[Autoimmune mechanisms of eye involvement in congenital cataracts in children]

A total of 112 children aged 6 months to 8 years with congenital cataracts (69 ones with bilateral and 43 with unilateral forms) and 34 mothers of these children were examined to estimate the activity of local and systemic autoimmune reactions to lenticular crystallines and retinal S antigen, differentiation between and diagnosis of congenital cataract pathogenetic forms. Lacrimal fluid antibodies were measured in 80 eyes with congenital cataracts and 29 ones with strabismus, blood serum antibodies in 72 children with cataracts, 20 without cataracts, 34 mothers of children with cataracts and 20 mothers of children without cataracts by the passive hemagglutination test (micromethod) with stable erythrocytic diagnostic agents. alpha, Bh, Bl, gamma crystallines and summary extracts of the cortical and nuclear layers were tested. The studies have demonstrated the significance of autoimmune reactions to lenticular crystallines in the pathogenesis of congenital cataracts and in involvement of the retina in the immunopathologic process.