Interleukin-1 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha: Novel Targets for Immunotherapy in Eales Disease

Background: Eales disease is an idiopathic obliterative vasculopathy that primarily affects the peripheral retina of young adults. The authors evaluated interleukin 1 beta (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) in the serum of patients with Eales disease stages for the first time. Methods: The study group consisted of 45 consecutive patients of Eales disease [inflammatory stage (n = 15) and proliferative stage (n = 30)] and 28 healthy controls. Immunoassays for the quantification of the levels of four cytokines including IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF- in the serum samples were performed using ELISA kits. Results: IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF- levels were found to be increased significantly in the inflammatory stage of Eales disease as compared to controls (p .001). IL-1 levels decreased significantly during the proliferative stage of the disease as compared to the inflammatory stage (p = .03). TNF- levels increased significantly during the proliferative stage as compared to the inflammatory stage (p = .02). Conclusions: Raised levels of IL-1 and TNF- were observed in the inflammatory stage and persisted in the proliferative stage of the disease. The IL-1 system and TNF- represent novel target for immunotherapy for controlling inflammatory activity and/or the associated long-term sequelae related to angiogenesis in Eales disease.