Ocular cytokinome is linked to clinical characteristics in ocular toxoplasmosis

Purpose: To determine the cytokine levels in aqueous humor (AH) of Colombian patients with active ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), and to correlate them with their clinical characteristics. Methods: 27 Cytokines/chemokines were assayed in 15 AH samples (nine patients with diagnosis of OT biologically-confirmed and six controls that underwent cataract surgery). Correlations were assessed between cytokine/chemokine levels, type of inflammatory response (Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg), and clinical characteristics. Results: Th2 predominant response was related to more severe clinical features. The presence of VEGF and IL-5 was related to higher number of recurrences. Growth factors (VEGF, FGF, PDGF-beta), were related to higher number of lesions. Patients infected by type-I/III strains had a particular intraocular cytokinepattern. Conclusions: Th2 response was related to more severe clinical characteristics in patients infected by Type strains. IL-5 and VEGF were associated with recurrences. We correlate for the first time, specific cytokine-patterns with clinical characteristics and with the infecting Toxoplasma strain. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.