Effects of awakening and the use of topical dexamethasone and levofloxacin on the cytokine levels in tears following corneal transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the short-term effect of eye opening and use of topical dexamethasone phosphate 0.1% and levofloxacin 0.5% on the cytokine levels in human tears.


METHODS
Prospective experimental design was used for tear collection from eyes of 10 healthy controls and 20 patients four days after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) at awakening and after instilling dexamethasone or levofloxacin. The concentrations of different cytokines were measured by cytometric bead array.


RESULTS
At eye opening, IL-6 levels were higher in the PKP group as compared to the controls. Thirty minutes later, the released levels of IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, IFNγ, and CCL5 increased in controls, while CXCL8 decreased in both control and PKP groups. The release of the cytokines remained stable after 30 mins except for IFNγ, which showed a decrease in the controls following levofloxacin instillation. No short-term effects of the topically used dexamethasone and levofloxacin could be detected on the cytokine levels in controls and after PKP.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence of changes in the levels and time course of tear cytokines after awakening or eye opening could be established and the short-term confounding effects of dexamethasone and levofloxacin on the levels of released cytokines in human tears could be excluded.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen Clinical Centre, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
Mariann
0000-0002-1089-3899
M
Fodor
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 10-11, Szeged 6720, Hungary ; Stem Cells and Eye Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
Goran
G
Petrovski
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen Clinical Centre, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
Dorottya
D
Pásztor
Department of Immunology, University of Debrecen Clinical Centre, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
Péter
P
Gogolák
Department of Immunology, University of Debrecen Clinical Centre, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
Éva
É
Rajnavölgyi
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen Clinical Centre, Nagyerdei Krt. 98, Debrecen 4012, Hungary.
András
A
Berta
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007322:Instillation, Drug; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D064704:Levofloxacin; D003907:Dexamethasone