AIM: To investigate the relationship of TNF-α and IL-6 with the pathogenesis and development of the neovascular glaucoma(NVG).

METHODS: Totally 64 eyes of 64 NVG patients, 58 eyes of 58 primary open angle glaucoma(POAG)patients and 56 eyes of 56 age-related cataract(ARC)patients were enrolled in our Hospital from January 2017 to January 2018. The periphery blood was collected from all the patients and 0.3mL aqueous humor was collected during the surgery from each eye. The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum and aqueous humor of the three groups were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS: The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 in aqueous humor and serum in NVG patients were higher than those in POAG patients as well as in ARC patients, with significant differences among the three groups(P<0.05). The TNF-α and IL-6 in aqueous humor and serum in NVG patients were significantly positively correlated(r=0.642, 0.415; P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The aqueous and serum TNF-α and IL-6 are considerably higher in NVG patients than those in POAG patients and ARC patients, suggesting that TNF-α and IL-6 play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of the NVG.