Chemoattractant and neutrophil degranulation activities related to interleukin-8 in vitreous fluid in uveitis and vitreoretinal disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), a strong chemoattractant and activator for neutrophils, is responsible for neutrophil infiltration and degranulation in the eye in uveitis.


METHODS
IL-8 and elastase were measured with specific enzyme-linked immunoassays in vitreous fluid samples obtained from 69 patients with various uveitis entities. Vitreous fluid of nonuveitis patients and eye bank eyes served as controls. The chemotactic activity of vitreous fluid was tested with the Boyden chamber technique.


RESULTS
IL-8 was detected in 45% of the vitreous fluid samples from uveitis patients and in 26% of vitreous fluid samples from nonuveitis patients. Vitreous fluid samples with IL-8 levels exceeding 100 pg/ml were chemotactic for neutrophils. This chemotactic activity could be blocked by 41% to 79% with a monoclonal anti-IL-8 antibody. Elastase levels in vitreous fluid of uveitis patients with detectable IL-8 were significantly higher than those in vitreous fluid samples with no detectable IL-8.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that IL-8 participates in the inflammatory processes in the eye by attracting and degranulating neutrophils. It is suggested that these processes contribute to the pathogenesis of tissue destruction in uveitis.
de Boer
J H
JH
The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Department Ophthalmo-Immunology, Amsterdam.
Hack
C E
CE
Verhoeven
A J
AJ
Baarsma
G S
GS
de Jong
P T
PT
Rademakers
A J
AJ
de Vries-Knoppert
W A
WA
Rothova
A
A
Kijlstra
A
A
D015550:Cell Degranulation / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
D016209:Interleukin-8; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase