Maturation profiles of peripheral blood dendritic cells in patients with endogenous uveitis

To determine whether or not maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) is associated with pathogenesis of endogenous uveitis, we analyzed expression of maturation markers, including CD80, CD86, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, in peripheral blood (PB) DCs for comparison between healthy controls (HCs) and uveitis patients. A total of 21 patients and 16 HCs were included. Flow cytometric analysis was performed using PB DCs during the active phase of intraocular inflammation. CD86 and HLA-DR expression was higher in PB DCs from uveitis patients versus HCs, whereas that of CD80 was not significantly different. Levels of CD86 and HLA-DR expression tended to parallel those of inflammatory activity, and decreased after anti-inflammatory therapy. However, expression of CD86 and HLA-DR, even in remission, was not completely down-regulated to the low levels found in HCs. Our results indicate the maturation of DCs may play a role in the pathogenesis of endogenous uveitis. The relatively high expression of HLA-DR and co-stimulatory molecules even in the quiescence of inflammation suggests maturation of DCs may be associated with chronicity and recurrence of uveitis.