Aqueous immune mediators in malignant uveal melanomas in comparison to benign pigmented intraocular tumors

BACKGROUND: To examine the usefulness of measuring immune mediators in aqueous humor samples for differentiating malignant uveal melanoma from benign pigmented intraocular tumors. METHODS: Thirteen eyes of 13 patients with uveal melanoma were studied, and 13 eyes of 13 patients with benign pigmented intraocular tumors served as controls. Undiluted samples of aqueous humor were collected, and a cytometric bead array was used to determine the aqueous humor concentrations of 35 immune mediators comprising 14 interleukins (IL), interferon-γ, interferon-γ-inducible protein-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted, monokine induced by interferon-γ, basic fibroblast growth factor, Fas ligand, granzyme A, granzyme B, eotaxin, interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant, fractalkine, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, angiogenin, tumor necrosis factor-α, lymphotoxin-α, and CD40L. RESULTS: Aqueous humor levels of angiogenin, IL-8, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in eyes with malignant melanoma than in those with benign tumors (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Angiogenin, IL-8, and MCP-1 levels in aqueous humor may be potential markers for distinguishing malignant uveal melanoma from benign pigmented intraocular tumors, and may be a useful adjunct to histomorphology, diagnostic imaging, and other biomarkers for the diagnosis and appropriate clinical management of malignant uveal melanoma. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00417-016-3541-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.