AIM:To compare the levels of IL-2 and IL-6 between primary acute angle-closure glaucoma and normal controls at perioperative. To discuss the correlations between cytokine levels and optic nerve damage of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma.

METHODS: Hospitalized patients with primary acute angle-closure glaucoma in the Department of Ophthalmology of Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May, 2013 to October, 2014 were collected as the case group(Group A), Group A was divided into three subgroups of minor, medium and severe(a, b and c)according to the degree of optic nerve injury. The patients with cataract hospitalized within the same period were selected as the control group(Group B). The concentrations of IL-2 and IL-6 in the peripheral blood of research objects were determined with the double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The differences in the mass concentration of cytokines between the two groups of A and B and the three subgroups of a, b and c were compared, and the correlation between the level of cytokines in the bodies of patients with primary acute angle-closure glaucoma and the degree of optic nerve injury was analyzed.

RESULTS: Concentrations of IL-2 and IL-6 in experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05). Concentrations of IL-2 and IL-6 in glaucoma patients severe injury of optic nerve were significantly lower than those in mild injury of optic nerve( P<0.05). To discuss the correlations between cytokine levels and optic nerve damage in subgroups a, b, and c, mult-variable linear return analysis was used, the difference on IL-2 level had statistical significance(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: In primary acute angle-closure glaucoma patient, levels of IL-2 and IL- 6 are lower than the normal. IL-2 may be associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy.