Li Yue, Tang Jiaqi, Jing Gaojing, Li Yueyue, Ma Rui, Kang Xin, Rong Liyuan, Liu Wenlu, Yao Lan, Lv Xiaohui, Deng Aijun, Wu Wei, Yang Xinji
School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Senior Department of Ophthalmology, 3rd Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2025 Mar 3;66(3):33. doi: 10.1167/iovs.66.3.33.
To explore the pathological differences in orbital adipose/connective tissue between active and inactive thyroid eye disease (TED) subjects and their correlations with clinical characteristics.
Orbital adipose/connective tissue samples from 42 TED subjects (20 active, 22 inactive) were collected during decompression surgery. We analyzed cytokine expression, inflammatory cell infiltration, inherent cell populations, and interstitial changes by Luminex and histopathology. Correlations were analyzed using Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses.
Among the 108 cytokines detected, active TED exhibited elevated platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1), interleukin-23 (IL-23), a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), IL-6, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), β-nerve growth factor (NGF), and lower CCL21 and CCL5. The extent of infiltration by helper T (Th) cells and monocytes was significantly greater in the active group than in the inactive group. Adipocyte density was significantly elevated in active TED, whereas fibrosis was more prominent in inactive TED. Fifteen cytokines were significantly associated with inflammatory cell infiltration, with IL-16 showing the strongest correlations with T cells. Ten cytokines showed significant positive correlations with fibrosis. Four cytokines (IL-6, PECAM-1, IL-23 and transforming growth factor β1), Th cell infiltration and adipocyte density were significantly positively correlated with clinical activity score (CAS). Sixteen cytokines, along with adipocyte density, were significantly positively correlated with disease severity of TED.
The orbital adipose/connective tissues of active and inactive TED subjects showed significant differences in terms of cytokines, inflammatory cells infiltration, inherent cells and interstitium. These pathological changes were correlated with clinical characteristics of TED.
探讨活动期和非活动期甲状腺眼病（TED）患者眼眶脂肪/结缔组织的病理差异及其与临床特征的相关性。
在减压手术期间收集42例TED患者（20例活动期，22例非活动期）的眼眶脂肪/结缔组织样本。我们通过Luminex和组织病理学分析细胞因子表达、炎性细胞浸润、固有细胞群和间质变化。使用Pearson和Spearman相关性分析来分析相关性。
在检测的108种细胞因子中，活动期TED患者的血小板内皮细胞黏附分子1（PECAM-1）、白细胞介素-23（IL-23）、增殖诱导配体（APRIL）、IL-6、C-C基序趋化因子配体2（CCL2）、β-神经生长因子（NGF）升高，而CCL21和CCL5降低。活动期组辅助性T（Th）细胞和单核细胞的浸润程度明显高于非活动期组。活动期TED患者的脂肪细胞密度显著升高，而非活动期TED患者的纤维化更为明显。15种细胞因子与炎性细胞浸润显著相关，其中IL-16与T细胞的相关性最强。10种细胞因子与纤维化呈显著正相关。4种细胞因子（IL-6、PECAM-1、IL-23和转化生长因子β1）、Th细胞浸润和脂肪细胞密度与临床活动评分（CAS）显著正相关。16种细胞因子以及脂肪细胞密度与TED的疾病严重程度显著正相关。
活动期和非活动期TED患者的眼眶脂肪/结缔组织在细胞因子、炎性细胞浸润、固有细胞和间质方面存在显著差异。这些病理变化与TED的临床特征相关。
