Multiple Cytokine Analysis of Aqueous Humor in Uveitis With or Without Secondary Glaucoma

Abstract To investigate the concentration of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines of aqueous humor (AH) in uveitis with or without glaucoma, and compare them with patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and age-related cataract (ARC). By using Luminex xMAP® multiplex assays analyses, we assessed levels of 11 cytokines and chemokines, and compared them across groups, including uveitis-secondary glaucoma (USG) (n=16), uveitis without glaucoma (UwoG), (n=16), POAG (n=16), and ARC (n=16) to analyze the correlation between these cytokines and uveitis and intraocular hypertension (IOP). Pro-inflammatory factors MCP-1, MIP-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and transforming growth factors TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 were significantly elevated in the AH of USG eyes. In the case of enhanced anti-inflammatory in the perioperative period, the pro-inflammatory factors in the USG group were still significantly higher than those in the UwoG group (P<0.01). The concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in the AH of the USG group and POAG group had the same trend, which was significantly higher than those of the ARC group (P<0.01). Significantly increased levels of MCP-1, MIP-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1, and TGF-β2 were found in the AH of USG patients, suggesting that these molecules may contribute to the clinical development of glaucoma in patients with uveitis. Besides there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of cytokines in the AH of USG eyes whether the preoperative baseline IOP was greater than 30 mmHg or not, indicating that the safety of antiglaucoma surgery in USG patients even with baseline high IOP.