Comparative analysis of cytokine expression in blood and intraocular fluids in progressive retinopathy of prematurity and other ophthalmic pathologies

Balashova L.M., Kuznetsova Yu.D., Lesovoy S.V., Bogomolova E.A., Bykovskaya S.N., Bakharev A.V., Kantardgi E.P., Salmasi J.M.

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, Moscow, Russia
Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital – branch of the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, Moscow, Russia
International Scientific and Practical Center for Tissue Proliferation, Moscow, Russia
City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov, Moscow, Russia

Proliferative retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a particularly significant, severe vasoproliferative disease, the etiopathogenesis of which is still being studied. Recent international and domestic research has focused on the imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as a component of ROP pathogenesis. The aim of this combined study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the quantitative expression of a broad spectrum of cytokines in the blood and intraocular fluids of patients with progressive ROP, cataracts, glaucoma, proliferative diabetic vitreoretinopathy (PDR), and uveitis to identify common and specific patterns associated with proliferative and inflammatory processes. Progressive proliferative stages of ROP are accompanied by significant changes in the cytokine system at the systemic (blood) and local (CT) levels of regulation. The highest levels of cytokine gene expression are found in inflammatory conditions (uveitis), as well as active vitreoretinal proliferative diseases (ROP, PDR). Congenital cataracts and glaucoma are characterized by minimal cytokine activity at the systemic and local levels.