Immune Cell Status and Cytokines Profiles in Patients with Acute Retinal Necrosis

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To assess the immune status of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) patients and to investigate the immune cell types involved in the immunopathogenesis.

Methods: Peripheral blood and intraocular fluid were collected from 17 ARN patients and 9 control subjects. The Percentage of immune cells was measured using flow cytometry, levels of complement and antibodies were determined by rate nephelometry, and cytokine levels in the serum and aqueous humor (AH) were detected using cytokine quantitative chips. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. p < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Proportion of T-helper 17 cells (p = .034) in serum and concentrations of multiple cytokines associated with Th17 cells (IL-6, IL-17, IL-17 F, IL-21, IL-22) in AH and serum were elevated of ARN patients.

Conclusion: Th17 cells appeared to participate in the development of ARN. We found inflammatory cytokines and cells were elevated in the serum and AH of ARN patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute retinal necrosis
• immune status
• cytokines
• T helper 17 cells
• herpes viruses

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jianhong Dong, from Central Hospital of Shanghai Xuhui District, for her great support in specimen collection.

Declaration of interest

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality under Grant [18411965100].