COS Awards for Excellence Winner: Tear film cytokine profiles of Boston keratoprosthesis type 1 patients with and without glaucoma
My Session Status
THIRD PRIZE - COS Awards for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research - Papers
Authors:
Dominique Geoffrion1, Marie-Claude Robert2, Robert K. Koenekoop3,
Younes Agoumi2, Mona Harissi-Dagher2.
1Experimental Surgery, McGill University, 2Ophthalmology,
Université de Montréal, 3Ophthalmology, McGill University.
Disclosure Block:
D. Geoffrion: None. M. Robert: None. R.K. Koenekoop: None. Y. Agoumi: None. M. Harissi-Dagher: None.
Abstract Title:
Tear film cytokine profiles of Boston keratoprosthesis type 1 patients with and without glaucoma
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Cytokines are biomarkers for
glaucoma and play a role in its pathogenesis. The purpose was to compare
cytokine levels in the tear film of Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) patients
with and without glaucoma, relative to healthy controls, and correlate levels
with clinical parameters.
Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.
Methods: A total of 58 eyes (from 58 patients) were included in this
study: 41 KPro eyes with glaucoma, 7 KPro eyes without glaucoma, and 10 healthy
controls. The levels of 27 cytokines in the tear fluid were measured using a
multiplex bead immunoassay. Intraocular pressure (IOP), cup-to-disk ratio
(CDR), visual acuity, topical medications, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness,
and angle closure were clinically assessed in all KPro patients. Differences in
cytokine levels between groups were analyzed by non-parametric tests, and
correlations with clinical parameters by Spearman’s test, with a significance
level of P<0.05.
Results: Tear levels of TNF-a, IL-1b, FGF-2, and IFN-g were
significantly higher in KPro patients with glaucoma compared to KPro patients
without glaucoma (P= 0.020; 0.008; 0.043; 0.018, respectively). Both
KPro groups had similar baseline characteristics, pre-KPro diagnoses, and
topical antibiotic and steroid regimen (P>0.05). Tear levels of
IL-1Ra, IL-15, VEGF, RANTES were significantly higher in KPro patients with
glaucoma compared to controls (no KPro and no glaucoma) (P= <0.001;
0.034; <0.001; 0.001, respectively). In KPro patients, tear IL-1b and IFN-g
levels were positively correlated with CDR (r=0.309, P= 0.039 and
r=0.452, P=0.006, respectively) and IOP (r=0.292, P=0.047 and
r=0.368, P=0.023, respectively). Tear TNF-a and FGF-2 levels were
positively correlated with CDR (r=0.348, P=0.022 and r=0.344, P=0.021,
respectively).
Conclusions: Cytokines TNF-a, IL-1b, FGF-2, and IFN-g are elevated in
tear fluid of KPro patients with glaucoma and correlate with CDR and IOP. These
results show, for the first time in humans, concordance with the documented
elevation of TNF-a and IL-1b in murine KPro model. Ocular surface inflammation
may reflect an inflammatory process of glaucoma in KPro.