Analysis of Aqueous Humor Cytokines in Exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose: To investigate the cytokine concentrations of aqueous humor in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).Methods: Fifty-seven subjects were included in the exudative AMD, DME and control groups, each group has 19 patients. Aqueous levels of cytokines epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin (IL)-3, IL-8, IL-6, IL-12p40, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) were investigated in each groups. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to compare cytokine concentrations.Results: Aqueous levels of EGF, VEGF-C, MCP-1, HGF, IL-3, IL-8 were significantly higher in exudative AMD group than control group (p = < 0.0001, < 0.0001, 0.004, 0.015, < 0.0001, 0.014) and EGF, VEGF-C, IL-3, IL-8 were significantly higher in DME group than control group (p = < 0.0001, < 0.0001, < 0.0001, 0.005). In the comparison between the exudative AMD and DME groups, EGF was significantly higher in the exudative AMD group (p = 0.001).Conclusions: Various cytokines were increased in patients with exudative AMD and DME. In particular, EGF showed a higher level in exudative AMD than in DME.