[Cytokine mRNA expression in vernal keratoconjunctivitis].
BACKGROUND
Cytokines play an important role in chronic allergic eye disease.


OBJECTIVE
We examined how many kinds of cytokines are in giant papillae of vernal keratoconjunctivitis(VKC).


METHODS
We resected giant papillae from 6 patients with VKC, and studied mRNA expression of cytokines in them with the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The cytokines were interleukin(IL)-1 beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 RA), IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (INF) gamma, tumor necrosis factor(TNF) alpha, TNF beta, transforming growth factor(TGF) beta 1, and TGF beta 2.


RESULTS
In 5 cases, expression of IL-1 beta was positive. Expression of IL-1 RA, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, TGF beta 1, and TGF beta 2 was positive in 6 cases. TNF alpha was positive in 4 cases. IL-4 and INF gamma were positive in 3 cases. IL-2 and TNF beta were negative in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the Th2 cytokines play more important roles than the Th1 cytokines in VKC inflammation.
Department of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan.
Junichi
J
Mori
Michiharu
M
Ishizaki
Tadashi
T
Senoo
Yoshitaka
Y
Obara
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger