Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels in the vitreous of patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy

PURPOSE: To assess the potential role of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and to investigate its possible interaction with the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). METHODS: We assayed MCP-1 and MIF levels in the vitreous samples of 85 consecutive patients with PVR (29 eyes), rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD; 22 eyes), and macular hole or idiopathic epimacular membrane (controls; 34 eyes), by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Vitreous levels of MCP-1 were 1760.7 +/- 471.3 pg/mL (mean +/- SD) in PVR patients, 1200.4 +/- 579.8 pg/mL in RRD patients, and 436.3 +/- 286.1 pg/mL in the controls. Vitreous MCP-1 levels in PVR patients were significantly higher than those in RRD patients and in the controls (P <.0001, respectively). MCP-1 levels in grade C of PVR (1883.7 +/- 479.5 pg/mL) were significantly greater than those in grade D (1437.8 +/- 258.8 pg/mL) (P =.0112). Vitreous concentrations of MCP-1 had no correlation with those of MIF. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the possibility that MCP-1 may have a role mainly in the early stage of PVR and that the role of MCP-1 in PVR may differ from that of MIF.