Analysis of autoantibodies among patients with primary and secondary uveitis: high incidence in patients with sarcoidosis.
The sera of 122 patients with uveitis were examined for the presence of various antinuclear autoantibodies. Overall 21.3% of the patients had antibodies to ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and 18% to Ro (SSA). When subdividing the patients according to primary uveitis versus secondary uveitis, the autoantibodies were detected more frequently in the second group [anti-RNP 13.3 vs. 31.4%, anti-Ro (SSA) 11.8 vs. 27.7%, anti-Sm 10.3 vs. 24% and poly (G) 2.9 vs. 14.8%, respectively]. No differences could be asserted in autoantibody frequencies according to disease location within the uvea. Among uveitis patients afflicted with sarcoidosis a particular high incidence of autoantibodies was detected in comparison with all other subgroups of patients with uveitis. Although the presence of autoantibodies among patients with uveitis appears not to have a major diagnostic value, their assessment may aid to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis.
Amital
H
H
Research Unit of Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer affiliated to Tel-Aviv University Medical School Israel.
Klemperer
I
I
Blank
M
M
Yassur
Y
Y
Palestine
A
A
Nussenblatt
R B
RB
Shoenfeld
Y
Y
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000276:immunology*; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000276:immunology*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D004247:DNA