Posters

Profile of cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in keratoconus patients' tear fluid

Poster Details

First Author: J.Gertnere LATVIA

Co Author(s):    J. Mescherjakova   I. Solomatins                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the level of inflammatory cytokines like interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in tears from both eyes of unilateral and bilateral KC patients and to compare it with the control group tear fluid results from one eye.

Setting:

Dr. Solomatin Eye Center

Methods:

In this prospective case-control study were analyzed twenty patients (40 eyes)  with diagnosed KC disease, 10 patients (20 eyes) of this group was with unilateral KC (UKC) and 10 patients (20 eyes) with bilateral KC (BKC)and 10 health controlsubjects (20 eyes). Tears (110 µl) were collected from each eye with the Schirmer test tear collecting method. The concentration of cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-L) and MMP-9 in the tears were measured by ELISA.

Results:

Case group (N=20; 40 eyes) and control group (N=10; 20 eyes) had statistically significant difference in cytokine laboratory analysis between the groups (p<0.001). median TNF-L value in UKC was 165.35 (IQR 208.08), in BKC 113.60 (IQR 65.45), in control group was 30.80 (IQR 39.30), but median IL-6 value in UKC was 168.30 (IQR 37.07), in BKC 154.50 (IQR 43.25), but in control group was 8.80 (IQR 8.68). Also, statistically significant difference was found between the groups analyzing MMP-9 median values (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

:IL-6, TNF-Land MMP-9 are overexpressed in the tears of patients with unilateral and bilateral keratoconus. These results radically change classical understanding of the keratoconus pathogenesis and indicate that keratoconus disease may involve inflammatory events.

Financial Disclosure:

None