Ocular cytokinome is linked to clinical characteristics in ocular toxoplasmosis

• We analyzed 15 aqueous humor samples of patients and controls for ocular toxoplasmosis cytokinome.
• Th2 predominant response was related to more severe clinical features.
• IL-5 and VEGF were associated with recurrences.

PurposeTo determine the cytokine levels in aqueous humor (AH) of Colombian patients with active ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), and to correlate them with their clinical characteristics.Methods27 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.ResultsTh2 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-β), were related to higher number of lesions. Patients infected by type-I/III strains had a particular intraocular cytokine-pattern.ConclusionsTh2 response was related to more severe clinical characteristics in patients infected by Type I/III 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.

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