Interleukin-6 participation in pathology of ocular diseases

Forouhe Zahir-Jouzdani; Fatemeh Atyabi; Nazanin Mojtabavi

doi:10.1016/j.pathophys.2017.05.005

Interleukin-6 participation in pathology of ocular diseases

Pathophysiology. 2017 Sep;24(3):123-131. doi: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2017.05.005. Epub 2017 Jun 10.

Authors

Forouhe Zahir-Jouzdani¹, Fatemeh Atyabi², Nazanin Mojtabavi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14174, Iran.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14174, Iran. Electronic address: atyabifa@tums.ac.ir.
³ Department of Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences.

PMID: 28629694
DOI: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2017.05.005

Abstract

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that affects a variety of cells in the body such as osteoclasts, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, white and red blood cells and etc. Elevated levels of IL-6 have been detected in many ocular diseases. Studies show that IL-6 has a major role in the pathology of glaucoma, CRVO, macular edema, ocular neovascularization, posterior capsule opacity formation, keratitis, dry eye disease, allergic eye disease, ocular autoimmune disease, corneal chemical burn, ocular inflammation and so on. IL-6 does its effects through the classic or trans-signal pathways in cells. Blocking of IL-6 signal pathways via Tocilizumab or other chemicals and therapeutics will help to overcome complications related to ocular diseases.

Keywords: IL-6 cellular pathway; IL-6 in ocular diseases; Ocular fibrosis; Ocular inflammation; Ocular neuro-degeneration; Tocilizumab.

Publication types

Review