Research progress of the related cytokines of Th1 and Th2 on glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, which includes visual field defects and chronic degenerative diseases of the optic nerve, such as apoptosis of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and progressive loss of optic nerve axons.Elevated intraocular pressure is the primary risk factor for glaucoma, and lowering intraocular pressure is the first choice of treatment for slowing the development of glaucoma.It has recently been found that immunological factors are one of the non-stress-dependent risk factors for optic nerve damage in glaucoma, while most of the immune and non-immune biological effects are regulated by cytokines.CD4⁺ helper T cells are the major sources of cytokines.Th1 and Th2-related cytokines play an essential role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma and related with the survival and apoptosis of RGCs.In this review, we discussed the potential relationship between Th1/Th2-related cytokines and glaucoma.