Lymphocyte proliferative responses of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis to parasite and retinal antigens.
In vitro lymphocyte proliferative responses to purified toxoplasma antigens and the retinal S-antigen were evaluated in 40 patients with ocular toxoplasmosis; 16 (40%) had a positive in vitro response to the retinal S-antigen. The proliferative responses to the 2G11 (p22) toxoplasma membrane antigen approached that of a crude antigen preparation of Toxoplasma gondii, whereas the response to the 1E11 immunodominant p30 membrane antigen was considerably less striking. HLA typing was also performed, and none correlated to S-antigen or toxoplasma reactivity. The evidence strongly suggests that patients with a clearly infectious ocular disorder may have part of their disease mediated by a putative autoimmune mechanism. An immune response to the 2G11 toxoplasma antigen may increase the risk of developing ocular disease or a substrain of toxoplasma with 2G11 as its immunodominant membrane antigen may have a greater affinity for the retina.
Nussenblatt
R B
RB
Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Mittal
K K
KK
Fuhrman
S
S
Sharma
S D
SD
Palestine
A G
AG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D019393:Arrestin; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D019393:Arrestin; D005136:Eye Proteins; D006680:HLA Antigens