Increaed level of vacular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 in the aqueou humor of diabetic with macular edema

PURPOE: To invetigate the relationhip between diabetic macular edema and the level of vacular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in aqueou humor and plama. DEIGN: Comparative cro-ectional tudy. METHOD: Fifty-four eye from 54 diabetic patient were ued. The concentration of VEGF and IL-6 in undiluted aqueou pecimen (obtained from the eye during cataract urgery) and in plama were meaured by an enzyme-linked immunoorbent aay. To ae blood-aqueou barrier function, the aqueou flare intenity wa meaured by a laer flare-cell meter a an etimate of the aqueou protein level. REULT: The aqueou level of VEGF and IL-6 were ignificantly correlated with the everity of macular edema (ρ = 0.628, P < .001 and ρ = 0.517, P < .01, repectively), a well a with the aqueou protein concentration (ρ = 0.618, P < .001 and ρ = 0.588, P < .001, repectively). Aqueou level of VEGF and IL-6 were ignificantly higher than their repective plama level (both P < .001). In addition, the aqueou level of VEGF wa ignificantly correlated with that of IL-6 (ρ = 0.537, P < .01). Furthermore, the tatu of the poterior vitreou ignificantly correlated with the everity of macular edema (ρ = 0.618, P < .0001). CONCLUION: Thee reult ugget that both VEGF and IL-6 are produced together in the intraocular tiue, and are involved in the pathogenei of macular edema.