Immunological studies of uveitis. 3. Cell-mediated immunity to interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein

Three patients were seen with the same clinical characteristics which were not described previously: diffuse uveitis with bilateral involvement, onset in the second decade of life, no extraocular signs or symptoms, diffuse retinal capillary leakage on fluorescein angiography but without apparent fundus changes, many vitreous cells but no snowbank-like vitreous opacity, responsiveness to steroid, and good prognosis. The peripheral blood lymphocytes of all three patients responded to bovine and human interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), but not to bovine retinal S antigen. It was speculated that these patients were human counterparts of IRBP-induced uveoretinitis that was described in experimental animals.