title: Cytokine and chemokine tear levels in patients with uveitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the levels of cytokines and chemokines in tears differ in uveitis patients and healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two uveitis patients (mean age 46.4 years) and 157 control healthy subjects (mean age 49.5 years) were recruited. Subjects with ocular surface diseases such as dry eye were excluded from the study. Using multiplex bead-based assays, tears (4 μl) were analysed for the concentration of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-23, epidermal growth factor (EGF), fractalkine/CX3CL1, interferon-γ, IP-10/CXCL10, monocyte chemo-attractant protein (MCP)-1/CCL2, tumour necrosis factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, TGF-β2 and TGF-β3. Tear molecule levels were compared between the groups and among the different forms of uveitis and disease severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epidermal growth factor, IL-1RA, IL-7, IL-8/CXCL8, IP-10/CXCL10, MCP-1/CCL2, TGF-β2 and VEGF were detected in more than 75% of the samples in both groups. Statistically significant differences in percentage of detection between control and patient groups were found for IL-23, IL-1β, IL-15, EGF, fractalkine/CX3CL1 and MCP-1/CCL2. The concentrations of IL-1RA, IL-8/CXCL8, fractalkine/CX3CL1, IP-10/CXCL10, VEGF and TGF-β2 in uveitis tear samples were elevated compared to controls (p < 0.05). Significant differences in tear levels of those molecules and also EGF were also present depending on the anatomic classification of uveitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were significant differences in the levels of several cytokines and chemokines in tears of patients with uveitis compared with healthy subjects. These results can help understand the underlying pathophysiology of the uveitis and could potentially aid in diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0055-9547
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carreño
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Portero
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.|University Clinic Hospital, Valladolid, Spain.|CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Herreras
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Whitcup
authors.affiliation: Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.|CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calonge
authors.affiliation: IOBA (Institute of Applied OphthalmoBiology), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.|CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1274-7796
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Enríquez-de-Salamanca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: chemokine; cytokine; tears; uveitis