title: Cellular immune responses to retinal antigens in retinitis pigmentosa.
abstract: Patients with retinitis pigmentosa and a group of controls were tested for their cellular immune response toward two retinal proteins, S-antigen and interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), as well as their reaction against two synthetic peptides ("M" and "N") derived from the sequence of S-antigen and peptide "R14", derived from IRBP. Positive responses to the retinal antigens were found in larger proportions and with higher levels in the patient group than in the controls. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant in their response to S-antigen, but the patients reacted better than the controls against the other antigens as well. Of particular interest was the finding that several patients responded to both retinal proteins and/or to their peptides. These patients suffered from severe retinal changes and the data are thus interpreted as suggesting that the responses to the retinal antigens are secondary to these changes and to nonphysiological release of retinal antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okajima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiggert
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chader
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gery
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nussenblatt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019393:Arrestin; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000276:immunology*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000276:immunology*; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D000099214:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Interstitial
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D019393:Arrestin; D001324:Autoantigens; D005136:Eye Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D000099214:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Interstitial