Immunologic analysis of intraocular mononuclear cell infiltrates in uveitis
H. J. Kaplan, J. C. Waldrep, J. K. Nicholson and D. Gordon
The pathogenesis of chronic idiopathic uveitis is not known. Analysis of
inflammatory site (ie, intraocular) lymphocytes in the aqueous humor and/or
vitreous cavity was performed with monoclonal antibodies and a cell sorter.
The mononuclear cell population within the aqueous humor of eyes with acute
idiopathic uveitis resembled that observed in the peripheral blood. In
contrast, eyes with chronic idiopathic uveitis displayed a scarcity of T
cells within the vitreous. Eyes with chronic uveitis of presumed infectious
cause did not show similar changes. These observations are consistent with
the hypothesis that intraocular T-cell immunoregulation of B-cell function
may be defective in some stages of chronic idiopathic uveitis.
