Cytokines In Aqueous Humor Research Articles

Aqueous Humor Cytokines in Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane: Correlation with Disease Severity.

To analyze the concentration of aqueous humor (AH) cytokines in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) and to investigate their potential correlation with disease severity. Retrospective cross-sectional case-control institutional study. A total of 16 eyes of 16 iERM patients and 14 eyes of 14 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. AH samples were analyzed for various biomarkers using a glass-chip protein array. Cytokines associated with inflammation, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and glial signal transduction were quantified. Significant differences in cytokine concentration were observed between the iERM group and controls, with 19 cytokines elevated in the iERM group (among them IL-6, IL-8, PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, TGFB-1, TGFB-2, TGFB-3, VEGF A, VEGF C, VEGF D, p < 0,05, 95% confidence interval). Correlation analysis revealed associations between cytokine levels and iERM severity. Notably, stages 2, 3, and 4 of iERM demonstrated increased levels of various biomarkers. This study provides insights into the complex molecular interactions underlying iERM pathogenesis, describing a correlation between neuroinflammation and iERM severity.

Parallel Analysis of Exosomes and Cytokines in Aqueous Humor Samples to Evaluate Biomarkers for Glaucoma.

Recent emerging studies have demonstrated numerous critical roles of exosomes in cell-to-cell signaling. We investigated exosomes in the aqueous humor of glaucoma patients and controls and compared their characteristics with other biomarkers such as cytokines. Glaucoma patients exhibited higher exosome particle counts and smaller sizes compared to controls. Higher exosome density was correlated with more severe visual field loss. Conversely, concentrations of aqueous humor cytokines, particularly PD-L1, were primarily associated with intraocular pressure, and none of the cytokines showed a significant association with visual field damage. This may reflect the characteristics of exosomes, which are advantageous for crossing various biological barriers. Exosomes may contain more information about glaucoma functional damage occurring in the retina or optic nerve head. This highlights the potential importance of exosomes as signaling mediators distinct from other existing molecules.

Changes of aqueous humor cytokine profiles of patients with high intraocular pressure after PPV for retinal detachment

High intraocular pressure (IOP) is one of the early complications after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), which may cause glaucoma and poor visual prognosis secondary to surgery. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is one of the complications of retinal detachment (RD) and is the main reason for the poor prognosis, which is related to different kinds of cytokines. It’s essential for the basic mechanism to analyze the relative aqueous humor cytokine profiles with IOP after PPV for RD. In this study, we have collected the aqueous humor of 16 patients and qualified 27 cytokines using Luminex and compared biomarkers with the high IOP group and the normal group. As a result, the concentrations of VEGF, IL-6, FGF2, and G-CSF upregulated significantly (P < 0.05), while VEGFR2 downregulated significantly (P < 0.05) in the high IOP group. IL-6 was positively correlated with high IOP (r = 0.561, P = 0.041). Meanwhile, the concentrations of IL-6 (r = 0.543, P = 0.03), IL-5 (r = 0.576, P = 0.019), IL-15 (r = 0.614, P = 0.011), IL-4 (r = 0.517, P = 0.04), ICAM-1 (r = 0.611, P = 0.012), and G-CSF (r = 0.636, P = 0.008) were significantly associated with preoperative PVR classification, and the aqueous humor levels of IL-4 (r = 0.567, P = 0.022), HGF (r = 0.701, P = 0.005), and MCP-1 (r = 0.565, P = 0.035) are significant relative to laser points. Hence, cytokines might potentially be the therapeutic target of high IOP after PPV.

Effect of aflibercept combined with triamcinolone acetonide on aqueous humor growth factor and inflammatory mediators in diabetic macular edema.

To investigate the efficacy of aflibercept combined with sub-tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in treating diabetic macular edema (DME) and to examine changes in growth factors and inflammatory mediator levels in aqueous humor after injection. Totally 67 DME patients (67 eyes) and 30 cataract patients (32 eyes) were enrolled as the DME group and the control group, respectively. The DME group was divided into the aflibercept group (34 cases) and the aflibercept combined with TA group (combined group, 33 cases). The aqueous humor of both groups was collected during the study period. The aqueous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were detected using a microsphere suspension array technology (Luminex 200TM). Aqueous cytokines, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and complications before and after treatment were compared between the aflibercept group and combined group. The concentrations of VEGF, MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 in the aqueous humor were significantly higher in the DME group than those of the control group (all P<0.01). After 1mo of surgery, the concentrations of VEGF, MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 in the aqueous humor were significantly lower in the combined group than those of the aflibercept group (all P<0.01). The BCVA and CMT values of the two groups were statistically different after 1 and 2mo of treatment (P<0.01). However, the difference was not statistically significant after 3mo of treatment (P>0.05). The cytokines VEGF, MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 in the aqueous humor of DME patients are significantly increased. Aflibercept and aflibercept combined with TA have good efficacy in DME patients, can effectively reduce CMT, improve the patient's vision, and have high safety. Aflibercept combined with TA can quickly down-regulate the aqueous humor cytokines and help to relieve macular edema rapidly. However, the long-term efficacy is comparable to that of aflibercept alone.

