[A preliminary study on cytokines in proliferative vitreoretinopathy].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the roles of cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and local immune reaction in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

METHODS

Immunohistochemical procedures were applied to identify IgG and complement C(3) deposits in the specimens of epiretinal membranes surgically obtained from patients with PVR. Vitreous aspirates from 33 eyes with idiopathic and traumatic PVR and 8 normal eyes were examined for IgG and complement C(3) by using ELISA; the total vitreous protein (TVP) was determined by Coomassie Brilliant Blue Test; the relative activity of IL-6 in vitreous was tested by means of a proliferative response of IL-6 dependent cells to vitreous samples; and the biological activity of TNF in vitreous was measured with its killing effect on L(929) tumor cells.

RESULTS

Diffuse deposits of IgG and C(3), TVP in epiretinal membranes of PVR eyes were significantly higher than those in the control group; the activities of IL-6 and TNF (0/8) were not detected in any of the normal control, IL-6 was detected in 13 of 17 vitreous samples and TNF was detected in 3 of 11 vitreous samples from PVR eyes; and vitreous IL-6 activity was found to be positively correlated with the severity of PVR.

CONCLUSION

The deposits of IgG and C(3), their elevation in amount and the detection of IL-6 and TNF activity in the vitreous samples from patients with PVR suggest that the cytokines and local immune reaction play a role in the pathogenesis of PVR.