Biomarkers for PVR in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

PURPOSE: Various profibrotic and proinflammatory cytokines have been found upregulated in uncomplicated primary retinal detachment (pRD), but without providing a uniform picture. Here, we compare the cyto- and chemokine profiles in pRD with and without proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in an attempt to unravel relevant differences not in single cytokines, but in the cytokine profiles at diagnosis. METHODS: Undiluted vitreous fluid (VF) was obtained at the beginning of surgery from 174 eyes with pRD without relevant PVR (maximally grade B; group 1; n = 81) and with moderate or advanced PVR requiring a gas tamponade (group 2; n = 49) or silicon oil filling (group 3; n = 44). VF of eyes undergoing macular hole (MH) surgery served as controls (group 4; n = 26). Forty-three cytokines were quantified in parallel using a multiplex cytokine analysis system (Bioplex). For all comparisons we applied Holm’s correction to control for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: 44.9% of group 2 eyes presented grade C1 and 55.1% C2-C3, whereas 86.4% of group 3 eyes exhibited a PVR grade of C2-D. CCL19 was the only cytokine that displayed higher concentrations in the vitreous of eyes with PVR C1 compared to lower PVR grades. Eyes with PVR C2-D showed higher levels of CCL27, CXCL6, IL4, IL16, CXCL10, CCL8, CCL22, MIG/CXCL9, CCL15, CCL19, CCL 23 and CXCL12 compared to controls. Interestingly, no difference of cytokine levels was detected between C1 and C2-D PVR. CONCLUSIONS: CCL19 may represent a potential biomarker for early PVR progression that holds promise for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications.