title: Tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated severity of idiopathic retinal periphlebitis in young adults (Eales' disease): implication for anti-TNF-α therapy.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha was evaluated in the serum samples of patients with idiopathic retinal periphlebitis in young adults (Eales' disease). Retinal periphlebitis was graded according to a new grading system based on severity of inflammation (grade 1-4). Quantification of the TNF-α levels was carried out using ELISA kit in the serum samples of young adults with idiopathic retinal periphlebitis (n = 17) and healthy controls (n = 17) of similar age. Tumor necrosis factor-α level was found to be significantly raised in cases with retinal periphlebitis as compared with controls (p < 0.001). Higher levels of TNF-α were found to be associated with increased severity of retinal periphlebitis. Tumor necrosis factor-α represents a novel target for controlling inflammatory activity in idiopathic retinal periphlebitis. Higher levels of TNF-α, in association with the increased severity of retinal periphlebitis, have implications for early anti-TNF-α therapy.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Aditya B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Pant
authors.forename: Vinay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: Kamlesh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rajendra K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Carsten H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Singh