Regulatory cytokines prescribe the outcome of the inflammation in the process of pseudoexfoliation production.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the participation of different regulatory cytokines within the process of pseudoexfoliation (PEX). Our study included 140 patients referred to cataract surgery with early and late stage of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (XFS) or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (XFG). Humor and serum levels of cytokines: transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), IL-8 and interferon-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant (ITAC) were measured in a sample using high sensitivity enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Our results indicate that profibrotic action induced by increasing TGF-β and PDGF locally activates fibrous tissue production in the early XFS with a prolonged effect of PDGF (late XFS) and finally (XFG stage) it is dominantly controlled by EGF and IGF. ITAC overrides angiogenetic effects of IL-8 in XFG. Based on our findings, local chronic inflammation in the eye is accompanied by the secretion of different profibrotic cytokines (TGF-β, PDGF, EGF, IGF, IL-8) without angiogenesis due to effects of ITAC.