A novel and less invasive technique to assess cytokine profile of vitreous in patients of diabetic macular oedema.

PurposeA pilot study to validate the collection of vitreous reflux (VR) after intravitreal injection using Schirmers tear strips was carried out. We assessed its efficiency for proteomics studies by estimating the differential expression of 27 cytokines using multiplexed bead array in diabetic macular oedema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. To set, validate and assess the efficacy of Schirmer tear strips for collecting VR in patients undergoing intravitreal injections for diabetic macular oedema (DME).Patients and methodsVR samples were collected from 11 eyes of DME patients after intravitreal injections using Schirmer tear strips. Undiluted vitrectomy samples were obtained from six eyes of non-diabetic patients with idiopathic macular hole and seven eyes of diabetic patients with high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy (Hr-PDR), which were also subsampled on the Schirmer tear strips. Tear sampling was done in a subset of the DME patients. Total protein concentration between VR and vitrectomy samples was compared. Levels of the set of 27 cytokines in Schirmer tear strips samples were measured. Inter-group comparison for cytokines was done using Mann-Whitney U-test.ResultsSimilar protein concentration in VR samples and vitrectomy samples (P<0.05) was obtained. Tear protein contamination was not detected in VR samples. In comparison with no-DR patients, 25 and 20 of the measured 27 cytokines were significantly elevated (P<0.05) in the Hr-PDR and DME patients, respectively. As compared with no-DR patients, vascular endothelial growth factor was only moderately elevated in DME patients (P>0.05), but significantly elevated in Hr-PDR patients (P<0.05). Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist/interleukin 1b (IL1RA/IL1b) ratio was 13 times higher in DME patients as compared with Hr-PDR group.ConclusionWe demonstrated a simple, safe method of VR sampling. This technique provides a pure, albeit small, vitreous sample for proteomics. IL1RA/IL1b ratio was found to be 13-fold higher in the DME group as compared to the Hr-PDR.