Immunologic profile in patients with acute anterior uveitis

The authors investigated 52 patients (22 men and 30 women) with acute anterior uveitis where they ruled out systemic autoimmune disease, metabolic disease and focal or chronic infection. At the time of the infection the patients had not been treated for several months by any immunosuppressive treatment. The authors investigated in these patients serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A and M, the concentration of the C3 component of complement and the concentration of circulating immune complexes. Before the onset of therapy they investigated the response to antigens of the Immunoskin test. They assessed also the ratio of transplantation antigens class I by the microlymphocytotoxic test. They compared furthermore immunological indicators in subjects with a first attack and relapse of the disease and in groups, classified by the severity of the inflammatory symptoms. The authors detected significantly more frequently (p = 0.0005) the incidence of HLA-B27 antigen. Those where it was present were more frequently affected with a severe inflammation, as compared with subjects who did not have this phenotype (p less than 0.04). The relapse of the disease was more frequent in women (p = 0.1). The immunological laboratory findings did not differ in the first attacks and relapses of the disease, differences were, however, found in groups which differed as to the severity of inflammatory symptoms. In these groups the response rate to tests of skin sensitivity differed also. Based on these findings the authors assume that the ratio of immune processes in the development of acute idiopathic anterior uveitis cannot be ruled out.