Ocular cytokinome is linked to clinical characteristics in ocular toxoplasmosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cytokine levels in aqueous humor (AH) of Colombian patients with active ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), and to correlate them with their clinical characteristics.


METHODS
27 Cytokines/chemokines were assayed in 15 AH samples (nine patients with diagnosis of OT biologically-confirmed and six controls that underwent cataract surgery). Correlations were assessed between cytokine/chemokine levels, type of inflammatory response (Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg), and clinical characteristics.


RESULTS
Th2 predominant response was related to more severe clinical features. The presence of VEGF and IL-5 was related to higher number of recurrences. Growth factors (VEGF, FGF, PDGF-β), were related to higher number of lesions. Patients infected by type-I/III strains had a particular intraocular cytokine-pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
Th2 response was related to more severe clinical characteristics in patients infected by Type I/III strains. IL-5 and VEGF were associated with recurrences. We correlate for the first time, specific cytokine-patterns with clinical characteristics and with the infecting Toxoplasma strain.
Universidad del Rosario, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Departamento de Inmunología, Bogotá, Colombia.
Alejandra
A
de-la-Torre
Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, Fédération de Médecine Translationelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, France.
Alexander W
AW
Pfaff
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, MD, USA.
Michael E
ME
Grigg
Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, Fédération de Médecine Translationelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, France.
Odile
O
Villard
Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, Fédération de Médecine Translationelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, France.
Ermanno
E
Candolfi
GEPAMOL, Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Quindío, Avenida Bolivar 12N, Armenia, Colombia. Electronic address: gepamol2@uniquindio.edu.co.
Jorge E
JE
Gomez-Marin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000378:metabolism*
D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Colombia; Intraocular cytokines; Th2; Toxoplasma gondii; Uveitis