Role of cytokines in experimental and clinical uveitis

V K Singh1, G Rai, S S Agarwal

  • 1Department of Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India. vksingh@sgpgi.ac.in

Uveitis is a major cause of visual impairment. Experimental autoimmune uveitis mimics the clinical conditions of posterior uveitis in many ways. T-cells (particularly CD4+ helper-T-cells) have been shown to play an important role in pathogenesis of experimental and clinical uveitis. Based on the pattern of cytokine they secrete, CD4+ helper cells have been divided into Th1 and Th2 subsets. Various Th1 and Th2 cytokines appear to be involved in the pathogenesis and/or recovery from uveitis. This article discusses in detail the uveitopathogenic and therapeutic potential of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in experimental and clinical uveitis.

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