Expression of IL-17 in aqueous humor of secondary glaucoma after silicone oil tamponade

Abstract

Objective To study the expression of IL-17 (Interleukin 17) in aqueous humor of secondary glaucoma after silicone oil tamponade. Methods Sixty-two eyes of 60 patients with retinal detachment treated by vitrectomy and silicon oil tamponade and a secondary surgery of silicon oil removal. They were divided into glaucoma group (20 patients, 20 eyes) and control group (40 patients, 42 eyes) according to the intraocular pressure. The aqueous humor specimen were collected from patients in both two groups before the silicon oil removal operation, concentration of IL-17, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected and compared between the two groups. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the silicone oil granule in anterior chamber, peripheral anterior synechia of iris or emulsified silicone oil (P>0.05). The concentrations of IL-17, IL-6 and TNF-α were (200.45±25.79) pg/ml, (355.86±45.27) pg/ml and (863.27±51.66) pg/ml in glaucoma group, which were significantly higher than those in control group (150.65±32.57) pg/ml, (238.49±52.16) pg/ml and (622.15±47.13) pg/ml (t=3.75, P=0.04; t=2.86, P=0.04; t=2.15, P=0.03). Conclusion High concentration of IL-17 was found in the aqueous humor in the patients of secondary glaucoma after vitrectomy and silicon oil tamponade, it might be the mechanism for IL-17 implicating in the pathogenesis of silicon oil glaucoma, through IL-6 and TNF-α expression. Key words: Glaucoma, secondary; Vitrectomy; Silicon oil tamponade eye; IL-17