Hosseini Hamid, Safaei Akbar, Khalili Mohammad R, Nowroozizadeh Behdokht, Eghtedari Masoometh, Farvardin Mohsen, Nowroozizadeh Sarah, Tolide-Ie Hamid R
Department of Ophthalmology, Poostchi Ophthalmic Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz - Iran.
Eur J Ophthalmol. 2009 Sep-Oct;19(5):818-23. doi: 10.1177/112067210901900521.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of ocular inflammation and the level of TNF-alpha is increased in ocular fluids of patients with uveitis. Intravenous infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against TNF-alpha, has been used for the treatment of uveitis with promising preliminary results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intravitreal injection of infliximab on experimental uveitis.
Thirty-three white New Zealand rabbits were divided randomly into three groups. Group 1 (n=5) received intravitreal injection of 1 mg/0.1 cc infliximab plus 0.1 cc normal saline, group 2 (n=14) received intravitreal injection of 2 microg Salmonella typhimurium endotoxin plus 1 mg/0.1 cc infliximab, and group 3 (n=14) animals received intravitreal endotoxin 2 microg/0.1 cc plus normal saline 0.1 cc. Inflammation was evaluated by clinical examinations on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after the injections; measuring the protein concentration and inflammatory cell content of the aqueous humor; and histopathologic examination.
No inflammation occurred in group 1 animals. There was a statistically significant difference between group 2 and 3 animals with regard to clinical examination on the third, fifth, and seventh postinjection days. The differences between groups 2 and 3 were significant with regard to aqueous cell counts and protein content at day 7 (p=0.02 and p=0.001, respectively). Histopathologic examination results showed less inflammation in group 2 animals compared to group 3 animals (p=0.009).
The results provide evidence that intravitreal injection of infliximab suppresses ocular inflammation in a rabbit model of severe endotoxin-induced uveitis.
肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）在眼部炎症的发病机制中起核心作用，葡萄膜炎患者眼内液中TNF-α水平升高。英夫利昔单抗静脉注射，一种抗TNF-α单克隆抗体，已用于治疗葡萄膜炎，初步结果令人鼓舞。本研究的目的是评估玻璃体内注射英夫利昔单抗对实验性葡萄膜炎的影响。
33只白色新西兰兔随机分为三组。第1组（n = 5）接受玻璃体内注射1 mg/0.1 cc英夫利昔单抗加0.1 cc生理盐水，第2组（n = 14）接受玻璃体内注射2 μg鼠伤寒沙门氏菌内毒素加1 mg/0.1 cc英夫利昔单抗，第3组（n = 14）动物接受玻璃体内注射2 μg/0.1 cc内毒素加0.1 cc生理盐水。在注射后第1、3、5和7天通过临床检查评估炎症；测量房水的蛋白质浓度和炎症细胞含量；以及组织病理学检查。
第1组动物未发生炎症。在注射后第3、5和7天的临床检查方面，第2组和第3组动物之间存在统计学显著差异。在第7天，第2组和第3组在房水细胞计数和蛋白质含量方面的差异显著（分别为p = 0.02和p = 0.001）。组织病理学检查结果显示，与第3组动物相比，第2组动物的炎症较少（p = 0.009）。
结果提供了证据，表明玻璃体内注射英夫利昔单抗可抑制严重内毒素诱导的葡萄膜炎兔模型中的眼部炎症。
