Modelling Macular Edema: The Effect of IL-6 and IL-6R Blockade on Human Blood-Retinal Barrier Integrity In Vitro.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Macular edema (ME) is a leading cause of visual loss in a range of retinal diseases and despite the use of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, its successful treatment remains a major clinical challenge. Based on the indirect clinical evidence that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key additional candidate mediator of ME, we interrogated the effect of IL-6 on blood-retinal barrier (BRB) integrity in vitro.

Methods

Human retinal pigment epithelial cell (ARPE-19) and human retinal microvascular endothelial cell (HRMEC) monolayers were used to mimic the outer and inner BRB, respectively. Their paracellular permeability was assessed by measuring the passive permeation of 40 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran across confluent cells in the presenc

SUBMITTER: Mesquida M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6819001 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature