Comparison of aqueous concentrations of angiogenic and inflammatory cytokines based on optical coherence tomography patterns of diabetic macular edema

• Main Authors: Moosang Kim, Yonguk Kim, Seung-Jun Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Advanced glaucoma; optical coherence tomography; reproducibility; retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; spectral domain; Ophthalmology; residents; surgical training; survey; Cytokine; diabetic macular edema
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2015;volume=63;issue=4;spage=312;epage=317;aulast=Kim

Purpose: The purpose was to compare aqueous inflammatory and angiogenic cytokine levels in diabetic macular edema (DME). Materials and Methods: Aqueous samples were obtained from 50 eyes with DME and 12 normal eyes (control group). DME was classified according to the morphologic pattern based on optical coherence tomography: Diffuse retinal thickening (DRT; n = 19), cystoid macular edema (CME; n = 17), or serous retinal detachment (SRD; n = 14). Aqueous samples were collected just before intravitreal injection and at the beginning of cataract surgery in the control group. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were measured by multiplex bead assay. Results: The IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, and PDGF-AA levels differed significantly among the three groups of DME (P = 0.014, P = 0.038, P = 0.021, and P = 0.041, respectively). However, there were no differences between groups in aqueous concentration levels of MCP-1 and VEGF (P = 0.205 and P = 0.062, respectively). IL-6 (P = 0.026) and IL-8 (P = 0.023) correlated positively with central foveal thickness (CFT) in the CME group. None of the cytokine levels correlated significantly with CFT in any of the DRT and SRD groups. Conclusions: Aqueous concentrations of cytokines varied according to the morphologic pattern of DME, which might explain the variable response to treatments such as intravitreal bevacizumab or triamcinolone injection.