Modulation of experimental autoimmune uveitis with cyclosporin A.
Cyclosporin A has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of T cell-mediated diseases. We show here that cyclosporin A was capable of totally preventing the clinical appearance of experimental autoimmune uveitis in Lewis rats, even when administered on an every-other-day schedule (10 mg/kg) or when begun seven days after immunization (40 mg/kg). At lower doses of the drug, a modulation of the disease was seen with evidence of a more chronic, granulomatous process. A long-lasting unresponsive state to the immunizing antigen was not uniformly induced with cyclosporin A if therapy was begun seven days after S antigen immunization. Because of cyclosporin A's effective control of this experimental model that is induced by an antigen to which certain patients with uveitis demonstrate cell-mediated immune responses, cyclosporin A may be an effective mode of therapy for T cell-mediated intraocular inflammatory disease.
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D003524:Cyclosporins