title: Cellular immune status in retinitis pigmentosa.
abstract: Previous reports have suggested a role of cellular and/or humoral immunity in retinitis pigmentosa. Because of the controversial nature of many of these reports, the authors undertook a detailed investigation of cellular and humoral immunity in a well-characterized group of 47 persons with retinitis pigmentosa of various heritability patterns and a similar number of age- and sex-matched controls. The authors found two changes in lymphocyte subsets. Retinitis pigmentosa patients had significantly elevated Leu 3A-positive lymphocytes (CD4 or T-helper cells) and significantly fewer Leu 2A-positive lymphocytes (CD8 or T-suppressor cells) than controls, although the total numbers of T cells did not differ between the two groups. A small but significant number of retinitis pigmentosa patients expressed interleukin 2 (IL-2) antigens on their lymphocytes as compared with none of the controls. The authors saw no differences between the retinitis pigmentosa and control groups in the inducibility and secretion of gamma-interferon or IL-2. Concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A, and M did not differ between the two groups. The link between immune system alterations and the retinitis pigmentosa process remains tenuous.
authors.affiliation: Lions Eye Research Laboratories, LSU Eye Center.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Newsome
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pitha-Rowe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D008222:Lymphokines; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines