Authors
Zenkin N.S., Petrachkov D.V., Baryshev K.V., Panova A.D. , Subbot A.M.
Research Institute of Eye Diseases named after M.M. Krasnov, Moscow
Abstract
Introduction. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus, in whose pathogenesis chronic inflammation and pathological angiogenesis play a key role. Studying the local cytokine profile of the vitreous body allows us to identify specific mediators involved in the development of the disease.
Objective. To conduct a comparative analysis of the concentrations of a wide range of cytokines in the vitreous body of patients with PDR and in the control group to identify an imbalance of key mediators of inflammation and angiogenesis.
Methods. The study analyzed vitreous samples obtained from nine patients with PDR and seven control patients (idiopathic epiretinal membranes). Cytokine concentrations were determined using a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay). Statistical data processing was performed using GraphPad Prism software. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare groups. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.
Results. Patients with PDR showed statistically significant increases in concentrations of proinflammatory and proangiogenic mediators compared to the control group. The most pronounced increases were noted for IL-8 (6.7-fold), MCP-1 (3.2-fold), and eotaxin (2.3-fold). Levels of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-13, IFN-γ, IL-12(p70), and the growth factors VEGF and PDGF-BB were also significantly increased.
Conclusion. These data confirm the central role of local inflammation in the pathogenesis of PDR. The vitreous cytokine profile in PDR is a complex mixture of proinflammatory, proangiogenic, and regulatory signals. The results support the development of therapeutic strategies aimed not only at inhibiting angiogenesis (anti-VEGF therapy) but also at modulating the inflammatory component of the disease.
Keywords: proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitreous body, cytokines, angiogenesis, inflammation.
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