The Role of Interleukin-8 in Endotoxin Induced Uveitis

ABSTRACT

Interleukin-8(IL-8) has been implicates in intraocular inflammation and shown to be a potent chemoattractant for neutrophil, we investigated if IL- 8 has a role in endotoxin induced uveitis(EIU). Mouse monoclonal neutralizing antibody to rabbit recombinant IL-8(gammagammaIL-8)(gammagammaIL-8 and anti IL-8, both generous gifts from Genetech) or mouse IgG2a were given by intravitreal injection to try to modify EIU in New Zealand White rabbits. Antibody to IL-8 tended to reduce aqueous humor cell counts, but the differences were not statistically significant. Anti-IL8 reduced cell counts by 34%(3.8+/-2.9x10(6) cells/ml anti IL-8 treatment vs. 5.4+/-5.5x10 cells/ml IgG2a control, p=0.26 by student t-test). The intravitreal injection of gammagammaIL-8 resulted in a small dose dependent number of infiterating cells in the aqueous and vitreous humor. Taken together, our results cannot exclude a role for IL-8 in acute onset EIU, but the contribution appears to be minor.