title: Intraocular interleukin-17 and proinflammatory cytokines in HLA-A29-associated birdshot chorioretinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the levels of 23 immune mediators in paired aqueous humor (AqH) and serum samples from patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-centre case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multiplex immunoassay was used to determine the levels of 23 immune mediators (T-cell, proinflammatory, and vascular-active mediators) in paired AqH and serum of 16 BSCR patients. The AqH of 11 age-related cataract controls served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AqH levels of the T-cell mediators interleukin (IL)-2 (P=.044) and IL-17 (P=.039) and proinflammatory mediators IL-1β (P=.032), IL-6 (P=.034), and tumor necrosis factor α (P=.041) were elevated compared with that of age-related cataract controls. The elevated intraocular levels of IL-1β, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor α in BSCR samples were higher than their concurrent serum levels. A significant positive correlation of intraocular mediators was noted between IL-17 and both IL-2 (r=0.744; P<.0001) and IL-23 (r=0.921; P<.0001) and between IL-2 and IL-23 (r=0.776; P<.0001). AqH levels of vascular-active mediators were not distinct between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BSCR patients have elevated intraocular levels of proinflammatory and T cell-associated cytokines. Our results suggest the novel pathogenic concept that BSCR is an autoimmune inflammatory disease restricted to the eye and associated with elevated IL-17.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.J.W.Kuiper@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Jonas J W
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kuiper
authors.forename: Tuna
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mutis
authors.forename: Wilco
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Jager
authors.forename: Jolanda D F
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: de Groot-Mijnes
authors.forename: Aniki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rothova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C035524:HLA-A29 antigen; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha