TGF-β2 Levels in the Aqueous Humor are Elevated in the Second Eye of High Myopia Within Two Weeks After Sequential Cataract Surgery

Purpose: To evaluate the level of transforming growth factors (TGFs) in the aqueous humor (AH) in the second eye of highly myopic cataract patients after receiving sequential cataract surgery and to study the correction between TGFs and axial length (AL) in myopic eyes. Methods: The study included 13 patients (26 eyes) with high myopia with cataracts and 10 non-myopic patients (10 eyes) with cataracts. AH samples were used to detect the levels of TGF-β1, 2, and 3 in both groups. An array was used for verification of TGF-β expression in AH samples obtained from 26 eyes of highly myopic patients with cataracts and 10 eyes of non-myopic patients with cataracts. According to AL, the samples were divided into three groups: A (AL31 mm). Results: The level of TGF-β2 in the AH sample of the second eye was significantly higher than that in the first eye in high myopia cataract patients (p=0.0147). Compared with the non-myopic cataracts patient group, the highly myopic cataracts group had a significantly higher TGF-β2 concentration in the AH in the second eye (p=0.0156). Both TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 were expressed at low levels and had no difference between the two groups. Axial elongation in high myopia did not show a correlation with the AH concentration of TGF-β2 levels. Conclusions: In patients with high myopia undergoing sequential cataract surgery, the AH of the second-surgery eye had a higher level of TGF-β2 than that of the first-surgery eye, and it also had a significantly higher TGF-β2 concentration than that of the control eye. This implies that high myopia could cause changes in the microenvironment of the eyes, and a protective mechanism was created to prevent the second eye from undergoing a sympathetic immune response.