Involvement of IL-6 in the paracrine production of VEGF in ocular HSV-1 infection.
Following ocular HSV-1 infection, neovascularisation of the avascular cornea is a critical event in the pathogenesis of herpetic stromal keratitis. This present study evaluates the role of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 in corneal angiogenesis following virus infection. Both in vivo and in vitro data indicate that IL-6 produced from virus-infected cells can stimulate noninfected resident corneal cells and other inflammatory cells in a paracrine manner to secrete VEGF, a potent angiogenic factor. Antibody neutralisation of IL-6 resulted in a significant decrease in the number of VEGF producing cells in the cornea. Thus, our results further demonstrate the close relationship between proinflammatory cytokines and VEGF-induced corneal neovascularisation.
Biswas
Partha Sarathi
PS
Comparative and Experimental Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Banerjee
Kaustuv
K
Kinchington
Paul R
PR
Rouse
Barry T
BT
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D015850:Interleukin-6; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A