title: Associations of inflammatory cytokines with choroidal neovascularization in highly myopic eyes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationships between the levels of intraocular inflammatory cytokines and the clinical characteristics of myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) in eyes with myopic maculopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eyes of 100 cases, including 51 mCNV eyes, 14 highly myopic eyes without choroidal neovascularization, and 35 normal subjects, were studied. The intraocular levels of choroidal neovascularization-related cytokines, like vascular endothelial growth factor, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-23, were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and IL-8 were significantly higher in eyes with mCNV than in high myopia eyes without mCNV with significant odds ratio of 2.00 and 2.25 per quartile, respectively (P < 0.05). When myopic lesions of patients with mCNV were classified into 3 categories based on the severity, IL-8 and MCP-1 were significantly elevated depending on the presence of maculopathy (P < 0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor was significantly elevated in eyes of Category 2. An advancement of the maculopathy category was significantly associated with the need for multiple treatment of intravitreal bevacizumab (P < 0.05). In 12 eyes that required multiple intravitreal bevacizumab, the MCP-1 level was significantly elevated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant associations of mCNV in highly myopic eyes with elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor or inflammatory cytokines and maculopathy lesions strongly suggest an involvement of inflammation in the etiology of mCNVs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Ken-Ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Shuzo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Yoshitsugu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D016207:Cytokines; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab