Developing the biomarker panels and drugs by proteomic analysis for autoimmune uveitis and posterior scleritis

Autoimmune uveitis and posterior scleritis are ocular diseases caused by immune dysregulation. Their pathogenesis remains elusive, and delayed diagnosis can exacerbate vision loss. Our study analyzed proteomic profiles of 190 patients with Behcet's disease uveitis, posterior scleritis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. Bioinformatics methods revealed potential pathogenesis and biomarkers for the diseases, which were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The diagnostic accuracy was improved by constructing a biomarker combination. In addition, we used the Connectivity Map tool to analyze the differentially expressed proteins and identified small molecules with potential clinical applications. In this study, EMINIL1 and LYZ were identified as biomarkers for Behcet's uveitis, GSTP1 and PGLYRP1 for posterior scleritis, and APOH and STXBP1 for Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. This study mapped the plasma proteins of these diseases, revealing potential pathogenesis and clinical applications of these biomarkers.