during cataract surgery. The levels of 37 mediators were measured with multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassay and compared across groups. The correlation among chemokines, growth factors, and cytokines was analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Cataracts are the most common eye complications of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This study aimed to investigate the cytokine profiles of the aqueous humor of RP with cataracts.

Twelve cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, EGF, GM-CSF, PDGF-AB/BB, TGF-α, BMP-9, and E-selection) were below the limit of detection, and the detection rate of IL-6 was significantly higher in RP group than in the ARC group (P < 0.01). Compared with those in the control group, the aqueous humor levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-(IL-)8, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), platelet-derived growth factor AA (PDGF-AA), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP3, MMP-7, MMP-8, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2) in the RP group increased significantly (P < 0.01). A lower level of BMP-4 in the aqueous humor was observed in the RP patients than in the controls (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Significantly increased levels of PDGF-AA, MMP2, MMP3, MMP-7, MMP-8, PAI-1, and TSP-2 and lower levels of BMP-4 were found in the aqueous humor of RP patients. This result indicates a disturbance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytokines in RP patients and suggests a possible role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of capsular contraction syndrome (CCS) in RP patients.