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Cytokine analysis of aqueous humor in patients with cytomegalovirus corneal endotheliitis

  • Inflammatory Disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate cytokine levels of aqueous humor in patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) corneal endotheliitis and their relationships with CMV DNA load.

Methods

44 aqueous humor samples were obtained from 26 patients with CMV corneal endotheliitis at various stages of treatment. 33 samples obtained from cataract patients during the same period were selected as a control group. Each sample was used to measure the concentration of the CMV DNA load using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and to examine the levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1, VCAM-1, VEGF, IP-10, G-CSF, ICAM-1 and IFN-γ using a cytometric bead array.

Results

All 10 cytokines were found to have statistically significant differences between the CMV endotheliitis and cataract groups. The Spearman correlation test showed that the concentration of CMV DNA load was significantly associated with the levels of IL-6 (P = 0.005, r = 0.417), IL-8 (P < 0.001, r = 0.514), IL-10 (P < 0.001, r = 0.700), MCP-1 (P = 0.001, r = 0.487), VEGF (P < 0.001, r = 0.690), IP-10 (P = 0.001, r = 0.469), G-CSF (P < 0.001, r = 0.554) and ICAM-1 (P < 0.001, r = 0.635), but not significantly associated with VCAM-1 (P = 0.056) and IFN-γ (P = 0.219).

Conclusions

There was a combined innate and adaptive immune response in aqueous humor in patients with CMV endotheliitis. Levels of multiple cytokines were significantly correlated with viral particle. Cytokines are potential indicators to help diagnose CMV endotheliitis, evaluate disease activity and assess treatment response.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 81970768).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China

    Xuan-Jun Zhang, Jia-Xin Zhang, Yi Qu, Rong-Mei Peng, Pei Zhang & Jing Hong

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China

    Xuan-Jun Zhang, Jia-Xin Zhang, Yi Qu, Rong-Mei Peng, Pei Zhang & Jing Hong

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  1. Xuan-Jun Zhang
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  2. Jia-Xin Zhang
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Contributions

Design of the study (XJ Zhang, Y Qu, J Hong); conduct of the study (XJ Zhang, JX Zhang); collection and management of data (XJ Zhang, P Zhang); analysis and interpretation of data (XJ Zhang; RM Peng); writing of manuscript (XJ Zhang); and review or approval of manuscript (J Hong).

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Correspondence to Jing Hong.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Medical Science Research Ethics Committee of Peking University Third Hospital and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Zhang, XJ., Zhang, JX., Qu, Y. et al. Cytokine analysis of aqueous humor in patients with cytomegalovirus corneal endotheliitis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-024-06417-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-024-06417-w

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