Elevated Serum Immune Mediators and Subclinical Inflammation in HLA-A29-associated Birdshot Chorioretinopathy

Abstract

ABSTRACTPurpose: To determine the circulating levels of seven immune mediators in serum samples from patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR).Methods: A single-center prospective case–control study was performed. Serum concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-23, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 of 22 BSCR patients recruited at Hosp6ital Clinic of Barcelona and 16 healthy subjects were determined.Results: Circulating levels of IL-17A were elevated in patients with BSCR in remission (p = 0.008 for BSCR patients with immunomodulatory treatment [IMT] and p = 0.032 for patients without IMT) compared with healthy subjects. Furthermore, patients who were not receiving IMT had significantly higher levels of circulating IL-23 (p = 0.013 vs controls and p = 0.001 vs IMT) and TGF-β1 (p = 0.009 vs controls and p = 0.001 vs IMT) than patients under IMT or healthy subjects.Conclusions: Our results support the involvement of a IL-17-response in BSCR and suggest that BSCR patients without IMT due to apparent remission may maintain a subclinical inflammatory background.