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Expression of cell adhesion molecules in posterior uveitis
1Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. 20892.
Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|May 1, 1992
Summary
In uveitis, specific cell adhesion molecules like lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 are expressed in the eye. Tumor necrosis factor alpha may regulate these molecules during ocular inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Leukocyte migration is crucial in ocular inflammation.
- Surface molecules on eye cells direct this migration.
- Understanding these molecules aids in treating inflammatory eye diseases like uveitis.
Observation:
- Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) was analyzed.
- Six enucleated eyes from uveitis patients and seven normal control eyes were studied.
- LFA-1 was found on infiltrating lymphocytes; ICAM-1 was on endothelial cells of retinal/choroidal blood vessels and retinal pigment epithelium in uveitic eyes.
Findings:
- LFA-1 and ICAM-1 were expressed in all uveitic eyes but absent in normal controls.
- Ocular inflammatory cells showed strong positive staining for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α).
- Four of six uveitic eyes had mild staining for tumor necrosis factor beta (TNF-β) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ).
Implications:
- Cell adhesion molecules are significantly expressed in posterior uveitis.
- Cytokines, particularly TNF-α, may play a regulatory role in their expression.
- These findings contribute to understanding the pathogenesis of inflammatory eye conditions.
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