[Studies on autoantigenic epitopes involving in the development of uveitis]

It has been proposed that a few kinds of autoantigens imitate the development of autoimmune uveitis while the immunodominant epitopes of these antigens have not been identified. Researches on retinal S-antigen and interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein as well as tyrosinase-related protein epitopes mapping have shown that each autoantigen contains several immunopathogenic epitopes and immunogenic epitopes and that the immunopathogenic sites are not coincident with the immunogenic epitopes. The reactivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from uveitis patients against each autoantigenic epitopes displays high heterogeneity. Epitopes spreading phenomenon has been disclosed in human uveitis study and reinforced in animal experiments. Study on this epitope spreading may contribute to our understanding of immune tolerance induced by different epitopes in the treatment of autoimmune disease including uveitis.