de Boer J H, Limpens J, Orengo-Nania S, de Jong P T, La Heij E, Kijlstra A
Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Amsterdam.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994 Sep;35(10):3702-10.
To investigate whether transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2), a strong immunosuppressive factor normally present in aqueous humor, is involved in the inflammatory process of clinical uveitis.
Mature TGF-beta 2 levels were determined in aqueous humor samples of 9 patients with Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis, aqueous humor samples of 21 patients with other uveitis entities, and vitreous fluid samples of 19 patients with uveitis by using a commercially available sandwich ELISA: Total TGF-beta 2 levels in ocular fluids were measured after heat activation. Aqueous humor samples from patients with cataract and glaucoma and vitreous fluid samples from eye bank eyes were tested as controls. Albumin levels, determined by radial immunodiffusion, were used as a measure of the disruption of the blood aqueous barrier.
Significantly lower mature TGF-beta 2 levels were detected in aqueous humor samples of patients with uveitis, compared to the two control groups without intraocular inflammation. Samples of patients with uveitis without detectable mature TGF-beta 2 did contain latent TGF-beta 2 levels (504 to 6024 pg/ml). In aqueous humor, there was a significant negative correlation between mature TGF-beta 2 and albumin levels. No mature TGF-beta could be detected in vitreous fluid. Total TGF-beta 2 levels in vitreous fluid were significantly lower in samples from patients with uveitis than in samples from eye bank eyes.
These results indicate that the mature TGF-beta 2 levels in aqueous humor and the total TGF-beta 2 levels in vitreous fluid are reduced during ocular inflammation. In aqueous humor, this might be caused by binding of mature TGF-beta to serum proteins, for instance, alpha 2-macroglobulin, or by a disturbance in the activation process of latent TGF-beta 2.
研究转化生长因子-β2（TGF-β2），一种通常存在于房水中的强效免疫抑制因子，是否参与临床葡萄膜炎的炎症过程。
采用市售夹心酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA），测定9例Fuchs异色性睫状体炎患者的房水样本、21例其他葡萄膜炎患者的房水样本以及19例葡萄膜炎患者的玻璃体样本中的成熟TGF-β2水平：眼内液经热激活后测定总TGF-β2水平。检测白内障和青光眼患者的房水样本以及眼库眼的玻璃体样本作为对照。通过放射免疫扩散法测定白蛋白水平，以此作为血-房水屏障破坏程度的指标。
与两组无眼内炎症的对照组相比，葡萄膜炎患者的房水样本中检测到的成熟TGF-β2水平显著降低。未检测到成熟TGF-β2的葡萄膜炎患者样本确实含有潜伏性TGF-β2水平（504至6024 pg/ml）。在房水中，成熟TGF-β2与白蛋白水平之间存在显著负相关。玻璃体中未检测到成熟TGF-β。葡萄膜炎患者样本的玻璃体中总TGF-β2水平显著低于眼库眼样本。
这些结果表明，眼部炎症期间房水中的成熟TGF-β2水平和玻璃体中的总TGF-β2水平降低。在房水中，这可能是由于成熟TGF-β与血清蛋白（如α2-巨球蛋白）结合，或潜伏性TGF-β2激活过程受到干扰所致。
