Aqueous humour levels of cytokines are correlated to vitreous levels and severity of macular oedema in branch retinal vein occlusion

doi:doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702498

Eye (2008) 22, 42–48; doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702498; published online 7 July 2006

Aqueous humour levels of cytokines are correlated to vitreous levels and severity of macular oedema in branch retinal vein occlusion

H Noma¹, H Funatsu², M Yamasaki¹, H Tsukamoto³, T Mimura⁴, T Sone¹, T Hirayama¹, H Tamura¹, H Yamashita⁵, A Minamoto¹ and H K Mishima¹

¹Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
²Department of Ophthalmology, Diabetes Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
³Department of Ophthalmology, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
⁴The Schepens Eye Research Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
⁵Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan

Correspondence: H Noma, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. Tel: +81 82 257 5247; Fax: +81 82 257 5249; E-mail: noma-hide@umin.ac.jp

Received 20 November 2005; Accepted 31 May 2006; Published online 7 July 2006.

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Abstract

Aim

To investigate whether the aqueous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are correlated to the vitreous levels of these substances and to the severity of macular oedema in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Methods

Aqueous and vitreous samples were obtained during cataract and vitreous surgery from 24 patients (24 eyes) with macular oedema in BRVO. The VEGF and IL-6 levels in aqueous humour, vitreous fluid, and plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The degree of retinal ischaemia was evaluated in terms of the area of capillary nonperfusion using the Scion Image. The severity of macular oedema was evaluated using the OCT.

Results

The aqueous level of VEGF was significantly correlated with the vitreous level of VEGF (P<0.0001). Vitreous levels of VEGF and IL-6 were significantly correlated with the nonperfusion area of BRVO (P<0.0001, P=0.0061, respectively), as were the aqueous levels of VEGF and IL-6 (P<0.0001, P=0.0267, respectively). Furthermore, the vitreous levels of VEGF and IL-6 and the aqueous level of VEGF were significantly correlated with the severity of macular oedema of BRVO (P=0.0001, P=0.0331, P=0.0272, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the aqueous level of VEGF may reflect its vitreous level. Measurement of the aqueous level of VEGF may be clinically useful to indicate the severity of macular oedema with BRVO.