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Pars planitis: clinical features and class II HLA associations
1Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Ophthalmology
|March 18, 1999
Summary
Pars planitis patients show a high rate of developing multiple sclerosis. The HLA-DR15 allele is linked to both conditions, suggesting a shared immunogenetic predisposition.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Immunogenetics
Background:
- Pars planitis is an inflammatory eye condition.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) and optic neuritis (ON) are neurological autoimmune disorders.
- Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class II alleles play a role in immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a cohort of pars planitis patients.
- To determine the frequency of MS/ON in pars planitis patients.
- To calculate HLA class II gene frequencies in pars planitis patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review and telephone interviews of 53 pars planitis patients.
- Phlebotomy and HLA class II allele analysis in 32 patients.
- Assessment of visual acuity, MS/ON occurrence, and HLA gene frequencies.
Main Results:
- 90% of patients maintained good visual acuity (better than 20/40).
- Common complications included cystoid macular edema, cataract, and epiretinal membrane.
- 16.2% of evaluated patients developed MS; HLA-DR15 allele associated with pars planitis (OR=2.86).
Conclusions:
- A shared immunogenetic link between MS and pars planitis may exist.
- The HLA-DR15 allele might be a predisposing factor for both conditions.
- Further research into HLA-DR15's role in pathogenesis is warranted.