Elevated serum IL-23 correlates with intraocular inflammation after cataract surgery in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease are known to have severe inflammation after cataract surgery. This study was designed to investigate the role of IL-17-producing T helper (Th17) cell-related pro-inflammatory cytokines on postoperative inflammation in VKH patients.


METHODS
Serum from nine VKH patients and nine controls with age-related or congenital cataract was collected before and 1, 7, 30 and 90 days after surgery, and aqueous humor (AqH) at the commencement of surgery. Protein levels of IL-23, IL-27, IL-17 and IFN-gamma in serum and AqH were measured by ELISA. A laser flare-cell photometer was used to quantify intraocular inflammation.


RESULTS
Serum IL-23 levels were significantly increased in VKH compared with control patients and peaked at 1 day postoperative, decreased rapidly in the first week, then attenuated gradually. In VKH patients, serum levels of IFN-gamma were elevated in the first week after surgery and IL-27 was upregulated in the first month. Importantly, serum IL-23 levels were strongly correlated with aqueous flare value (r=0.689; p=0.007) and cell counts (r=0.671; p=0.01) in VKH compared with control patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The data indicate that serum IL-23 levels are significantly elevated in VKH compared with control patients and are strongly associated with postoperative intraocular inflammation.
Jiang
Shuhong
S
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, People's Republic of China.
Liu
Xialin
X
Luo
Lixia
L
Qu
Bo
B
Huang
Xiangkun
X
Xu
Li
L
Lin
Ying
Y
Ye
Shaobi
S
Liu
Yizhi
Y
D000328:Adult; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000276:immunology; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D053759:Interleukin-23