Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41252069›Full record

ArticleOphthalmology and therapy2026

Changes of Aqueous Humor Cytokine and Chemokine Profiles in Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery in Comparison to Conventional Phacoemulsification.

Lizaveta Chychko, Victor A Augustin, Hyeck-Soo Son, Sonja K Schickhardt, Volker Daniel, Ramin Khoramnia, Gerd U Auffarth

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Article in Ophthalmology and therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lizaveta ChychkoDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Victor A AugustinDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Hyeck-Soo SonDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Sonja K SchickhardtDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Volker DanielInstitute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Ramin KhoramniaDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Gerd U AuffarthDavid J. Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology and International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. gerd.auffarth@med.uni-heidelberg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6927-5251

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis study investigates the anterior chamber (AC) inflammation in the early postoperative period after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in comparison to conventional phacoemulsification (CPS) by quantifying inflammatory and oxidative stress mediators in aqueous humor and correlating findings with clinical data.

methodsIn this prospective single-center study, 80 patients with cataracts were enrolled. Aqueous humor samples were collected from AC after femtosecond laser pretreatment in the FLACS group (40 patients) and at the beginning of standard cataract surgery before the primary incision was created in the CPS group (40 patients, control group). Mediators of postoperative inflammation including TNF-α, VEGF, IL-2, IL-1 β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, CXCL5/ENA-78, FGF-basic, G-CSF, IL-1-α, IL-1-ra, IL-17, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1a, CCL4/MIP-1b, TPO, TGF-β-1, TGF-β-2 and TGF-β-3 were measured using a multiplex array system. The differences between both groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test.

resultsIn the FLACS group, significantly higher concentrations of IL (interleukin)-4, FGF-basic (fibroblast growth factor) and TGF-ß2 (Transforming growth factor-beta 2) were detected compared to the CPS group. Conversely, IL-10 levels were significantly higher in the CPS group than in the FLACS group.

conclusionsFLACS triggers a distinct cytokine and growth factor profile in the aqueous humor, including elevated levels of IL-4, IL-12, FGF-basic, and TGF-β2 and a reduction in anti-inflammatory IL-10, indicating a shift toward proinflammatory and fibrotic signaling. These molecular changes may underlie immune activation and tissue remodeling not apparent in clinical examination and highlight the need for further studies to evaluate their long-term clinical relevance.

Indexed as

Anterior chamber inflammationAqueous humorConventional phacoemulsification surgery (CPS)CytokinesFemtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS)Inflammatory cytokinesOxidative stress

Identifiers

PMID41252069
PMCPMC12882892

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.