Extracellular vesicles from the aqueous humor of patients with uveitis

Abstract

Context: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are related to the dissemination of the pathogen and to the regulation of the host immune system in infectious diseases. However, the role of EVs in Ocular toxoplasmosis remains unclear. Aims: The goal of this study was to identify and characterize the concentration and size of EVs in the aqueous humor (AH) and plasma of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) compared to other types of uveitis (OTU) and cataract. Settings and Design: AH and plasma were collected from six patients with active OT, six patients with OTU, and six patients with cataract. All patients were also assessed clinically. Subjects and Methods: EVs were isolated using the membrane affinity column method. Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) was performed to determine the size and concentration of EVs. Statistical Analysis Used: The ANOVA test was used to determine statistical difference. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: EV was present in the AH of different types of uveitis as well as in patients with cataract. The concentration of EV in AH was significantly lower in OT and OTU compared to cataract (P = 0.03). However, in the plasma, all groups presented a similar concentration of EV. The size of EV was the same in the AH and plasma among the three groups. Conclusion: This initial study successfully identified and characterized EVs in the AH and plasma from patients with OT as well as OTU and cataract. Further studies are necessary to better understand the role of EVs in different ocular pathologies.