Cytokine regulation of hyaluronate production by human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts.

The high-molecular weight glycosaminoglycan hyaluronate (HA), a component of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to play important roles in many biological processes including cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. In the present study, the effect of cytokines on production of hyaluronate (HA) by human tenon's capsule fibroblasts (HTF) was determined. HTF (2(nd) passage) were seeded at a cell density of 30 cells/mm(2) and stimulated by six different cytokines (platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, PDGF-BB, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin (IL)-1beta and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1). Controls were treated with aliquots of serum-free medium only. Concentrations of HA were determined using a radiometric assay based on the specific binding of HA to HA binding proteins. The concentration of HA in conditioned medium of HTF was significantly increased only after stimulation with PDGF-AA [10 and 100ng/ml], IL-1beta [1 and 10ng/ml] and TGF-beta1 [5ng/ml]. Production of HA by HTF is regulated by PDGF-AA, IL-1beta and TGF-beta1 and is speculated to be involved in the wound healing reaction after glaucoma filtration surgery.