Abstract
To investigate the involvement of the chemokines CXCL10/IP-10, CXCL11/I-TAC, CXCL8/1L-8, CXCL6/GCP-2, CCL3/MIP-1α, and CCL18/PARC, and gelatinases A and B in uveitis.
Prospective, experimental, case-control study.
Aqueous humor samples from 30 patients with active uveitis, and 14 control patients and paired serum samples were assayed for chemokines with specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and for gelatinase levels by quantitative zymography.
In control AH, none of the chemokines was detected. Gelatinase A was detected in all samples, and gelatinase B was detected in only one sample. In patients with uveitis, IP-10 was detected in all AH samples, whereas I-TAC, IL-8, GCP-2, MIP-1α, and PARC were detected in three, 16, six, two, and 12 samples, respectively. IP-10 levels were significantly higher in AH samples than those of serum (
P = .006). Gelatinase A was detected in 29 AH samples and gelatinase B was detected in 26 samples. Gelatinase A levels were significantly higher in AH samples from patients than those of controls (
P < .0001). In 11 AH samples, gelatinase B was detected in complex with lipocalin (NGAL). Disease activity correlated significantly with the levels of IP-10 (
r = .627;
P < .0001), gelatinase A (
r = .508;
P = .002), gelatinase B (
r = .685;
P < .0001), and NGAL-gelatinase B complex (
r = .595;
P < .0001).
These data suggest a pathogenic role of the T lymphocyte chemoattractant IP-10 and gelatinases in the recruitment and activity of T cells into the eye in patients with uveitis and in the pathogenesis of uveitis.