A study of the relationship between cytokine levels and the response to anti-VEGF therapy in polypoid choroidal vasculopathy with different choroidal thicknesses.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is an irreversible retinal choroidal disease. Individuals with PCV exhibit diverse baseline characteristics, including systemic characteristics, ocular traits, metabolic factor levels, and different responses to intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy. This study aims to investigate the pathogenesis of PCV by analyzing the systemic characteristics, ocular traits, and cytokine levels at baseline within a cohort of patients who exhibit different responses to anti-VEGF treatment. We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 80 eyes diagnosed with PCV. Patients were categorized into two groups based on responses to suboptimal intravitreal ranibizumab injection therapy: those with suboptimal responses and optimal responses. Aqueous humor samples were collected from the experimental eyes, and cytokine expression levels were assessed using cytometric bead array analysis. All subjects were further stratified into two groups according to the median choroidal thickness. Subsequently, logistic regression analysis and the ROC curve were employed to examine the relationship between cytokine expression levels, choroidal thickness, and anti-VEGF response. The results revealed that compared to the group of optimal anti-VEGF response, the choroid in the suboptimal response group exhibited a significantly greater thickness. Additionally, compared to the suboptimal anti-VEGF response group, the expression levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 were markedly lower observed in the optimal anti-VEGF response group, while TNF-α showed the opposite trend. Logistic regression analysis indicated that VEGF, VCAM-1, and TNF-α in the aqueous humor were independent risk factors for a suboptimal anti-VEGF response. After adjusting other risk factors, the risk of suboptimal anti-VEGF response decreased to 0.998-fold, 0.997-fold, and 1.294-fold. The AUC values for VEGF, VCAM-1, and TNF-α were determined to be 0.805, 0.846, and 0.897, respectively. Furthermore, the risk of VEGF, VCAM-1, and TNF-α were significantly associated with an increased risk of suboptimal anti-VEGF response after correction for risk factors in the thick choroid group. Our study demonstrated that PCV exhibits systemic and ocular characteristics variations based on different anti-VEGF responses. The levels of cytokines in aqueous humor were found to have a significant correlation with the anti-VEGF response in PCV. VEGF, VCAM-1, and TNF-α are potential targets for assessing treatment response in thick choroidal PCV.

Evaluating the long-term biological stability of cytokine biomarkers in ocular fluid samples

PurposeThe quality of biological fluid samples is vital for optimal preanalytical procedures and a requirement for effective translational biomarker research. This study aims to determine the effects of storage duration...

Cytokines in aqueous humor of patients with congenital cataract during delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery

BackgroundTo explore the changes of cytokines expression in aqueous humor (AH) of eyes of patients with congenital cataract (CC) who underwent delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS).Methods28 patients with CC underwent DSBCS. AH samples were collected from each eye before surgery. The contents of cytokines in AH were detected by Luminex xMAP Technology.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the expression of IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1 and PDGFAA in the AH of the first and second eyes (P = 0.35, 0.39, 0.17, respectively). The level of IL-8 in the first-eye AH was negatively correlated with age (ρ=– 0.519, P = 0.008). IP-10 and MCP-1 in the second-eye AH were negatively correlated with age (ρ=– 0.483, P = 0.009; ρ=– 0.445, P = 0.018,respectively).ConclusionThe first-eye surgery in patients with CC may not cause the change of cytokines in the contralateral eye. The expression of IL-8, IP-10 and MCP-1 in the AH was negatively correlated with the age of patients.Trial registrationThe study was registered at www.chictr.org.cn on March 22, 2022 and the clinical trial number is ChiCTR2200057927.

Efficacy and Safety of BTK Inhibitors in Vitreoretinal Lymphoma: A Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis of 24 Patients

Background: Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) is a special subtype of rare central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Most of the pathologic types are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of non-germinal central origin. Currently, the optimal treatment strategy for VRL is not clear, and the traditional treatment usually includes about 20 repeated intravitreal injections of low doses of methotrexate or intraocular local radiotherapy. Eventually, however, 60-90% of VRL will progress to PCNSL. Therefore, CNS prophylaxis of VRL patients is very important. A previous prospective clinical study of our research group (including 10 VRL patients) confirmed that single-drug BTK inhibitors can replace repeated intravitreal injection of low doses of methotrexate, with rapid effect, high safety, and certain value in preventing CNS progression. Methods: In order to further clarify the efficacy and safety of BTK inhibitors in VRL patients, we included 24 VRL patients who were consecutively admitted to the Hematology Department of Beijing Tongren Hospital from May 2020 to December 2022, and retrospectively analyzed their clinical features, treatment methods, treatment outcomes, survival status and treatment-related adverse reactions. Results: Of the 24 patients, 14 were female and 10 were male, with a median age of 62 years old (36-75). There were 18 patients with primary VRL (PVRL) and 6 patients with secondary VRL (SVRL) to PCNSL. The IL-10 in aqueous humor/vitreous fluid at baseline was significantly increased in all patients (362.1±89.5pg/mL), and the IL-10/IL-6 ratio was greater than 1. Except for one patient with both uncontrolled PCNSL and VRL, the other 23 VRL patients showed no evidence of CNS involvement by brain MRI and cerebrospinal fluid detection. All 24 patients were treated with a BTK inhibitor (Zanubrutinib 160mg bid, or Orelabrutinib 150mg qd), of whom, 9 VRL patients were also treated with intravitreal methotrexate injection (0.4mg/ time, weekly ×12 times → monthly ×9 times) concurrently, and the remaining 15 patients did not receive any antitumor therapy other than BTK inhibitors. After 1 month of treatment with BTK inhibitors, the efficacy was evaluated by slit lamp microscope, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and aqueous humor cytokines. 21 patients achieved CR (87.5%), 2 PR (8.3%), and 1 PD (progression of CNS lesion but improvement of intraocular disease). The IL-10/IL-6 levels in aqueous humor were lower than 1 in all 24 patients 1 month after treatment, and the IL-10 levels in aqueous humor were slightly higher than the normal range in two patients. The median duration of BTK inhibitors use was 10 months (1.5-23.0 months). At a median follow-up of 17 months (5.4-31.5 months), 15 patients (62.5%) developed disease progression, including 11 patients (45.8%) with CNS progression and 4 patients (16.7%) with intraocular recurrence. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 11.9 months, and the median overall survival (OS) time was not reached. The 1-year and 2-year PFS rates were 34% and 26%, and the 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 96% and 82%, respectively. The recurrence rate was 33.3% in the combined treatment group and 80.0% in the BTK inhibitors monotherapy group. A total of three patients died, all due to CNS progression. BTK inhibitors were generally well tolerated in VRL patients, with no adverse reactions that led to treatment discontinuation. 4 patients had grade 1-2 hypertension (16.7%), 1 patient had grade 1 hypotension (4.2%), 2 patients had grade 1 joint pain (8.5%), and 6 patients had grade 1 subcutaneous hemorrhage and ecchymosis (25.0%). Four patients developed COVID-19 infection while taking the drug and the drug was suspended. All four patients recovered from COVID-19 infection within 2 weeks and did not develop significant pneumonia. Conclusion: This is the largest report regarding the use of BTK inhibitors in VRL patients. BTK inhibitor has a rapid local control effect on VRL and is well tolerated. However, BTK inhibitors monotherapy has unsatisfied preventive effect on the CNS, and it is still necessary to explore the value of combinational therapy, such as combined BTK inhibitors and high-dose methotrexate.

