Interleukin-8 concentrations in conjunctival epithelium brush cytology samples correlate with neutrophil, eosinophil infiltration, and corneal damage

Purpose. To evaluate whether interleukin-8 (IL-8) and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted) concentrations in the sup ernatants of conjunctival epithelial samples from patients with vernal kera toconjunctivitis (VKC) correlate with the number of infiltrating eosinophil s or neutrophils and with the severity of corneal lesions. Methods. Thirty- four patients with VKC, 5 patients with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, a nd 10 volunteers without allergic diseases were enrolled in this study. Con junctival epithelial cells were collected by brush cytology and the number of inflammatory cells was counted. The chemokine expression in the cells wa s investigated by immunocytochemistry and the chemokine concentrations of t he cell suspensions were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Res ults. The percentages of eosinophils and neutrophils in cell suspensions fr om VKC patients with corneal erosion or ulcer were higher than those from s ubjects with clear corneas or superficial punctate keratopathy. IL-8 concen trations in the supernatant of samples correlated significantly with the pe rcentages of neutrophils and eosinophils in paired cell suspensions. No cor relation was observed between RANTES and the percentages of eosinophils. Po sitive staining for IL-8 was observed in the cytosol of conjunctival epithe lial cells. Conclusion. IL-8 in the extracellular space of the conjunctival epithelium may play a role in the recruitment of neutrophils and possibly eosinophils and in the pathogenesis of corneal damage in severe allergic di seases.