ABSTRACT

Discussions:

The increase in IL-8, as an inflammatory and angiogenic mediator and VEGF, as a regulatory mediator of cellular proliferation and permeability in the vitreous humor may play a role in the formation of PVR, an inflammatory process, due to RD.

Results:

The vitreous concentrations of VEGF were significantly elevated in the samples from patients with retinal detachment (872.2±312.2 pg/ml [95.55-1991.38]), when compared with the samples from control patients (21.9±32.5 pg/ml [0.09-36.23] (p<0.05). The vitreous concentrations of IL-8 were also significantly elevated in patients with macular oedema (95.3 ±109.5 pg/ml [13.27-202.58]), when compared with the control patients (8.3±21.7 pg/ml [1.98-20.59]) (p<0.05).

Material and Method:

Vitreous samples were collected from 27 eyes of 27 patients who underwent vitrectomy procedure for PVR due to RD and from 20 eyes of 20 patients, the control group, with macular hole during pars plana vitrectomy. All PVR patients were stage A and stage B PVR (according to the criteria of the Retina Society Terminology Committee, 1983). Before intraocular infusion, the vitreous core was cut and 0.5 cc was aspirated via the pars plana under fluid-air exchange, and collected undiluted. The vitreous samples were immediately frozen at -70°C until assayed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the samples was performed using human VEGF assay kit and human IL-8 assay kit obeying the manufacturer’s instructions.

Purpose:

To determine the intravitreal IL-8, TNF-a and VEGF levels in patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) due to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and to compare them with those in a control group.