Inflammatory reaction in acute retinal artery occlusion: cytokine levels in aqueous humor and serum.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of inflammation in acute retinal artery occlusion (RAO).


METHODS
Levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in serum (n = 14) and aqueous humor (AqH) (n = 8) samples from patients with RAO. Findings were compared with 24 age- and disease-matched patients, 10 healthy subjects (serum), and 16 patients undergoing cataract surgery (AqH).


RESULTS
Patients who arrived early (within 4-6 hours of occlusion) had higher serum IL-8 and IL-6 levels than controls; the IL-6 level in the AqH was lower than that of controls, while the IL-8 level was higher. In seven patients for whom both serum and AqH samples were available, serum IL-6 levels were higher than their corresponding AqH levels in most patients arriving within 10 hours of occlusion, and AqH IL-8 levels were higher than the corresponding serum levels in all but one. TNF-alpha levels were consistently higher in the serum than in the AqH at all time points.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IL-8 and IL-6 and AqH IL-8 are elevated immediately following acute RAO. The early local suppression of IL-6 may be related to ocular immune mechanisms.
Kramer
Michal
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel. wmkramer@netvision.net.il
Goldenberg-Cohen
Nitza
N
Axer-Siegel
Ruth
R
Weinberger
Dov
D
Cohen
Yoram
Y
Monselise
Yehudit
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha