Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation of inflammatory cytokines levels in tears with severity of dry eye disease in a cohort of patients with depression.
Material and methods: Tear fluid samples were collected from 32 patients with depression treated with antidepressants, and 34 healthy subjects. Cytokines were assessed by ELISA. All the subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory and performed the ophthalmic examination, including dry eye tests.
Results: The tear fluid levels of IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α in depressive patients were higher than in controls. The clinical severity of dry eye disease correlated significantly with the IL-17 and TNF-α levels.
Conclusions: Our results suggest a crucial role of inflammatory cytokines, especially IL-17 and TNF-α, in the development of severe dry eye disease in patients with depression. Clarification of the role pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of ocular findings in depressive patients may be useful in establishing immunotherapeutic strategies for this disease.
Keywords: Cytokines; Depression; Dry eye disease; Immunology; Tear fluid.
Copyright © 2017 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.