AIM: To investigate the correlation between the concentrations of interleukin-23(IL-23)and interleukin-17(IL-17)in the ocular aqueous humor(AH)at the different degrees of diabetic retinopathy(DR)patients.

METHODS: From June 2016 to June 2019, 70 patients(70 eyes)for age related cataract surgery were enrolled in Hubei Yichang Central People's Hospital. All cases were graded into 4 groups, includingⅠ group(20 cases): the control group(patients without diabetes), Ⅱ group(18 cases): diabetic patients without retinopathy, Ⅲ group(17 cases): diabetic patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, Ⅳ group(15 cases): diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The levels of IL-23 and IL-17 in AH of the four groups were tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and statistically analyzed by ANOVA respectively. The correlations between IL-17 and IL-23 were calculated by Person correction analysis.

RESULTS: The concentration of IL-23 in Ⅰgroup was low(22.18±5.48pg/mL),while those in Ⅱ(37.63±4.52pg/mL), Ⅲ(45.06±4.64pg/mL), Ⅳ(68.89±6.11pg/mL)groups respectively were higher. The IL-17 level inⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ groups were 4.69±2.03, 6.83±1.02, 9.52±1.30, 10.89±1.26pg/mL respectively. Comparison of IL-23 and IL-17 within four groups revealed: both were increased in Ⅱ group initially, and raised along with the progression of DR. According to the correlation analysis, the expression level of IL-17 of DM was typical positively correlated with IL-23.

CONCLUSION:The over-expression of IL-23 and IL-17 may have a synergistic effect on the occurrence and development, and the IL-23/IL-17 pathway might be associated with the severity of DR by aggravating the inflammatory response of retina. These results indicated that IL-23-IL-17 axis could be a new target for the early diagnosis and treatment of DR.