Abstract

Purpose: To explore the cytokines in the tears and serum of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and correlate with disease severity.
Methods: 40 patients with VKC and 10 age-matched controls, aged 8-16 years, were included. IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α and IFN-γ were quantified in serum and tears. Serum TIMP1, TIMP2, total IgE and Vitamin D were quantified.
Results: The mean age was 12.6 years. Almost all tear and serum cytokines were elevated in disease group. IL-6 showed highest level in tears vs control (63.51+110.95 versus 55.85 +83.25 in controls) (p=0.619). Serum IL-10 and TIMP-1 were not raised. Significant difference was observed between the study group and control groups in terms of Serum IL-17A (p=0.043), IL-10 (p = 0.04)and IgE (0.001).
Conclusion:: We found the disease severity in patients of VKC to be significantly influenced by both tear and serum cytokines. New treatment algorithms involving systemic pathways may be designed keeping this in mind.

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