Elevated tear interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels in patients with conjunctivochalasis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels in the tear samples of patients with conjunctivochalasis (CCh) and to correlate the severity of symptoms with tear IL levels.


METHODS
Fifty-one eyes at different stages of CCh and 10 eyes of healthy controls were recruited for this prospective study undertaken at a single university-based hospital. CCh was graded based on the extent of inferior lid margin involvement as follows: 1 = single (temporal) location, 2 = 2 locations, and 3 = whole lid. The presence of punctal occlusion and fluorescein clearance patterns were recorded. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine IL levels. Severity of symptoms was assessed with the ocular surface disease index.


RESULTS
Of the 51 study patients (mean age = 63.4 +/- 6.9 years), 16 had grade 1, 21 had grade 2, and 14 had grade 3 CCh. Tear IL-6 and IL-8 levels were significantly higher in patients with CCh than in controls (P <or= 0.001). Higher IL levels were observed in grades 2 and 3 CCh than in grade 1 CCh and control eyes (P < 0.001). Patients with CCh who also had punctal occlusion and delayed fluorescein clearance results had higher tear IL levels than those who did not (P <or= 0.001). Tear IL levels were positively correlated with the clinical severity of CCh as evaluated with the ocular surface disease index (r = 0.826, P < 0.001 for IL-6 and r = 0.726, P < 0.001 for IL-8).


CONCLUSIONS
Inflammation may have a role in the pathogenesis of CCh. The clinical severity of CCh parallels the increased tear IL levels. Markers for inflammation are more pronounced in the advanced stages of this disease.
Erdogan-Poyraz
Ceren
C
Department of Ophthalmology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Mocan
Mehmet C
MC
Bozkurt
Banu
B
Gariboglu
Semra
S
Irkec
Murat
M
Orhan
Mehmet
M
D000368:Aged; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D019793:Fluorescein