Analysis of Cytokine Levels Based on Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Acute and Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Purpose: To investigate the characteristics of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and aqueous humor cytokine differences between acute and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and to evaluate the relevance of these findings. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study. Patients with CSC were divided into acute and chronic groups based on the symptom duration and were compared with normal controls. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT), hyperreflective foci (HF), and cytokines including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were used as comparison metrics. Results: A total of 62 patients (62 eyes) with CSC (22 with acute CSC and 40 with chronic CSC) and 35 patients as controls were included in this study. The chronic CSC group had significantly older average ages and worse BCVA than the acute CSC group (both p < 0.05). Both CSC groups showed significant increases in CMT and CT (both p < 0.05). In chronic CSC, the CMT was thinner, with more HF in the neuroretina (p = 0.034). VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with chronic CSC than in those with acute CSC and controls (p < 0.05). The levels of inflammatory cytokines showed no significant difference between the CSC and control groups. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that the number of HF was positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.311, p = 0.014), logMAR BCVA (r = 0.487, P < 0.001) and MCP-1 levels (r = 0.256, p = 0.045). Conclusions: Chronicity of CSC could lead to upregulation of VEGF. HF was associated with a more severe visual impairment in CSC patients and had relations with the levels of MCP-1.

Differential analysis of aqueous humor cytokine levels in patients with macular edema secondary to diabetic retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion.

To evaluate the difference and the correlation between the concentrations of cytokines in the aqueous humor of eyes with macular edema secondary to diabetic retinopathy (DR) or retinal vein occlusion (RVO). This is a retrospective case control study. The aqueous humor samples were collected during intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for patients diagnosed with macular edema secondary to DR (DME) or RVO (RVO-ME) at Xijing Hospital from August 2021 to July 2022. Meanwhile, aqueous humor samples during vitrectomy from patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) were also collected and served as controls. The aqueous humor concentrations of VEGF, platelet-derived factor (PDGF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured with Human Premixed Multi-Analyte Kit (Luminex). The difference of the aqueous cytokines and the correlation between the two diseases were analyzed. A total of 40 eyes of 38 patients were enrolled in the study, including 13 eyes of 11 DME patients (DME group), 16 eyes of 16 RVO-ME patients (RVO-ME group) and 11 eyes of 11 IMH patients (control group). The VEGF, PDGF, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 levels of the aqueous humor were higher in both DME and RVO-ME groups compared with the control group (all P<0.05), the levels of TNF-α was higher in the DME group than in the control group (P<0.05). The VEGF, IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels in the aqueous humor were significantly higher in the DR group than those in the RVO group (all P<0.05). Correlation analyses revealed that there were complex positive correlations between IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels in the aqueous humor of eyes with two diseases. Although ischemic and inflammatory factors are similarly involved in the pathogenesis of DME and RVO-ME, the roles of these factors are more significant or more likely to be activated in DR patients, suggesting different treatment strategies should be considered for the two diseases.

Innate Immune Cytokine Levels in Eyes With Late Endothelial Keratoplasty Failure.

The aim of this study was to compare aqueous humor cytokine levels in eyes with an initial endothelial keratoplasty (EK) that cleared and later decompensated versus control eyes. In this prospective case-control study, aqueous humor samples were collected under sterile conditions at the start of planned cataract or EK surgery in normal controls (n = 10), Fuchs dystrophy controls with no previous surgery (n = 10) or previous cataract surgery only (n = 10), eyes with Descemet membrane EK (DMEK) endothelial decompensation (n = 5), and eyes with Descemet stripping EK (DSEK) endothelial decompensation (n = 9). Cytokine levels were quantified with the LUNARIS Human 11-Plex Cytokine Kit and compared using the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test and post hoc Wilcoxon pairwise 2-sided multiple comparison test. Levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12p70, and tumor necrosis factorα did not differ significantly between groups. However, IL-6 was significantly increased in DSEK regraft eyes versus controls without previous ocular surgery. IL-8 was significantly increased in eyes with previous cataract or EK surgery versus eyes without previous surgery, and IL-8 was significantly increased in DSEK regraft eyes versus eyes with previous cataract surgery. The levels of innate immune cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 were elevated in the aqueous humor of eyes with failed DSEK, but not with failed DMEK. The differences between DSEK and DMEK may be related to the lower inherent immunogenicity of DMEK grafts and/or the more advanced stage of some of the DSEK graft failures at the time of diagnosis and treatment.

Analysis of Aqueous Humor Cytokines in Exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose: To investigate the cytokine concentrations of aqueous humor in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).Methods: Fifty-seven subjects were included in the exudative AMD, DME and control groups, each group has 19 patients. Aqueous levels of cytokines epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin (IL)-3, IL-8, IL-6, IL-12p40, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) were investigated in each groups. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to compare cytokine concentrations.Results: Aqueous levels of EGF, VEGF-C, MCP-1, HGF, IL-3, IL-8 were significantly higher in exudative AMD group than control group (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = &lt; 0.0001, &lt; 0.0001, 0.004, 0.015, &lt; 0.0001, 0.014) and EGF, VEGF-C, IL-3, IL-8 were significantly higher in DME group than control group (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = &lt; 0.0001, &lt; 0.0001, &lt; 0.0001, 0.005). In the comparison between the exudative AMD and DME groups, EGF was significantly higher in the exudative AMD group (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001).Conclusions: Various cytokines were increased in patients with exudative AMD and DME. In particular, EGF showed a higher level in exudative AMD than in DME.

Aqueous humor cytokine levels are associated with the severity of visual field defects in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

BackgroundTo evaluate the aqueous humor (AH) levels of cytokines in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and cataract patients.MethodsThirty-eight POAG patients and 26 cataract patients were recruited. Peripheral blood (PB) was collected from each subject. The POAG group was divided into 2 subgroups according to the severity of visual field defects. The cutoff point of the mean deviation (MD) of the visual field was -12 dB. AH was obtained at the time of anterior chamber puncture during cataract or glaucoma surgery by using a 27-gauge needle attached to a microsyringe. AH and PB levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-β2) and IL-4 were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Postoperative intraocular pressures (IOPs) of POAG patients were recorded during the follow-up period.ResultsTNF-α and TGF-β2 showed significantly higher AH levels in the POAG group than in the cataract group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). For the POAG group, preoperative IOPs were significantly positively correlated with AH levels of TNF-α (r2 = 0.129, P = 0.027) and TGF-β2 (r2 = 0.273, P = 0.001). AH levels of TGF-β2 were significantly different among cataract patients, POAG patients with MD> -12 dB and POAG patients with MD≤ -12 dB (P = 0.001). AH levels of TNF-α were significantly positively associated with IOP reduction after trabeculectomy (P = 0.025). AH and PB levels of cytokines were not related to the long-term success of trabeculectomy.ConclusionThe levels of TNF-α and TGF-β2 showed different profiles in POAG patients and cataract patients. AH levels of TGF-β2 were correlated with the severity of glaucomatous neuropathy in POAG patients. The findings suggest possible roles for cytokines in the pathogenesis and development of POAG.

Retinal fluid is associated with cytokines of aqueous humor in age-related macular degeneration using automatic 3-dimensional quantification.

Background: To explain the biological role of cytokines in the eye and the possible role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) by comparing the correlation between cytokine of aqueous humor concentration and optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal fluid. Methods: Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) images and aqueous humor samples were collected from 20nAMD patient's three clinical visits. Retinal fluid volume in OCT was automatically quantified using deep learning--Deeplabv3+. Eighteen cytokines were detected in aqueous humor using the Luminex technology. OCT fluid volume measurements were correlated with changes in aqueous humor cytokine levels using Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC). Results: The patients with intraretinal fluid (IRF) showed significantly lower levels of cytokines, such as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) (p = 0.03) and CXCL11 (p = 0.009), compared with the patients without IRF. And the IRF volume was negatively correlated with CXCL2 (r = -0.407, p = 0.048) and CXCL11 (r = -0.410, p = 0.046) concentration in the patients with IRF. Meanwhile, the subretinal fluid (SRF) volume was positively correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration (r = 0.299, p = 0.027) and negatively correlated with interleukin (IL)-36β concentration (r = -0.295, p = 0.029) in the patients with SRF. Conclusion: Decreased level of VEGF was associated with decreased OCT-based retinal fluid volume in nAMD patients, while increased levels of CXCL2, CXCL11, and IL-36β were associated with decreased OCT-based retinal fluid volume in nAMD patients, which may suggest a role for inflammatory cytokines in retinal morphological changes and pathogenesis of nAMD patients.

Development of Diagnostic Recommendations for Vitreoretinal Lymphoma

ABSTRACT Purpose To develop diagnostic recommendations for diffuse large B-cell vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) in Chinese patients. Methods Retrospective observational case series. Seventy-three eyes of 40 VRL patients and 8 control patients were analyzed. Eighteen patients from Beijing Tongren Hospital and 46 patients from literature were involved as validations. Results Diagnostic methods included (1) typical clinical manifestations; (2) vitreous cytology; (3) immunohistochemical examination of vitreous or choroid/retina; (4) aqueous humor or vitreous cytokine; (5) vitreous cell gene rearrangement; (6) vitreous flow cytometry. If patients meet (1)+(2)+(3), or if they meet (1), and two of (4), (5), (6) are positive, they can be diagnosed as VRL. The sensitivity and specificity values for accurate diagnosis were 0.975 and 1.00. One hundred percent eyes from Beijing Tongren Hospital and 92.7% eyes from literature can be diagnosed. Conclusion We developed diagnostic recommendations for diffuse large B-cell VRL through vitreous cytology combined with multiple auxiliary examinations.

