Birdshot retinochoroidopathy associated with HLA-A29 antigen and immune responsiveness to retinal S-antigen.
Antigen HLA-A29 was present in 16 of 20 patients (80%) with birdshot retinochoroidopathy, but only in 31 of 418 controls (7.4%) (P less than .0001). The relative risk for this disease in persons possessing HLA-A29 antigen was 49.9, one of the highest reported. Of the 20 patients, 13 were also tested for evidence of an in vitro mitotic immune response to purified retinal S-antigen. Of these, 12 (92.3%) responded to the purified preparation, whereas one responded only to a crude retinal homogenate. The histopathologic and clinical findings in an eye from one of the responders to the S-antigen were similar to those in the disease induced in monkeys with the S-antigen. Our findings suggested that birdshot retinochoroidopathy has a genetic predisposition and that retinal autoimmunity, resulting from the S-antigen or other retinal antigens, plays a role in the manifestation of this disease.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019393:Arrestin; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012160:Retina / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000941:Antigens; D019393:Arrestin; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C035524:HLA-A29 antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II