Elevated serum IL-23 correlates with intraocular inflammation after cataract surgery in patients with Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology Vol. 94; no. 8; pp. 1078 - 1082
• Main Authors: Jiang, Shuhong, Liu, Xialin, Luo, Lixia, Qu, Bo, Huang, Xiangkun, Xu, Li, Lin, Ying, Ye, Shaobi, Liu, Yizhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.08.2010; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aqueous Humor - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cataract - etiology; Cataracts; Chemokines; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Dermatology; Disease; Eye surgery; Female; Humans; IL-17; IL-23; IL-27; Inflammation; Interleukin-23 - blood; Lens diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmology; Panuveitis - etiology; Panuveitis - immunology; Phacoemulsification - adverse effects; Pigmentary diseases of the skin; Studies; Surgery; Uvea diseases; Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome - complications; Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome - immunology; Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease; China; Human; Vogt-Koyanagi uveitis; Skin disease; Nervous system diseases; Cataract; Pigmentation disorder; Intraocular; Interleukin 23; Uvea disease; Inflammation; Eye disease; Lens disease; Treatment; Surgery; Central nervous system disease; Meningitis; Serum; Ophthalmology; Anterior segment disease
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2009.169052

PurposePatients with Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease are known to have severe inflammation after cataract surgery. This study was designed to investigate the role of IL-17-producing T helper (Th17) cell-related pro-inflammatory cytokines on postoperative inflammation in VKH patients.MethodsSerum from nine VKH patients and nine controls with age-related or congenital cataract was collected before and 1, 7, 30 and 90 days after surgery, and aqueous humor (AqH) at the commencement of surgery. Protein levels of IL-23, IL-27, IL-17 and IFN-γ in serum and AqH were measured by ELISA. A laser flare-cell photometer was used to quantify intraocular inflammation.ResultsSerum IL-23 levels were significantly increased in VKH compared with control patients and peaked at 1 day postoperative, decreased rapidly in the first week, then attenuated gradually. In VKH patients, serum levels of IFN-γ were elevated in the first week after surgery and IL-27 was upregulated in the first month. Importantly, serum IL-23 levels were strongly correlated with aqueous flare value (r=0.689; p=0.007) and cell counts (r=0.671; p=0.01) in VKH compared with control patients.ConclusionsThe data indicate that serum IL-23 levels are significantly elevated in VKH compared with control patients and are strongly associated with postoperative intraocular inflammation.