Analysis of risk factors associated with secondary open-angle glaucoma in Posner-Schlossman syndrome: A retrospective case-control study.

Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) is a relatively rare cause of chronic secondary open-angle glaucoma (OAG), but the exact cause is unknown. This study aimed to determine potential risk factors for OAG secondary to PSS and to provide a basis for early intervention in the development of PSS. This was a retrospective case-control study. Nine cases diagnosed with PSS and seven cases diagnosed with OAG secondary to PSS were selected and their aqueous humor assays at the first occurrence of PSS were collected. Clinical characteristics including age, sex, disease duration, eye laterality, baseline visual acuity, maximum IOP, corneal endothelial cell density, visual field, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, cup-to-disk ratio, keratic precipitates, anterior chamber inflammation, and aqueous humor cytokine assay results were compared between the two groups. The cytomegalovirus (CMV) positivity was 55.60% in patients with PSS and 100% in patients with OAG secondary to PSS. Corneal endothelial cell density was lower in patients with CMV-positive PSS (p = 0.0116). Concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin (IL)-6, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in patients with PSS and IL-8, IL-6, and VCAM in patients with OAG secondary to PSS were higher than standard reference values; and IL-8 concentration was significantly higher in patients with OAG secondary to PSS (p = 0.0229). There were significant positive correlations between IL-8 and IL-6, IL-6 and VCAM (p = 0.0304, p = 0.0172) and a significant negative correlation between bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (p = 0.0497). Simultaneous increase of IL-8 and IL-6 concentration levels could be used as a cytokine indicator to predict secondary OAG in patients with PSS (p = 0.0095). Simultaneous increase of IL-8 and IL-6 concentrations may be an important cause of accelerated secondary OAG in patients with PSS, with IL-8 playing a more critical role. IL-8 and IL-6 may be more reliable cytokine markers for predicting secondary OAG in PSS, However, the high possibility of secondary OAG in patients with CMV-positive PSS should not be ignored. Regulation of IL-8 and IL-6 levels may be a new strategy of preventing OAG secondary to PSS.

Association between Aqueous Humor Cytokines and Structural Characteristics Based on Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema.

To investigate the relationship between aqueous humor cytokines and structural characteristics based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). Forty eyes of 28 patients with DME diagnosed in the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University at Hangzhou were included. All patients collected aqueous humor during anti-VEGF treatment, and the IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, VEGF, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, TGF-β1, FGF, and MCP-1 concentrations were detected. OCT examination was performed before anti-VEGF treatment and 1 month after anti-VEGF operation. Central macular thickness (CMT), macular volume (MV), choroidal thickness (CT), and the number of hyperreflective foci (HRF) were obtained for analysis. Each eye was determined whether there is subretinal effusion (SRD), cystoid macular edema (CME), and diffuse retinal thickening (DRT). The levels of IL-6 and FGF in DME patients with SRD were significantly higher than those without SRD (all P < 0.05). The level of VEGF in DME patients with CME was significantly higher than that in DME patients without CME (P = 0.005); IL-6, TGF-β1, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in DME patients with DRT than that without DRT (all P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between aqueous humor cytokines and retinal thickness and retinal volume. However, the thinner the CT, the higher the level of aqueous humor cytokines IL-6 (r = -0.313, P = 0.049) and FGF (r = -0.361, P = 0.022). A multivariate linear regression analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with CT (P = 0.002) and SRD (P = 0.017), FGF was also significantly correlated with CT (P = 0.002) and SRD (P = 0.005), and TGF-β1 was correlated with triglycerides (P = 0.030) and HRF (P = 0.021). DME patients with significant macular cystoid edema changes may be related to high VEGF concentrations and thin CT; meanwhile, the presence of SRD or a high number of HRF on OCT macular scans in DME patients may indicate high levels of intraocular inflammatory factors. Thus, OCT morphology characteristics to some extent reflect intraocular inflammatory factors and VEGF levels and may guide treatment alternatives.

Retracted: The Change of Aqueous Humor Cytokine Levels after Anti-VEGF in Diabetic Macular Edema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/9779951.].

Conbercept improves macular microcirculation and retinal blood supply in the treatment of nonischemic branch retinal vein occlusion macular edema.

To investigate the effect of conbercept on macular microvascular system and retinal blood supply in the treatment of nonischemic branch retinal vein occlusion macular edema (BRVO-ME). Patients were divided into three groups: group A (containing 12 nonischemic BRVO-ME eyes), group B (containing contralateral 12 healthy eyes), and group C (containing 30 cataract eyes to obtain normal aqueous humor cytokine levels). Group A received monthly intravitreal injections of conbercept for 3months. General data and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were compared among the three groups. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) results (including central macular thickness [CMT], retinal vascular density and perfusion, and foveal avascular zone [FAZ]) at baseline were compared among groups A and B. Aqueous humor cytokine levels (including VEGF, IL-8, PDGF-AA, TNF-α, and ANGPTL-4) at baseline were compared between groups A and C. Moreover, BCVA, OCTA results, and aqueous humor cytokine levels of group A before and after conbercept treatment were compared. At baseline, group A had a significantly worse BCVA, lower retinal vascular density and perfusion, and numerically larger CMT and FAZ area comparing to the group B, and had a higher aqueous cytokine level (IL-8, VEGF, and ANGPTL-4) comparing to the group C (all ps < 0.05). After the injection of conbercept, group A presented a better BCVA (at initial diagnosis vs. after three conbercept injections: 1.16 ± 0.51 vs. 0.81 ± 0.30, logMAR, p < 0.05), higher retinal vascular density (11.56 ± 4.73 vs. 15.88 ± 2.31, mm-1 , p < 0.05) and perfusion (0.28 ± 0.12 vs. 0.39 ± 0.06, mm2 , p < 0.05), smaller CMT (504.92 ± 184.11 vs. 219.83 ± 46.63, mm2 , p < 0.05), as well as a lower levels of VEGF (before first injection vs. before third injection: 113.84 [70.81, 235.4] vs. 3.94 [3.56, 8.07], pg/ml, p < 0.05) and ANGPTL-4 (45,761 [7327.5, 81,402.5] vs. 25,015.5 [6690, 43,396], pg/ml, p < 0.05). However, the average FAZ area of group A expanded (at initial diagnosis vs. after three conbercept injections: 0.41 ± 0.14 vs. 0.62 ± 0.36, mm2 , p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that intraocular injection of conbercept could effectively improve macular microcirculation and increase retinal blood supply in the treatment of nonischemic BRVO-ME based on the combination of visual acuity, OCTA parameters, and aqueous humor cytokine assay results. However, further study with a larger sample size and longer observation period is still needed in the future.

Changes and Treatment Prognosis of Aqueous Humor Cytokine Concentrations of Patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Complicated by Cytomegalovirus Retinitis.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate cytokine changes in the aqueous humor after treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) complicated with cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) and to determine whether these changes are useful prognostic indicators. Methods: This study included 12 patients (15 eyes) undergoing treatment for AIDS and CMVR. The patients received intravitreal injections and systemic intravenous treatment with ganciclovir and foscarnet sodium. The aqueous humor of each eye was sampled before treatment and before the third and fifth injections. The samples were tested to determine the concentrations of each of 27 cytokines using the Luminex 200™ liquid phase chip. Results: The concentrations of cytokines interleukin (IL)-1rα (P = 0.002), IL-1b (P = 0.001), IL-8 (P = 0.001), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (P < 0.001), interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) (P = 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (P = 0.004) in the aqueous humor before the third and fifth injections were significantly lower after than before treatment. The reductions in TNF-α (P = 0.028) and IL-1b (P = 0.028) concentrations after treatment were statistically significant compared with the postoperative visual acuity improvement (≥3 lines and <3 lines). The difference in TNF-α (P = 0.018) level before and after treatment (the difference between before treatment and before the fifth intravitreal injection) was also statistically significant compared with the number of injections (≥6 times and <6 times). Conclusion: The cytokines IL-1rα, IL-1b, IL-8, bFGF, IP-10, and TNF-α may offer new avenues for evaluation of therapeutic effect, and TNF-α and IL-1b may be important cytokines for prognostic evaluation (based on visual acuity and the number of injections) in patients suffering from AIDS and CMVR. Clinical Trial Registration: Number: ChiCTR2200056955.