Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, autoimmune diseases and adenovirus type 8 infection

In epidemic keratoconjunctivitis caused by adenovirus type 8 (Ad8), 21 patients were followed between 1.5-18 months. Thirty-three percent of the patients developed classical corneal subepithelial opacities. In considering comorbidity possibly influencing the outcome of the disease it was found that: (1) two patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca did not develop subepithelial opacities, (2) 6/9 patients showing little propensity for developing subepithelial opacities were found to have a variety of manifest diseases of autoimmune nature, and, (3) dense opacities developed in five subjectively healthy persons. These findings suggest that susceptibility to stromal keratitis in Ad8 infections might at least in part be determined by the condition of the host immune status.