Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of measuring anterior chamber interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 concentrations during treatment of vitreoretinal lymphoma with intravitreally injected methotrexate.
Methods: Two patients (3 eyes) underwent repeated weekly intravitreal injections of methotrexate (400 microg of methotrexate/50 microl) for 6 weeks. We monitored the IL-10 and IL-6 concentrations in the anterior chamber and the IL-10/IL-6 ratio at baseline and at the last injections using a standard enzyme-linked immunoassay.
Results: Repeated intravitreal injections of methotrexate reduced the vitreous opacity. The IL-10/IL-6 ratio decreased consistently in conjunction with clearance of the vitreous opacity in all 3 eyes, from 39.2 to 0.02, 1.67 to 0.03 and 3.05 to 0.159, respectively.
Conclusions: A decrease in the IL-10/IL-6 ratio seems to be related to a decrease in vitreous opacity. Measuring the IL-10/IL-6 ratio in the anterior chamber may be useful to evaluate the effect of treatment of vitreoretinal lymphoma.