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A 36-year-old man was diagnosed with Schwartz-Matsuo syndrome and received a scleral buckle surgery. Photoreceptor outer segments in aqueous humor were examined under electron microscope to confirm the diagnosis. Afterwards, 17 human angiogenesis and growth factor biomarkers were chosen to make simultaneous quantification in aqueous humor, among which the authors demonstrated the remarkable high expression of angiopoietin-2 in aqueous humor. This is the first reported case of angiogenesis / growth factor biomarkers in aqueous humor of the Schwartz-Matsuo Syndrome patient. Angiopoietin-2 level significantly increased in this patient's aqueous humor, which helped the authors to illuminate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying Schwartz-Matsuo syndrome. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:721-725.]., (Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the roles of plasma cytokines in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and their relationship with the severity of DR., Methods: This study included 59 diabetic patients and 19 non-diabetic controls. The plasma concentrations of endothelial growth factor (EGF), eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), Flt-3 ligand (Flt-3L), fractalkine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), growth-related oncogene (GRO), interferon (IFN)-α2, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IFN-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-3, macrophage-derived cytokine (MDC), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, sCD40L, sIL-2Rα, transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α, TNF-β, and VEGF were measured with Luminex multiplex bead immunoassay. The levels of these cytokines were investigated according to the DR stage., Results: The plasma level of ten cytokines-MCP-1, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, sCD40L, sIL-2Rα and TNF-β-increased significantly in the diabetic group compared to the controls. The Flt-3L, IL-1Ra, IL-3, IL-5, and IL-12 (p40) levels were lower in the diabetic group than in the control group. The TNF-α plasma level was significantly elevated in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) compared with the levels in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and patients with no apparent diabetic retinopathy (NDR)., Conclusions: TNF-α might be involved in the progression of DR, especially in the pathogenesis of PDR. TNF-α is a potential cytokine for the prognosis of DR and might act as a therapeutic target in DR.

Purpose: To monitor the intraocular proangiogenic and profibrotic cytokine profiles within 7 days after intravitreous injection of conbercept (IVC) for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: This prospective, randomized controlled, consecutive, comparative study included 157 eyes with PDR. Participant eyes underwent sham IVC or IVC and subsequent vitrectomy at days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 postinjection. The intraocular cytokines profiles were measured using beaded assay methods. Results: After IVC, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A level in PDR vitreous decreased rapidly by approximately 10 times at day 2 (p = 0.00001) and kept at a low level at days 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (p < 0.001, each compared with IVC‐sham group). Similar tendency of the change in VEGF‐A was observed in aqueous humour. The level of placenta growth factor (PIGF) in aqueous humour decreased 2 days after IVC whereas returned to baseline level after 5 days. The vitreous profibrotic cytokines, tissue growth factor (TGF)‐β1, TGF‐β2, TGF‐β3 and connective tissue growth factor did not increase after IVC in each group. Conclusion: We observed a remarkable and rapid decrease in intraocular VEGF‐A, temporal decrease in PIGF from day 2 to day 4, increase in VEGF‐C and VEGF‐D from day 2 onwards, but no profibrotic switch in PDR eyes after IVC. The findings might suggest that ideal vitrectomy timing might be around 3 days after IVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitreous fibrovascular membranes (FVMs), the hallmark of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), cause retinal hemorrhage, detachment, and eventually blindness. However, little is known about the pathophysiology of FVM. In this study, we used single-cell RNA sequencing on surgically harvested PDR-FVMs and generated a comprehensive cell atlas of FVM. Eight cellular compositions were identified, with microglia as the major cell population. We identified a GPNMB+ subpopulation of microglia, which presented both profibrotic and fibrogenic properties. Pseudotime analysis further revealed the profibrotic microglia was uniquely differentiated from retina-resident microglia and expanded in the PDR setting. Ligand-receptor interactions between the profibrotic microglia and cytokines upregulated in PDR vitreous implicated the involvement of several pathways, including CCR5, IFNGR1, and CD44 signaling, in the microglial activation within the PDR microenvironment. Collectively, our description of the novel microglia phenotypes in PDR-FVM may offer new insight into the cellular and molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of DR, as well as potential signaling pathways amenable to disease-specific intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the influence of preoperative adjunctive anti-VEGF drug (Conbercept) on vitreous inflammatory cytokines and chemokines profiles and whether those cytokines were associated with early macular edema (ME) after surgery for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the CONCEPT clinical trial, subjects with PDR underwent vitrectomy were included and vitreous samples were collected at the start of vitrectomy. Levels of vitreous VEGF, 17 inflammatory cytokines, and 11 chemokines were measured using Luminex multiplex technology. Subjects were then divided into groups based on with (Pre-IV) or without (No-Pre-IV) preoperative intravitreous injection of Conbercept; with or without early ME after surgery. Results: There was no difference between Pre-IV (13/30) and No-Pre-IV (7/29) concerning the ratio of patients with early ME (p = 0.17). After preoperative intravitreous injection of Conbercept, VEGF level dramatically decreased (p = 0.001), TNF-α (p = 0.002), and IP-10 (p = 0.018) increased in Pre-IV group. In patients with early ME after surgery, however, a number of cytokines increased, including IL-1β (p = 0.008), IL-2 (p = 0.023), IL-4 (p = 0.030), IL-9 (p = 0.02), IL-10 (p = 0.002), IL-12 (p = 0.001), IL-13 (p = 0.031), IL-17A (p = 0.008), TNF-α (p = 0.012), CXCL9 (p = 0.023), G-CSF (p = 0.019), MCP-1 (p = 0.048), and RANTES (p = 0.016). Conclusion: We found the preoperative adjunctive Conbercept injection has limited influence on the levels of vitreous inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in PDR. The elevated levels of a series of cytokines might be associated with early inflammation after vitrectomy, which may lead to postoperative ME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) or idiopathic macular hole (iMH) is frequently used as a "healthy" control in comparison of vitreous cytokines with other vitreoretinal diseases. This study aimed to investigate if there is a difference in vitreal cytokines expression between patients with iERM and iMH. Methods. In this prospective study, all subjects received standard pars plana vitrectomy surgery, and 0.5 ml of native vitreous sample was extracted during the vitrectomy. Luminex technology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to profile the concentration of 52 classic angiogenic, inflammatory, and profibrotic cytokines and chemokines. Statistical analyses were performed by the Mann–Whitney U test, followed by multiple comparisons by the Bonferroni correction. Results. Vitreal samples from 13 iERM and 24 iMH were studied. Of the 52 tested cytokines, 41 were similar in expression, and 5 were under the detection limit, while 6 cytokines (MMP-8, Eotaxin, MIP-1a, RANTES, TGF-β2, and IL-4) were differently expressed between two groups (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, these significances disappeared after the adjustment of Bonferroni correction. Conclusion. The tested cytokines showed similar expression between iERM and iMH patients. This indicates that eyes with iERM or iMH can be together served as "healthy" controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]