title: [Serum anti-retinal antibodies and intensity of endogenous posterior uveitis ].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the correlation between the anti-retinal antibodies (ARA) and intensity of intraocular inflammation in patients with endogenous posterior uveitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 patients--29 women (58%) and 21 men (42%) in age 15-70 yrs with idiopathic posterior uveitis were examined. Intraocular inflammation intensity was scored on standard uveitis grading system prepared by BenEzra et al. In all cases the ARA were determined by indirect immunofluorescence test on normal monkey retina as a substrate and FITC-labelled goat's anti-human IgA, G, M serum (Euroimmun-Germany). The control serum was obtained from 50 blood donors: 20 women (40%) and 30 men (60%) in age 15-68 yrs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The statistical analysis showed a correlation between the ARA serum levels and intraocular inflammation intensity. High correlation was found in first control between serum ARA level and the degree of vitreous inflammation and the presence of fresh vessels sheathing, characteristic for retinal vasculitis. In next three controls, this correlation was still present, but only in a case of vitreous changes. And at the end of observation no correlation was found, neither between serum ARA levels and the activity of vitreous inflammation, nor between the ARA levels and retinal vasculitis intensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of serum ARA in patients with idiopathic posterior uveitis can act as an indicator for intraocular inflammation intensity and can reflect the retinal autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Katedry i Kliniki Okulistyki Collegium Medicum Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubicka-Trzaska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012160:Retina / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents