PURPOSE: A study on local and systemic behavior of interleukin-6 in patients with active uveitis. METHODS: IL-6 levels were measured in aqueous humor and peripheral blood samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from 23 patients with uveitis and 16 control patients who had been operated for uncomplicated cataracts. RESULTS: Aqueous humor of patients with uveitis showed higher levels of interleukin-6 than those of controls (p<0.001). A comparison of cytokine levels between aqueous humor and serum from patients with uveitis showed significantly higher levels of interleukin-6 in aqueous than serum (p<0.001). Correlation studies using regression test for successive steps failed to demonstrate any association between interleukin-6 levels and the different clinical characteristics of uveitis patients (laterality, onset, patterns, visual damage, localization, inflammatory activity, etiology, and association with the B27 + histocompatibility antigen). CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 is a cytokine that actively participates in the pathogenesis of clinical uveitis. Our data emphasize the greater local than systemic participation of this cytokine.
PURPOSE: A study on local and systemic behavior of interleukin-6 in patients with active uveitis. METHODS:IL-6 levels were measured in aqueous humor and peripheral blood samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from 23 patients with uveitis and 16 control patients who had been operated for uncomplicated cataracts. RESULTS: Aqueous humor of patients with uveitis showed higher levels of interleukin-6 than those of controls (p<0.001). A comparison of cytokine levels between aqueous humor and serum from patients with uveitis showed significantly higher levels of interleukin-6 in aqueous than serum (p<0.001). Correlation studies using regression test for successive steps failed to demonstrate any association between interleukin-6 levels and the different clinical characteristics of uveitispatients (laterality, onset, patterns, visual damage, localization, inflammatory activity, etiology, and association with the B27 + histocompatibility antigen). CONCLUSIONS:IL-6 is a cytokine that actively participates in the pathogenesis of clinical uveitis. Our data emphasize the greater local than systemic participation of this cytokine.
Authors: Natasa Vidovic Valentincic; Jolanda D F de Groot-Mijnes; Aleksandra Kraut; Peter Korosec; Marko Hawlina; Aniki Rothova Journal: Mol Vis Date: 2011-07-20 Impact factor: 2.367