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Inflammatory cytokine profiles in the tears of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

  • Inflammatory Disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the levels of seven inflammatory cytokines and one chemokine in tears of patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and asymptomatic control subjects, and determine the correlations between tear inflammatory mediators and clinical parameters.

Methods

Prospective observational cohort study. The study involved 21 patients with TAO and ten asymptomatic controls. TAO patients were divided into active TAO and inactive TAO on the basis of 7-point modified formulation of the clinical activity score (CAS). Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, tear film break-up time (BUT) was obtained, and the Schirmer test and fluorescein staining were performed in all participants. Ten microliters of tears were collected for analysis the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and one chemokine (IL-8) by multiplex bead analysis.

Results

Fluorescein staining scores were higher, BUT scores were shorter, and Schirmer test scores were lower in patients with active TAO and inactive TAO than in control subjects. IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations in tears were significantly higher in active TAO than inactive TAO and the controls. TNF-α concentration was significantly higher in both active and inactive TAO compared with the controls. IL-17 was significantly higher in active TAO than the controls, and the level of IL-2 was significantly higher in inactive TAO compared with the controls. There were significantly positive correlations between tear IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 levels and CAS in TAO. No significant correlations were found between other cytokine concentrations and clinical parameters in TAO.

Conclusions

The differences of tear inflammatory cytokines between patients with active and inactive TAO indicated that orbital inflammation may be involved in the ocular surface damage of TAO.

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Acknowledgments

Statement about Conformity with Author Information: The study were carried out with approval from the Ethics Committee, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sun University.

Conflict of interest

None.

Financial disclosure statements

This study was supported by a grant from the Project of Technological Plan of Guangdong Province (No. 2008A060202011) and from the Fundamental Research Funds of State Key Lab

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Danping Huang, Nuo Xu, Yiyue Song, Peijuan Wang & Huasheng Yang

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Clinical College of Medicine, Fujian, China

    Nuo Xu

  3. Department of Plastic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, No.54, Xianlie Road (South), Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China, 510060

    Danping Huang

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  1. Danping Huang
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  2. Nuo Xu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Danping Huang.

Additional information

Danping Huang and Nuo Xu contributed equally to the work presented here, and should therefore be regarded as equivalent authors.

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Huang, D., Xu, N., Song, Y. et al. Inflammatory cytokine profiles in the tears of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 250, 619–625 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-011-1863-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-011-1863-x

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