Tear cytokine profile in medicated glaucoma patients: effect of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 on early posttrabeculectomy outcome

Purpose: To determine the tear cytokine profile from medicated glaucoma patients scheduled for trabeculectomy and to establish whether a specifically elevated cytokine level is related to early postoperative scarring.

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Participants: Sixty-one patients treated with topical antiglaucoma medications and 29 normal subjects with no prior topical treatment were recruited for the study.

Methods: Schirmer strips were used to collect tear samples. A multiplex bead assay was used to quantify the presence of proinflammatory cytokines in the tears. The patients were followed up for 6 months after surgery to determine whether any postoperative intervention to maintain filtering bleb function was required.

Main outcome measures: The level of cytokines in tear specimens from medicated glaucoma patients was the main outcome measure for the study. The need for postoperative bleb needling within 6 months was a secondary outcome measure.

Results: Of the 17 cytokines assayed, only monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) was elevated significantly in the medicated eyes compared with the unmedicated eyes (P < 0.0004). At 6 months after surgery, 18 (30%) of the 61 eyes required postoperative intervention. A much higher MCP-1 level was detected in these eyes compared with the remaining 43 that did not require intervention (P < 0.0001). The duration of use of topical medication correlated with increasing levels of MCP-1, although the types of glaucoma medication and the number of bottles of medications did not have any significant relationship with the level of MCP-1.

Conclusions: In tears from topically medicated glaucoma eyes in an Asian population, MCP-1 was found to be the predominant cytokine elevated. Eyes with a propensity to scar in the early postoperative period have a significantly raised level of MCP-1.

Financial disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.