Abstract Listings 2026

Purpose

To evaluate tear cytokine profiles in Graves’ disease and assess whether ocular surface inflammation is associated with disease activity or eyelid retraction.

Methods

Participants were categorized into four groups according to clinical status: controls, active Graves’ disease, inactive Graves’ disease with eyelid retraction, and inactive Graves’ disease without retraction. Tear samples were analyzed for IL-1β, IL-6, IL-13, IL-17A, and TNF-α. Cytokine concentrations were summarized as median and interquartile range. Group differences were assessed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test with different contrasts and Benjamini–Hochberg test was used for multiple comparisons.

Results

In hierarchical univariate analyses, cytokine elevations were primarily associated with active Graves’ disease. Compared with controls, patients with active Graves showed significantly higher levels of IL-13, IL-17A, IL-6, and TNF-α, whereas IL-1β did not differ significantly. Similarly, when active and inactive Graves were compared, IL-13, IL-17A, and TNF-α were significantly higher in active disease, indicating a stronger inflammatory profile during the active phase. In contrast, inactive Graves patients had cytokine levels largely comparable to controls, and no significant differences were observed between inactive patients with and without eyelid retraction.

Conclusion

Tear cytokine profiles suggest that ocular surface inflammation in Graves’ disease is more closely related to systemic disease activity than to eyelid retraction alone. Elevated IL-13, IL-17A, and TNF-α in the active phase support a role for inflammatory signaling in ocular surface dysfunction. These findings suggest that ocular surface changes in Graves’ disease may reflect underlying immune activity rather than mechanical exposure alone.

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