Role of environmental factors in uveitis

As part of a larger study undertaken to determine whether the presence of faecal Klebsiella aerogenes was significantly associated with the clinical activity of ankylosing spondylitis, thirteen patients with ankylosing spondylitis and acute non-granulomatous anterior uveitis (ANGAU) were examined. The faeces of eleven of these thirteen patients were found to contain Klebsiella aerogenes. This association shows a statistical significance of P less than 0.01, and suggests that Klebsiella aerogenes may have an aetiological role in the development of anterior uveitis in HLA B27 positive patients. The possible mechanism of this association and its potential clinical significance are discussed.