Levels of Anti-Retinal Antibodies in Retinal Detachment and Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation between intraocular anti-retinal antibodies and clinical measurements in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

Material and methods: Aqueous humor and vitreous samples were collected from patients with RRD, PVR, and from control subjects with macular hole. The levels of total protein (TP), IgG, and anti-retinal antibodies were determined with a bicinchoninic acid assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and dot blot, respectively. Correlations between these measurements were assessed using Pearson’s correlation test. Analysis of variance followed by a post-hoc test or the Student t-test was used to compare differences between groups.

Results: The levels of anti-retinal antibodies and IgG were correlated with each other (P < 0.010). The IgG concentration was higher in patients with PVR than in controls in both the aqueous humor (P < 0.001) and the vitreous (P < 0.001), but not in patients with RRD. Conversely, TP levels and anti-retinal antibodies in both ocular fluids from RRD and PVR patients did not significantly differ from the controls. In a subgroup analysis, vitreal anti-retinal antibody levels were correlated with average macular thickness in the re-attached macula following surgery for macula-off RRD/PVR (P = 0.012). Furthermore, patients with post-operative cystoid macular edema had a higher level of vitreal anti-retinal antibodies than those without (P = 0.009).

Conclusions: Intravitreal anti-retinal antibodies were increased in the eyes with maculopathy after surgical intervention for RRD/PVR.

KEYWORDS:

• Proliferative vitreoretinopathy
• retinal detachment
• autoantibodies
• vitreous
• aqueous humor

Acknowledgments

The manuscript was edited by a professional editor Mr. Tim Hilts.

Declaration of interests

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by unrestricted grants from Senju Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (K.M.N. and N.T.).