Prospects for proinflammatory cytokine profiling in epithelial tumors of the lacrimal gland

    Abstract

    M.Yu. Gusakova, A.G. Amiryan, S.V. Saakyan, N.V. Balatskaya, E.S. Sorozhkina

    Prospects for proinflammatory cytokine profiling in epithelial tumors of the lacrimal gland

    Moscow Helmholtz Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Lacrimal gland tumors (LGTs) are a rare pathology, of which epithelial neoplasms account for up to half of the cases. Differential diagnostics of benign and malignant epithelial tumors is the greatest difficulty. It is known that any tumor process is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction, and therefore the study of inflammation markers in biological fluids is of particular interest and is a pressing problem in modern ophthalmology and oncology.

    Objective. To study the profile of the main proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A) in the lacrimal fluid (LF) and blood serum (BS) of patients with LGTs. Material and methods. 30 patients, including 10 healthy volunteers, were examined. According to the pathohistological examination, epithelial tumors were diagnosed in 11 patients (6 cases of pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and 5 cases of lacrimal gland cancer (LGC)). At the stage of preoperative preparation, lacrimal fluid was collected from both eyes, as well as blood serum. Cytokine concentrations were determined by multiplex immune analysis. The results were compared between the groups and with the control group.

    Results. The frequency of detection of proinflammatory cytokines in the LF of patients with LGTs was higher compared to the control group, with the exception of IL-17A on the affected side in LF. In contrast, the frequency of cytokine detection in BS in LGTs was lower, with the exception of IL-6 in PA. Cytokine concentrations in the LF also exceeded the values of the control group, especially in LGC, which may indicate a more pronounced local immune-inflammatory response in the malignant process. TNF-α demonstrated the greatest diagnostic significance. In BS the differences between the groups were less pronounced and had no diagnostic value.

    Conclusion. Analysis of the proinflammatory cytokine profile of LF reflects local immune changes in LGTs more accurately than analysis of BS and may become a promising area of research not only in the development of noninvasive methods of differential diagnosis, but also therapeutic approaches through targeted effects on the processes of carcinogenesis, tumor growth and progression.

    Keywords: lacrimal gland; tumors; cytokines; tear fluid; diagnosis