CYTOKINE PRODUCTION BY T-CELLS INFILTRATING IN THE EYE OF UVEITIS PATIENTS

The capacity of T cells to produce cytokines was investigated using T- cell clones (TCCs) established from infiltrating cells in the aqueous humor (AH) or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients wi th Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease or sarcoidosis. The cytokines pr oduced and tested in the study were interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-6, IL -8, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and gra nulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). All TCCs (n = 9) from AH of VKH patients spontaneously produced significantly larger a mounts of IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-gamma than TCCs from healthy donor PBMC. All TCCs (n = 9) from AH of the sarcoidosis patient spontaneously pro duced significantly larger amounts of IL-1 alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 than TCCs from healthy donor PBMC. In addition, the effects of antiinflamma tory drugs on the cytokine production by the TCCs were investigated. H ydrocortisone significantly suppressed the production of IL-6, IL-8, a nd GM-CSF by TCCs from AH of VKH patients. Tacrolimus also significant ly suppressed the production of IL-8 and GM-CSF by the TCCs. FTY720, a n experimental drug, suppressed only GM-CSF production by TCCs from AH of VKH patients. Diclofenac failed to suppress the production of any cytokines by any TCCs. All tested drugs did not suppress the productio n of cytokines by TCCs from the sarcoidosis patient. These results thu s suggest that cytokines produced by T cells infiltrating in the eye m ay play an important role in the pathogenesis of uveitis. Jpn J Ophtha lmol 1998;42:262-268 (C) 1998 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.