Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing VRL Diagnosis Using Cell-Free DNA Extraction from Vitreous Humor
Published on: January 12, 2024
Cerebrospinal Fluid Interleukin-10 Biomarker for Vitreoretinal Lymphoma
Xiao Zhang1, Yan Zhang2, Zhe Zhuang2
1From the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (X.Z., C.Z., F.G., R.-P.D., W.-H.Y., Y.-X.C., M.-F.Z.); Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (X.Z., C.Z., F.G., R.-P.D., W.-H.Y., Y.-X.C., M.-F.Z.).
Insights
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a key biomarker for vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL). Elevated CSF IL-10 levels correlate with intracranial lesions and can help monitor disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Oncology
Background:
- Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) is a rare intraocular malignancy.
- Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of VRL, particularly central nervous system involvement, remain challenging.
- Biomarkers for VRL are crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels and clinical characteristics in patients with VRL.
- To assess the utility of CSF IL-10 as a biomarker for VRL, especially for intracranial lesions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational case series of 41 VRL patients.
- Analysis of CSF for biochemical, cytologic, flow cytometry, and cytokine detection (IL-10, IL-6).
- Correlation of CSF IL-10 levels with ocular symptoms, anterior chamber inflammation, retinal lesions, and intracranial lesions.
Main Results:
- CSF IL-10 levels were elevated in 90.2% of VRL patients and higher in those with intracranial lesions.
- CSF IL-10 levels decreased after systemic treatment and rose before intracranial lesion onset or recurrence.
- CSF IL-10 levels correlated with ocular symptom duration but not with aqueous humor IL-10 levels or anterior/retinal lesions.
Conclusions:
- CSF IL-10 is a valuable biomarker in VRL.
- CSF IL-10 is particularly useful for monitoring the development and recurrence of intracranial lesions in VRL patients.
Purpose:
To analyze the correlation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels and the clinical characteristics in patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL).
Design:
Retrospective observational case series.
Methods:
Forty-one patients were diagnosed as VRL and underwent lumbar puncture for CSF examination. Aqueous humor cytokine detection, vitreous cytopathologic analysis, monoclonal gene rearrangement, and flow cytometry were performed. The CSF was assessed through biochemical and cytologic examination, flow cytometry, and cytokine detection.
Results:
The median levels of aqueous humor IL-10 and IL-6 were 415.0 and 40.7 pg/mL. The median CSF levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were 35.7 and 3.5 pg/mL, respectively. IL-10 levels in CSF were higher than normal in 37 patients (90.2%) and higher in patients with intracranial lesions. The level of CSF IL-10 decreased after systemic treatment, and it rose before intracranial lesion onset or recurrence. The level of IL-10 in CSF was related to the duration of ocular symptoms, but was not related to the level of IL-10 in aqueous humor. There was no significant difference in CSF IL-10 levels between patients with and without anterior chamber inflammation or retinal lesions. In eyes with recurrent vitreoretinal lymphoma, the level of IL-10 in aqueous humor increased significantly, but there was no corresponding increase in the level of IL-10 in CSF.
Conclusion:
CSF IL-10 is a potentially important biomarker in VRL, especially in the monitoring of intracranial lesions.

